THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

Name's Donny from upstate NY. Been offroading my whole life. First truck was an old US mail van with sliding doors. We used the shelves in back for beds, strapped a canoe on the roof, and explored.

Next came a Subaru station wagon, a new 4 cylinder CJ-7, and now a Dodge Durango with a Hemi.

NONE of them were the Doka Unimog that I lusted after all my life. The portals, the brute strength, the ability to go *almost* anywhere. Yup, that was my truck if I ever hit the lottery, until.........

One day last week I just happened to Google, "forard control", and, "portal axles", and finally realized that a TGB 11 was what I really wanted all along!

My wife and I have four wonderful sons who are almost grown. We are both approaching 50, and I have recently found out I have cancer, again. I beat it once before, I'm sure I'll beat it again, but just in case, we are hopefully retiring early, and building a camper out of a TGB 11 similar to Linus Tremaine's rig, but I'd like to put a FlipPac folding tent trailer like attachement on the roof, (minus the truck cap part, of course!).

We'll revisit Cape Cod, the White Mountains, and our own Adirondacks, and fall in love with offroading, camping, and being in love all over again, for as long as I have left.

A quick MS Paint pic my youngest son threw together for me. Obviously the rear half of the roof will have to go, giving full stand-up height in the back, and almost a queen size bed over the cab!

Enjoy all the decades you have left! You've found the right place to get answers, suggestions, and ideas (some bad, most good) for whatever plans you have.
Give a holler if you ever get out to the west coast in your travels.

Thanks for the welcome, Jim!

Yes, we'll make a helluva time of it, that's for sure. You'd never get me on an airplane, but get a truck under me and watch me go.

Is there a way to find the nearest C303 to me so I can see one in person?

Hi Donnie, I like your spirit and would love to meet up with you some time. I am in upstate ny as well and own a 710m pinz dont know if you have ever thought of owning one of these but should you want to eyeball one up close and perhaps go out and visit a friend of mine that has a 714 to do some offroading I could make some provisions for such a endeavor..let me know if you may have the time..and keep the faith..regards

Pete, that's a helluva good idea, we may just take you up on that! Thank you.

Every backroad I have ever driven in a car, I have always been drawn to look down the dirt roads as I pass them. Now's the time to check them out.

Hi Donny,

I do believe I'm the chap that PinzPete was speaking of with the 712....(I'm thinking he mistyped 714.....hmmmm, would that be a fantasy 8x8!!!!)

I'm also in Upstate NY, near both Hunter and Windham ski resorts. PinzPete came up a few weeks ago for a little bit of fun; I'm sure we can find the time to get together to have you take a look at the Pinzgauers. I'm sure you will find that they are far different animals than the TGB111. Big difference being the Portal Swing Axle setup on the Pinz compared to the straight axle setup on the Volvo.....not to mention the whole air-cooled thing......thePinz is easier to maintain than some of my larger chainsaws!

Stay in touch and be well.

-Ryan

Yes indeed Ryan...a typo for sure...just waiting for the madness of the holidays to end...and then will be up to see you...I need to see what this pinz is capable of in snow

Wow, thanks Ryan!

I'm thinking springtime maybe. If I can find a TGB 11 by then, maybe we can have some fun.

Cool idea to put a FlipPac on a Volvo. I have a FlipPac on an '04 Tacoma and really like it. I also like camping in my Pinzi 710M but it's really only set up for 1 where you could sleep 4 in the FlipPac plus its really nice to be able to stand up inside the rig.

Thanks SixBennetts,

Don't wait till Spring........too much fun to be had in the winter......lots of good snowshoeing up here right now and with all of the moisture we've had this Summer and Fall, the ice should be flowing promptly with these freezing temps.

As PinzPete had mentioned.....it would be greatone to get you up here to check out the Pinz variations before you get your heart set on a Volvo. (Although I do believe there is a TGB111 on eBay right now for about 15K)

The Volvo is a bit more reconfigurable than the Pinz but through those I've known that have gone through them, you may need that option. With the four 303/304's that I've seen in working condition, only one was in stock running condition, the others had been bastardized with repowers and running gear.

I wsicly complex off-road builds. The only thing that will steer me away from driving my 712 daily will be when we purchase a Tatra from Ver

.........to clarify that last sentence........

(The android is being a little keyboard finicky)

I've built a number of fairly intrinsicly complex yet worthy and reliable trail rigs and kept quite a few vehicles alive far beyond their days; the only vehicle that will get me out of driving my Pinz for daily utilitarian purposes (understanding that my daily utilitarian purposes may be a little more than most ask from their trucks, ever), will be the enevitable purchase of a Tatra from Vermont Unimogs.

I probably sound like a Pinz salesperson or something but, in the short period of ownership we've had with the Pinz, every time we come across something to think about, we put our farm implement hats on......after all, the thing really is just a 1 1/2 ton rated, weed whacker with a couple more stokes and valves!I've been inside axles of all makes, from 2.5 T Rockwell Planetarys, Currie's Dana's in a few sizes in a few builds, GM Corporate.....then there's the VW stuff that we've had to do........whole 'nuther story, trying to shoehorn Audi Quattro stuff into MK2 VW. What it comes down to with the Pinz is simplicity, these things come apart with basic hand tools more easily than just about anything held together with nuts and bolts I've ever put my hands on.....they are just so concise.

I do hope yo can find the time to get together to take a look at one of these things, the only problem with them, as it seems to me, is just that owning one may make you want to figure out why you would need a Tatra in life........I've sure found my reasons!

All GREAT info there, fellers, thanks!

I have talked at length with a mechanic friend, and he and I both agree that the C303 would fit both of our needs. Me fixing it, and him teaching me how to fix it!

Couple that with the ease of modification of the body, the more familiar drivetrain, and the live axle suspension, and it's just more fmiliar to me.

Plus, the Mrs. thinks they're just plain sexy! She's a rare girl, bless her heart!

Now, the 712 and the C303 are fairly similar in general shape, size, power, and dimensions, right? So I should be able to get at least a general sense of them. Has anybody driven both?

I ask because I am 6', 300 pounds. I gotta be able to fit, right?!

You guys are great, thanks.

hi guys, this is donnys wife barbara. donny wanted me 2 post n tell u all whats up.

they decided to operate on his tumer to try to remove or reduce it. it went ok, but they r keeping him in a coma for a few days to let his brain stabalize and recover. hopefully they can add a couple more years to his life for us!

hes was talking to joacim frm coatex ab in sweden about importing a volvo truck for us. joacim has been so very nice in all the emails. he said he found us a perfect truck in the far north that is in the best shape he has evr seen!

Hi Barbara, I am hoping all is well for Donny and yourself this is encouraging news and I am glad Donny seems to be doing well I am sure time will tell all. I know he wanted that volvo so very much and lost out on the one he had his eye on so for him to get a chance at another in really good shape is a blessing. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to meet up with you guys soon. I make a camping trip to the whiteface mountains in new hampshire every year and spend a week camping and hiking this year I plan to go with my pinz and am hoping you guys and my new friend Ryan (czar13) can make the trip up. It would be a blast...anyhow keep us informed on Donnies progress and his quest to find the perfect vehicle..regards Larry

thnx larry, that sounds like fun. theyr gonna try 2 wake him up 2morrow so wish us luck! donny use to camp along the kankamagus when he was younger.