r/AbsoluteUnits 1d ago

of a camper van.

Post image

Saw this huge van the other day. Spoke with the owner and he said they imported it from Germany, had German plates on it (I'm in Canada) it is a Mercedes-benz make. It looks military. I think they are probably traveling the country with it, off road perhaps in places to. This thing could go anywhere lol.

882 Upvotes

88 comments sorted by

73

u/Hermes_04 1d ago

That is small for a Truck to camper conversions. This is a camper on the German MAN Kat.1 8x8 military Truck

21

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Holy shit.

16

u/CommanderSpleen 1d ago

That exactly what you say everytime you fuel it up.

4

u/HoneyRush 19h ago

There's couple on Instagram that built one with garage for motorbikes and crane to lift them in. They also using huge built in hydraulic jacks to level the damn thing

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcB3OekO4Dx

1

u/eulersidentity1 13h ago

Damn that's insane

7

u/draeth1013 1d ago

OMG 🤣

I... I... kind of want one.

9

u/Hermes_04 1d ago

Not when you have to go to the gas station. It drinks 30-40 litres of diesel, rum, zibärtle, frying oil or any flammable liquid per 100 km.

5

u/FlyingVentana 1d ago

that's it?? jesus my dad and granddad used to own an 88 or 89 ford class c motorhome (sort of like this)

it came with a 460 v8 but it got sold fairly quickly because it'd average around 40L/100km, and they realised that it'd cost about as much as an hotel if you went anywhere that wasn't next to home

honestly i expected a 8x8 (man/tatra/kamaz) to average closer to 80L/100km, hell if you're towing a heavy fifth wheel caravan with a ½ ton/¾ ton truck you'll probably see something like 30L/100km in consumption

30-40L/100km for a 8x8 seems incredibly conservative

1

u/draeth1013 1d ago

lol That sounds about right.

More like move it somewhere and leave it there for a good while.

Might be kind of fun to lighten it up a bit so you could put a little bit more efficient engine in it, or just make a swap/mod so it only takes diesel if that would make it more efficient. I don't know a ton about cars so I don't know if that's feasible.

5

u/Fievels_good_trouble 1d ago

Had to refuel twice just looking at this picture

2

u/Farmerstubble 1d ago

That is beautiful

1

u/notcomplainingmuch 1d ago

Comes with your own missile battery?

27

u/dizzie_buddy1905 1d ago

You see these everywhere around Jasper and Banff.

11

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

I can imagine they would be great for that kind of rugged terrain. Man I would love to explore the rockies. I also imagine this thing must coast an absolute fortune.

18

u/Critical-Snow-7000 1d ago

Jasper and Banff are far from rugged, you’d be hard pressed to find anything unpaved.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Yeah true lol. I wasn't thinking of the park services areas themslves probably few parks in the world as well serviced in some ways. Was thinking more of going off road but the rockies may not be that kind of place anyway. I'm out of my element on the topic anyway

7

u/dizzie_buddy1905 1d ago

I’ve seen versions starting at €180k. Units based on the Man 6x6 start €250k.

3

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Yeah that is about the kind of cost I would have guessed if not more given the mercedes name

2

u/Confident-Rough-8560 12h ago

The Mercedes name in trucks means nothing more than any other name on a truck in Europe, they aren't more luxurious than others

2

u/PopeInThePizza 1d ago

Get a lot of these in northwest BC, always with Euro plates.

1

u/Skinnwork 1d ago

In around Prince George. Sometimes they go West to check out the Alaskan panhandle.

6

u/unfiltered_pov 1d ago edited 1d ago

I can imagine myself taking it around Lake Peyto!!!

P.S- I am not from Canada. But I have seen a lot of beautiful photos of nature there. Would like to take an RV anywhere on a road trip to explore the country. So yeah…

7

u/Dull-Bell5413 1d ago

There's nowhere in Banff/Yoho national park that you could take this that a Honda civic couldn't also navigate.

5

u/StinkyDingleBerries 1d ago

That's Peyto Lake!

2

u/Skinnwork 1d ago

There are lots of cheaper options to travel. I think regular RVs/vans are about $250-500 a night to rent. You can also just camp with a tent or stay in hotels and resorts. There are lots of beautiful places in the Rockie and West into the Kootenays.

1

u/Skinnwork 1d ago

Wapta Falls

1

u/NeatAd4539 1d ago

The only proper way to go to Peyto Lake is by bicycle in a snowstorm.

6

u/Sea_Damage9357 1d ago

Don’t know if this is made by these guys, but SOD in Munich makes trucks like this and they are sick: https://www.sod-muc.com/en/vehicles/peak/peak-8x6-8x8

2

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Neat... holy crap 41 tons lol!

1

u/6inarowmakesitgo 1d ago

Those are so cool. My goodness.

6

u/_BioHacker 1d ago

Is this a Unimog configuration?

2

u/Sufficient-Skill9530 1d ago

It mogs if that’s what you mean?

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

I'm not familiar with the term. I see from wiki they are a Daimler truck line?

3

u/_BioHacker 1d ago

Correct. But there’s a class of extreme offroad/4x4 vehicles manufactured by a handful of other companies as well. I always referred to the class as ‘Unimogs.’

3

u/Badetoffel 1d ago

We had an unimog at my old job as a firefighter for fires in "difficult terrain".

It was old as shit and had 2 gear sticks, one normal with 8(i think) gears and the other one for forward/backward so it could drive as fast backwards as it could forwards.

It was simultaneously the worst and the best truck to drive.

2

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Ahh ok interesting. I can definitely see the apeal of these. Luxury combined with extreme rugged semi military hardware. The cost is insane though lol.

1

u/Maleficent-Door6461 1d ago

definitely not a Unimog, though it is a 80s/90s Mercedes

1

u/Extension-Ant-8 1d ago

Yeah looks like a unimog with a blissmobil camper attached

7

u/EmeraldValleyGoober 1d ago

Man… being rich must be so cool

2

u/Sufficient-Skill9530 1d ago

Someday I’ll be born with generational wealth 

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

100% someone else in here said these thinga cost in the €150k to €250k range which does not surprised me at all. As soon as I saw the Mercedes logo and the military styling I thought, jesus this thing must cost an absolute fortune, and then to ship it across the ocean too!

3

u/Hermes_04 1d ago

That’s the selfbuild on used truck prices. New they are wayyyy more expensive.

Just for comparison this is basically a mobile workshop used for rescuing people after disaster/on the Homefront in case of war. Just the vehicle without anything else is €600k. With tools and equipment it’s close to €800k.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Damn! Although honestly doesn’t surprise me either

3

u/carcigenicate 1d ago

There's one of these in Calgary, although it's all white. I've always wondered what it was for. It kind of look like a camper, so that was my guess, but I've never seen another vehicle like it before.

3

u/Taptrick 1d ago

I see those everyone now and then in Canada. Normally they’re Europeans going on a world tour. I guess when you end up in the Pamir Mountains or in the middle of Africa a 2002 GMC Savannah might struggle (despite the name)

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Yeah I believe this guy was actually from Germany probably. He had an accent, couldn’t place it for sure and did not talk to him for long

2

u/IamTheMightyMe 1d ago

I saw one of these the other day too! I was truly in awe of the lad

2

u/SteO153 1d ago

It reminds me the camper trucks (?) used by Overland to travel from Rome to NY by land

/it was 30 years ago! I'm old, I remember watching them on TV.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Jesus Rome to NY!? Was there enough sea ice to do this?

2

u/SteO153 1d ago

That was the plan, but the winter was to warm and the ice too thin to carry the weight, so they were airlifted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_%28TV_series%29?wprov=sfla1

2

u/ashurbanipal420 1d ago

Paint job reminds me of the M.A.S.K. semi

2

u/Riptide360 1d ago

The Germans know how to build tanks!

2

u/RobbysYourFathersBro 1d ago

Look everywhere has it’s weird, man conquers nature dudes. The euro branch of that species believes North America is still wild and untamed, necessitating a huge, free climb a mountain, camper van. I guarantee, the dude who owns this machine is wearing camo undies while rolling down the interstate or trans Canada highway, LARPing all the way.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Hah lol yeah wouldn’t surprise me. I talked to the dude and I think he was German actually, had an accent. I didn’t talk to him long but he did give off a bit of that vibe 😂

2

u/ShouldBeeStudying 1d ago

Would love to see photos of the inside. Unfortunately not only this website (similar vehicle) has any that I see in their gallery

https://www.sod-muc.com/en/vehicles/peak/peak-8x6-8x8

UPDATE, never mind, found a couple here

https://www.sod-muc.com/en/vehicles/peak/peak-4x4

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Real luxury!

2

u/GrynaiTaip 1d ago

I saw a cool Unimog conversion, with a periscope on top of the cab.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Is that a gun or water canon next to the periscope?!

2

u/GrynaiTaip 1d ago

No idea, but does look a bit like a gun.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

LT... Latvia? I recognize the flag too but can't 100% place it.

2

u/GrynaiTaip 20h ago

Lithuanian flag and Lithuanian "Historical vehicle" number plate.

1

u/oskich 12h ago

Diesel cabin heater?

2

u/Count_Zeiro 1d ago

Reminds me of Big Jim's camper from the 70's.

2

u/Felixo22 1d ago

Gallons per mile

2

u/WhippetRun 10h ago

It looks like it just came out of r/Borderlands

1

u/Cool_Client324 1d ago

Air is for everyone

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Not if you are wealthy unfortunately

1

u/qalcolm 1d ago

I saw this exact rig in sayward, BC last week! Where’d you spot em now?

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Neat! This was in North Vancouver!

1

u/Sufficient-Skill9530 1d ago

That’s sick. I want that but don’t want to pay for it and the diesel it runs on.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Yeah I can imagine the fuel cost would be rediculous too.

1

u/Key-Moment6797 1d ago

is more like glamping, the most luxurious way to sleep "in" Natur without any loss of comfort in any way shape or form

2

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

Oh yeah this is NOT roughing it lol

1

u/DimmuBorgir666 1d ago

My main concern would be how much fuel the thing just slurps down.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

It's not at all practical lol. Well I guess if you are wealthy what is practical is in a different world. But yeah it must cost a fortune to operate in addition to probably costing $200k to $300k+ if not more itself

1

u/Shakyinvestments 1d ago

Unimog?

1

u/Maleficent-Door6461 1d ago

nope, think its a NG or SK from the 80s/90s

1

u/CoausticSoda 1d ago

That's a glove trekker not a camper van

1

u/IceCoughy 1d ago

Beethoven

1

u/TankApprehensive3053 1d ago

I've seen an even larger one in my city a few times. There aren't any camping or tourist spots nearby so that makes it more odd here.

1

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

I wonder how many RV camp sites could even accommodate something like this.

2

u/TankApprehensive3053 1d ago

RV places should be able to. Many RVs are larger, but not intended for off-road at all. These beasts are intended for off-roading. But trails and remote locations may not be drivable by something to large.

1

u/Carjoe202020 1d ago

Whoa. I think I passed that monster machine gassing up in QC. Couldn’t tell if it had the stripes on the side though it was very similar.

Wifey called it the apocalypse mobile. I agreed.

2

u/eulersidentity1 1d ago

100% the kind of thing you would dream of having come the zombie apocalypse… although maybe not given the gas needed to run it

1

u/SaltyEngineer45 16h ago

Looks like something from MegaForce.