Mercedes-Benz 1226 4x4 V8 expedition truck

Living area

Kitchen and stove

Sleeping

Bathroom and washing machine

Cabin

Technology and chassis

Documentation

Exterior and on the road

Life in the camper

From the air

Videos

The base is a 1983 Mercedes-Benz 1226 4x4, delivered new to the Swiss fire brigade. The combination of the relatively light 12-tonne chassis with the big V8, four-wheel drive, short crew cab and the original high roof is simply no longer to be found, a true unicorn.

Under the cab sits the OM402 12.7-litre naturally aspirated V8 diesel, coupled to a ZF automatic with retarder, four-wheel drive and differential locks. Heavy-duty, relatively simple Mercedes technology without the complex emission systems of modern trucks.

Thanks to the 4.20 metre wheelbase, a living unit of about 5 metres could be fitted without a huge rear overhang. The result is a well-balanced truck that, despite the double cab and spacious living unit, is only about 7.6 metres long, 3.5 metres high and 2.5 metres wide.

With the Swiss fire brigade it was stored indoors for about 40 years and drove on average less than 1,000 kilometres a year, yet was serviced by Mercedes every year. The base vehicle is rust-free and in exceptional condition for its age.

The history from new is very extensively documented:

• Original Mercedes service book with yearly maintenance stamps
• Original vehicle documentation from new
• Original TÜV documents from many years
• Maintenance invoices and various historical documents
• Spare keys

This is explicitly not simply an old fire engine with a camper unit on top. The base vehicle has been technically overhauled and adapted for long-term travel and expedition use. All important oils and fluids of the complete drivetrain have been preventively replaced (engine, automatic, axles, differentials, transfer case, filters), and the brakes have been extensively overhauled, with approx. €10,000 invested.

• New rims and tyres
• Two new heavy-duty starter batteries
• New, larger diesel tank (approx. 350 litres)
• New exhaust and custom-made heat shield
• Extra diesel pre-filter with hand pump
• Cab extensively insulated against heat and noise and re-upholstered
• Air tanks relocated and better protected, extra air connections left and right
• Tyres can be inflated via the truck's own air system
• Large steel storage boxes around the chassis
• Fifth complete wheel with electric winch
• Reversing camera and blind-spot cameras left and right
• Diesel parking heater in the cab, USB and USB-C charging points
• ISOFIX option in the front, pass-through between cab and living unit

The base vehicle was first made completely smooth by a professional. Then both the cab and the entire camper body were hand-painted. So it's not a wrap. The whole thing has been professionally matt-lacquered, and all black parts have also been professionally resprayed.

The camper unit was built by a professional Dutch camper builder: a fully welded aluminium exoskeleton with 60 mm thick, bonded, insulated panels. The approx. 5-metre unit sits on a torsion-free, black powder-coated subframe. The interior is custom-built from solid Austrian lightweight wood with matt-black Fenix HPL panels.

• Outbound windows and entrance door
• MaxxFan roof vent
• Plenty of interior and exterior storage space
• Wide, stable steps instead of a steep expedition ladder, also handy for small children and dogs

Above the seating area hangs a double lift bed with slatted base and a full, comfortable mattress: up during the day, down in the evening. So the seating area never has to be converted into a bed. In addition, up to four children's beds of approx. 70 × 200 cm are possible. Two bed positions are multifunctional and can also be used as cupboard or storage space.

Currently set up with 3 fixed children's beds and the double lift bed (the 4th children's bed is currently used as a cupboard).

• 130-litre Dometic fridge and 75-litre freezer chest (well over 200 litres of cooling and freezing capacity)
• Induction hobs, can be stored on the wall to free up the worktop
• Thetford gas oven, 11 kg gas cylinder in a steel box under the truck
• Large black sink with pull-out tap
• Pull-out extra worktop, many drawers and wall cabinets
• Tinywash washing machine

Fully professionally installed, under warranty, for long-term off-grid use, and prepared for a second identical battery (up to approx. 15.4 kWh). With approx. 800 W of solar panels and the 50A charge booster while driving, we almost always arrive with a full battery and hardly depend on shore power.

• Victron Lithium NG 24V 300Ah, approx. 7.7 kWh
• Victron MultiPlus 3000 and Cerbo GX
• Approx. 800 W of solar panels and 50A Buck-Boost charge booster
• 24V on-board network and full 230V installation

• 410 litres of water, including the 70 litre hot water heater
• Diesel heating for living unit and hot water
• Tinystove wood stove with telescopic chimney that slides up from the inside
• Shower and Separett Tiny dry toilet
• Large waterproof storage cabinet in the bathroom

• Fiamma awning of approx. 5.0 × 2.75 metres
• Heavy-duty, custom-made bicycle/motorcycle carrier with electric winch and its own lighting: we carry a cargo bike plus four mountain bikes on it
• Custom-made roof rack with 5 Hella spotlights, 2 large aluminium storage boxes and spare wheel with electric winch
• Lazer Lights Triple-R 24 Elite+ LED bar (approx. 112 cm, 340 W) with white and yellow light

The truck is registered in the Netherlands as M1 with 7 official seats and, as a classic vehicle, is fully exempt from road tax. Thanks to the M1 registration there is no tachograph and no driving and rest time rules. At borders and ferries you simply queue with the cars and campers, not in the line with the lorries. And it saves a lot on tolls: in Germany, for example, you pay no truck Maut, and in the Netherlands no lorry levy.

Not because the concept doesn't suit us, quite the opposite. We have made wonderful long journeys in it as a family, and that is exactly how we discovered how well this way of travelling suits us. With four children we are ready for a next step with more living space. What exactly that will be, we are keeping open for now.

Anyone who wants to build something similar has to find a good base first and then go through the whole process, from technology and overhaul to chassis modifications, tanks, subframe, camper build, interior and electrics. That process has already been completed on this truck and tested on long trips. Get in, load your things and go.

Want to see how it performs on the road? Watch the build reel and the V8 on a mountain pass.