Unimog: More Than A Truck
Steve Sturgess
Senior Editor
The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is back in North America. The truck has been relaunched with a new sales organization to back the latest model U500 implement-carrying platform. This is more than a truck: It can plow a field, pull a train, fight a forest fire and still cruise along the highway at 70 mph.
The Unimog is unique. As a concept, it is more than a half-century old, but the U500 is a brand new model - a utility truck with more functions than a Swiss Army knife. With a front and transmission PTO and quick attachment points and hydraulics front and rear, the Unimog can be fitted with an amazing variety of equipment that makes it a highly versatile utility vehicle. Typical examples might be a snowplow at the front and a spreader at the rear for winter operations and a mower, manlift or street sweeper, for example, in the summer months.
As such, the expense of the Unimog - it is significantly more costly than the more conventional Class 6 or 7 utility truck - can be amortized over a variety of applications, with the chassis being used throughout the year. The cab can be set up to seat three big adults, even with the central control panel convenient to the driver's reach. And with its 4x4 drive and excellent ground clearance through the use of portal axles, it has the ability to get way into the boondocks for applications such as line service, brush cleanup or even grading a trail. And because it can do up to 70 mph, it can get speedily to the jobsite, even towing a trailer if necessary.
Adding to its versatility is the body mounting. The U500 has an available dump body which, like all the quickly detachable bodies - and that includes the fire apparatus - mounts to four ball mounts on frame crossmembers. The dump hydraulic ram is mounted at the center so that by releasing two mounts at a time, the body can dump to the left, right or rear.
There are two wheelbase options - 132 and 154 inches - and GVWs of 26,000 and 33,000 pounds. And it can haul a trailer up to 45,000 pounds.
The Unimog has a Mercedes-Benz MBE900, 6-cylinder diesel at 230 hp with an option of 280 hp. Standard transmission has eight forward and six reverse gears with Telligent automated shifting. Optional is a second working range and a third crawler range for a maximum of 24 forward gears. The lowest ratio has a top speed of 240 ft/hr, a speed so slow that you have to use a sight point like the mirror arm to the ground to even detect that the truck is moving.
We had the opportunity to drive a U500 for a day, first in a demanding off-highway course that demonstrated its extraordinary climbing and off-highway abilities. Later in the day, we drove on highway and enjoyed the interior quiet within the rust-proof carbon-fiber reinforced cab, and the excellent coil-sprung ride.
The cab is extremely comfortable with quite outstand
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