1300L Working Gears

[mariner1]

Hello All,
I am about to purchase a 1300L Ambulance for conversion to an expedition vehicle. The problem I am finding is that all ambulances have fast axles and and turbos but not working gears. How important are they for offroad operations? First through fourth seem exceptionally low to begin with. Thanks for the help!

 

[Karl kostman]

Congrats on the Unimog decision the 1300L is an absolutely excellent truck in every way! As far as your working gear question that is pretty much going to be dictated by how serious you are when you use the term "OFFROAD"? My 1300L sounds like pretty much the same setup as yours and I have never found a need for anything different than the fast axles that are in the truck, mine is in a cargo config, but then again your version of offroading and mine may be way different. I would setup the truck how you want it and give it a try and if at that point you think you need working gears you can then add it, because of the cost associated with working gears I would sure give it a try first though, last time I looked at them (to go faster) the cost war around 9K for the overdrive unit! I am pretty darned happy at 52 MPH! You are going to really like the truck but be careful when running offroad with a group of folks because you will usually be alone!!!
Post pics please!
Karl

 

[mariner1]

Thanks Karl! As far as offroading, I'm more about the journey itself than seeking out crazy difficult obstacles. If your 1300L does well without them mine probably will as well. From what I've read the Ambulances are similar in weight to the cargo trucks. I will post pictures as soon as I get it. I still need to arrange the importation and negotiate with the wholesaler some.

 

[Karl kostman]

mariner1 may I ask where you got hold of your 1300? and I may also have some info your going to want down the line.
PM me when able
Karl

 

[tennmogger]

Karl is steering you in the right direction. The U1300L is a capable offroad truck without the working gears. I have done a bit of rocky trail riding, mud, and steep stuff and never really needed the slower gears. That includes many of the challenging trails around Moab, UT.

Also as Karl said, you will be past the "bad stuff" before the smaller vehicles even pick their route.

Does your truck have the exhaust brake? If so, the exhaust brake can be used to slow the truck to almost zero speed on steep descents while staying in a higher gear. Steep descents are dangerous in lower gears because, if you lose traction, you need to be ready to accelerate. I mention that because that's just another example where you will not miss the lower gearing.

The ambulance U1300's are great trucks. I would have bought one of those if it had been available (mine is a modified RW-1 fire truck). You do have to consider the higher center of gravity though. That's the only down side. The boxes are especially nice for camping.

Bob

 

[rchalmers3]

....You do have to consider the higher center of gravity though. That's the only down side. The boxes are especially nice for camping....

In stock form its better to have some weight on the rear axle, such that a cargo truck may have a lower CG, but the ambulance has more weight, and thus better traction. In the end, how you build it is a compromise that suits your objectives.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 8th, 2016.


You will appreciate the fast axles more if you drive a conventional cargo Unimog, as they approach glacially slow on road marches of any length, but if you do need the 8 lower gears instead of the usual 4, you do realize that in most Unimogs L1L1(bottom lowest gear in the transmission) will give you a cross country speed of about 450 feet per hour (or at least this is what it works out to in a Unimog S404.114 with the auxiliary low gears)? That is about 1 and 1/2 football field lengths per hour, plus the truck develops a frightening amount of torque compared to most other FWD's.....


However, the really good news is if you do get seriously stuck, it will usually take 2 M35A2's pulling in unison to get 1 Unimog unstuck. The locking differentials let you go where no sane man really wants or needs to go! The next Unimog will be a U1300L Cargo with ultra high speed axles, as I would prefer a 60-65 MPH road march as opposed to a 45-50 MPH road march any day.

Good Luck & Happy Hunting!