Mercedes 1124 Expedition Vehicle

This build transformed a Mercedes 1124AF ex fire truck double cab into a go anywhere expedition vehicle with large composite habitation box, side skirts and toolboxes, motorbike carrier, spare wheel carrier, sliding deck and more.

Straight out of the fire service

The truck was purchased by our customer from Germany and was an ex fire truck with the body removed.

It had a massive cab fitted out for 8 firemen and their kit so this needed to change to fit a suitable sized body on.

Cab Shortening

We carried out the bodywork in our workshop. The aim was to create a single cab with a little extra space behind the seats.

Cab Shortening

The rear of the old cab was grafted on to the cut cab and a passthrough frame was welded into the rear panel.

The window openings were filled with sheet metal and carefully welded into place.

A coat of paint

With the cab work now complete the truck was sent off to the paint shop to get a full chassis paint and for the cab to get it's striking yellow.

CAD Design

In the meantime our design team had spent time with the customer going over their requirements and refining a design for the truck to suit.

CAD Design

The box and all the accessories are fully designed from scratch in SolidWorks.

With signoff from the customer we get these components put into production.

Crownwheel and Pinion Upgrade

With the truck in the workshop we added our fast ratio crownwheel and pinion kit to increase the cruising speed.

Heat Shielding

Heat shielding was added to the underneath of the cab.

Sound Deadening

Sound deadening was added to the interior of the cab to make it a little quieter for those longer drives.

Subframe test fit

When the subframe arrived we test fit it to the chassis to ensure it went on as planned.

Box Building

The box starting to come together, this is almost 5m long so gives a massive living space.

Fully bonded construction

As the box comes together the outbound hatches and windows are bonded in.

Subframe and Box

The box is then joined to the subframe using 16 GRP bolts.

Joining Day

With the subframe and box now attached, the body can be fitted to the truck and we finally start to see the build come together.

Increased Range

Custom diesel tanks were added on both sides to maximise the use of space and give a good range.

Test Fitting

The toolboxes and side skirts were test fitted before they headed off to get powder coated.

Motorbike Carrier

The motorbike carrier was also test fit, this was fully hot dip galvanised to keep it free from corrosion.

Freshly Powder coated

With the side skirts and toolboxes powder coated they were refitted to the vehicle and all the fittings were installed.

Completed build

And with that the truck is all together, click on for a showcase of the finished truck and it's accessories.

Up on the moor

We always try to pick a good day to get some photos and this was a belter.

Fully Kitted Out

This build had a huge array of accessories which were all designed to work seamlessly together.

Motorbike carrier and spare wheel carrier

The spare wheel carrier nestles on the chamfer between the arms of the motorbike carrier. Both can be actuated separately via the same hoist.

Lowered motorbike carrier

The carrier uses an electric hoist to effortlessly lift and lower the motorbike.

Lowered spare wheel carrier

The spare wheel carrier pivots off the back of the subframe to bring the wheel down to ground level.

Stainless Bash Guard

We designed, fabricated and fitted this bash guard from stainless steel. The owners want to properly use this vehicle offroad so this will protect the radiator, sump and front anti roll bar.

Sliding Deck

One of the most complex parts of this build was the sliding decking, we used 150% extension slides and folding planks to get 900mm of deck in a 600mm gap!

Retractable under run bar

To comply with European regulations a retractable under run bar was designed that stows away out of the departure angle to minimise the impact it has on the offroad ability.

Under Run Bar

This is in it's extended position, complying with the under run regulations.

Central Tyre Inflation System

We fitted a neat Teleflow CTIS to this build which allows all tyre pressures to be quickly adjusted.

Off to it's new home

With the project complete the truck is off to spain where it's new owners are going to fit out the interior and then take it on it's travels.

We wish them the best and cant wait to see it fully finished.