THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

http://www.expeditionportal.com/compone ... ecker.html

These are nice vehicles, but looking at them got me thinking more and more about my Pinzgauer. OK my Pinz was second hand but the Swiss seemed to have used it little and looked after it a lot. It has just as solid military specification as the G-Wagen and benefits from a robust air-cooled engine devoid of modern electronics. My biggest concern with the Pinz is its poor fuel consumption, but I see these Mercedes Geländewagen Entdeckers manage little better using diesel which at least here in the UK is at least 8p a litre more expensive.

So for a lot, lot less than $200 000 I have a compact overland vehicle with a one tonne payload, military specification, coil sprung independent suspension, front and rear diff locks, front and rear recovery / towing points and a low ratio transfer case.

I have outfitted it with storage for water, fuel, recovery equipment, food and clothing. I have 240v power, LED interior lighting, on-board cooking AND sleeping space in the vehicle.

OK so I don't have some of the bling features like titanium shovel, but even if I did add all that stuff it would only add a couple of £1000 to the cost.

Wow the Pinzgauer is just the coolest overland vehicle, I bet those Mercedes Geländewagen Entdecker owners are so, so jealous (and skint)

Two things:

1) for the rest of the world reading this, 'skint' means short of money,

2) titanium shovels are definitely cool. Maybe not $200k cool, but still cool. I still think Space Pens are cool though, so maybe I'm not the best judge.

Scottishpinz I suspect the second photo is of your steed in Iceland? It is a damn shame the ferry service from Scotland to Iceland has gone.

Tony

Yes that's in Iceland and I wouldn't want to sleep in a roof top tent with the winds and rain you get there (or Scotland)

Big shame about the ferry, but my next trip should hopefully get me up to the arctic in Finland and Russia!

No its too cold You should be thinking about our Moroccan Trip bit warmer than Scotland and Finland

Morocco sounds interesting, are detail listed on this site?

I am somehow drawn to the north and would love to explore Canada, Alaska, Norway, Finland and Russia.

The Australian military is just starting to get deliveries of there new G wagens (to replace the LR's).
They looked at, and tested the Pinzgauer but knocked it back (partially I understand because of it's "forward control design").

I like the G, but like the Pinny BETTER!!

Fitted with a mild tyre like a Mud Terrain which is suited to bitumen, and with the diesel and an auto, I personally think the 718K is the perfect touring vehicle.
(I love my 712 and in the rough stuff it's hard to beat, but as it's fitted with aggressive off road tyres and with the petrol's economy it's a killer on the wallet for long distance touring).

Maybe in 20 years times when the G's are getting sold off here, you'll see them getting converted into tourers, but in the meantime, I know a few guys who are already planning to build LR tourers (the 6X6's are really sort after) out of the ex military units.

This one was at a LR event some years ago.



A PR shot of the Australian G's

Puchs together

Don,t know if I,m right in saying this, but wern't Mercedes so impressed with the Pinz that they had the G Wagen built in the same factory by Puch? there is a Puch version sold in certain European countries. You want some cold? minus 17 here tonight (just looked at the outside thermometer)....you are welcome to come and park in our field for free and I can show you some good lanes.....but you will need fully working diff locks, a winch and survival gear....I almost got stuck yesterday with 4 chains fitted!!!! snow was up to the Pinz'z belly!!! What am I talkin about!! 'some' lanes? I could show you lanes to last you a year of driving, just in my locality....there are more 'lanes' than roads here!!!

Yes the G is built (by hand) at the Puch plant in Graz but it's in a completely separate area within the same, massive compound. I got to tour both of them. I was allowed to take pics in the Pinz building but not in the G building, due to Mercedes rules. A couple of those Pinz factory photos appear at the top of the page. What you see in them are Austrian military Pinz's being completely refurbished. I wish I could find the pics of the crates of fresh new motors and diffs that I saw while walking the assembly-line.