For Sale

SOLD * SOLD * SOLD * SOLD

As much as it pains me, I’m putting up for sale my Mercedes 1823 overland motorhome.

The truck is for sale at £30,000, and is located in Tottenham, North London, UK.

Interested parties should call Nick on 0044 (0) 7944 576 836, or email nick-e@talk21.com.

I would be happy to take prospective buyers out for a drive, and demonstrate how the truck's systems works.

I’ve had some life changing experiences in this truck, and I never expected to sell it, but my situation has changed and I have to accept that I’m unlikely to have enough time or money do another big trip for a long time. The truck has hardly been used in the last year and it would be better that the truck was used, than it sat idle in my yard.

For a full an in depth blog of the build and travels in this truck, please check out the rest of this site

There is also an in-depth write up of the truck, as a case-study in the excellent book:

Build Your OwnOverland Camper Haynes Manual by Steven Wigglesworth

I have tried to be as complete and honest as I can be, but I am sure there will be things that prospective buyers wish to discuss further. There is  short list at the end of this page that details issues with the truck that I am aware of. They are all relatively straightforward, and I would be happy to negotiate with prospective buyers on rectifying these as part of a sale price.

Overview

The truck chassis is a 2003 Mercedes Atego 1823 now with approximately 323,000 miles on it. Mechanically it is in good condition, everything works perfectly and I put a new MOT on it in November 2019 with no issues or repairs.

The truck was originally built as a cash-in-transit vehicle for Brinks by Trumac specialist vehicles. In 2007, Brinks sold a large part of their business to Loomis; they did not need this truck and put it up for resale at Junction 6 commercials, where I bought it. It came to me complete as a cash-in-transit truck, fully bullet proof, with rotating personnel and cash doors, and a lot of equipment installed.

I spent a long time converting the truck into a comfortable 2/3 person motorhome for round the world travel, and have travelled far and wide in it. There are all kinds of vehicles used for extended trips around the world, and everybody has different priorities as to what they need, for me, reliability, autonomy, and comfort were high up the list when I did the conversion. The biggest trip I used it for was a year spent travelling around America, Mexico and Canada.

The truck is approximately 7.2m long, 2.5m wide, and 3.5m high. For me this was a perfect compromise between  having a large enough space to provide comfortable living accommodation, while still being small enough to travel unrestricted. 

The chassis itself is well suited for long-distance travel on bad roads; the in-cab air conditioning, cruise-control and air seats make it comfortable for long drives, and the steel suspension, huge fuel tanks, effective engine brake, large-tyres and locking differential make it handle rough and remote roads well. The truck weighs approximately 13.5 tonnes when full of fuel, water and travel equipment, which leaves 4.5 tonnes in spare capacity. This means that there is enough weight that the truck rides well, but is far enough under the maximum GVW that the drivetrain is never under stress.

The back of the truck is where most time is spent, and as a result I spent more than £30,000 on equipment which enabled the truck to support us for weeks off the grid in the boonies in comfort. The electric systems, water systems, heating systems, and cooking equipment, are literally top-of the line, and in some cases it would have been impossible to have bought better specified equipment. This will sound like sales talk, but if you are familiar with this equipment you will understand that it is the truth. Examples include:

• Rolls Surrette 5000 series batteries;
• Victron, Studer, and Sterling electrical equipment;
• Eberspacher and Webasto heating equipment; and
• GN Espace marine cooker.

Below is a brief run-down of the specification, I would be more than happy to talk the truck through in more detail with potential buyers.

Chassis

The motorhome is based on a right-hand drive 18 tonne Mercedes Benz Atego 1823, first registered in 2003. In 2003, the Atego name was used for both heavy and light trucks, and after the refresh, this would have been called an Axor.

The truck is registered as a motor caravan on the log book, and is taxed as special vehicles. The truck is exempt from the London low-emission-zone. As a motor caravan, the truck is tested each year as MOT Class IV, there is no need for the more expensive DVSA test, tacho calibration, etc.

The truck has 230hp, transferred to the rear wheels through a conventional 6 speed gearbox. The truck is powerful and refined and the gearbox is very easy to use. The truck has an electronically limited top speed of 90km/h, but this can be removed by any Mercedes dealer should you wish to (I retained it to save fuel). With the limiter removed, the truck would cruise at about 110km/h at 2,100 rpm.

The truck meets Euro 3 emissions standards. The 6.37 litre OM906LA turbocharged and intercooled engine is modern and efficient (using unit injectors and engine computer control), but has no emission control equipment such as EGR, SCR/AdBlue, or DPF. Consequently the truck is less sensitive to fuel quality or altitude than newer trucks, and can be operated anywhere in the world.

• 4x2 drive configuration
• 4.2m wheelbase
• 18tonne GVW, 21.5tonne GTW
• Euro III OM906LA straight 6 diesel engine, 6.4 litre displacement producing 231 bhp
• G85-6, 6 speed manual gearbox with hydraulic gearshift, bottom ratio 6.70, top ratio 0.73
• H6 13tonne rear axle, HL4/6 5.22 diff ratio, 440 crown wheel
• Air actuated differential lock on rear axle
• 8tonne front axle
• Steel leaf springs front and rear, 8.0t front, 11.5t rear
• Air disc brakes front and rear
• 315/80 tubeless tyres on 22.5x9.00 tapered steel wheels
• 400 litre aluminium primary diesel tank, 250 litre aluminium auxiliary diesel tank
• 100a @24v alternator, charging 2 x 12v 220ah batteries
• Cruise control
• Engine/exhaust brake
• Air conditioning

The truck has been maintained with no shortcuts, and whilst I have owned the truck much of the work has been done by Mercedes main dealers. I have invoices for every part replaced, every service done, and every repair undertaken. There are many new parts on the truck with very little wear on them, including a rear sway bar with almost zero miles. Everything works as it should, and the truck has never left me stranded.

There are some significant modifications to the truck from its previous life with Brinks, primarily bullet-proofing of the cab. The front doors can be used as escape hatches, but primary access to and from the cab is through the huge walk-through opening to the rear cabin. 

All of the glass in the cab is bullet proof and the windows do not open. The doors could easily be replaced with normal Atego doors to allow for opening windows (the window opening switches and wiring is tucked behind the dash), but I enjoyed the additional security, and the air conditioning keeps the cab cool, even in 45 degree desert temperatures. The cab is fixed to the cabin by eight large bolts which need to be removed before the cab will tilt.

The truck is registered with 3 passenger seats; it has two forward facing air seats in the cab, and one side facing seat behind the driver, with a 3 point belt.

Mercedes trucks are familiar to mechanics around the world, with the exception of North America. For this reason the truck comes with a Mercedes Star Diagnostic computer, and all cables required, which I bought to avoid problems when I travelled around the USA. This will enable you to:

• Update the WS computer so that you can have the truck serviced anywhere
• Self-diagnose error messages and mechanical issues
• Access the full service manuals
• Access the electronic parts catalogue to order parts using the correct part-numbers

Accommodation Specification

The total specification of the interior is too large to include in its entirety. Below are the key elements. The cabin internal dimensions are approximately 5m long, 2.35m wide, and 1.85m high, and the cabin is linked to the cab by a huge walk-through access.

Cabin construction

The box was built as a secure cargo body for Brinks, and is constructed around a mild-steel skeleton made from 50mm square, and 75mm x 50mm box section. The walls are skinned on the outside with 18mm plywood sheathed in a layer of fibreglass. The roof is skinned on the outside with aluminium sheets, and the floor is made from 8mm steel tread-plate. A mixture of aluminium and stainless steel pieces are used as edges and corner protection.

50mm fibreglass insulation is packed between the steel frame members on the walls and ceiling. The bedroom area has an extra layer of 50mm PIR/PUR type boards all round.

The original non-opening bullet proof glass windows remain, and are supplemented by six double-glazed sliding aluminium windows from Kellett Windows. Four skylights are fitted, two are Lewmar Ocean acrylic glazed units which open fully, and two are glass coach-type units from Stedall which only open partially and can be used whilst driving to provide ventilation.

Exterior:

The side door is the primary entry and access point to and from the truck. The side door is accessed by permanently fitted steps in the body of the truck, and has fittings for securing a set of access steps which are stored on the back of the truck. The side door and rear hatch both have 3-point locking handles and Yale locks.

A huge garage area is accessed from the back of the truck, approximate dimensions are 230cm wide by 90cm deep and 70cm high. The garage area is accessed by a heavy duty tail-lift which can lift 1.5 tonnes, the chain was recently replaced and is essentially brand new. The tail-lift also lifts the swing out-spare tyre carrier, allowing the heavy spare to be easily lowered to the ground.

The entire roof of the cabin is covered by a bespoke Brownchurch roof rack. There are 8 solar panels installed flush in the roof rack, and all other space is covered by strong decking with lashing points fitted.

A full length 5.0m long by 3.5m wide race-truck type awning is fitted to the roof rack; this winds out manually and fixes using storm-bars to the side of the truck. The storm-bars and torsion bar fit in the truck garage area for storage. The awning is a GH Jumbo Windout manufactured by The Awning Company. The awning comes with the ground legs and pegs, which let you fix sidewalls, should you wish.

The cab has an aluminium roof basket for additional storage; we normally use this for bikes and spare gas bottles. The basket comes with a bespoke PVC cover. This is useful if you are carrying something which needs to be protected, but even when tensioned, it make a significant amount of wind noise in the cab.

Interior

The furniture is all faced in white WISA Multiwall, which is birch plywood, laminated on both sides with a thin textured plastic film. Some of the furniture is built entirely from this plywood, but areas which needed more strength are built from a welded steel box section frame, skinned with Multiwall. All edges and corners are trimmed with varnished teak mouldings, which are robust and attractive.

The floor is covered with a high-quality waterproof plastic laminate, with a high-density underlay.

Blinds are fitted to every window for privacy.

Electrical

Almost all of the electrical items in the truck operate directly off 24v, from a huge leisure battery located under the off-side bench seat; this is charged from solar, engine power, and mains power. There are a few 12v items and charging points powered from small voltage dropper, and a few 240v appliances and sockets powered by an inverter. All circuits are switched and protected by magnetic circuit breakers.

The solar system provides plenty of power to keep everything running when there is sunshine, and the split-charging system tops the batteries up whilst driving. The batteries can also be charged from the mains using a universal input charger that accepts 90 - 265 volts and can be used anywhere in the world. The mains charger and system can be run from a small Pramac diesel generator mounted under the truck.

• Batteries: 4 x Rolls 6CS170 6v batteries, wired in series to produce 546ah at 24v
• Generator: Pramac P4500 electric start diesel generator (Yanmar engine)
• Mains Charger: Victron Skylla 24v/50a universal input battery charger
• Solar Panels: 8 x 100w BLD Solar panels in two sets of four series panels
• Solar Regulator: Morningstar Tristar  45aMPPT regulator
• Split Charge Controller: Sterling 30a battery-to-battery charger
• DC Converter: Victron Orion 25a 24v to 12v converter
• Inverter: Studer AJ 1000w 24v to 240v
• DC distribution: 2 x 11 way Victron ESP Panels
• AC Distribution: 1 x 4 way Victron ESP Panel
• AC Protection: 2 x Hager IP55 enclosures with RCD and MCB protection
• Mains input: 32a ceeform inlet mounted behind a locker door, multiple adaptors

Water

The systems is based on a huge freshwater tank sited inside the cabin under the bed. The tank normally gives two people about two weeks of water, getting showered every day and cooking all meals in the truck. It can be made to last more than a month with less frequent, or shorter showers. A ludicrously powerful (and pretty noisy) pump, provides high pressure water on-demand at the taps and shower.

Extremely hot water is stored in a calorifier which is heated by a diesel fired heater on a timer, or a 240v immersion heater. The water is mixed at the outlet by a thermostatic mixer to bring the supply down to around 60 degrees Celsius. The hot-water tank is big enough for two decent showers and washing a few dishes, and can be heated up from cold in around half an hour.

There are two separate grey-water tanks, each located forward of the rear wheels, one serving the bathroom, and one serving the kitchen sink.

The fill level in all three water tanks, and in the auxiliary diesel tank, can be monitored from a BEP marine digital gauge, which tells you the state of fill and the number of litres in each tank.

• Freshwater Tank: 450 litre inboard plastic fabricated by EMPF filled from a lockable filler outside the truck
• Wastewater Tanks: 2 x 65 litre outboard plastic wastewater tanks fabricated by EMPF. Vent/overflow piped to the ground.
• Wastewater Dumping: The tanks are emptied independently through push-button motorised ball valves. A long and short hose with bayonet fitting is provided.
• Hot Water Storage: Quick BX25 25 litre stainless steel hot water calorifier, heated by a diesel heater or mains immersion heater.
• Water Heater: Webasto Thermo Top 50 diesel fired water heater
• Water Pump: Jabsco Par Max 7 water pump, 40psi and 26.5 litres/minute
• Water Filter: General Ecology Seagull IV water purifier, 7.6 litres/minute

Heating and Cooling

Primary space heating in the truck comes from a diesel fired blown air heater; this is fitted under the truck and the heat is ducted inside; it is fitted with an altitude compensator which prevents the heater from coking up above 2,000 meters.

Additional heating is provided by a wet central heating system using a diesel fired water heater, fed through convection radiators. The radiators do not provide sufficient heat output to heat the whole truck in extremely cold weather, but the heater is practically silent and with the bedroom curtain drawn, the large radiator in the bedroom is more than sufficient to keep the bedroom toasty. The wet central heating also heats a towel rail in the bathroom, and a small radiator at the front of the truck.

There is a floor mounted mains air conditioner too, which can also be used as a heater, and can be run from mains or from the generator

• Air Conditioner: Dometic HB2500 floor mounted 240v air conditioner and heater, ducted throughout the cabin
• Air Heater: Eberspacher D2 24v diesel fired blown air heater
• Hydronic Heater: Webasto Thermo Top 50 water heater passing through three radiators

Gas System

The gas system is solely used to supply the cooker, and is based around a steel locker behind the sink, sealed from the inside of the truck and accessed through a locker door on the outside of the truck. The locker is sized for a 13kg propane or butane system, and is fitted with a 30mbar regulator. A Nereus gas management system is installed, with an electric solenoid valve operated remotely by a push-button inside the truck, and activated automatically from an LPG sensor and a carbon monoxide sensor. Multiple adapters are provided to allow various propane and butane tank types to be used around the world.

Kitchen

A huge stone kitchen worktop, and everything needed to cook as you would at home. Marine grade gas oven, grill and three-burner hob, compressor fridge with freezer compartment, and a Belfast sink large enough to wash dishes and clothes in. Plenty of storage space for food and cookware, with built-in dividers so that that plates and glassware don’t rattle or break when driving.

• Cooker: GN Espace Levante 3 burner hob, grill and oven
• Fridge: Vitrifrigo C115i 115 litre compressor fridge freezer
• Worktop: Long quartz-stone worktop with matching splashback
• Sink: Armitage Shanks Belfast Sink
• Tap/faucet: Franke Kubus 3-way
• Ventilation: Filtered cooker hood
• Storage: Three drawers, and four overhead cabinets above worktop

Seating Area

Large seating area at the front of the truck, which can comfortably seat four, and can seat six at a squeeze. Two independent swing-away tables meet in the middle to make one large table, and fold away to make getting in and out of the cab easy. A wall panel demounts with two bolts, and slots between the bench seats to make a comfortable single bed

• Seats: Two side facing bench seats with leatherette cushions (one seat belt for 3rd passenger)
• Tables: Two swing-away Lagun tables, with fold out table-tops
• Storage: One top-access cabinet under off-side bench seat
• Fans: Two 24v Hella Turbo fans, one pointed at each seat

Bedroom

The main bedroom is at the back of the truck, raised to provide a huge garage storage area accessed from outside the truck, and separated from the rest of the truck by an insulated curtain. A hatch, the full width and height of the bedroom opens upward to open the bedroom to the outside world; this is a godsend in hot and humid countries.

• Bed: Full-size double bed, pocket sprung mattress
• Fans: Caframo Bora fan and air conditioning outlet
• Heating: large radiator
• Storage: Six large storage drawers next to bedroom, and three top-access cabinets in bedroom
• Secure storage safe

Bathroom

Wet room bathroom with toilet, shower, sink and mirror cabinet. A window (Frosted) and skylight gives tonnes of ventilation and natural light, and a full length LED bar provides light at night.

• Toilet: Thetford C400 series cassette toilet, electric flush and plumbed to main tank. cassette accessed through a locker door on the outside of the truck.
• Shower: Thermostatic bar mixer shower
• Fold-down sink
• Mirrored vanity unit
• Fibreglass shower tray
• Heating: Stainless steel heated towel rail
• Ventilation: EC Smith two-speed reversible extractor fan

Audio System

• Speakers: 2 x Volt 8inch coaxial drivers built into custom enclosures
• Subwoofer: 1 x BMS 12inch driver built into custom enclosure
• Amplifiers: 2 x Pyle Audio PLTA180 800w 24v amplifiers
• Headunit: Bosch Calais USB 24V
• Processor: Boss AVA-1208 EQ and crossover

Known Issues

This is not not a new truck, and consequently there are some of the normal issues associated with age and use.  The truck is generally in great condition, but below are some of the issues that will need to be addressed.

The house batteries are now old and are at the end of their life. They might suffice for short trips in summer, when the solar can keep them topped up, but they need replacing. Aware of the truck being for sale, I have not replaced these, as I would be guessing on the type of batteries that would suit the new owner. I originally chose lead acid batteries for the durability and longevity, but not everyone would be willing to put the time into keeping the batteries topped up, and the new owner may wish to replace them with AGM or gel batteries which have require less ongoing maintenance. All charging equipment fitted in the truck an be easily adjusted to accommodate different battery types. I’d be happy to help the new owner purchase and install new batteries at their cost.

There are some spots of rust appearing on the cab. They are fairly minor now but will need to be addressed to prevent a small problem from becoming a bigger one.

There is a small section at the front nearside lower corner of the cabin, where the adhesive of the corner trim piece has failed and let water soak into the plywood cladding. The plywood has started to rot, and the area will need replacing with a small piece of new plywood. I have done this previously on the rear corner of the box , and made a strong, seamless repair without any difficulty. I’d be happy to help the new owner with this repair, but mid-winter is not a great time to be working with epoxy resin outside.

I do not use the diesel generator very often, and since I last used it, one of the fuel lines inside the case has split. It still runs but it leaks diesel and the line needs to be replaced before it can be used. The generator can be easily pulled out for maintenance after loosing four bolts, disconnecting the wired power connection, and unclipping the quick-connect fuel lines.

There are BEP marine digital senders in each tank, which allow you to monitor the fill level in the fresh water, to grey water, and auxiliary diesel tanks. The type of senders used work well in the fresh water and diesel tanks, but regularly give false readings in the grey water tanks. BEP marine do direct swap ultrasonic senders which would work much better. For me, it is no big disaster if the grey water tanks overflow onto the ground and so I never changed the senders.

The sensors on the gas monitoring system have become over-sensitive with age, and have been taped over to avoid false alarms. The panel can still be used to turn the gas valve on and off with a push of the button from inside the truck, but the sensors will need replacing if it is to be used to automatically disconnect the gas in the event of a leak.