vanTribuvanTribu

The Unimog

A 2005 Mercedes-Benz U5000 that we are converting, phase by phase, into the truck the tribe will live in.

The Unimog in the workshop, in chapter 68
#068 · How it arrived

Technical specs

U5000

Model
Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5000
Year
2005
Version
Heavy Duty
Engine
Mercedes-Benz OM 924 LA · 4 cylinders · 4.8 L
Power
228 hp
Drive
4x4
Wheelbase
L38
Registration
France

We bought it broken and unseen

After three years in a 4x4 Sprinter we decided to go further, and that called for something bigger. We fell for a Unimog U5000 from the photos in an ad and said “let’s go for it”, blind, without seeing it in person.

The truck arrived loaded on another truck, in a state we only half know. Now we are taking it apart, restoring it and turning it into our expedition vehicle for the next trip around the world.

See how we bought it

Who is building it

  • Workshop

    Sasakworks

    Builds the living cell and works every cut to the millimetre, like the window openings.

  • Windows

    Outbound

    Windows made in the Netherlands, designed for overlanding and expeditions.

  • Friendly team

    Goldständer

    A friendly team we thank in the chapter about buying the truck.

The phases of the build

  1. Chassis and mechanicsFull inspection, suspension, tyres and expedition-ready tuning.
  2. Living cellThe box where the tribe will live: insulation, windows and a passage to the cab.
  3. PowerSolar panels, batteries and everything needed to live off-grid.
  4. WaterTanks, filtering and a shower for weeks away from a tap.
  5. InteriorBeds for the tribe, a kitchen and a corner for the furry ones.
  6. First tripBack to the desert where it all began.

Chapters this season

  1. ShortUna vez empiezas a cortar, no hay marcha atrás27 Sept 2026
  2. #068Compramos un UNIMOG roto sin verlo… la mayor locura de nuestra vida4 Feb 2026

Every chapter of the build comes out on YouTube.

Follow the build