Mike builds European style expedition vehicles on Mercedes Benz U 500 chassis.
He is probably the only company left in the USA that can custom-built expedition vehicles.
Great looking units.
Right now, one is for sale.
Not new though.
The Mercedes Benz U 500 is from 2005 but hardly has any mileage.
And the camper box has been used on another truck for a 10 months trip through South America.
This fabulous unit will cost
$ 379.000 ( € 288.366 ).
A reduced price...
Add to this taxes and some extra costs, and the proud owner will have made an investment of about $ 400.000 ( € 304.444 ).
One of the best builders of expedition vehicles in Germany is a company called Langer und Bock.
Recently they were asked to present a price estimate.
To indicate how much it will cost to build a camper box similar as the one of Global Xpedition Vehicles and the Fuso Szulc.
Langer und Bock want for a brand new custom built camper box $ 210.288 ( € 160.000 ).
Add to this about $ 100.000 ( € 76.000 ) for a superb MAN or Mercedes Benz 4x4 truck and a total cost challenges the ambitious buyer of
$ 311.000 ( € 236.628 ).
For that money you will have the best of the best.
Better cannot be build.
Now compare this $ 311.000 for a custom build, brand new camper box, the best you can get, mounted on the best truck for the purpose, to the $ 400.000 one will spend in the USA for a hardly used but nevertheless four year old truck with a used although refurbished camper box.
A difference of $ 89.000.
So one would naively think, to run to Germany and get the best from there.
However, an American can easily buy a fabulous expedition vehicle in Germany.
But it will be impossible to bring it to the USA and have it there legally.
It can’t be imported…
That is a pity for Americans.
Because these days the economic recession is also hitting Germany.
And more and more one sees used expedition vehicles come up for sale there.
And this for unbelievable prices.
See for example this MAN expedition vehicle with a Bocklet camper box.
Again, the best of the best.
The unit is from 1997 but has only 34.000 miles ( 57.000 km )
Asking price: $ 90.000 ( € 68.000 ).
Maybe Barack Obama can lift the economic boycott of Cuba and the ban on importing European expedition vehicles?
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5 comments:
Did you factor in the German VAT as well? It would be refundable for export orders.
Prices mentioned in the posting about European expedition vehicles are already without VAT/Sales Tax.
You need to take into account that in Europe a U500 is about 70,000 euros more than a MAN or Mercedes 13-15 ton 4X4 chassis, and has certain features the trucks don't. Also, the GXV campers have several expensive items not found on base models of these campers; like for instance a diesel generator/auxiliary power unit. Looking carefully at what the GXV campers come with vs. the typical mobile.de MAN based camper, the prices become very close.
Charlie
A German build MAN or Mercedes 4x4 expedition vehicle brandnew costs according to the posting $ 311.000
A second hand Global Xpedition truck $ 380.000. If completely new it should cost about $500.000.
So, the real difference is a staggering $ 189.000. For that you get a generator and an air conditioner... To go to a beautiful place and sit locked inside the vehicle in an artificial temperature polluting the environment with the running and noisy generator?
And where can the sophisticated U 500 go where a MAN 4x4 cannot go? Only a few places on this earth justifying the huge price difference?
The 2005 GXV truck has never been titled and has balance of factory warranty, also it has solar panels and a huge battery bank so that the generator never needs to come on.
Another thought is the Langer and Bock does not have the VAT tax added and the GXV has it added in your math so its not apples to oranges on that point.
On another point there are duplicate systems for everything including 1 each 230 volt inverter as well as 1 each 110volt inverter in the standard units. In total 5 ways to provide electric power, 4 ways to provide heated water, 2 ways to provide cooking, 2 ways to heat the cabin as well as options for 2 more heating sources one being 12 volt or 24 volt heated flooring. And the added bonus of the MUCH MUCH more expensive but Enviromentaly friendly diesel or Bio diesel appliances. and NO PROPANE BOMBS TO FILL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
You don't have the shipping cost both ways or the personal transportation cost or language barriers to deal with.
But Michel is right.... there are used options in Europe if they can be imported and serviced
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