Mercedes-Benz Unimog Fetches Wood Like No Other

We’ve so far seen how the Unimog - a model that turns 60 this year - has been helping local authorities deal with winter-specific road difficulties, or how it is being praised for asphalt repair activities post season. It is now time to see how the Unimog proves to be the ideal force in the timber industry.

In order to be able to collect timber efficiently from the forest and deliver it to timber specialists a long way away, despite rising diesel prices, the owner of Autotechnik Seiner uses a combination of two different methods of transport: his Unimog is fitted with a timber crane superstructure to collect tree trunks from the forest, and then a Unimog truck-trailer unit delivers the goods to the customer.

Seiner does not put the tree trunks on stanchion truck-trailer combinations but in roll-off containers. "In this way no difficulties arise when securing a load with two metre trunks lying crosswise to the direction of the road; also it is virtually impossible to overload the vehicle and there are a lot fewer empty runs as there is always scrap metal, rubble or other debris to be carried on the return journey," Seiner explained.

In addition he saves fuel, as the Unimog returns a diesel consumption of about eleven liters per operating hour. The Unimog U 400 with its 4.2 l four-cylinder 130 kW (177 HP) diesel engine uses a lot less fuel for loading and transporting than a powerful timber truck for long distance trips.

In addition to that, Seiner uses the good ol’ Unimog to clean roads, mow verges and green areas, build trails, help on construction sites or tow cars.This is possible thanks to a whole range of implements which can be attached or mounted to his vehicle such as a snow plough, gritter, water tank, cutters or crane.