New work rig setup and advice

Thought I would start a thread about my new work rig, I'll have questions and be looking for advice setting it up etc so figured it would be best to keep it all in one place.

It's a 1993 Mercedes 290GD G Wagon ute, ex Singapore military. It runs the OM602 NA 3L 5cyl diesel and it is tripple locked, both solid axles and coil springs all round. Very low km and generally tidy but it's a work wagon and is used in some pretty rugged spots off road every day so I'm not too precious about keeping it original etc.

Only mods so far are a fan heater which sucks (no factory heater core in these), a USB charger and some new 16" steel wheels wearing 33" Yokohama's. Will be doing a lighting setup soon.

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My first question for you guys - I need to get a new air compressor for trye inflation and maybe other things, my old one was a little 12v one but this rig is 24v so it needs to be replaced. I would also quite like it to have small tank and be permanently mounted to the vehicle but if that drives the price up too much I'll make do with a small portable type machine.

I would change out the latches of the tail door for pipe and a drop pin set-up, so that a side can be dropped without having to forever unlatch the tail. Would probably do the front ones as well because those trailer latches are slow and a hazard when sticking out

Have a look into an engine driven compressor for air. York ones have been used for a long time in airbagged mini trucks. The can supply a lot of air quickly, and you could have a tank for it to fill with a pressure switch to switch the clutch for the pump on and off. If it doesn’t have a heater it Definatly won’t have A/C so should be plenty of room in the engine bay for it, just need to make a bracket to mount it to the engine.

Definitely go engine driven if you can. We used to convert AC compressors for 4wd and they where brilliant. A little tricky to set up with mounts, pulleys and belts etc but you'll have all the air you ever need.

Endless Air in Aussie do kits for engine driven compressors. Not sure if they do a kit for Merc, but they have universal kits that can be adapted for most applications.

Add a pressure switch, appropriately sized tank tucked under the tray and quick-release coupling mounted somewhere easily accessible and you’ve got most situations covered.

Mount a 6" vise on the front bumper, very handy if you need it in field situations.

Great bit of engineering on 4 wheels there. Should last you ages!!

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Originally Posted by gundoc

Mount a 6" vise on the front bumper, very handy if you need it in field situations.

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And a winch for the same reasons.

What is your work?
Did you import it yourself? How much did it cost?

That's pretty cool and different, have you aptly named it "The Beast" or "The Tank"??

They are a different vehicle to drive with an after market turbo on them.That and a hard top would be where I would start.

Cool to see a right hand drive one, nice to have something different!

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Originally Posted by gqhoon

Endless Air in Aussie do kits for engine driven compressors. Not sure if they do a kit for Merc, but they have universal kits that can be adapted for most applications.

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I bought these for myself and a mates truck. Great bit of kit. The guy works out of his garage in the Melbourne burbs and they were about AUD 550.00 each but that was 15 years ago.

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Originally Posted by ishoot10s

I bought these for myself and a mates truck. Great bit of kit. The guy works out of his garage in the Melbourne burbs and they were about AUD 550.00 each but that was 15 years ago.

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I had one on my Patrol and rate them also. Pumping up 35” tires from 12 psi to 30psi, they keep going long after an electric pump has given up the ghost or is needing a nap because it’s overheated.

Run a decent sized tank and you can run all manner of air-tools from it (probably no longer relevant with decent battery tools nowadays)

you need an mg42 and some camo to complete the look haha

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Originally Posted by Russian 22.

you need an mg42 and some camo to complete the look haha

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Or a full auto grenade launcher, that'd sort all the pukes out @Mintie

What sorta industry you in to warrant a cool workhorse like this mate?

switch out those "things" sticking out from doors,that look like they belong in a womans makeup bag and fit some decent large mirrors...WHEN you need to back out of a crappy spot on your own,they will pay for themselves a thousand times over.

those mudflaps will drive you nuts.....go bigger,wider and make sure they cant be run over if reversing in deep shit type situation,or make them sacrificial,eg bolted on into a slot in the flap so it will pull out... led rear mounted lights for reversing.

- Cup holder, you laugh. It will pay for itself
- Reversing flood light (or a good quality reversing camera given the nocturnal nature of some jobs)
- Tirfor winches are very handy

I would have a good think about tool box positioning on the back. What stuff would you grab off the drivers side most etc. Having an efficient layout would make it nicer to use long term. Almost think of it like a workshop set up on wheels.

fan heater........look at an early landrover,fan heater with coils of glowing hot wire...AND THEY WORKED plurry quickly in any conditions,no waiting for engine to heat up before your feet can.

Good reverse camera , will save ya back when hooking up trailer and put winch in back under tray where xtra weight should be also good for logs boats etc and pull ya self back out of the shit not further into it .

Not sure what your uses are but apart from some basic recovery kit and air compressor as suggested, I would just use it for awhile. No point adding unnecessary fruit till you’ve got a handle on the basic feel of the vehicle. Looks like it’s set up to carry a load.
Cracker vehicle though. Looking forward to watching its progress over time and your feedback on it in general.

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Originally Posted by Bushbuck123

What sorta industry you in to warrant a cool workhorse like this mate?

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I run an animal pest control business, terrain demands can get pretty interesting at times! I wanted something big enough to get the SxS up on the back of it so I didn't need to bother with a trailer all the time.

Thanks for the replies on the belt driven options, I'll have a look and see how much room is in there but sounds like a longer term project. Are there any rechargeable inflator options worth looking at that will cope with 33" tyres?

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Originally Posted by Joe_90

- Cup holder, you laugh. It will pay for itself
- Reversing flood light (or a good quality reversing camera given the nocturnal nature of some jobs)
- Tirfor winches are very handy

I would have a good think about tool box positioning on the back. What stuff would you grab off the drivers side most etc. Having an efficient layout would make it nicer to use long term. Almost think of it like a workshop set up on wheels.

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Cup holder and reversing floods are definitely on the short term list! I'll have a think about a winch, plenty of room front or back to mount one up.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

What is your work?
Did you import it yourself? How much did it cost?

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It was imported a few years ago, I think through Selwyns auction house down south? I paid $35k for it with 8500km on it, fair bit less than the equivalent cruiser!

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Originally Posted by GWH

Or a full auto grenade launcher, that'd sort all the pukes out @Mintie

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A man like me can only dream about blasting along orchard rows with an automatic grenade launcher with bits of pook raining down everywhere! I'm sure you will have seen the sort of pook numbers I have to deal with in the area!

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Originally Posted by Mintie

I run an animal pest control business, terrain demands can get pretty interesting at times! I wanted something big enough to get the SxS up on the back of it so I didn't need to bother with a trailer all the time.

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Skip the sissy townie alloy wheels idea then. Steel is stronger and more durable, and a bit heavier means lower centre of gravity (you'll appreciate this extra weight down below if you put a roll cage atop). Alloy wheels do make steering easier, but you probably have power steering or can get a bigger steering wheel. At most, get them cleaned up and Ceracoted aluminium.

To counter all the engine driven compressed air suggestions (complicated)…

ARB Twin Compressor (https://www.arb.com.au/air-compresso...r-compressors/)

I have run this on my Hilux for eight years and it has worked extremely hard - inflating tires several times a day as we constantly adjusted pressure to the conditions in Aus and NZ. It also runs the front and rear diff locks. It’s never overheated.

The only problem I’ve had with it was a dickie Narva relay which was easy to diagnose and replace. I stripped the whole thing down a couple of months ago and gave it a thorough going over. Works perfectly and very easy to install.

Personally I would be avoiding complicated mechanical solutions like the plague and going for plug and play wherever possible.

BTW - Farkin’ cool truck!

Forgot to mention that the ARB Twins work awesome with a small tank for extra speed.

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Originally Posted by Mintie

Cup holder and reversing floods are definitely on the short term list! I'll have a think about a winch, plenty of room front or back to mount one up.

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if your tow hitch is like many modern jobbies and is on a box section so it can slip out and be stored in back so dont bark ya shins....life becomes very easy very quickly...mount winch on same internal box section.....and DEFINATELY get another outer fitted on the front...not only is it then childs play to fit winch up front but can also fit towball up front,and man let me tell you for nothing,its piece of piss to back a trailer when driving forwards LOL....

could also do your vice the same way....or bike racks for two wheeler....options are endless when have them...

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Originally Posted by GWH

That's pretty cool and different, have you aptly named it "The Beast" or "The Tank"??

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Da Panzer would be more appropriate:-)

strip lighting may seem boy racerish.....lighting to work under/around has come ahead lightyears in last 30 years..... we used to be scared to leave lights on when doing a gut up session.... leds have surely changed all that...why I mentioned the strip lighting,we put them under the decks of a tip truck,it would provide enough lighting to happily work nearby.... piece of cake to get USEFUL worklighting installed cheaply.... and it is essential ...absolutely priceless when trying to do anything slightly fiddly,having both hands to work with rather than trying to hold torch in your teeth,or bob around your headlamp....