On this page we answer questions about our MAN project sent to us by email or via the contact form.
You don’t talk about money. Nevertheless, many readers want to know how much our MAN cost. It is often a question of being able to assess whether such a project fits into your own budget and can or should be tackled.
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question, as there are too many unknowns. Nevertheless, we will attempt to give you a rough guideline based on our personal experience. The following information includes all costs, e.g. also the reconditioning of the used truck, but not any repair costs. Another important cost factor is interim storage. For example, a spring bearing is cheaper than a diamond or four-point bearing, etc. Of course, the question is always what work you can do yourself. Here I am assuming a used truck chassis and a complete third-party conversion, not including certain detailed work such as fitting out and removing the luggage compartment for personal purposes. From our point of view, the advantage of a used truck of an older model (up to Euro 3) is not the price, but its better suitability for traveling worldwide. A new vehicle is only marginally more expensive and guarantees that there will be no unforeseen repairs and that you can configure a modern conversion yourself. (e.g. larger cab, air conditioning, automatic transmission, load capacity, suspension, single tires, etc.).
Variant A – good and cheap
€ 150’000 to 250’000
Used truck from 10-ton class, reconditioning of the chassis, partial overhaul of the driver’s cab, short living area (up to approx. 4.5 m), simple carpenter interior fittings, simple electrics with low on-board battery capacity (e.g. 2x 160 Ah = 160 Ah at 24V), no BUS system, electronic components from the motorhome segment (e.g. inverter with 1500 watts, charger with 40 Ah), simple toilet (e.g. dry toilet), no washing machine, simple water and waste water system (not insulated, not heated), simple electrical system with low on-board battery capacity (e.g. 2x 160 Ah = 160 Ah at 24V), no BUS system, no electronic components from the motorhome segment (e.g.e.g. inverter with 1500 watts, charger with 40 Ah), simple toilet (e.g. dry toilet), no washing machine, simple water and waste water system (not insulated and not heated), simple windows and roof hoods (e.g. Seitz plastic windows), truck tires with 22.5″ rims, etc.
Variant B – Medium-sized companies
€ 250’000 to 350’000
Used truck from 12 tons (better more!), reconditioning of the chassis, partial overhaul of the driver’s cab, medium living area (up to approx. 6 m), simple to medium carpentry interior (simple design, practical materials), upscale electrics (on-board battery capacity e.g. 6x 160 Ah = 480 Ah at 24 V), quality electrical components (inverter with integrated charger e.g. 3500 watts), possibly BUS system, cooking with induction, washing machine, chopper toilet, waste and waste water tank insulated and heated, more complex water system e.g. 3500 watts, possibly BUS system, cooking with induction, washing machine, chopper toilet, waste and waste water tank insulated and heated, more complex water system e.g. 3500 watts, possibly BUS system, cooking with induction, washing machine, choppere.g. 3500 Watt), possibly BUS system, induction cooking, washing machine, chopper toilet, insulated and heated waste and waste water tank, sophisticated water system with filter system, tempered glass windows and tempered glass roof hoods, off-road tires with 20″ snap ring rims, simple spare wheel holder with simple crane at the rear, etc.
Variant C – upper class
€ 350,000 to almost unlimited
New basic vehicle with bells and whistles, 2 to 3-axle. Luxurious cabin over 6 m, state-of-the-art and sophisticated electronics and electrics (e.g. Mastervolt), large on-board battery capacity (e.g. 960 Ah at 24V, everything of the finest quality, hydraulic crane/lifting platform at the rear, diesel generator, cable winch, etc.).
Would you build with Füss-Mobile again? Are you 100% satisfied with Füss-Mobile?
Upgraders also only boil with water
We have experience in the construction of mobiles with the company Woelcke and the company Füss-Mobile. We (unfortunately) do not know other manufacturers and therefore have a very narrow horizon for assessing performance and quality. For us, a certain proximity to the Swiss border is not insignificant when choosing a bodybuilder. After all, we would like to see the vehicle from time to time during the construction phase and be able to attend meetings without spending an excessive amount of time.
Both customizers build vehicles entirely according to customer specifications, making each vehicle unique. What’s more, building a vehicle is as complex, if not more complex, than building a house. How many of the thousands of homeowners can say that they are 100% satisfied with the construction of their home? Not even those whose houses are being built in rows and should therefore have the relevant experience and practice.
Woelcke builds vehicles in a modern hall practically entirely on its own. Carpenters and automotive electricians etc. are employed by Woelcke and are available in the company. At Füss-Mobile, the carpentry work is currently carried out by a nearby, specialized carpenter and specialists (e.g. from Mastervolt or Philippi) etc. are called in for vehicle electrics and electronics.
The chemistry decides
Of course, it is not only “chemistry” that determines whether an extension is crowned with success or not. Planning and project management skills and, of course, craftsmanship are also crucial to the success of the project. However, if the “chemistry” between an installer and a customer is not harmonious, i.e. if you don’t understand each other, if you are constantly annoyed or upset with the other person, it is difficult for anything good to happen. So, people, don’t just look at your wallet, but also at whether you can get on with your counterpart and whether you like the atmosphere in the company – among the employees – or not. I can think of the following questions for myself and the installer:
- Do I get on personally and emotionally with the boss of the company and his senior managers?
- Is there a benevolent, collegial atmosphere in the company and among the employees?
- How is the company organized, how is a project “managed”, i.e. is there such a thing as project management (possibly even IT-supported)?
- Are there execution standards in the company? (e.g. bonding of GRP panels, corner joints, drilling holes, cabin openings, cabling, etc.)
- Is the boss the only “head” in the company who knows everything and has all the information or are tasks and responsibilities delegated at the appropriate level?
- Which trained specialists are available in the company (or will be called in at the appropriate time)?
- How are complaints and warranty cases dealt with?
Chips fly where there is planing
To start with: we were not 100% satisfied with either of the two fitters. This is partly because I’m a perfectionist, but also because, as the title says, where there’s wood, there are chips. With a one-off, a custom-made product, with the complexity of such a project, something can easily go wrong. A “good” is then awarded to the fitter who fixes things without any problems or complications, and I can easily award this point to both Woelcke and Füss-Mobile.
Either way, you shouldn’t expect a 100% hit rate with a project like this. You also have to learn to live with something that is not 100%. Often wishes or ideas are put into perspective at a later date. The question here is, what is essential for me? And the essentials should of course already be 100% fulfilled.
In short, we are very satisfied with Füss-Mobile overall. How good, we can tell you, when we have been driving on the bad roads and tracks of this world for at least a year.
The following is a list of the repairs and preventive replacement of parts carried out on the basic vehicle. The MAN was built in 2001.
Replace:
- All brake drums (rusted)
- All shock absorbers
- Front mudguards (preventive)
- Four-circuit protection valve (preventive)
- Braking force control valve
- Rear and front leaf springs
(Front preventive, rear springs were lame and two leaves were broken)
(New springs load capacity: front 7 tons, rear 10 tons)
Repairs
Front axle
- Replace tie rod (rusted joints)
- Replace left-hand kingpin (rusted)
- Seal outer planetary gearbox left and right (oil loss)
- New brake pads (brakes pulled on one side)
More
- Cardan shafts checked for imbalance
- Leaking diesel lines
Maintenance
- Major service / maintenance service
I have a few questions about the water supply:
- How satisfied are you?
So far we are very satisfied, everything works as it should. - What are the costs of this system?
Approx. 3000 to 3500 euros - Do you have any experience with vacuum ultraviolet radiation failures?
We do not yet have any long-term experience. If you are interested in long-term experience with the vacuum_UV system, this system has been in use here for years: www.mantoco.com - What would you change about the water supply?
The fact that we didn’t have a filler neck fitted seems to us to be a disadvantage, as we want to clean or rinse the tanks from time to time, which is less easy without a filler neck . Advantage: no dirt in the tank without a filler neck. (There should be an additional carbon filter between the filler neck and the tank, the same applies to the ventilation lines)