Monster motorhomes for Mongolia

Once upon a time hunting for wolves in the high altitude Mongolian wilderness was a harsh but simple affair: grab a horse or two for transport, an eagle for spotting prey and hopefully return alive and with a feed after a few chilly days.

Now two cashed-up hunting buddies have come up with a much more modern and civilised way to pursue this traditional practice: two custom-configured luxury motorhomes based on Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6 all-terrain trucks.

Fitted with special bodies and luxury interior fittings, the imposing, silver/grey 'Benz campers were commissioned by two Mongolian businessmen – one the owner of a brewery where beer is brewed to a German recipe, the other a wealthy shareholder in coal and copper mines.

With a "chassis load capacity" of 16 tonnes, the motorhomes are powered by 7.2-litre, in-line six-cylinder engines developing 240kW and a steam train-like, maximum torque of 1300Nm.

The Zetros trucks are equipped with three mechanical differential locks for maximum off-road capability, while diesel tanks holding 300 and 200 litres make a mockery of fuel stops.

They measure 10.70m long, 2.7m wide, and 4.20m tall, with one slightly longer as it has a rear vehicle bay able to accommodate a quadbike. 250 litre water tanks and a hot water boiler ensure there’s a long, hot shower to look forward to at the end of each day.

German specialist Hartmann built the body utilising fully-insulated sandwich construction including a 100mm thick floor and roof and double glazed windows for maximum protection from the elements.

Another German mob, Huenerkopf designed the five-star interior which includes a rear bedroom separated from the living area by a partition wall with two, large screen TVs. There’s also leather seating for six adults up front, a big kitchen galley and luxurious bathroom with marble floor and underfloor heating. The table in the living area can be electrically raised and lowered, to create an additional, large bed.

The kitchen comes with a ceramic hob, microwave with grill, fridge/freezer, bar and coffee machine, while the bathroom has a separate shower cubicle, WC/bidet combination, washbasin and three-door vanity unit.

Night-time entertainment and keeping in touch are taken care of with a SAT receiver connected to a SAT dish, DVD/CD/MP3 player, Bose hi-fi sound and a Mac Mini plus W-LAN router.

A central console with separately fused circuits controls all the onboard technology, which includes a diesel generator and solar panels providing energy for four 220Ah batteries. An air-con system, electric ventilators and diesel-powered heater ensure perfect interior temperatures year round.

Finally, no modern expedition vehicle would be complete without an integrated gunsafe for hunting rifles. Some things haven’t changed though; the two friends use their unique jumbo off-roaders for excursions into the same Altai mountains their nomadic Kazakh forebears hunted, and still rely on the excellent vision of Golden eagles for hunting wolves.