Since April 2013, a Mercedes-Benz Unimog 1300 L has covered 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) as part of an adventurous trip around the world undertaken by Jennifer and Peter Glas. The newlyweds decided that a conventional honeymoon was too boring and decided to spend an extended honeymoon while traveling around the world.
At first glance, their vehicle of choice may seem rather unusual, but “Glaarkshouse” (the nickname of the Unimog which combines the two adventurers’ surnames, Glas and Parks) was deemed ideal because of its go-anywhere capabilities.
“If a vehicle is to take us to the roof of the world, it has to be a Unimog,” the two decided, and opted for a 1986 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 1300 L (model series 435). With a full tank of 540 liters (142.6 gallons) of diesel fuel and 180 liters (47.5 gallons) of fresh water on board, the Unimog weighs around 7 tons (14,000 lbs). This doesn’t sound promising in terms of fuel consumption, but money doesn’t seem to be an issue here.
Featuring differential locks and portal axles, the “Glaarkshouse” can handle any terrain, while its solar power supply and a small sanitary area make it an adequate round-the-world trip mobile home.
The trip started through southeastern Europe and continued in Turkey’s Anatolian highlands, the sand dunes in Iran’s Dasht-e-Kavier desert and Oman. The globetrotters are currently in India and will soon be moving on to Nepal, Tibet, China and Mongolia. Almost a year after embarking on this epic journey, the end is still far away.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
