Flutterby™! : MaxiMog 2002-01-14 17:48:40+00

MaxiMog

2002-01-14 17:48:40+00 by TC 7 comments

Dan has'nt bought that volvo yet but maybe he should look at the MaxiMog. It has 7 computers running QNX,OS9 & NT plus a horn that generates 137dba!!! Whoa that will make em jump.

Ya know, if this guy were serious about building the ultimate vehicle for "exploring the planet" the way he claims, he'd buy a 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser and put a sleeping platform on the roof. This thing is essentially an overhyped RV, and I can't wait for him to get stuck in Death Valley and have to get pulled out by some guy in an S-10.

It is kind of a cool example of excess, like those yacht building books at Builder's Booksource.

I was reading about the complex systems, and I wonder how many spare parts he is carrying. It's a really kewl vehicle from a geek perspective, but if I was exploring a 'third world' or even a non-country, I'd think simpler mechanical (field repairable) systems would be better.

I've been impressed with the Hummer. Except for nearly industry standard (and very reliable) electronics (minimal in a diesel), it's a very strong mechanic system, low on gadgets.

I agree, an older Land Cruiser, or even a Ford/Chevy/Jeep makes a more repairable platform, and I can fit an incredible array of very powerful handheld/portable gadgets in a couple of small bags. Add some solar recharge panels and a small genset/charger and we'd be off and running. A couple of good tents might work better than the 'swing out' trailer.

It would all pay for itself with one good (bad/cheesy) post-apocolyptic exploration of earth sci-fi movie though..

This system does seem fragile. He has gadgets for every purpose, but without a simple, solid core it's still vulnerable to failure. If I were going to drive around the world, I'd rather do it in my '86 Samurai - it's a simple, reliable vehicle which has been sold in many flavors and many countries, and you can fit all the tools you'd ever need to work on it into a single ammo box. (If I had to pick a new one, it'd of course be a Land Rover...)

I wouldn't take an American truck on a round-the-world trip. They're generally big, heavy, and gas-hungry for what you get, and getting spare parts outside the U.S. would be tough.

A Land Rover, Mars? I know a couple of yuppies who've had 'em, and replaced them with Jeeps just before the warranty period ran out. The Land Cruiser (Toyota) used to be an awesome vehicle, and probably is just yuppified now, but Land Rover seems to be long lost from their glory days.

As I've thought about the whole MaxiMog a bit more, I'm becoming less enchanged with the project. Rather than an opportunity for some really cool engineering it's fading in my mind into a "throw money at the problem" thing. As a point of technical excess it's kinda neat, in the same way that those guys who build monster truck stereo systems that require reinforced auto glass are cool. As a solution to the stated design goals, it's non-optimal.

Dan: well, I was thinking "new to me" more than "new from the factory." I had the impression the Defender series was still pretty good, though.