"Hi Brian," says Ian Taylor, " I'm not certain that these trucks are 'mogs' but I could be wrong?" Well they're not mogs Ian they're bonneted (L or LP? I never can remember which) Mercedes of classic and considerable vintage, not to say carrying capacity! I've seen a couple of these shots before though never managed to drill down as to where exactly they were. I understand it's somewhere close to the Sahara though Biglorryblog anoraks might be able to give me more precise information...But what I can say it that it can't be much fun riding on the 'top deck'!
They look like 2624's to me. There was (is) a factory in Jeddah Saudi Arabia that churned these out by the dozen. Engine was an OM355 230hp with a ZF 6 speed, sometime with splitter. Originally had a transfer box on the back of the transmission and 2 drive shafts, one to each of the rear axles. Later models used the hub reduction rear axles that had a power divider on the first axle.
Actually they are LS (Lange Schnaut)models. The L was the same basic cab but as a cab over engine seen here on early 1418, the LP was the larger and later cab over engine seen in the UK on the 1319, and the LPS was the higher mounted versions seen in the UK on later 1418 and 1924.
I would agree with Peter Geany that these are almost certainly LS2624, although they were built in much smaller numbers as LS2632 with the OM403 V10, but I think it is unlikely to find one of those in Africa.
Notice the compulsory extra in dessert temperatures of the old oil can keeping the bonnet open a few inches for some extra but all important air flow to the radiator.
Hi guys in Africa we also got the LS 2628 with an OM 422T or an ADE 422T.Brazil alos has them. Theses where manufactured in South Africa for a number of years and times exported to Egypt, Saudi Arabia etc
They came in 6X4 and 6x6
Funny enough I bought a diecast model from the Mercedes Museum in Germany which has an overloaded truck also with arabs on the back and an overloaded bin. Its called the "la Tenere edition" as in the Tenere desert these are common site. Btw the diescast model I have is the LA911 single AWD
Both Peter and Andrew are correct, although some of the model designations on the bonnets were very unusual. I was a TUV inspector in Saudi and to drive a brand new one of these was a real kick,as they were old in NZ when I left.
2838, 3228, and 3236 were some of the weird badges on them and bore no relation to either the tonnage or engine capacity. Only in the Middle East!!
The older Merc six wheelers with the transfer box and twin prop shafts were more likely to have been L 2620's and would have had the OM 346 motor - I struggled up and down to Dar-es-Salaam from Ndola in one of these with two axle semi in mid-sixties, loaded with 30 short (2000 lb) tons. Power on a par with the old Leyland Super Hippo - a scant 200 hp, but with "longer legs" on decent tar surfaces, but the Hippo won on the dirt.
I don't recall any bonneted 2632's -- they appeared with the advent of the COE cab of mid/late seventies. Plenty assembled in South Africa with various engine choices. Mind you, they may have been cobbled together in bonneted form somewhere.