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Hi Guys! I'm happy to present you my (first) alternate model of the Mercedes G500 (set 42177) into a classic Defender 90! A classic Defender has been on my todo list for a long time, I have tried it with set 42110 as well, but certain details just did not work out (oversized fender pieces relative to wheels), but with the G500 set I finally went for it as the parts are quite okay for making the iconic details of this model. Due to the orange color, the model was heavily inspired by modern variants in classic shape, such as the Heritage version, which does exist in almost exactly this color. Let me take you through the design process as well, but to start off, here's a video to showcase all the features! Features 4-link live axle suspension on both axles all wheel drive with central and rear differential lock 3+R gearbox in an H pattern working inline 4 piston engine working steering wheel and HoG openable doors with functional locks, including the rear clean interior with seats and classic benches in the rear section numerous accessories such as roof rack, reflectors, toolbox, cans, ladder, spare wheel, snorkel, spade and axe Design process Bodywork As already usual for me with these kind of models, the design started with the bodywork to see whether it is possible to make a good looking model using the parts of the source set. This was done in Studio to be able to easily build in the air. Certain parts were key, such as the trapezoid panels to be able to make the hood (actually I already suspected this possibility when I heard about the G-class as it has a similar hood shape). Then I tried the front face / lights / grille. Luckily the source set has an unusually high number of 1x2 grille tiles, just enough to make the entire large grille (which had to become even width because of the 1x2 part). Also, enough clear parts to make the light cluster, even the luxury of choosing from 2x2 and 3x3 dishes, somehow the smaller ones looked better for me, but they are actually exchangeable. Next was the fenders. This was critical, since the Defender has a distinct shape of fenders, with angles / curved shape that are different from the 4x6 angled beam used in the G500, so using those parts was out of the question. Also, the set did not have enough 112.5 degree angled connectors, which would have been perfect for the job, so I had to resort to different technique to make the angle. Luckily, there were just enough black connectors in the set, which could be used with some tricky mounting points. Another key detail was the curved slope running through the sides; to see whether there's enough material for that and whether it can all be connected firmly to the rest of the body. Especially the door are was tricky, where I also had to pay attention to allow it to close easily. The new angled connectors also came in handy to add that small but important detail to the side windows, which is best seen on the rear view. So slowly the sides and front got together, and using the curved black panels, I just managed to put together a convincing roof shape too. Last I made the rear door/windows, where I also managed to model those little side windows while allowing the door to be openable. At first I did not want to bother with door locks, I did not find them very convincing on the A model, but then I saw that all alternate builds do it, so I thought I had to give it a try, and I am happy I did. I tried to make a more realistic and smooth mechanism than the A model, and I stumbled upon a simple way that opens by pushing the handle down. It works like a charm, and I managed to replicate it for the rear door too. Chassis, drivetrain, suspension Once the body was looking nice and the dimensions were known, I started thinking about the internals. First the suspension. The rear suspension was the part in the A model which was the most underwhelming for me. Even though there is a ton of space at this scale, the linkage geometry is just unrealistic; it even binds up if there is no weight on it because of too much constraints (triangulated upper links plus a Panhard rod constraining the axle at different heights is just physically impossible). The use of that new suspension arm feels out of place, a simple parallel 4-link with long 9L links and the Panhard rod could have been much simpler and realistic at the same time. Another thing I don't like there is the chassis rail geometry and the spring mounting. The chassis rails are unrealistically tall along with the springs which end up being in the middle of the trunk. Again, I was thinking, at this large scale, in a manual model, it should be possible to make something more realistic. So that's what I aimed for, if even with the part restrictions of the set. In a chassis with live axles squeezing in the 3x19 frame is a bit more difficult as longitudinal space is a luxury because the axles need more space, but it turned out to be just okay. So I aimed for a solid but slim / flat chassis railing that does not protrude into the bed area in the rear. As for the suspension linkage, I used the short ones on the front, and for the rear, I used longer ones to allow the lower ones to pass under the frame. I also moved the springs out to keep the bed clean. In this model I did not aim for long travel anyway, as I wanted to keep the body lowered on the wheels, to look more realistic, unlike the overly lifter G500. I mean it's nice to have that long travel, but when it comes at the cost of obscuring both the chassis / spring geometry and the fenders at the same time, then something does not feel right. I think the core of the problem is using these short springs all the time instead of bringing back longer softer ones. With these short ones it's not possible to build live axles with realistic geometry unless the spring ends up in the middle of the chassis / trunk, which is no good. Once the suspension geometry was sorted, I moved onto the drivetrain / gearbox. The most challenging part. To make something true to the real world model, I definitely wanted an H pattern gearbox with a reverse gear. On one hand the availability of the new 12T clutch gear in the set made this possible, as it allows to move one of the 4 gears out of the connected gear-train and reverse it without effecting the others. On the downside, the set is quite short on various gear sizes (no 24T and 8T gears typically used in 3+ speed gearboxes), so actually making the 3-speed part was more difficult, I had to use a longer train of gears which made things harder to route and brace, caused some weird friction issues as well, and also I used up most of the gears in the set. The inclusion of a central differential with lock also complicated things, so I just settled from a bottom operated lock, as in case of the rear axle anyways. Another difficulty with a 3+R gearbox in an H pattern is where to put the reverse gear. The problem with the more obvious / favorable 1-2-3-R positions is that the reverse gear gets opposite to the 3rd gear, which means it will naturally become similar speed as the 3rd gear, which is unrealistic. So I went with the R-1-2-3 pattern, which allows the reverse gear to be similar speed as the 1st gear which is realistic. On top of all, the HoG steering axle also had to pass through the chassis. Luckily, I could avoid routing it through the middle, colliding with the gearbox, rather on the side instead. This is because the steering is based on a linkage, as in case of real live axles, which is actuated from one side (where the steering wheel is) to the other. It turned out, that I had free space on the right side of the gearbox, which was lucky, because then I could put the steering wheel and the HoG routing to the right side, which is just a good match for the Defender being an English brand (interestingly, mirroring the gearbox would not work because then the H pattern would also get mirrored which would be unrealistic for the gear sequence). In the end I ran out of gears, so I had to use some tricky linkages to get the steering wheel move. I even had to resort to using the 20T clutch gear on a friction pin, which works okay when using the HoG and it moves the steering wheel in the cabin, but the steering wheel could not be used to steer the model (though can be fixed by swapping that green gear to a proper 20T one). An interesting thing about the build is that the actual gearbox submodule turned out the be a single piece dropped in between the chassis frames. Interior and accessories The final touches were the interior, and some extra accessories to make the model more interesting, less plain. As for the interior, besides the usual front seats, I definitely wanted to make sideways benches in the rear section. Luckily enough, there was enough DBG material to make these happen. As for the extras, an obvious one was the spare wheel and the roof rack, but I also added a ladder on the side, making sure that it (and the spare wheel) still allows the rear door to open. I also took some inspiration from the Icons Defender to mount some tools (spade and axe) to the hood, and add a toolbox and some cans on the top. Also a simple snorkel mountable to the A pillar. Here are some photos to showcase it in real life. More images are available on Bricksafe. Building instructions are available on Rebrickable. Let me know how you like it! Cheers, Viktor -
Thanks to the engaged forum user @R0Sch the inventory for the LEGO Technic Volvo Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator (Set 42175) was shared on a legal way two months before the official set release, so I was lucky to start a B-model design very early. No, I had no early access to the physical set like others and bought the set at day one, August the 1st. in my local store. The model I made is a Mercedes Atego Expedition Camper, only with parts from 42175 Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator as alternative build (B-model). The main set provides all the parts to build, no spare parts or other parts outside this set are required. Designer love to put easter-eggs inside, isn't it? So this model uses exactly 2024 parts as an easter-egg for the release year. Pneumatic Functions foldable stairs to access living cabin lifting platform to carry Quad Functions & Features HoG-steering working piston engine openable doors for drivers cab pendular suspension with turntable openable door for living cab openable sidedoor to access equipment foldable sunroof twin tires in the rear cargo-area to store equipment many equipment included (read below) upgradeable with other wheels and MB-star (from 42177) measures (all closed) 40cm x 17cm x 19cm Model in Action Some Impressions Some Outdoor-Shots Cabin Details On top of the drivers cab you can grab a wheel to steer the truck with a pretty good steering angle. Both doors of the drivers cab can be opened to watch inside. Between the driver seats you can find a working 4-cylinder piston engine that is connected to the rear twin tires. The model comes with pendular suspension, using a turntable from the set between the drivers cab and the living cab with drivetrain through that turntable. The pendular angle is limited to approx 7.5 degrees per side. Pneumatic inside Like the 42175 main set, this alternate build has cool Pneumatic functions inside as well. The pump is controlled from the top of the living cab; the valves from the side. Basically the living cab is divided into 2 sections: At the first half all the Pneumatic stuff and the working stairs is placed. The second half provides enough space to safely store and transport all the equipment that comes with this model. Foldable stairs (Pneumatic) Once the door for the living cab has been opened, the stairs can be pumped down to fully reach the ground and to access the cab. The door closes even when the stairs is completely down, which is a pretty nice feature I'm happy with. Track links from the main set are used for the steps to make a solid staircase with some refreshing design never seen before. Lifting Platform (Pneumatic) The Mercedes Atego has a quad on his trip, that is carried by a lifting platform. When the Pneumatic cylinder is fully extended, the platform reaches exactly the ground and the quad can enter on this. Luckily the Pneumatic has enough pressure to lift up and to hold the whole platform with the weight of the quad. Additional chains can be used to secure the platform and the bike while driving around and going on vacation with this model. Sunroof In case it is getting hot inside the living cab, a sunroof is openable up to 30 degrees with a crank mechanism. This also provides more space over the head for people inside the living cab. When the sunroof is closed, it is completely hidden inside the frame of the Camper. Equipment included The mentioned quad with working steering Camping chairs & table... ...they are all foldable to stack Smoker BBQ-grill and fire-barrel... ...with openable lid for the grill Mobile satellite dish that fits on the table... ...and even better on top of the Camper ALL of the equipment can be transported with the Expedition Truck itself and nothing stays back during vacation. The equipment is accessible through a large openable sidedoor in the living cab. Borrow them a real star By design, it's very easy to spend the model a more realistic looking Mercedes-Benz star. Just pull out the axle with the 2x2 round tile with hole and replace them with a custom 2x2 round tile and pin with snap. The actually best match for a real star on this Atego is with the set 42177 Mercedes G-500. Either the 2x2 round tile with print or the one with sticker in the back can be used here for a Mercedes brotherhood. When the street is not enough... ...then give the Camper your own rims and offroad tires. By design, the model is made to easy swap wheels up to 56x26 Tractor tires with no rebuild required. Based on the real thing Front and drivers cab are highly based on second generation Mercedes-Benz Atego from 2013 with 4-cylinder diesel engine. Final note A Camper was on my personal B-model wishlist for a long time and now thanks to the inventory of the set 42175 it was possible to make it. A lot of summerlove was spent on this one and the whole model feels like endless vacation. Just pack some things and go on a trip for a long time. A heart-project I was working on from beginning of June to end of August this year. Have fun with this Mercedes Atego Expedition Camper alternate build. You can find PDF Instructions to build your own on my rebrickable following this link. See you next tim(e) -
The Hummer H1 is one of the most iconic vehicles ever created. I don't know if there is anyone who doesn't know this car, even though it premiered a long time ago. This vehicle has always been on my list to build, although at a very distant position. Thinking about another alternative to the 42177 set, I started to wonder if it is possible to build a Hummer from it. I managed to do it, although not without problems... The Hummer has a very characteristic design. The chassis is basically a frame, four wishbones and a V8 engine. The biggest challenge was building an independent suspension. The original set has a rigid axle at the back so I was missing one CV joint. However, I managed to build a custom one. I added a LOW/HIGH gearbox and a central diff lock. Due to the length of the wishbones and the two different diffs in the axles, it was not possible to make a rear axle lock. This is not a problem, because I wanted a realistic ground clearance of the vehicle, which is 6 studs. When building the V8 engine, I was inspired by the new Koenigsegg Jesko set. The design is very simple and compact but looks great. When I finished the chassis, it was time for the rest. The Hummer is quite large and I was worried whether I would have enough bricks to build the entire body. When I started building it a little after 8:00 PM, I got so caught up in it that I didn't take my eyes off the bricks until 5:30 AM the next day I already had a prototype of the body and I knew that there would be enough bricks. However, later I had to rebuild the sides of the vehicle. The prototype had angeled door pillars, but it turned out that they were problematic when opening the doors. The new version is much more solid and the doors open without any problem, and are additionally attached at the bottom and top. Building instructions: https://reb.li/m/194531 Full gallery and YT video below: -
I won't try to make a big and epic introduction. Each of us knows that the first thought that comes to mind when you see the 42177 set is a Unimog I didn't think long about a specific model. I always wanted to build a Unimog U423 and the premiere of the Mercedes G500 was the best opportunity to do it :) When I got the set in my hands, I immediately started designing U423. The plans were ambitious and as the prototype developed, I added new functions to check how many bricks I would need. Finally, I used 2,513 elements, or about 87% of the Lego set. Ultimately, the model has 12 functions: - front and rear floating axle - central differential lock - rear axle differential lock - all-wheel drive - working dummy engine - front and rear PTO with two speeds - front hinge system - 2-way tipper - HOG control - liftable cabin - openable hood - openable doors Length 41cm x width 20cm x height 24cm / Weight 1620grams / Scale 1:13 When I was building the model, I really wanted people who would build their own Unimog to be able to modify it by adding their own tools. That's why the Unimog is equipped with a front linkage and drive shafts at the front and rear. You can easily add a snow plow, sand spreader or municipal mower to it. It seems to me that the model is an ideal base for everyone to create their favorite version of the Unimog, although even without modifications it is a lot of fun to play with! :D I'm not entirely satisfied with the fact that I didn't manage the iconic lights. I had probably 20 versions of the bumper and only the current one I liked enough to include it in the final model. Maybe I will add some modification to make it look better, but I will need a few system bricks Of course, the biggest thanks go to the designer of this set, @grohl. Thanks to him, after 2 years I bought the technic set again and it is definitely the best one in the last few years. Thank you! Building instructions: https://reb.li/m/191632 Gallery and video showing all the features: