Couple Rescued From Brazilian Amazon After Bridge Fall In Unimog Motorhome

You may have read recently about Bruce Scott and Lesley Norris and their lucky escape in the Amazon. The quick thinking couple were rescued after being stuck for 17 hours after falling 30 feet into a gully after a bridge collapsed under the weight of their motorhome. The smart thinking couple had in their possession a satellite phone, which they used to call their family in Eastbourne, giving them the GPS coordinates which enabled them to pass the information on to Devon Coastguard, who then contacted Falmouth Coastguard who alerted the authorities in Brazil. The rest is thankfully, a very happy ending.

It wasn't the only plunge the couple had taken in recent years. In 2006 Mr Scott sold up the studio where his photography business was based for even more non-routine and excitement. The couple, sharing their love of travelling, had already been through Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia before their mishap in Brazil.

You may have noticed from TV reports that this was no ordinary motorhome, so what exactly is it, you may ask? Well, this is a Unimog. Made by Mercedes-Benz, and standing for “UNIversal-MOtor-Gerat” - the Unimog has been around since 1951.

The first models were used as machines (essentially, “gerat” means machine) to power saws or harvesting machines in agriculture. With a flexible frame, huge ground clearance and permanent 4-wheel drive, it's not difficult to see why an Amazon bridge might collapse under the weight of this 8 tonne beast.

More commonly used as snow ploughs in Western Europe, the Unimog is also to be found as a military vehicle in the deserts and jungles of the world, where the flexible frame, which is essentially an aid to the suspension, enables the wheels to adopt a wide range of movement in relation to each other wheel. This naturally makes this particular automotive vehicle ideal for extreme terrains.

With a massive horsepower range from 25 to 280, and the possibility of 8 forward and 4 reverse gears, this automobile is clearly designed with utmost flexibility in mind. Newer models even give the user the option to change the vehicle from left-hand drive to right-hand drive “in the field”.

Aside from snow ploughs, agricultural and military use, the Unimog is also currently being used by various fire departments and disaster relief organisations – and of course as a motorhome.

Surely one of the most secure motorhomes ever, the majority of camper conversions are carried out on the U1300L chassis, which you can pick up for in excess of £50,000 - pre-conversion, that is. Although you might well pick up ex-German military U1300L's for around £20,000. Rather like your lovingly customised VW Camper Van – you can reflect your needs and personality in a mind boggling variety of ways through design customisation. Under floor heating, shower room, kitchen area and bedroom are all possible to make this the home from home that you will come to rely on should you also be inspired to follow the lead of Bruce and Lesley.

So you've bought your 'mog, converted it and are raring to go. But what about all those dull things like insurance and MoT? Once you've got your rather unique and extraordinary vehicle registered as a motorhome, you should only need a standard car MoT, plus PHGV (P stands for private) tax if over 3500kg. Let's face it, it probably will be. Now, don't forget your motorhome insurance from Performance Direct, and you are - probably quite literally - now unstoppable.