We flew to Europe with a rough plan. What we found was a 1986 Steyr 12M18 that had been sitting idle for years — bolts rusted solid and an FM2 military shelter on the back with a half-finished set-up.
Neither of us had ever built a truck before. We started in our driveway, then moved into a horse farmer's shed when autumn/winter came. Right in the middle of the build, we found out Mareike was pregnant. Our daughter arrived in May 2026, just as we were finishing.
We kept the strong military bones, completely re-wired, re-plumbed, insulated and rebuilt the interior from scratch. The result is a tough, self-contained expedition home with solar, water systems, a proper kitchen and enough storage for long stints in the middle of nowhere.
It took eight months — five more than planned. It was hard work, but it was worth it.
Every component either survived military spec or was rebuilt to exceed it.
Custom-built aluminium rack across the cab roof. Carries gear and full LED bars for night driving in remote country.
Total weight approx. 45kg.
Original Steyr cab, fully stripped, repainted and refurbished inside and out. Every surface touched.
Fully self-sufficient. Full kitchen, bed, solar, fresh & grey water, storage for a family to live for weeks on end.
Achieved with upgraded 14r20 all-terrain tyres — almost 49 inches tall. Serious clearance for serious terrain.
Nearly 49 inches of military-grade tyre on split rims. Built for mud, rock, sand and snow — no terrain is off-limits. Reduce fuel consumption by approx. 10%.
Total weight per tyre and rim approx. 170kg.
Three locking differentials, 18 forward gear combinations across high and low range, and a crawler that drops below 1 km/h for ultimate control.
Custom-built aluminium rack across the cab roof. Carries gear and full LED bars for night driving in remote country. Total weight approx. 45kg.
Original Steyr cab, fully stripped, repainted and refurbished inside and out. Every surface touched.
Fully self-sufficient. Full kitchen, bed, solar, fresh & grey water, storage for a family to live for weeks on end.
Achieved with upgraded 14R20 all-terrain tyres — almost 49 inches tall. Serious clearance for serious terrain.
Nearly 49 inches of military-grade tyre on split rims. Built for mud, rock, sand and snow — no terrain is off-limits. Reduce fuel consumption by approx. 10%. Total weight per tyre and rim approx. 170kg.
Three locking differentials, 18 forward gear combinations across high and low range, and a crawler that drops below 1 km/h for ultimate control.
The 6.6-litre turbodiesel was already a serious engine. We overhauled it, breathed new life into it, and built around it for the long haul.
Like most people planning a serious expedition build, we started looking at Unimogs. But the deeper we dug, the more the Steyr 12M18 stood out. Overbuilt by the Austrian military, mechanically simple, incredibly capable, and still relatively under the radar.
Our Steyr came with an FM2 Zeppelin military shelter already fitted — furniture included, though most of it needed to be completely reimagined to suit our needs. What followed was eight months of learning, rebuilding and transforming a military relic into our home.
Now the real adventure begins — as a family of three plus Rocket in our self-built Steyr.