Heroes of the Extreme.

Thick forest, on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. The sonorous rumble of a six-cylinder engine cuts through the dense greenery. Well-trained ears recognise it as an OM 936, the almost eight‑litre in-line engine from Mercedes-Benz. Suddenly a 5000-series Unimog bursts through the undergrowth. Through the raised chrome-plated exhaust pipes the 'Mog' merrily trumpets the power of 300 horses and 1,400 newtonmeters of maximum torque. The driver is grinning widely.

But wait — something's not right. A Unimog U 5023 with a six-cylinder? That's not in Mercedes-Benz's range. True — and also not true. Because it does exist. Not from Mercedes-Benz, but nonetheless with the manufacturer's blessing. Hellgeth engineering and vehicle construction make real what customers want.

The power-Unimog from the highly off-road-capable model series is just one of many playgrounds for the inventive Hellgeth brothers Andreas (the project manager) and Jürgen (the engineer). In the Thuringian border region the two have quietly realized their dream of running their own vehicle-building company. Customers come from all over the world – Russians who want to take their Unimog through Siberia at minus 50 degrees. Sheikhs who climb even the steepest dunes at 40 degrees in the shade so the falcon has good hunting conditions. But also quite "normal" globetrotters for whom a "normal" Unimog is simply not enough.

An engine conversion for poor fuel quality, a chassis that can easily handle the Rallye Dakar, a roll bar that protects even in extreme rollovers, or maybe a bit of chrome so the Unimog doesn't look so much like a work vehicle? Hellgeth makes it possible. The Hellgeth brothers are convinced that real adventure only begins where paved roads end. That's where the Unimog comes into play. Whether for an expedition, racing, hunting or just for fun – Hellgeth's conversions push already high-set limits even further. There's only one thing Hellgeth doesn't want: to be normal and off-the-peg. No wonder the Unimog is the basis for many conversions.

My brother and I founded the company in 2000. We are based here in Rodacherbrunn – actually out in the woods. But that has the undeniable advantage that at this location we can work on our vehicles in peace. And as we have since learned: anyone who wants to find us will manage to do so (laughs).

What exactly does Hellgeth do?

Put simply, I would express it like this: We carry out special installations and conversions on Unimog vehicles.

How many employees do you have?

We have around 30 employees from various professions who specialize in a wide range of trades and conversions. Our strength is metalworking — that is turning, welding, milling... We have extremely skilled craftsmen who can realize almost any customer request, and an in-house design department takes care of the engineering. We see Hellgeth as a manufactory for special vehicle solutions.

Where does her own expertise come from?

It all began with us traveling the world in motorhomes and expedition vehicles. At some point we reached our limits, and when searching for suitable solutions we found nothing. So we began to think about it. From that point until the founding of our own company, everything almost happened by itself. Over time word spread about what we could do and demand grew. Our offerings then expanded in line with the wishes and requirements of our customers. Today there is almost nothing left that we could not realize. Unfortunately, we ourselves now have hardly any time left to go on expeditions.

What specific vehicle solutions does Hellgeth implement?

Many customer requests concern the refinement of the vehicle, conversions for expedition vehicles such as tank conversions, the installation of winches, shock absorber adjustments – all the things customers need for use off paved roads.

What does "off the beaten track" mean?

Missions in deep water, in the desert, in the mud, or even in winter at very low temperatures. Whenever things get extreme, we come into play – and that's where our strengths lie.

What do the customers do with the vehicles?

Our customers mostly travel to areas that cannot be reached with conventional travel vehicles or motorhomes — which is why we use the extreme off-road Unimog fitted with a camper or expedition body. We customize the Unimog and, so to speak, take it one step further so that our customers can get to places where no one else can.

Do any special solutions spontaneously come to mind?

We once built Unimogs for disaster relief in Mexico that were capable of deep wading. These vehicles could still drive without any problems even in two metres of water. That was really impressive, because at that water depth the water was already running along the windscreen.

How does cooperation with Mercedes work?

We work very closely with the Wörth plant on many projects. Our model U 5030 — the conversion of the highly off-road-capable Unimog, which is available from the factory exclusively with a four-cylinder engine, to a six-cylinder — can be purchased from any Unimog dealer. We are, of course, proud of that.

Are the warranties that the customer normally receives from Mercedes‑Benz also still valid?

There are vehicles for which the manufacturer's warranties remain fully intact. Once a certain level of modification has been reached, Hellgeth then assumes the usual warranties.

How much does a Hellgeth Unimog cost?

I can't answer that in general. It depends on what the customer wants. We place great importance on discussing all of this in the individual customer consultation – also in coordination with Mercedes-Benz. We don't have a catalogue.