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Those who know Spain and its broad expanses of bizarre
and diverse countryside will also appreciate the
difficult terrain that supply vehicles sometimes have to face.
From fire brigades to power and gas supply, from
telecommunications companies to public television broadcasting
– Mercedes-Benz Unimogs are in great demand as
multi-talented “specialists”.
“Specialists” in Spain
Fire protection in the Basque region
Since November 1999, a U 2450 L 38
with a 177 kW (240 bhp) engine and
WERNER equipment has been in use in the
town of San Sebasti n directly on Spain s
border with France, by the municipal
fire brigade, the Diputación Foral de
Guiùzcoa.In such a sparsely populated,
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JOURNAL
mountainous area with extensive forests
on the fringe of the Pyrenees, a vehicle
with off-road capabilities is obligatory for
the fire brigade. This is why a Unimog
has been chosen for the first time, with
the necessary equipment for operations
and recovery work in places in this
remote, mountainous region that are difficult
to access.
Tracing breaks in transmission
The Spanish telecommunications company
Telefónica operates five U 1350 L
models with 93 kW/126 bhp engines (see
picture above). The Unimogs were purchased
for installation work in off-road terrain
and to locate points where mobile communication
transmissions are interrupted.
This situation occurs quite often in the
valleys between Spain s numerous mountains.
In order to make sure the telephone
network also functions efficiently in sparsely
populated areas, the Unimogs have
special bodies for the transmission-unit
containers, a detachable HIAB crane and
additional technical equipment. They are
used all over Spain for installation, repair
and maintenance of the system in difficult
terrain. The equipment and superstructure
were installed by Industrias Zamarbú.
Fighting forest fires is still a problem every summer
TheJunta of Castile and Léon operates the largest number of
Unimog with special bodies and firefighting equipment. This
administrative body has purchased 22 vehicles since 1992, among
them 85 kW (115 bhp) U 100 L models, the U 1850 L with 136 kW
(185 bhp) engine and the U 2150 L/32 rated at 155 kW (211 bhp).
Fire fighting is a serious matter in Spain, and unfortunately always
a topical one in summer.. Unimog are being used successfully in
Valladolid, Palencia, Zamora, Salamanca and Léon, and as a result
demand is clearly increasing (6 vehicles were purchased in 1999).
Spanish manufacturers build the special bodies.