A truly amazing story, the stuff of dreams - and not just the car. The people were pretty amazing too.
I wonder whether something has changed at Merc or whether it's to do with the drivers attitude or skill but I know of stories of G-wagons dropping like flies. There is a YouTube of G-wagons on the Canning Stock Route, three standard and one military-hardened. By the end of the first day all three standard editions were immobile! They had all blown their shocks, and if the shocks fail out there you will break springs (how do I know?). They were on a factory-supported trip and so replacement parts were choppered in ($$$$). Considering the number of Tojos running up and down there it wasn't a good look. [BTW my problem was being 'smart' and fitting rubbish after market suspension. These days I would stick with standard or something reputable like OME.]