Towing....5th wheel
 

Ok, we've all seen this video by now...

So, just out of curiosity, what is the feasibility of something like this? I was under the impression that federal regulations require a vehicles roof to be able to support two and a half times the vehicle weight in a rollover. The manufacturer load limit on the roof rack is generally a couple hundred pounds though. I'm guessing that has to do more with the 3 little bolts that anchor each side of the rack (on the 850), rather than the structural integrity of the roof and its supports.

So let's assume I have an itching to create something different. Let's also assume I'm willing to yank out my headliner and weld a support framework of some sort to the pillars. So what issues am I really looking at? If they can do it with a vehicle designed in the '30's (?), my 850 should be able to handle it, right?

Basically what happened is I'm thinking about building a teardrop trailer, and my mind is roaming far and wide. :D

Well, the Beetle wasn't really made for it either, right?

I had to pull the sunroof out of one of my cars, which obviously means the headliner too. I did some measuring, and stared at it for a while. The thought is still rolling around in my brain, along with 10 other project ideas. The thing about the Pacific Northwest is that we get a little rain here, so there's plenty of time to spend in the shop looking for something to do.

As they mentioned in the video, the central mounting point would distribute the weight evenly. Given the load capacity of the car, I wouldn't think the tougue weight of the trailer would overload the suspension. We're not talking about more weight than what the factory rack is rated for, and this would be attached to a "hitch" that I'm thinking would be connected to all 3 pilars on each side.

And I'm not talking about a full on camper, just a large version of a classic teardrop. Not a lot of overall weight in those.

Anyway, I was thinking I'd get a few "No, the roof structure would never support it" kind of comments. The fact that I didn't is feeding the crazy part of my brain :D

Stop it; just stop it right now! Play golf or some other hobby; take a vacation, whatever, just get out of the shop for awhile. :D

Actually someone around here converted a '98 V70 into a pickup which was pretty cool. If you're going to do a volvo 5th wheel, then do that, and put the trailer mount in the bed (where it's supposed to go). Mounting it that high is just silly looking and not safe. :eek:

Here's the PU conversion link:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...project-65134/

BTW: driving an old bug is even more un-safe; I know they're fun (we used to have one) but seriously, they're worse death traps than any corvair out there.

So basically you want to do this?
Attachment 27354




Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Attachment 27355

If you're planning to steer a bunch of weight from the roof, you should certainly not expect a good drivign experience from that. That is going to make the car roll (not roll over, just roll). Even if the weight pushing down on the roof is small, the weight you're trying to steer is 100% of the weight of the trailer. No getting around that. 100% of steering forces gotta come from the tow vehicle.

So that is saying it could be tolerable with a light enough trailer.

GREAT POST Matty!! Absolutely ROFL!!! :p

+1 you pegged it.


"So what issues am I really looking at?"
You're looking at spending a lot of time and money to do something safely, no one else (I think) has done so there really isn't going to be any help available.
Instead of posting it here, you should be looking to find out if it's even legal. Then get a structural engineer to determine what bracing you need and what weights of trailer that bracing would support. The roof is designed to protect you in a roll over but it's not designed to have something beating down on it constantly without damage. You might have to put in a full roll cage to properly support enough weight bouncing against the roofs hitch. It's going to handle like a 67 Cadillac without shocks and your center of gravity is so high it wouldn't be able to corner to save it's own life.

And don't forget insurance, a lot of insurance because if anything at all ever happens and you have that giraffe on your 850 and it get's loose and hits anything there will be lawyers lining up to beg to sue you on behalf of the litigants. It's going to feel like that giraffe really is on YOUR back !!

Lmao that pic is priceless