Roll Bar

JMan · 09-01-2009, 09:33 PM

Hello all, this is my first post to the forum. Ive been doing a lot of reading for several months now, but decided i had not found the answer to one thing ive been thinking of. Ive seen some sportsmobile and van rollover accident pictures and got me to wondering if anyone has made a rollbar/cage for the inside of their rigs. Seems most rollovers result in the entire cab being flattened to about the seat height inside.

Cant wait to be part of the group - once the house is purchased then comes the van - hopefully a 2010 sportsmobile...

bluedog225 · 09-02-2009, 05:28 AM

There's a yahoogroups called 4x4 van. They may be able to help.

I like the idea but think it will have to be custom fabricated. I've seen some Land Rovers with cages.

Tom

bluedog225 · 09-02-2009, 05:58 AM

This may be helpful. Please post pics if you go through with it.

Tom

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/english ... 0301rb.asp

yvrr · 09-02-2009, 09:11 AM

There was a discussion several years ago on the Yahoo chat list about a rollover accident involving a SMB back east. (The details of the accident were confirmed on-line so it wasn't just hearsay.) As I recall, the freeway was icy and the van slid into a guardrail and flipped over. It might have rolled over twice but regardless, the van was resting upside down on the roof when emergency personnel arrived with the driver and passenger hanging by their seat belts. The seat belts were cut and the passengers gotten out of the van and were fine although the van was totalled.

They realized that the steel frame that SMB installs after cutting out most of the roof to install a penthouse had saved them...a Sportsmobile van is stronger after the top is cut out than as it comes from the factory. The couple subsequently ordered a new SMB....

bluedog225 · 09-02-2009, 02:03 PM

I have a hard time understanding how the reinforcement around the roof hole would contribute in any way to pillar strength. Are you sure about the conclusion you draw?

I believe the reasons vans (including SMBs) experience roof collapse is due to the weight of the van (up to 11,000 lbs).

The pillars need additional support to prevent this type of faillure. A roll bar or cage would provide some additional support. I think it would need to be an engineered structure.
Tom

winvest · 09-02-2009, 03:18 PM

Considering the lack of space inside a sportsmobile, maybe some kind of an exoskelton?

Skywagon · 09-02-2009, 06:55 PM

Maybe an exoskeleton made out of Titanium and filled with Helium. Adding several hundred pounds to a vehicle that we pretty much all agree is already too heavy sounds like a non-starter.
Bill

scoobasteeve · 09-04-2009, 11:21 PM

First off in a slow speed roll over you will be fine. Designing a cage to prevent cave ins at high speeds would be extremely complicated. First off it would need to be a minimum of four points, even that is probably not enough considering the long length of the van, then it would need to tie into the frame, also tubing that is practical size but strong enough won't be cheap...the list goes on. I would personally recommend, to prevent your roof caving in during a rollover, is don't ever roll it.