109 Station Wagon/Dormobile internal rollbar

[carl k]

I have an internal rollbar that fits a Land Rover 109 station wagon based Dormobile. It attaches between the B-pillars, using the existing threaded holes in the t-pieces that the seat back support used. It is cut at the bottom ends to lock into the seatbox rear. Has anyone seen another of these? Just wondering if it is a custom one-off built by a previous owner, or one of those low-volume aftermarket bits from long ago.

thanks,
Carl

[gambrinus]

I'm thinking that it's more of a curtain rod than a "roll bar".


RW

[pvkd]

It looks more like a curtain rod to me too

[Paul Rossmann]

I think it is a padded bar so you wont bump your head on that hard edge where the top pops up... but it could work as a curtain rod.

[One4adventure]

I think what is being said here in perhaps the most tactful way is that the bar as depicted would offer little if any additional protection in the event of a rollover, the premise of any roll bar is to support the car as it rolls not just support the weight of the car if the car is inverted, your bar would buckle under the impact of the car hitting the ground sideways and at that point it would no longer support the weight of the inverted car.
Some diagonal bracing might help but of couse would impinge on the passenger compartment which it would seem avoiding this was the point of your design? You might consider an external cage over the passenger compartment that did not interfere with the Dormobile roof?

[zayante]

That's not a roll bar, Mate...THIS is a roll bar!

[greenmeanie]

You know, as someone who has rolled an 88 hardtop on the tarmac at about 40 mph, I can say they hold up reasonably well compared to their modern couterparts. Even the bloke from the towing company that I had to collect her from afterwards commented on that. He pointed out some examples in his yard of Ford suv's where the a-pillars just folded.

Having said that it still hurt and I have the scars on my elbow to show that proping up an 88 on your elbow while sliding along at about 10 mph is not to be recommended. Apparently I almost lost the joint but, like the old truck herself, I was rebuilt stronger, meaner and faster.

Cheers
Gregor

[carl k]

Thanks for all the comments. I would agree that this bar is only as strong as the bottom of the T-pieces, perhaps it was designed to add a bit of rigidity to the body? It was in my truck when I purchased it, I took it out because I don't think it adds much utility and adds weight up high. I thought I'd post it here to see if it was anything more than a "one-off".

regards,
Carl