Way cool vintage RV

427435 wrote:
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. As I remember, the VW engine (especially the valves) were not the longest lived when used to just move the car. No way the engine would have handled the duty cycle that the RV would have added.

It was the exhaust valve that was hid behind the oil cooler. That valve would not get enough cooling air from the fan. It was also made from two parts welded together and that was where it would always break destroying that cylinder.

If you removed the oil cooler, and made a remote one, the problem was solved.

Now as far as brakes, transmission, and horsepower......hmmmmmm

Under heavy braking, I'd worry about the roof peeling off. Wouldn't have to worry about heavy acceleration, though!

I think the main problem would be the connection point to the car. Roof gutters will not provide enough support. It is a cool idea, but the entire roof structure would have to be modified. Not sure how that would be done.

Look at the connection points in a truck for a fifth wheel. Very beefy. Sheet metal will not provide enough support.

I know, buzz kill. Sorry, but that is probably why it never took off.

I'm really surprised that idea hasn't been updated. Even something like a small 5ver for the compact / mid sized trucks. After all some of those trucks did come with a v8. Very cool.

Used to work with a lady that had a roof mounted 5th wheel on her full size Buick back in the 70's. I think the travel trailer was made by Shadow?

Yeh, thats nice but how long did it have to sit at the dealers repair lot to go through the "punch list".

The trailer state of Indiana, my big ole ...

About 25 years ago I answered an add in the paper for a VW for sale.
I went to look at it and it was just a ranch type vehicle. Ragged interior and pretty sad looking but I was going to make a dune buggy from the components anyway so it fit the bill.
This VW had the ball mounted on the roof with a steel plate bolted to the roof. The rancher used it to haul a 300 gallon tank/trailer from the water source to the range for the cattle. Same principle as in the video. 300 gallons = 2400 lbs and another 500 lbs of trailer perhaps, thats nearly 3000 lbs. It worked ok on his ranch, don't know how it would perform on the interstate :) :)

jfkmk wrote:

RoyB wrote:
It is amazing that some folks are still seeing this for the first time... This has been around almost forever haha...

When I first saw this many years back I too thought it was great idea and still today wonder why it never really caught on for the populous...

Roy Ken

Maybe because the VW bug barely had enough power to get out of its own way, let alone handle additional weight. Frankly, I never understood the bug. Underpowered, uncomfortable, and ugly!

Oh com-on! I once owned a VW bug. It was the only car I ever owned that was not a GM model. It was a 1968 model. I got it in 1974, paid $500 for it. It was red, at least for a while, until I forgot to pull the emergency brake and left it out of gear and it rolled backwards into a light pole and krunched in the back bumper, the engine hood and tail lights! OK I got that fixed for another $500, and then I successfully got me back and forth from home to college every day for the next 2 years.

Did I mention, I had no brakes! And did I mention It had a heater that ran on gasoline and the exhaust was INSIDE in car! And the headlight fell out, and I had to let it roll down hill and pop the clutch to get it started!

And sometime I had to use the built in foot peddles attached to a bicycle chain to get it moving down the road! (Just kidding) ... but the rest is not... Well, it got me through college and I loved that clunker!

RoyB wrote:
It is amazing that some folks are still seeing this for the first time... This has been around almost forever haha...

When I first saw this many years back I too thought it was great idea and still today wonder why it never really caught on for the populous...

Roy Ken

Maybe because the VW bug barely had enough power to get out of its own way, let alone handle additional weight. Frankly, I never understood the bug. Underpowered, uncomfortable, and ugly!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. As I remember, the VW engine (especially the valves) were not the longest lived when used to just move the car. No way the engine would have handled the duty cycle that the RV would have added.