Adding rollover protection to the MTVR:

[MTVR]

The MTVR is a little unique, in that it comes with a folding aluminum cab, and no rollover protection.

Any ideas on adding rollover protection?

We plan to mount a 20' container to the flatbed, and I'm wondering if we beef up the bed-to-frame mounting, as well as mounting the container to the bed in a sturdy manner, if the container itself would provide adequate rollover protection. It's 5,000 pounds of steel (empty), and is built to be strong enough to stack loaded containers on top of them.

What say ye?

 

[simp5782]

Interior cab frame Similar to that of the M939 Frankencab trucks would be best. Or something similar to a gun ring setup using tubing

 

[MTVR]

Interior cab frame Similar to that of the M939 Frankencab trucks would be best. Or something similar to a gun ring setup using tubing

Well, that would be one way to do it, but steel tubing inside the cab can be extremely dangerous to anyone not wearing a helmet- that's why every sanctioning organization I know of, requires a Snell/DOT/EC certified helmet whenever a roll bar or roll cage is used, as well as a head rest and an SFI-spec 16.1 driver's harness to try to keep the helmeted head away from any roll bar or roll cage, and SFI-spec 45.1 roll bar padding in case it does.

I think military operators are required to wear helmets when driving, so that internal roll cage would not pose the same risk to them, as it would to an unhelmeted civilian owner.

 

[simp5782]

This is what it will look like without anything.

 

[Nomadic]

A roll hoop outside the cab might be a good fit if you are worried about hitting your head on the cage inside the cab.

But if you hit your head on the cage inside, you would probably be hitting your head on something else if it weren't installed. I'm not sure the addition of a cage warrants a thought of a helmet or 5+ point harness. An air-ride seat has much more movement than a conventional seat and with a harness the driver/riders are strapped in tight. On the track, the pressure of the belts is what keeps the driver seated w/out having to hold on to anything to stay in the seat.

An internal cage like pictured above in this thread would be stellar along with a 3 point belt if you get a front blow out and it rolls. You could pad the cage too and have 5-point harnesses on standby for off-road adventures. But if I start thinking about needing a harness, I probably will just turn around or slow down.

 

[GTUnit]

This is what it will look like without anything.

So even the armored cab crumples like a sheet of tin foil.
Thats some impressive Oshkosh engineering.

 

[ToddJK]

The damage actually doesn't seem so bad when you consider the amount of weight and force being applied. If no internal roll cage is desired, perhaps an exterior roll cage. Could run some strong tubing from the headache rack that's bolted to the bed and frame, come up above the cab and then run two large steel tubes that go over the top of the cab, then angle downward towards the front and then straight down to the bumper. Might have to beef up the bumper a little, but that will keep everything accessible, room in the cab, but also allow you to use whatever size of steel tubing you want. I know my dad's old Ford ranger had 4" tubes roll bars in the bed. He ended up rolling his truck 6 times (according to an eye witness) on I-196 in MI back when I was just a kid. He walked away with a couple bruises. He still has the pictures and those roll bars didn't even dent or bend at all. So having some roll over protection, definitely an underrated upgrade to any MV imo.

 

[Russ Knight]

Not the bumper. The bumper is aluminum. I think a better point of attachment might be the lifting eyes structure.

 

[ToddJK]

Not the bumper. The bumper is aluminum. I think a better point of attachment might be the lifting eyes structure.

I figured it was steel like many other MV's.