Just another dumb limey thought

[jennyxls]

Hi my fellow Oz LR fans (fanatics) from here in Canajiar.
OK, so I'm a "Sheilla" in my golden years and enjoy restoring old (my age) vehicles, one of which is a '57 swb series 1 s/w. I would like to haul a fifth wheel trailer - too long a story - and wondered if anyone had any ideas. I've had three:
1 remove the hard top and safari roof, converting it to a pick-up (ute?). Then fitting a slider unit over the axle.
2 cut holes in the safari top and hard top for the fifth wheel connector to go through to a gooseneck above the axle. Lifting the trailer high enough to go through the roof may be a problem unless there are collapsible pillars?? Alternatively, maybe a slit cut through the rear door and roof for the pillar to pass through??
3 extend the pillar and fit to the regular ball hitch. Tongue weight could be problematic.
I'll need to sort the rear suspension - any recommendations, stronger leaf springs and shocks or air bags - and ensure the tire loads are adequately rated.
Hope to hear some interesting and polite ideas, thanks.
Jenni.
PS Any UK expat pensioners found how to avoid pension freeze?

[p38arover]

Hi Jenny, I'm not sure how fast that rig will go but welcome to the forum.

BTW, we don't use the term "Limey" which I must admit I dislike. We call the English "Pommies" - much nicer! :D

Ron

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Wow!
a series 1 5th wheeler:o:cool::cool:
Dont forget Jenni,,
It never happened without PICS!:D

[landy]

Hi Jenny, I'm not sure how fast that rig will go but welcome to the forum.

BTW, we don't use the term "Limey" which I must admit I dislike. We call the English "Pommies" - much nicer! :D

Ron

I've got to be honest, I don't like being called a 'pommie' either. I don't think it is nice at all! In fact it really annoys me.


However for Jenni, I not sure if you are choosing the right sort of vehicle for a fifth wheeler. How heavy is the van? Don't you guys live in some really mountainus country!!
Welcome to the forum. I sure some one who know about these thing will give you a considered opinion.

[Redback]

Hi Jenny, welcome to the forum, to be honest, a UK forum would probably get you a quicker answer, Fifth Wheelers are only a quite new here, and I would say knowone on here has one, there is a person on here that knows someone that has one that I know, Roger(xtreme)

There are a few fifth wheel forums, but be prepared to get some harsh answers with the idea of doing it with an old Land Rover.

Most seem to be bought from the manufacturer, haven't read anything about built it yourself type ones, there are restrictions as to the type of Ute you can use here, the Toyota Hilux has been excluded here from being turned into a fifth wheeler, from memory only about 4 or 5 Utes pass this restriction, apart from the F series type Utes of coarse.

Anyway

Here's one forum
index ? Page 1 of 1 (http://www.5thwheelers.net.au/)

Anyway the reason I reckon the UK would be a better place to look, is mainly it would be the place where something like you are trying to do be done.

Look here

The TruckNet UK Drivers RoundTable • View topic - Land Rover Parking (http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=86355)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/03/151.jpg

Electricity Board Land-Rovers (http://www.onetonlandrover.co.uk/electricityboard/midlands.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/03/152.jpg

Or here fifth wheel Europe
Fifth Wheel Europe - Completion and delivery (http://www.fifthwheeleurope.eu/en/article/completion-delivery.html)
http://www.fifthwheeleurope.eu/data/product/images/f8a9632473d6600d0427aabc44ee0784.jpg

Hope this helps;

Baz.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Hi Jenny Welcome, oh we don't use the term Sheila here these days. It's ocker talk. I think you might have seen too many Barry Mckenzie movies :D;)
Australia is now a land of politically correctness.

[p38arover]

Bundalene calls his missus "Sheila" :D

[Blknight.aus]

if you want to set it up so it still looks like a series your only real option is to stick the gooseneck on top of a trapezium that mounts onto the hcassis over the suspension points for the rear leafs after you cut out and reinforce the floor pan of the tub, then put an arch front on the trailer to give you the clearance to the tub. the only real option for the roof is to convert it over to a styleside ute

if you use bolt down pads and do some clever sheet work you can setup the trapezium so you can un bolt it lift it with the goose neck and then ddrive the series out from under the trialer. The hole in the floor covers up with 2 plates of ally that you make up to sit in the back tailgate when the trapezium is in place.

you're not going to have a huge amount of nose weight to play with and your total trailerweight is still going to have to be under the 2000lb that the sI is rated for....

thats a lot of effort for what you could just as easily do with a well setup tandem axle trailer on a standard hitch.

going from 5th wheeler back to your original hardtop configuration I would guess to take about an hour maybe an hour and a half. the hardest thing would be working out what to do with the roof while it wasnt fitted.

[wrinklearthur]

I wouldn't, the series one short wheel base brakes, are just not up to that job.

I would go the other way and tow your Landie with a decent sized motor home.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/03/134.jpg

.

[PhilipA]

Geez I would hate to be behind a Series 1 with a fifth wheeler behind it up the Alpine way.
Although I guess I could get out and run ( or walk) in front and ask the driver to let me pass.

Regards Philip A

[Tote]

Anyone have pictures of the Bicentennary Counties, weren't they configured as a 5th wheeler?
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~lloyd/tildeLand-Rover/110/PICs48/1995.sawnoff.medium.jpg

Regards,
Tote

[Bundalene]

Bundalene calls his missus "Sheila" :D

That's because she is...Sheila:D

[Redback]

A top Sheila is Sheila;)

[spudboy]

... there are restrictions as to the type of Ute you can use here, the Toyota Hilux has been excluded here from being turned into a fifth wheeler, from memory only about 4 or 5 Utes pass this restriction, apart from the F series type Utes of coarse.
....

Hope this helps;

Baz.

How come Hiluxes can't be used for 5th wheelers?

[bsperka]

How come Hiluxes can't be used for 5th wheelers?

Most probably because the chassis rails aren't up to requirements. "Unbreakable" is marketing, not real life.

[Tote]

It actually depends on the GCM of the vehicle and how much weight you can transfer from the trailer to the truck. Hiluxes only have a 3 ton towing capacity anyway so there isnt the benefit that you would get from a f250 with a higher GCM.
Ford and holden utes do not have a high enough GCM to make a 5th wheel viable.
Seems fifth wheel trailers start to come into their own after the trailer goes over 3.5 tonnes as this is the limit of a normal towbar.

Regards,
Tote