THE PORTAL HUB - Pinzgauers, Haflingers, Volvo 303s and more!

This was quit a bit of work, but happy with it. Now we can sit on top and watch the races, plus load all the gear we want.

I really like that cage! Was thinking of doing something like this with my K but not sure about the added weight making things more top heavy. Where I like to go with mine is pretty sketchy already with the lean it has getting through some of the trails. I would love a little extra protection if I do lay it over but if she goes, it'll most likely end up on its other side in the creak lol.

At any rate I think you did an awesome job on the cage!

If you keep most of the weight low by using smaller tubes on top? As it is, it is only for holding items at the platform. Everything below the platform (expanded metal) could be heavier for strength and to be a roll cage.

Nice work. The finish looks awesome but...
- Pinzgauers already have an integrated roll cage.
- The LAST place you want to add weight would be up top in my opinion.
- Now your truck is taller and won't fit in as many places as it did before.
- Looks heavy.
- Now you'll be looking for tree branches to bash with that cage!
Otherwise, like I said, looks nice.

Apparently redesigning an already well designed vehicle brings on just more problems.

SAV has a good pic of what might happen when you roll over. I have the K model which I have made seating for my 6 kids in the back and think a cage would give a little bit more resistance to collapse of tbe sides and roof pannels further protecting my family. Also with all the seating added I have little room left for our camping gear which is why I would like to have a cargo rack up top (since I dont have an off road trailer yet) to hold the excess. Im just not sure if all that weight it will add making it more likely to lay over. Id really like to see some pics of ppl with the cage on a K and what kind of angles they can get side hilling.

If it works for what you need then great - looks like you did a nice job of it!

Mr_Fixit - steel for the supports and aluminum up top to keep it as light as possible
https://www.google.ca/search?q=pinzgaue ... 6SCh1L8gMi

From my perspective, many if not most, modifications to a Pinzgauer have their associated disadvantages too.

Good idea for a bleacher though. My buddies and I used to drive up to Road America to watch the races and one year we threw a sofa up on a roof rack. We got a lot of pointing fingers and laughs starting out. But the looks eventually turned into thumbs-up as we got closer to the race track, and the ticket guys thought it was a great idea. We even had room for a cooler and grill, and the view was great. The next year we added a tarp for shade. Just a few years later, and you could hardly approach some areas due to all the RV's with seats on the roof. Be careful what you start.

I'd agree that you would want to minimize the weight, especially that up high. Lighter construction of the less "structural" parts could help, as Morris pointed out. Perhaps even make it with removable deck plates - just tubing for carrying longer cargo - with stowable plates for small cargo or walking/sitting on? Even the rails could be made removable (when not being used) to keep the profile lower on the trail.

While a higher C.O.G. will obviously make the truck more prone to tipping, it will also depend on how you drive it. Unless you go tumbling it down something long and steep, I think the stock protection works pretty adequately. (The last truckful of redneck Jeep drivers that I tipped over with survived just fine, and they even thought it was a great ride.) Cageless trucks tip over too.

Looks nice!

I'm just not sure if all that weight it will add making it more likely to lay over.

I can say that the 710s get very tippy when you add weight to the very top:

In the above image we were traveling through Baja where the dirt/rock "road" was raised up 1-2 feet above the surrounding ground, but often there were smoother sections that just paralleled the road; driving 20-30mph off the lip of the road to get to the smoother sections and returning made the truck wallow with a very top heavy feel (freaked the wife out!). I'd guess that we had 5-700 lbs up there on this trip.

I did notice a slight difference in the truck's center of gravity with the rack empty; but for us, the empty weight of the rack caused less increase to the CG of the truck than I would expect a stock K to have. As suggested, I had Andre use 0.090" wall tubing for the upright hoops, and thinner 0.060" wall tubing for the rack itself to give strength for rollover protection but minimize the weight high up.

I like it! What thickness and where did you source the accurate 5 bar tread plate?

Well the cage works, we laid it over last weekend going through a V rock ditch, not a single dent or a scratch on the body other than the brush marks from the brush, the winch pulled us back over onto our wheels, up and out, could not be happier.

See you at Mogfest if your going, Oct 9=11th

Is that all steel? That floor looks like it weighs a ton.

Five bar alum.

Where did you find the five bar aluminum sheeting? What was the width / sheet size?

Riverside Ca. IMS Industrial Metal Supply
Full sheet is 4'x12' or smaller if you wish.
They have it in different thicknesses as well. From thin to thick