Parking with a 5th wheel
 

I found this on YouTube. It kinda remind's me of Mike's Insight.
Here's the EM discussion thread: Electric fifth wheel (DIY through the road parallel hybrid)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzD0scGdwQY



I wonder whether it's electric, or somehow coupled to the drivetrain?

You can hear him rev the engine as he parks it so it must be mechanically driven.

Pretty darn clever.

...a 4-wheel drive transmission with the "rear" drive-shaft directly driving that wheel instead of the aft transaxle? with maybe a hydraulic lift to shove the wheel assembly down upon command?

I remember seeing this on a Corolla, and found a link for it - From the archives: Students build their own parallel parking system — Autoblog

And reading those comments, found a Youtube video for an even older version of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhAJ5ErGGd8

I remember the turning radius being a selling point on the old subes, with awd...all while they never shipped it with the axles torqued correct, and they self pulverized going straight.. kinda funny.

If to live in a locale with this 5th wheel ingenuity, it is quite clever. I personally would be garbage pick my way out into the hills and become a wild animal hunting hermit first.

I am glad there is patience...so way beyond mine.