rear seat removal in 4wd

me too..mine is being used as work horse (business) and if left the seats I wouldnt have room for my tools and equipment

Hi to all,
you would think that the seating capacity on the appliance plate would be the max number of passengers you could carry and that removing a few seats would automatically reduce the number of passengers you could carry to the number of seat belted seats available.I would guess every second work vehicle would be illegal.It doesnt make a great deal of sense,
regards Dave

It's the LAW Rocky M. It's not surposed to make sense.

Just keep in mind the laws are for the police to enforce...so little newbie copper, green behind the ears and doesnt have the faintest idea between a Landy and a Patrol, only need to check the compliance plate under the bonnet to check the vehicle for roadworthy.
Its all good and well to say, they should just look and make a descision on each vehicle, but the laws allow them NOT have to interpret!!

We all winge about coppers that make up the rules as they go along, but the target here isnt the police, its the RTA, Main Road, Vic Road etc!! We need to start a lobby for this issue, maybe bring a little sense to it!!

It is a very rediculous issue, temp removal is temp....there shouldnt be a time frame, unless the seat removal in permanent and its IMPOSSIBLE to refit. Then it should be complianced, otherwise leave it as temp.

I wonder if you remove the seat belts and make it look like it was only a 5 seater etc from factory, whether the officer would even realise you have `temporarily' removed seats? Or just tell him `yeah its only for this week then the cargo _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx come out again' wink wink! But again, that doesnt solve it, just delays the inevitable!

Matt

Just a bit more. I suppose it would have benifits to second hand scenarios wher I have had my rear seats out for 6 years and decide to shove them back in. Being the dodgy handyman that I am I forget where I put the bolts when I took them out so I shove a couple of cheapies in there (probably strip the threads lol) and sell it on.

Dont get me wrong either I think state rules being different is dull, but then again I think State Govts are a waste of time as well and we should just have two layers of govt (lead by the president) .

Maybe the rego will change - at least there is only one set of road rules

sorry bit more lol
i also suppose it right in the end, if the plate says you can seat 7 but you take out a row, you could just imagine someone having an accident with 5 seats and 7 people in the car and then blaming the fact the rego said they could (or least their lawyer would take this approach)

"This is an old wives tale. No-one from NSW Hwy Patrol to RTA know anything of this supposed law"

that does not suprise me.

"Get a Life there is more to panic about in the world than this."
until something goes wrong.

Hi Algee,

I reckon that the major concern is the insurance companies who could latch onto this as a reason to refuse an insurance claim 'cos your 4 x 4 didn't comply with the compliance plate and was therefore unroadworthy.

Is this possible?

Quote:OK Guys enough of this guff. I work for NSW Police and have relo's in QLD Police. This is an old wives tale. No-one from NSW Hwy Patrol to RTA know anything of this supposed law. "

You think , this is a copy of an email I recieved from NSW RTA.

>Subject
>Vehicle Registration
>
>Message
>Dear Sir Madam, Could you please clarify when the third row of
seats are
>removed from a 4wd , either temporially for a weekend or short trip
, or when
>they are permanently removed to allow fitment of a cargo barrier and
a set of
>cargo drawers , what is required for registration ?

Graeme,

Theoretically, each time the seating capacity changes, the RTA needs to
be notified.

The issue is really only going to concern Police Officers who may
intercept the vehicle, for whatever reason, and check the registration
details.

Some of the seats in this type of vehicle are made, by the manufacturer,
so they can be 'unclipped' and removed for extra capacity when
travelling.

If the above circumstance does occur, the best idea would be to explain
to the officer why the seat was removed and it's only temporary.

Otherwise, each time you remove and replace the seat, the vehicle should
be inspected by a "Blue Slip" inspection station to verify the correct
installation and record the seating capacity change.

If you have any other enquiries, don't hesitate to reply or contact
Technical Enquiries on 1300 137 302.

Regards

Colin Lambert

Technical Enquiries Officer

Here is one from Vic.

The requirements for removing seats will vary depending on:

· the original number of seating positions
· the new number of seating positions
· which seats are removed
· when the vehicle was manufactured

An Approval Certificate is not required if:
· the number of original seating positions was less than 10
· 10 or more seating positions have been reduced to 2 - 3 seats in the
front row only
· 10 or more seating positions have been reduced to 4 - 9 seats in a
vehicle manufactured before 1970
· more than 12 seating positions have been reduced to 10-12 seats in a
vehicle manufactured before 1986
· the number of seating positions does not reduce to below 13

If the modification is not listed above an Approval Certificate is
required.

Yours sincerely

Jayne Herbertson
Rural Call Centre Ballarat

Both QLD and the ACT , wouldn't give me an answer by Email. they directed me to ring their technical depts directly.

Typical Flappa, they dont want to go down in writing incase someone uses that as proof for a mod. Ring the Dept and talk to 'A' on monday and get a totally different response from 'B' on Tues!! QT is shocking for that!!!

This still amuses me since a few new cars on the market come with 5 second removeable seating!! Check the current RAV4, the second and third row seats unlip in seconds!!!

Think this is an old wives tale??? What a load of crud...its only a wives tale until you get pinged....its not hard for any law enforcement to look at a compliance plate and then book you for not having an approved mod..... then its over the pits etc to clear you name, then pay for the compliance plate change and all over again when you need the seats back in!!

This needs to be settled sensibly otherwise we are all at the descretion of the officer/inspector of the day! This is not their fault..they just have to enforce these rediculous laws!!!

Matt.

With due respect to our Police mate above . . .

Its not uncommon for police to NOT know what the rules are they are enforcing . . . sorry.

You can talk to a dozen police , and get a different answer each time.

I was accused a little while ago , in relation to this matter , of spreading gossip , with no evidence . . . well , there it is.

I have also spoken to QLD and ACT on the phone , but eh . . . its not written.

Take from it what you want.

Ignore it , to your hearts content.

IF , by some freak of nature , you DO get pulled over . . . dont say you weren't warned of the POTENTIAL for it to happen.

"Its not uncommon for police to NOT know what the rules are they are enforcing . . . sorry.
You can talk to a dozen police , and get a different answer each time."

BINGO..

Theres the problem. what chance do we stand? You get the same chit with insurance companies.

YMMV