Troopy NSW Rego Issues,

Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:28

ThreadID: 41323 Views:5265 Replies:9 FollowUps:11

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Geoff (Newcastle, NSW)

Hi Team,
The more discerning members of this forum, the Troopy owners may remember a post I made a month or two ago regarding the rego on my Troopy.

As way of background it's a 2006 model RV Troopy, 5 seater factory TD.

When I received the rego papers it had a charge of nearly $80 on it and a message to have a Heavy Vehicle Inspection on it prior to rego renewal. All very interesting stuff and something I had no experience with beforehand.

After no joy at the regular RTA office chasing an explanation or reason for the inspection I wandered across town to the RTA's Heavy Vehicle Inspection Station. What a totally different experience, I actually found someone who knew stuff about vehicle registration in NSW!!

The lady behind the counter looked at the papers and said "it must have more than 10 seats, it's registered as a bus, must be a Troopy" Yes it's a Troopy says I but no it's only a 5 seater. Weird says the lady.

She taps away on the keyboard and finally announces it's registered as an 11 seater. Cack says I, how do we fix that?

One of two ways says the lady, I'll request the original rego application papers from Blacktown RTA and if we stuffed up I'll fix it on the spot and refund the difference. If the dealer stuffed it the quickest way is go to a "Blue Slip" issuer and get them to inspect the vehicle and issue a "change of details" form.

That very same afternoon the RTA lady rings, says she's got the paperwork and the dealer buggered it, with the wisdom of 20/20 hindsight I'm not surprised.

All that took place yesterday.

Today I get the "Blue Slip" man to inspect the Troopy, he writes out the form, I spend $22. Off to the RTA I go, same lady. 10 minutes later the Troopy is registered as a normal 5 seater 4wd and I'm happy.

Funny thing, the RTA refund me $21 of the original $80 Heavy Vehicle Inspection fee. The reason? It's two months to rego renewal so I get charged for 10 months of inspections that never occured. You've got to admire a business model that gets paid 5/6's of the fee for a service never rendered.

So team, my original problem really wasn't that hard to fix after all!

Geoff

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Reply By: Member - Steven H (ACT) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:41

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:41

Hi Geoff l recall a similar incident some years ago in Victoria when l went to register my troopy, investigations revealed that it was plated as an Omnibus and also required a fire extinguisher to be fitted. It all seemed to relate back to how it was original brought into the country.

AnswerID: 215966

Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:50

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:50

Hi Steve,
I think you're on to something here.
Just remembered something about my old 2H engined 11 seater Troopy. It actually had "SBUS" on the compliance plate so it was imported as a bus.

All very weird this rego and compliance!

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Dave198 - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 20:24

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 20:24

Maybe the name "Troop Carrier" has something to do with import duties or some other tax which Toyota can maybe avoid or minimise by calling the vehicle a bus.

Some of the smaller buzzboxes around came into the country as commercial vehicles and did not have to comply with certain ADR's for passenger cars e.g intrusion bars, because they were bought into the country as a commercial.
Dave

FollowupID: 476294

Reply By: 75Troopy - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:57

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 18:57

Oh where do i start....

Mine started as a 11 seater but when i bought it only had the front seats.. When I was inspected for transfer the declared it a CMV and wanted $2K per year to rego... after 6 months and $3K in engineers fees and mods i'm not back to a station wagon.. I hate living in the ACT sometimes... grrrrr

Whole story here
Site Link
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Matt

AnswerID: 215972

Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:31

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:31

Hi Matt,
As I see the Troopy conundrum the vehicle is so versatile and has so many combinations it confuses the various state RTA's.

Over the years of manufacture it came with 3, 5, 6 & 11 seats. As well as basically every 6 cylinder petrol and diesel engine Toyota has ever shoved in a Landcruiser.

That would daunt any statutory authority,

Geoff

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Reply By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 19:56

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 19:56

Geoff,

As an 11 seater (the original compliance plate status) a Troopy is treated as a bus in NSW, ACT and I guess (?) elsewhere. The major hassle is that buses must be inspected every 3 months by the RTA. Mine hadn't had seats in the back for many years when this was brought in. I found the RTA very helpful in making it into a panel van (no rear seats). Like you I paid an engineer about $20 for half an hour's work to count the seats (and check heaps of other things) and sign a blue slip. Troopy now has cheap rego, annual inspection by the local servo and no hassling with RTA.

Recently sold all my unused back seats to a Canberra Troopy owner whose rear seats had been removed and lost. He needed some of mine to increase his seating so as to avoid being registered as a commercial vehicle! Seems in the ACT rego for a commercial vehicle is very expensive. He needed enough to be not a bus and not a commercial.

I haven't heard any more for a couple of years, but back then there was concern that a Troopy modified by removing some seats no longer conformed with the compliance plate. Within NSW, where the police have ready access to the RTA database which shows the change of status, no problem. But what about when interstate and the police decide that since the vehicle doesn't conform, it isn't properly registered, hence is uninsured, can't be driven, etc etc....? Hope this has been resolved. I don't want to have to find out the hard way!

John

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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:20

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:20

Hi John,
The RTA lady told me I could remove the rear 8 seats from a Troopy without an engineers certificate, all I needed to make an 11 seater into a 3 was the "Blue Slip"

If I put them back without a new "Blue Slip" that would cause me heart ache.

What I've learnt in the last two days was to avoid the shop front RTA and go straight to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection RTA.

They've got to know stuff as they normally deal with people who earn a living on the road.

Geoff

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Follow Up By: 75Troopy - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:38

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:38

lol its such a small world isn't it, thanks for those seats John :-)

And naturally if you ever need them to borrow them to sort out any rego nightmares i'd happily loan them back to you :-)

Matt

FollowupID: 476513

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 17:54

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 17:54

Geoff,
Many years ago I had awful dramas with the RTA - they must have been rejects from Hitler's cheer squad and developed a chip on both shoulders. In recent years though I've found them helpful and some of their people are very competent. The technical people I found to be excellent, same as you found with the heavy vehicle crew. Pleased you got it sorted.

Matt,

Small world!! Your blog makes interesting reading!! Good to hear you've got yours sorted too.

When can we abolish state borders, get rid of state governments and have a single motor transport authority to standardise requirements right across the country. We could extend this simplistic concept to education, health, police, etc etc...... Need also strong local government so we have proper local representation and attention to local issues. First though we get rid of the states....Oops - must have nodded off and been dreaming!!

John

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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 21:52

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 21:52

John,

Now you're talking my language "When can we abolish state borders, get rid of state governments "

A more irrelevant bunch of empire builders I've never met are our state politicians. All they do is bicker with each other and if the federal government is a different flavour to them. Well any chance of co-operation is out the window.

I'd take it one step further and outlaw party politics in local government.

Geoff

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Reply By: Rock Ape - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:05

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:05

Being a decrepit old trucky I can understand what the problem is.

tellthem to go and get #4%^&&. I did this many times and guess what they wanted to arrest me, and they did. Oh for the return of state licences.

AnswerID: 216011

Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:12

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:12

Hi brother Rocky,

Sounds like you are as big a fan of political correct speak as I am!!

Have a good'n,

Geoff

Geoff,
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Reply By: Rock Ape - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:32

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 21:32

Yep I is

Have had handcuffs on me at Raymond Tce cause the copper didn't like my blown headlight. Or was it my attitude

The Ape

AnswerID: 216014

Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 22:15

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 22:15

From the experience of a young Newcastle lad part of the problem in years gone by with Raymond Terrace police had very little to do with the motorist.

Then again, in those days they had quite a few Pacific Highway black spots to patrol.

Geoff

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Reply By: Member - Tour Boy- Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 06:32

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 06:32

Hi all, the reason in nsw is illegal tour operators using the vehicles without inspections and having accidents. This is what brought it all on. I took out the 3 rear seats, did an adjustment of records and presto 5 seats and $170 cheaper rego. Then I put my seats back. I don't use it as a tour vehicle by the way. I only put them back to sell the vehicle.
Regards
Tour Boy

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AnswerID: 216081

Reply By: Member -Signman - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 09:02

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 09:02

Our 75 series (Troopy) is NSW registered as a PVW- 'Panel Van with Windows'.

AnswerID: 216100

Follow Up By: sdr00y - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:39

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:39

My 75 series 1995 6 seat RV troopie is NSW registered as "PVF" .................
what ever that is???

Panel van with something starting with "F" I guess.

sdr00y

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Reply By: Max - Sydney - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:22

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 16:22

Geoff

Are you going to write to the dealer who stuffed it up, and politely request the other 5/6 of the unnecessary fee and the $22 it cost for the "change of details" form? Could be a bit of fun!

Max

AnswerID: 216197