Adding van seats

[Hitch]

I can't seem to find a definitive answer on this...any links to official stuff would be good.

The process and legalities of adding a seat into a van...I can happily bolt a suitable seat into the back of a van, but once its in there, what would i need to do to make it legal?

Can I notify DVLA, simply by ammending and retuning the V5.... Do these seats need to pass an inspection of some kind?
Insurance, I need to declare it as a modification, if its accepted and changed on the log book, I cant see this being a problem.

I don't want to bang a seat in and hope nobody notices.

 

[the snooper]

you will need to update the log book and insurance and if the mountings are not factory mountings then you will need to beef up the mountings with spreader plates, if any mountings happen to go through chassis or outriggers then you will need to make a sturdy bracket to fit over the section so the bolts cant colapse the chassis or outrigger, ive done this in a minibus which had to pass the pcv test

 

[Spot the welders dog]

First instinct was to just add them and declare the modification to your insurer!
Very quick search reveals that it is viable if your insurer concurs. DVLA declaration seems straightforward inasmuch as you declare the modification with the V5c. I guess you should talk to your insurer in the first instance....

help or hinder?>http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/motors/what-is-car.htm

opps repeating..

 

[brightspark]

a seatbelt would be a requirement as well and a bulkhead behind wouldnt go amiss in case u crash and all the crap flies forward digs u in the back

 

[rtbcomp]

I don't think yopu need seatbelts on sideways facing seats.

 

[the snooper]

I don't think yopu need seatbelts on sideways facing seats.

side facing seat are illegal as far as I know, they certainly are in minibuses and any car built after a certain date must have seat belts fitted

 

[Hitch]

It would be be forward facing, with seatbelt, and fitted in a decent manner.... I used to do vehicle conversions for a living, so no issues on the practical side of things.

 

[the snooper]

It would be be forward facing, with seatbelt, and fitted in a decent manner.... I used to do vehicle conversions for a living, so no issues on the practical side of things.

you've cracked it then

 

[mike 109444]

What some people will do to save a few quid on the bridge toll

 

[Spot the welders dog]

side facing seat are illegal as far as I know, they certainly are in minibuses and any car built after a certain date must have seat belts fitted

Don't hail one of those big white taxis with the blue lights on top 'cos you'll be under-whelmed by the safety devices in the back

 

[Shox Dr]

you will need to update the log book and insurance and if the mountings are not factory mountings then you will need to beef up the mountings with spreader plates, if any mountings happen to go through chassis or outriggers then you will need to make a sturdy bracket to fit over the section so the bolts cant colapse the chassis or outrigger, ive done this in a minibus which had to pass the pcv test

Any voids also require crush tubes to stop deformation.

I thought the only vehicle allowed to have side facing seats were Landys

 

[Robotstar5]

I thought the only vehicle allowed to have side facing seats were Landys

Even they've changed to forward facing now.

 

[Country Joe]

Hi there, Hitch.

My VW Caddy has seats with seat-belts in the back. The guy I got it from had bought it from "VW Financial Services".

I think they've always been there, (i.e. - factory fitted), but there's no mention of them anywhere on the V5.

I had thought it might make a difference to the insurance company, but when I mentioned them being there, they just said it made no difference.

Not much help, I'm sure - but I've not posted much recently, so thought I'd chip in anyway!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[lshigham]

VWFS are the finance company your agreement is with if you get any of the VAG group cars on finance, I assume it must have been a pre reg.

 

[Country Joe]

VWFS are the finance company your agreement is with if you get any of the VAG group cars on finance, I assume it must have been a pre reg.

I wonder, did that quote work? The quote thing has changed, and there's no "preview post" thing any more?

I can't even remember what pre-reg means. Is that when some company have "bought" (and registered) lots of their own stock to get their sales numbers up, or to reach certain bonus levels or something? And as a result, you can buy a new (or, at least with no miles) vehicle, but with last years registration.

Anyway, I bought it for cash from some guy in Keynsham, near Bristol, who had a personal number plate on it, but I think he said about it having belonged to VWFS before he bought it.

Seems I've gone from "not posting much" to hi-jacking Hitch's thread. Sorry Hitch!

All the Best,
CJ

 

[lshigham]

That's about the jist of pre reg, yes.

If you press more options (bottom right) you get a full post editor with a preview button, it disappeared with the forum upgrade

 

[Country Joe]

If you press more options (bottom right) you get a full post editor with a preview button, it disappeared with the forum upgrade

It seems that thanks to you and snooper, I'm catching up on the education I missed out on all those years ago!

CJ

 

[blenkie1]

Don't think side facing seats are illegal I am sure some camper vans have them it is more of an advisory thing for better safety to have front facing seats that's why firms like land rover changed could be wrong though.

Do you need to put windows in as well if you have seats in the back?

 

[Country Joe]

Do you need to put windows in as well if you have seats in the back?

Not as far as I know - mine doesn't have windows in the back.

CJ

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Don't think side facing seats are illegal I am sure some camper vans have them it is more of an advisory thing for better safety to have front facing seats that's why firms like land rover changed could be wrong though.

Do you need to put windows in as well if you have seats in the back?

Side facing camper seats can't be used when the vehicle is in motion, which defeats the object of adding seats to a van if they can only be used when the van is stationary.