Disco trayback... Dvla declared?

Afternoon all,

Just wondered if anyone had traybacked their disco and declared the change in seating capacity, change of bodyshell/type and changes to chassis to dvla on the v5?

If so did it go any further? E.g points check or iva

Or did they just accept the changes and issue the revised v5?

I am thinking of doing mine and was curious.

Thanks in advance

Can't comment on a trayback but I declared my seven seater as a five seater and just got a new V5 back

Ditto on the colour change.

iv been emailing dvla/vosa to try get an answer on this but not getting much joy

One bit of advice is don't do it all in one go

SteNova said:

One bit of advice is don't do it all in one go

Click to expand...

why

It's a separate chassis vehicle - you can do what you like to it so long as you don't modify the chassis itself.
Although, you may well lose the right to call it a "land rover discovery".

well the chassis has to be modified for a trayback usually as they end up being bob tailed then trayed

Dr_evil said:

well the chassis has to be modified for a trayback usually as they end up being bob tailed then trayed

Click to expand...

Then it needs to go for a BIVA to be road legal.

and it falls under the "radically altered vehicle" status, as do bob tales...im tempted to write to various LR mags as they have featured traybacks/bobtails and pickups all showing origional reg (no Q plate etc) to see what they have to say about it all

I cant remember where but I read that, by changing the chassis they mean altering wheel base or changing a main cross member.

What's the difference between chopping off 1 foot so the rear cross member that holds the rear of the body which is no longer used (which isn't really a structural cross member a such), or changing a rear cross member due to rust, or repairing it.

As to the body, well the have structural pillars in them so if you roll it, it will give a certain amount of support before if flattens... But the rear of the body isn't there any as far as I'm aware, but it wouldn't be needed anyway and on a 3 door at least the main pillars are still intact, and when it comes to defenders, I don't believe that even have the supportive pillars!
If you have a roll cage it would supersede and pillar that would have been there anyway.

But this is all speculation!
I personally don't have any qualms about the safety of the my vehicle in a crash compared to before.

just my 2 penneth here but ive registered several ex military vehicles to civilian reg numbers and I was told by Northampton dvla office that a vehicle is only given a Q plate if the origin of the original vehicle / maker or if its had a total chassis or frame change where a certain percentage of the original vehicle has not been used .
Apparently ... now im only saying what a staff member at DVLA told me so don't shoot me down on it but Q plate is short for ....Questionable origin ..

If you cut the chassis (as in lop a lump off and shorten it, rather than cur rusty bits out and replace them) then to stay legal for the road it has to be checked along the iva/sva rules (or whatever it is these days) as a radically altered vehicle. Just cutting the back off to make a pick up is just altering the body plan, as long as the chassis isn't altered.
The rules only came in at the turn of the century (I think) and so do not apply retrospectively.
Even if buying one off ebay etc it's best to ask if the owner has got the test paperwork from vosa/biva to confirm the chassis changes allow it to keep the reg number. If it hasn't then you could end up in a whole heap of trouble with vosa inspectors or even plod in the event of an accident.

mush said:

just my 2 penneth here but ive registered several ex military vehicles to civilian reg numbers and I was told by Northampton dvla office that a vehicle is only given a Q plate if the origin of the original vehicle / maker or if its had a total chassis or frame change where a certain percentage of the original vehicle has not been used .
Apparently ... now im only saying what a staff member at DVLA told me so don't shoot me down on it but Q plate is short for ....Questionable origin ..

Click to expand...

Rings a bell, sounds similar to what I read.

The people in the DVLA offices (most of which have now been shut down) half the time don't know their own regulations.

If you cut a chassis the car in question will need a BIVA test and re-registering.

Plenty of info on the ACE website on the legalities of what you can and cannot do to a road car.

Easy....get a time machine, go back to before the rules came in to force, cut the chassis then time it machine it back to the future

Or just use a camara with the data set years ago

yeah i wouldnt either, think the issues they have is if its involved in a crash, how other people will be effected etc.

Paulmitchell1984 said:

why

Click to expand...

Do loads of changes on the v5 and expect to get called in for an inspection

Simple answer is
Chop body = dvla inspection
Chop chassis = sva test

VOSA and DVLA will give you a different answer every day.....worst case is if the chaissis is altered then an SVA is neccessary complying to the latest reqs of the day...ie ABS etc....
but there are many bob tailed RR's and Disco's out there -
Most of them think if you can get an MOT and insurance, it will be road legal.....
That is untill someone says it's not and it gets crush

300tdistu said:

That is untill someone says it's not and it gets crush

Click to expand...

I'll be put away for murder before they crush mine!

discomark10 said:

I'll be put away for murder before they crush mine!

Click to expand...

They will put you away and still crush it, that is the way it works.

If anyone reading this thread has a single niggling doubt about the legality of their truck, if it has had a chopped back end or wheelbase reduction, why be ignorant of the system, ignorance does not stand up in a court of law when you are charged with manslaughter or murder in the event of an accident where there are fatalities or even if you just happen to stop next to plod at the lights and he gets all hot under the collar for you.

There are manuals out there for the current SVA test and guidlines from DVLA as to what they consider modifications and in requirement of testing.

There are loads of people who are relying on the old "my mate down the pub said" type of guidance, it won't wash, if you want to be squeaky clean and actually get paid out for your motor if involved in an accident then just do the tests after correcting anything highlighted after reading the manuals.

Just remember, they make the rules, and although we can get away with so much it's only down to luck, and one day that luck runs out and then what? Old so and so down the pub aint coming to hold your hand in the showers is he???

Met a few guys who have done the SVA and say it is actually little more than an extended MOT and just a little more in depth. They are the ones who you need advice from.