9 seat defender - advice please
Discussion
Hello Landrover people,
I am after a Defender, but I want a 2 year old(ish) Defender 110, with 5 seats and put a 4 seat inward facing seat conversion in the back. According to eBay etc, obtaining the inward facing seats is easy, I'm just wondering if it is as easy as that?
Obvioulsy I have to inform any insurance company of the 9 seats, but is there any legal requirment about inward facing seats?
I have also read about, "conformity", might it be better to get a company to install the seats (if they can be installed) on the basis that they know what they are doing and everything would be legal?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated ........ 9 seats are necessary, otherwise I'm looking at a mini bus .... and I reallllllly dont want one of those
I am after a Defender, but I want a 2 year old(ish) Defender 110, with 5 seats and put a 4 seat inward facing seat conversion in the back. According to eBay etc, obtaining the inward facing seats is easy, I'm just wondering if it is as easy as that?
Obvioulsy I have to inform any insurance company of the 9 seats, but is there any legal requirment about inward facing seats?
I have also read about, "conformity", might it be better to get a company to install the seats (if they can be installed) on the basis that they know what they are doing and everything would be legal?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated ........ 9 seats are necessary, otherwise I'm looking at a mini bus .... and I reallllllly dont want one of those
DKL said:
...We definitely hired one like this (ok it was 20 years ago!) but I can't imagine they have changed much.
AFAIK Unfortunately the regulations have changed and the old inward facing seats are 'not safe' any more.OP wants a 2 year old one and the rear seats are forward facing like this
which effectively removes two of the back seat capacity
I think that because the design of the Defender has not changed in 50 years (well not much), then to physically install the seats (I think) is ok, I also, "Think", that the DVLA will just register what you tell them, but the insurance is the main issue ....... I, "think" that as long as you tell them we will be ok, but I also don't want to bugger up the, "conformity", issue ......
....... thats thrown the cat amoung the pigeons, I just had an email from Nene Overland and they said, yes of course they can fit 2 x 2 inward facing seats in a 5 seat Defender and costs are £800.00 - £1,000.00 plus vat depending on trim ....... looking at the website, Nene look to be quite big and offer a huge range of services, so I find it doubtful they didn't know what they are talking about.
If this is the case, then this is right up my street.
Anyone know about Nene Overland? any personal recommendations? I have no knowledge of Nene at all ...........
If this is the case, then this is right up my street.
Anyone know about Nene Overland? any personal recommendations? I have no knowledge of Nene at all ...........
as a long-standing LR owner I would advise you not to change a late car from it's factory specification - you would be in a world of insurance and legal trouble if you had an accident with 9 people in it and it was a 7-seater(station wagon) or 5-seater (Utility Wagon)
The problems with the td5 heads were well resolved by 2003 so my recommendation would be for you to purchase a 2003 - 2006 110 station wagon - which has 9 seats as standard and is exempt from the congestion charge in London!
The problems with the td5 heads were well resolved by 2003 so my recommendation would be for you to purchase a 2003 - 2006 110 station wagon - which has 9 seats as standard and is exempt from the congestion charge in London!
MaverickV12 said:
....... thats thrown the cat amoung the pigeons, I just had an email from Nene Overland and they said, yes of course they can fit 2 x 2 inward facing seats in a 5 seat Defender and costs are £800.00 - £1,000.00 plus vat depending on trim ....... looking at the website, Nene look to be quite big and offer a huge range of services, so I find it doubtful they didn't know what they are talking about.
If this is the case, then this is right up my street.
Anyone know about Nene Overland? any personal recommendations? I have no knowledge of Nene at all ...........
Not wishing to slate them, but Nene will happily do anything you ask them to do if you pay them. Also, they seem to be quite expensive. What they will fit is Exmoor Trim seats and seat belts, which you could easily do yourself for a fraction of the price. I was put off Nene a few years ago when looking for a 90 - none of the vehicles on their forecours had prices on and, when I asked, they went along the 'what's your budget, we'll find a car to suit it' line - err, no thanks!!If this is the case, then this is right up my street.
Anyone know about Nene Overland? any personal recommendations? I have no knowledge of Nene at all ...........
maverick, i'd agree with what some others have said. if you really want 9 seats, go for a td5. my daily vehicle is a 55 plate 110xs. does all i want, wouldn't change it for a newer one. i also have, for work, a 2.4 110, and the newer 2.2 110. out of choice i only drive the td5, unless absolutely neccesary. a lowish mileage, well looked after td5, will last as long as the newer ones in my opinion, and you get what you want.the law did change on inward facing seats in 2007 as stated in this thread.(by the way, yes, there is no congestion charge, but they now make you pay for registering that you are exempt!)
Hi Guys,
I have been making a few enquiries, and speaking to a chap that is our insurance broker. He said that if the car is originally made with whatever, then the car is classed as original, so a 55 plate 9 seater is totally insurable. A 2013 defender that is a 5 seater and then you put in 4 seats and make it a 9 seater, then you can still get insurance, but that the car needs to have special insurance. Again, not impossible to get hold of, but they just have to declaire it.
What Im currently considering is a 110 XS Utility, with 5 seats, and adding 4 seats in the rear. There are a billion type of seats, but pretty much a Exmoor Trim type seat in any variation. I am thinking of getting them fixed by someone else because at least then if anything goes wrong, then a, "professional", fitted them.
As for the DVLA, as far as I can see, you can or cannot change your V5C, if you want to change your V5C, you just tell them and they add the seats, unless anyone else has any views or ideas on this ........ no one has mentioned the certificate of conformity.
Having said that the Cert of Conform seems to relate to taxi's and Minibuses that are used for hire and reward. In that if you have a LDV Maxus Minimbus and you want to run it as a Commercial Minibus or Taxi, then you ahve to provide a Cert of Conform......
One of the big questions I was asked and needed to clarify very precisely was, "what i am going to use the car and extra seats for", I confirmed 100% domestic, I was then asked, "why?". I exlained that I have 4 children and 2 elderly parents and my wife and thus need the seats. They accepted this, they explained that they need to know because the insurance company that they put the business with will want to know.
So, it would appear, if you and your girl friend and NO kids and NO other family members, and you want 9 seats, then you will be asked why you want the extra seats ......
Am still very interested in peoples views on this .........
thanks in antisipation .......
I have been making a few enquiries, and speaking to a chap that is our insurance broker. He said that if the car is originally made with whatever, then the car is classed as original, so a 55 plate 9 seater is totally insurable. A 2013 defender that is a 5 seater and then you put in 4 seats and make it a 9 seater, then you can still get insurance, but that the car needs to have special insurance. Again, not impossible to get hold of, but they just have to declaire it.
What Im currently considering is a 110 XS Utility, with 5 seats, and adding 4 seats in the rear. There are a billion type of seats, but pretty much a Exmoor Trim type seat in any variation. I am thinking of getting them fixed by someone else because at least then if anything goes wrong, then a, "professional", fitted them.
As for the DVLA, as far as I can see, you can or cannot change your V5C, if you want to change your V5C, you just tell them and they add the seats, unless anyone else has any views or ideas on this ........ no one has mentioned the certificate of conformity.
Having said that the Cert of Conform seems to relate to taxi's and Minibuses that are used for hire and reward. In that if you have a LDV Maxus Minimbus and you want to run it as a Commercial Minibus or Taxi, then you ahve to provide a Cert of Conform......
One of the big questions I was asked and needed to clarify very precisely was, "what i am going to use the car and extra seats for", I confirmed 100% domestic, I was then asked, "why?". I exlained that I have 4 children and 2 elderly parents and my wife and thus need the seats. They accepted this, they explained that they need to know because the insurance company that they put the business with will want to know.
So, it would appear, if you and your girl friend and NO kids and NO other family members, and you want 9 seats, then you will be asked why you want the extra seats ......
Am still very interested in peoples views on this .........
thanks in antisipation .......
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