GXL rear seat removal - Queensland situation.

[cameron2 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cameron2]

Yes, I know this has supposedly been done to death already, but while I found lots of generally correct opinion, I did not find any reference to the relevant documents.
The current policy statement on seat removal is available on the TMR web site in a section labelled "Instructions". Scroll down to Light vehicles and look for the link labelled: L 5.0: Permanent and temporary removal of seats from light motor vehicles (14 July 2005).
Keen observers will note that it is not under the modifications section, and I did not find it without help from the knowledgeable chap who answered the phone.

The key contents are:

For vehicles fitted with quick release seating attachments as original equipment, temporary removal of the seats is acceptable. A Modification Plate does not need to be fitted. This is commonly the case for four wheel drives and people movers.

and, for the 150 series...

For vehicles fitted with bolt in seating structures, no approval by an Approved Person is necessary for the temporary removal of seats, provided the category of the vehicle does not change as a result of the seating reduction.

The key word being "permanent" is actually defined as

For the purposes of this policy, "permanent" means the seats are removed for an indefinite period or not expected to be refitted.

According to the person I spoke to, replacing the seats by drawers for a specific trip (of a defined time) would be temporary.

At the time of a Safety Certificate inspection, the vehicle must be returned to the manufacturer's original seating configuration or have a Modification Plate fitted for the seating configuration as presented.

The other thing to be aware of is that if you do claim your seat removal is temporary and compliant then you should print out that information sheet (3 pages) and carry it with the vehicle.

In my case I decided that I was not interested in making any effort to make it seem temporary, so I went for a modification plate (LK1). The engineer ("Approved Person") listed 3 requirements:

1. All bolt holes from the seat must be sealed - I could show the false floor used the existing bolt holes.
2. The seat belts must be "removed" - see below
3. Any seat belt warning system must be deactivated - since there was no warning system, this was easy.

To remove the seat belts, I was able to pop out the plastic surround at the top of the rear pillar, unbolt the belt from the floor, and feed the buckle and attachment bracket back through the slot in the plastic. I could then feed these bits down the inside of the pillar and tied the end bracket to the top runner. I taped a bit of cloth around the metal parts to reduce the likelihood of rubbing. While I do not intend to ever reinstall the belts, I thought it better not to burn any bridges that did not need it.

My insurance company were not at all fussed about the changes - "just lets us know when you change the registration so we can update our records".

And the hardest part of all this seemed to be finding a flat surface big enough for the plate, since it has to be drilled and pop-riveted in place using all 4 corner holes.

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

So Cameron, did you just move to Qld recently? I still haven't got around to changing rego from NSW.

[celwar Member Find all posts View Profile Close celwar]

I went through this also some time ago. I had an RACQ inspection done just before the warranty expired.
They observed the outback drawers in place of the rear seats and it was noted in the report this was a non-complience as they would be deemed as permanently removed.
There was a little bit of "he says, she says" dialogue when I posted this but I played it safe and paid for a new compliance plate indicating it was now a 5 seater. I then placed the seat belts behind the interior panels so they are not visible and cannot be used.
Also told my insurance company about the changes.
Lets face it, the chances of getting pinged for something like this are pretty remote but I just didn't want to take the risk, however small that may be.

[cameron2 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close cameron2]

So Cameron, did you just move to Qld recently?

Would you consider 20 years ago as recent?

the chances of getting pinged for something like this are pretty remote

Yeh, my impression is that main roads are not too fussed about it - as witnessed by the vague wording on permanent - unless it comes time to change owner.
I mainly just wanted to feel free to toss the sundry bits of trim that got removed. And the seats. I really did not want them, but I wanted the rest of the GXL offering.