Registering a Hilux crewcab as commercial

DanGerMus

Hey i need something in a workhorse vehicle. Need to tow a trailer and be able to fit a nice bit of stuff in the back and would like to be able to get in and out of fields without any trouble, but would like to have some backseats. Crew cab seems ideal.
Would like to keep the budget as low as i can without buying a **** box.

I'm thinking hilux crewcab 95 region, would i be right in saying cheap to buy reliable easy to maintain when neccassary.
I know it's sold but thats the basic idea. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1171453.htm

What criterea do i need to fill to reg it as commercial if i'm bringin it over. It will be bought through a catering company reged for Vat.

Any other suggestions greatly appreciated.

knifey_spoonie

You cant legally tax one of those as a commercial and still have the seats left in the back.

LOOK HERE

If it has a service history and is anyway decent buy it for 3750 and keep it till you or it dies

DanGerMus

Could you clarify to me what classifies it as commercial, does it have to be a pick up?

knifey_spoonie

DanGerMus wrote: »

Could you clarify to me what classifies it as commercial, does it have to be a pick up?

You have to meet a cargo area quantity, you wont with a hilux surf and the rear seats intact.

You would have to remove rear seats,anchor points,window switchs and black out windows, if you were to tax that surf as a comercial.

DanGerMus

Any chance you have a list of commercials that fit the bill?

This guy seems to reckon this can be regged as commercial as a crew cab.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/928654

DanGerMus

l200 pick up maybe? http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1140784.htm

101sean

You need to look at commercial VRT if importing and check it will then get commercial road tax

AFAIK the only crewcab pickup that is eligible for commercial VRT (ie Cat B €50) is a Land Rover Defender 130. All others will incur 13.3% of OMSP as the load beds aren't big enough.

Any crewcab pickup is eligible for commercial road tax, just prove it's for business (VAT no etc) and you'll pay €288. Strictly speaking your not supposed to use it for non business purposes (kids from school, wife shopping etc) but everyone does.

That yota surf as said won't be commercial with the seats and windows. I think you can keep the seats if you put a solid permanantly fixed bulkhead in, difficult in a passenger 4x4 and you'll only have tiny load space left, even then you may struggle to get it passed. Works in a Land Rover 110 Station Wagon though, there's actually a factory produced one known as a Utility.

101sean

Looking at the revenue and motor tax sites is no help, just thought I'd check what i wrote above:rolleyes: The situation with commercials is as clear as mud.

I think as a business you can pay commercial road tax on anything, eg that hilux surf without mods, just don't get caught using it for other than business. Gets complicated if you sell it to a private individual later, they should then re-register it as a private car.

Probably easier to buy a proper crewcab pickup like that L200, the surf if imported as is would also have copped something like 30% VRT unless commercialised first.

Slidey

Fey! wrote: »

oflynno - that's not quite right.

To qualify as a crewcab, the load area length must be a minimum of 45% of the length of the wheelbase of the vehicle. This allows it qualify for 13.5% VRT.

If the Gross Vehicle Weight is also over 3449kg, then it qualifies for €50 VRT. The GVW is the weight which the car can carry, NOT the unladen kerb weight. It is normally printed on a plate in the engine bay with the chassis number and the colour code. If it's not there, then a letter will be needed from the manufacturer showing the chassis number of the vehicle and stating the GVW.

The weight rule also relates to standard commercial vehicles.

I've gone through this recently with a Hilux Surf SSR-X. Unfortunately it was 3cm too short for the crewcab option. I'm waiting for Toyota to confirm the GVW for the VRT on it.

Another thing to watch is that the windows have metal bonded to their insides. I had my windows completely blocked out and unusable, but I couldn't clear it because they weren't happy that there was no metal.

Hope this helps.

This is from another thread here.

Also to note, even if you do get it cleared and put the seats back in you will need to take them out for the DOE.

As others have said you sometimes (depending on the tax office!) be asked to provide proof of employees to tax a crew cab as commercial, see here for more details on that.

DanGerMus

My intention is to find out which vehicles quallify as commercials with the seats left in not to pull a fast one by leaving them out for the DOE. I know it is possible as a bricky i know has his hilux regged as such his is a LWB pickup. He's not around right now for me to query thats why i'm here.
Proof of employees shouldn't be a problem we have 6 staff.

Slidey

Well from what I gather any crew cab that you would automatically call a crew cab to look at that I can think of can be registered commercially.

Wether you pay the high rate of VRT or not is the variable here as far as I can see.

I am only going on the vehicles I test as a DOE inspector so the law may have changed since these were imported. e.g I know of a Toyota Amazon that had the boot extended down the way and is classed as a crew cab! AFAIK you can no longer do that.

Cmar-Ireland

It seems like a lot of motor tax offices are looking for the PPS numbers of 3 of your employees before they will tax a crew cab as commercial. If you cannot supply these details, then you pay private rate motor tax on them.

DanGerMus

hey, i'm just going to scratch the crew cab idea altogether too much bother, i think i'd benefit more from the extra load space of a straight commercial altogether.
I'm thinking Landcruiser now as i've driven Hilux aswell and would definately prefer the LCs ride.
I'm just looking for something as a work horse and dog about as a second vehicle and want to spend as little as possible but still want it to be reliable. Would a 2-3k get me something?

What else should i look at?

Slidey

Personally, but I am biased, I would go for something like this.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/910766

ONLY as a 3.1 though

DanGerMus

How much difference is there between SWB and LWB i know i said lwb earlier but there seems to be a good few swb around there too.

this maybe, althogh i dont know what engine is in it.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/919026

Any particluar reason you lean towards the trooper?

Slidey

I know them and the engines are really quite bullet proof, (only the 3.1 though)

DanGerMus

good nuff for me.
Flicking through carzone i see a lot of 3.0 and 3.2 as well as te 3.1. Are some of these just mistakes what years should i be looking at for 3.1 models?

Slidey

There is only 3.0 and 3.1.

Do not get a 3.0, no matter how good a value it may seem.

Anything newer than 99 is a 3.0 or has been converted, I havent seen one converted yet but they are out there. Not sure how good a job they would be.

aujopimur

Commercial tax only for vans/jeeps with 2/3 front seats, crew cabs 3/5 seats front & back
Rear crew cab seats can only be used to transport workers during working hours i.e. not before or after clocking on or off.
Sounds crazy,details available from your motor tax office.

crowsnightmare

DanGerMus wrote: »

How much difference is there between SWB and LWB i know i said lwb earlier but there seems to be a good few swb around there too.


The LWB is a lot easier on the back & is better for towing, & it can be accessed from the side doors as well as from the back. I have had a few LC's over the yrs, all LWB & my brother has a SWB. He was sorry that he did not buy the LWB. I might know where there is a 01 D4D LWB 1 owner, full dealer service history for sale if anyone is interested, I can find out more.

DanGerMus

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/928495

seems like a pretty good deal if the mileage is good on it?

gofaster_s13

Slidey wrote: »

There is only 3.0 and 3.1.

Do not get a 3.0, no matter how good a value it may seem.

Anything newer than 99 is a 3.0 or has been converted, I havent seen one converted yet but they are out there. Not sure how good a job they would be.

Have a customer here that only buy's Isuzus(fleet with 30+) and they have a few 3.0 Troopers with 300,000 + miles and one with over 400,000 on it and they never gave much trouble other than warranty recalls for injectors etc they live hard lives, rarely without a trailer and 40-50% percent of their work being off road. The TFS's and the D-Maxes give no trouble at all(other than usual pads, discs, spring bushes etc)

Slidey

There is one in the garage at the moment. 280,000 on it.

Came in for a service and there was an apprentice struggling with the fuel filter as I went past. Showed him how to squeeze it good and tight with my home made filter strap and noticed something blue come out of the filter as I squeezed.

She was filling the diesel tank with anti freeze and the radiator with diesel. Head is off it now and everything rubber is destroyed and swelled because of the diesel

oflynno

just pop crewcab in the search engine of donedeal and you will find plenty of vehicles,otherwise its 2 seats,regardless of the vehicle

this is a crewcab too

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/954352

thierrys other hand

its only an opinion but you'd be right to steer clear of the hi lux surfs. they look ok but have a big problem with the engine blowing up.
isuzus are fairly bullit proof but keep your eye on the radiator and water pipes,its the one place they can go which will seize the engine.3.1 or 2.8 engines are bomb proof. 3.0l trooper can be trouble though unless looked after very well and recalled properly from new.problem with 2nd hand is you don't know what the previous owners have done!! i've heard the new 3.0l dmax engine is a powerful and good yolk though.
there is a 3.2 but its a petrol and has wages to go with it