Loophole era 'crew-cabs' for actual commercial use

Flesh Gorden · 09-10-2021 2:24pm #1

Has anyone had issues getting commercial insurance and using for a self-employed business, the common loophole era 'crew-cabs' that popped up during the recession years?

The likes of a Q7, Tiguan, Cayenne, or some of the Audi Avants with larger engines that had removable bulkheads and the 5 seats retained.

I sold off my Transit Connect last year and tbh, I don't really want to go back to a van, mainly for comfort reasons but also the issues I've had with attempted break ins whilst parked overnight in hotels. Plus it's more the value of what I carry vs the size, so even that small van was mostly empty, even when I was fully loaded for the job.

Likelihood is that I will purchase a regular estate and get the relevant Class 2 insurance for carrying goods, but the tricky part has been finding fully fold-flat seats without removing the seat base. I will have clients and assistants with me every so often, so 4-5 seats would be needed. I'm ruling out pickup trucks, as they're way too brash for the work and clients I'm involved with.

Thanks All

colm_mcm · 09-10-2021 10:10pm

What’s your budget?

Wildly Boaring · 09-10-2021 10:19pm

"the tricky part has been finding fully fold-flat seats without removing the seat base"

I've a Leon estate.

Goes pure flat without the base being affected.

Flesh Gorden · 10-10-2021 12:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117999031#Comment_117999031

€10k which covers a decent amount of suitable vehicles, although I'd push that up for a mk2 Cayenne.

But it's the insurance side of things I'm more curious and cautious about, as anyone I've ever seen with the likes of a 'crew-cab' Q7 has been using it to ferry the kids and not like my own intention where I'd have it loaded with Peli cases full of valuable work equipment.

Flesh Gorden · 10-10-2021 12:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117999062#Comment_117999062

That's interesting, I didn't even think of looking at the shorter estates like a Leon. I think it might have been that the 5m long estates I've been looking at had leather seats where the folded seat still sticks up when folded down.

I did see one of those JDM Corolla Fielder Hybrid Estates which are popular with taxi drivers, which would fit my needs and from what I can tell, also fold fully flat.

D3V!L · 10-10-2021 1:05pm

A Civic estate has a pure flat load space when the seats are folded flat. The can also be folded up in the middle of the car to access a flat open foot well. We had a 151 and regretted selling to this day.

User1998 · 10-10-2021 3:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058212348/loophole-era-crew-cabs-for-actual-commercial-use

If your self employed you’ll have no problem getting commercial insurance on a crewcab. A crewcab is a 5 seat commercial

zilog_jones · 11-10-2021 3:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000510#Comment_118000510

There should be plenty of estates out there with fold-flat rear seats, but you're probably less likely to find them with the premium marques. Also something to note is the head restraints may need to be removed to fold flat, or they may have some mechanism to fold in some way.

Loophole era 'crew-cabs' for actual commercial use

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