Has anyone raised a T5.1 in Queensland and put AT tyres on (all legally).

[transparu]

Friends – and anyone else:

Has anyone raised a T5.1 in Queensland and put AT tyres on (all legally)?

I have a T5.1, MY12, LWB 4motion with locking diff and 132kW engine. I had it converted to a camper when new. We are very pleased with it except for its ground clearance. (After driving T3 for 30 years I was most disappointed with the clearance issue.) I’ve already made an engine bash plate and am working on one for the fuel tank.

I’m looking for people with Queensland experience in raising the vehicle and interactions with authorities and would appreciate hearing from them.

I also want to put AT tyres on the vehicle as I have found gravel roads have chewed up tyres in the past – the latest being a set of Goodyear 215/60 R17Cs.

The Trakka ORP vehicle has the Seikel lift kit (which gives +30mm). Alternate wheels and tyres give further lift and I assume there is probably a speedometer recalibration involved as well.) VW Germany issue a NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the lift kit, thus indicating it is not a “problem” modification.

I have spoken to Trakka and their vehicles meet the ADRs. This means they must be acceptable in Queensland. Queensland actually modifies the ADRs in places for their own reasons. It is hard to work out how to get through the ADR/Queensland issues, at least without a risk of failure.

I have looked at it and think I would do a local emulation of the Seikel lift kit using King Springs and Bilstein shocks and get 30mm (but would be pleased to go a bit higher).

I am writing this after speaking with an experienced fellow who does vehicle compliancing, an engineer with a lot of lowering/lifting experience (though not on VWs) and an excellent wheel/tyre technician. The problem is that none has experience with these issues on a Transporter, though plenty with 4x4 vehicles. I have also read a lot on this and the UK forums.

That the 4Motion is NOT a 4x4 but a “soft-roader” makes a difference in Queensland. Queensland Transport allow a 50mm lift. This can be EITHER via suspension OR by tyres/wheels but NOT by a combination of both.

The compliancing fellow commented that the case of the T5 is arguable and reasonable. It is a commercial van, it has 4motion, a locking diff, is promoted by VW as an off road vehicle, and there are commercial VW-accepted mods similar to those I am wanting. On top of this, the stock VW has a rather low clearance, unsuited to off-road situations.

The tyre fellow would not fit new wheels and appropriate AT tyres to my van because this would increase the rolling diameter too much. He WOULD put them together, balance them and sell them to me if I pushed but he would not install them because that makes him responsible for taking the vehicle out of compliance (making it un-roadworthy.) Personally, I do not want to drive an un-roadworthy vehicle, conservative non-risk-taker that I am.

There IS a form (Form F1854 CFD) issued by Queensland Department of Transport. A quote for this:

This form is to be used when applying for approval to modify a light vehicle (a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) or Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) not exceeding 4.5 tonnes) in a way not provided for in an approved code of practice.
For modifications to heavy vehicles (vehicles with a GVM or ATM over 4.5t) please contact the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (Welcome to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website | National Heavy Vehicle Regulator).

This application is to be completed by the person modifying the vehicle.

Modifying a vehicle, using or permitting a modified vehicle to be used without approval from the Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads is a breach of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act

.

Whilst the form says simply that is should be submitted by email, I have read elsewhere that there is an (unspecified) charge to do so. There is also the question of who”the person modifying the vehicle”.

I am very interested to hear whether anyone else has faced this issue in Queensland, and “won”, so to speak, or has experienced/knowledge of these things.

Thanks for bearing with the epistle folks.

[Bryn23]

I've gone through this process to see if i can legally lift to 50mm to My T6.

The Transporter is NA classed so it can be lifted in QLD.

As for the combination, of one, but not both is in regards to a vehicle with ESC, which mine has it as a M17 model, but i don't believe yours has ESC.

So you don't apply to this ruling, look at your Vehicle Class it should be NA.

I have to use the Form to install the Seikel with BFG KO2's 225/65/R17 for a lift of 48mm as i have ESC, haven't done it yet as i'll fit out my camper first before fitting the Seikel suspension and then submit the form before tire purchase.

Trakka are secondary manufacture, so they can put what even they want, as long as they have tested it..

Ring QLD Transport and ask for their Vehicle modification teams number, Those guys seem to be on the ball, and then ring again next week after to make sure that the answer is the same.

[Bryn23]

• Tyres and Rims
  Alternative Rims and Tyres
  [COLOR=rgb(13.700000%, 12.200000%, 12.500000%)]Many vehicle owners like to replace the vehicle’s original rims and tyres withalternatives of different width, diameter and profile.[/COLOR]
  [COLOR=rgb(13.700000%, 12.200000%, 12.500000%)]The following sub-sections outline the legal requirements for replacementrims and tyres fitted to a passenger car or derivative, or to an off-roadpassenger car (not including a light commercial vehicle), which will ensureyour vehicle continues to comply with Queensland legislation, while allowingfor your individual preferences.[/COLOR]
  For a passenger car, passenger car derivative or ‘soft roader’ (an all-wheel
  drive vehicle that may be certified as MC ADR category), the overall diameter
  of any tyre fitted must not be more than 15mm larger or 26mm smaller than that of any tyre designated by the vehiclemanufacturer for that model.
  The overall diameter of any tyre fitted to:
  

• a 4WD passenger vehicle specifically designed for off-road use (MC ADR category other than a ‘soft roader’);
  
• a 4WD goods vehicle and its 2WD equivalent if the chassis and running gear are essentially the same as the 4WDversion (N ADR category); or
  
• medium weight goods vehicle (NA2, NB ADR category);
  must not be more than 50mm larger or 26mm smaller than that of any tyre designated by the vehicle manufacturer for thatvehicle. Tyre diameters of a vehicle fitted with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) may be modified without certificationprovided it is not combined with any other lift (i.e tyre and suspension, tyre and body block, etc).
  

[Bryn23]

The black bold applies to you and the Red applies to my T6

So legally, you can self access up to a lift of 75mm, 50mm suspension and 50mm on the tires (remember you only get 25mm height lift from a 50mm bigger tire.

See page 10 on form G19

Vehicle standards instructions (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

[Bryn23]

Also Seikel, only go as high as 30mm and thats with Diff Spacers as lifting the Transporter increases the angle of the CV joints, leading to early failure.

The key thing is to confirm if you have ESC (or ESP, VW term on the ESC), which i don't believe the 5.1 does.

[Sunny43.5]

I am glad its you two who are doing this by the book , I by now would have given up done what I wanted and to hell with the consequences . Lets face it there are so many examples of bad conversions out there on the road that I see every day and they are still on the road .
The Police and Qld Transport inspectors are more concerned with other matters than a van that's a few mm out of spec . As long as the van is not six feet off the ground or slammed to the bitumen chances are that you will drive for the life of the van with no problem. Naturally if what you do leads to an event where someone is killed maybe that will different , it would take a major incident for an investigation to pinpoint that your mod caused the incident .
I have been pulled over several times in both of our T5s random breath test etc and not once did the police say a single thing about the fact that my work van is clearly running on Holden one ton ute wheels with Holden centre caps !

Recently I was pulled over on the M1 at Eight Mile Plains in my wifes T5.1 , I came up behind the Highway patrol car as he was pulling back onto the road after booking someone , I slowed to allow him to enter the lane but he hesitated and let me pass . Then as he got behind me on came the lights etc , I pulled over and as he comes up I ask what was wrong was it because I attempted to let him merge before me I ask ? No he stopped me because I had semi blue DLR's on the van and that was not allowed . Apparently after 5 years with those on the van this was the only time I had been stopped, guess what then happens well he walks around to the front gives the van a look over comes back and tells me to change those DLR's and does not even give me a ticket for which I thank him . Well if he had bothered to look seriously at the van he would have noticed the van was lowered quite low probably non standard wheels and way way outside of legal tinted windows but what he did not see was two front tyres nearly bald as a babies bum ! I was in fact on the way to Keith4 Wheels to get four new tyres fitted and this policeman did not see them , so you can see that you maybe overthinking the problem you have .

[Bryn23]

It's all bloody red tape and it can be confusing.

Thats why i ring QLD transport at least twice to get the same answer.

What makes me really laugh is that we have all these ADR's, so we have to have airbags and such and such, yet i'm free to drive a old kingswood with drum brakes.

Also i can go out and buy a Motorbike, or a Moped on car licence with no seatbelts or airbags... .. am i safer on a motorbike or in a van with with slightly bigger tires....

[Sunny43.5]

Exactly Bryn I used to be an Authorised Officer for Qld Transport for around 20 years and often attended conferences that they hosted . Some of the rules and regs were unbelievable , one of the strangest things was when I first applied all I was required to have for seats and seatbelts and child restraint fittings and mods was a certificate of trade for ten years . As a motor trimmer we were always dabbling in seats etc so I decided to get on board legally and I was given my certificate without any testing all I had to do was to prove I was a tradesman with ten years experience and show receipts for purchasing the relevant copies of the ADR's . Over the next 20 years every few years they would renew my certificate , by the time I had mine for the twenty years they had given me without any testing or qualifications dozens of modification certificates that I was no where near qualified for . So from humble seat belts child restraints and seat mods I could certify engine and gearbox changes camper van and motor home conversions V8 engine transplants into 4wds etc and many others not even relevant to what I was capable of !! I let my license expire back in 2002 as I got out of the trimming game and sold my business .

[transparu]

It's all bloody red tape and it can be confusing.

Thats why i ring QLD transport at least twice to get the same answer.

What makes me really laugh is that we have all these ADR's, so we have to have airbags and such and such, yet i'm free to drive a old kingswood with drum brakes.

Also i can go out and buy a Motorbike, or a Moped on car licence with no seatbelts or airbags... .. am i safer on a motorbike or in a van with with slightly bigger tires....

Bryn, thanks very much indeed for all this. I'll digest it all when I'm off this phone and on a computer again. Your most useful information has saved my remaining hair from being pulled out.
I'll certainly make a couple of calls to Qld Transport armed with appropriate information.
Thanks again . . . I suspect I have a bit of talking to do in the next week or so.


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[transparu]

Sunny,
MOST interesting. The way I'd interpret most of this is that you were trusted!
I somehow doubt someone getting into the game these days would find things as easy.
Thanks for sharing your story with us all.

Cheers.




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