VW AUTOTAIL (1994) How many passengers can I legally drive?!

[Willm123]

Hello all!

After decades of wanting a motorhome, tomorrow is finally the day I pick up a (1994) VW Autotail Apache 47,000 miles (pictures attached). I cant wait to get started and know the vehicle well as purchasing off a family friend but have never found out how many people legally we are allowed to carry. I spoke to my insurance company and they could not help either. Can anyone else help?

Also any thoughts on the new purchase?!

 

[Figaro]

How many belted seats and what's the payload ?

 

[Figaro]

to the forum by the way

 

[Willm123]

How many belted seats and what's the payload ?

Thanks! It has two seatbelts in the front but know because its over a certain age we can travel with passengers and they don't require seatbelts. I just do not know the maximum capacity?

I'm not sure what payload means but 2775 KG is the weight??

 

[Jim]

Have a read of this it will help .

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[TCG]

Would you really want to carry passengers without a seat beat... legal or not

 

[Willm123]

Have a read of this it will help .

It seems a grey area then. Good to know. Thank you

 

[Willm123]

Would you really want to carry passengers without a seat beat... legal or not

There might be times where we might have to but hopefully just stick to country roads and low speeds. Thanks

 

[deleted-member02]

I'm afraid to say that most fatalities occur on rural roads - other drivers might not be travelling so slowly...

 

[Lenny HB]

Legally if it was made before 2005 they didn't have to have seatbelts. But it is not safe to carry passengers on side facing seats or right at the rear of the vehicle also it would be an awful ride right at the back.
With that I would say the answer is one plus the driver.

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[ambulancekidd]

 

[ChrisL]

I'm not sure what payload means but 2775 KG is the weight??

Payload is the difference between what the vehicle actually weighs in running order and it's gross vehicle mass (total legally allowed weight including fuel people cargo etc.)

if your GVM is 2775 KG you may only be able to carry one other person and a few clothes, there should be a plate somewhere that tells you the maximum weight.

 

[tonka]

As ChrisL says... Go check under the bonnet or inside the door frames for a weight plate. It will be an Autotrail one and have the maximum weight stated on there.. Go get it weighed on a weighbridge and the difference of what the plate says as a maximum and what it weighs is what you can put inside..
Example. If you have say 200kg difference then you can carry water, personal items passengers that weigh no more than the 200kg.. You may have space and somewhere for 8 people to sit but if you exceed the maximum weight then your commiting an offence and also potential insurance issues (maybe)..

 

[Willm123]

Payload is the difference between what the vehicle actually weighs in running order and it's gross vehicle mass (total legally allowed weight including fuel people cargo etc.)

if your GVM is 2775 KG you may only be able to carry one other person and a few clothes, there should be a plate somewhere that tells you the maximum weight.

As ChrisL says... Go check under the bonnet or inside the door frames for a weight plate. It will be an Autotrail one and have the maximum weight stated on there.. Go get it weighed on a weighbridge and the difference of what the plate says as a maximum and what it weighs is what you can put inside..
Example. If you have say 200kg difference then you can carry water, personal items passengers that weigh no more than the 200kg.. You may have space and somewhere for 8 people to sit but if you exceed the maximum weight then your commiting an offence and also potential insurance issues (maybe)..

Thanks all for your help! Enjoy your bank holiday adventures.

 

[138go]

Having a passenger in the back of a vehicle without a seat belt can be very dangerous not just for the passenger in the back but also the front seat passengers who will be belted in. In an accident the person in the back turns into a missile and their weight increases depending on speed. When they hit the person in the front they usually damage them as well. I got hit in the back of the head many years ago. The guy not belted in came forward and when he hit the back of my head he shut his mouth and removed a chunk of my scalp. He also made a real mess of his face.

Yes I know you can drive slowly and everyone will be fine but it’s not you it’s the other idiot coming round the bend doing 60mph on the wrong side of the road you have to worry about.

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