X5 Crew Cab Conversion

I have been researching if it's possible to get a 04 X5 converted into a 'crew cab' keeping the back seats but lowering the tax class. I will be using it for work. Technically, it seems that an X5 does not meet the technical dimension requirements. LWB Pajero's would for example, they remove seats 6&7.

However I spoke to a crowd in Meath who do crew cab conversions who told me they can do X5 crew cab conversions for €750 including the sign off report from a 'suitably qualified individual' (an registered engineer ) It is this sign off report which enables the vehicle to be switched from M1 to N1 tax class and to be then DOE'd.

Anyone have any experience of this ? It seems like a very grey area

There is one for sale on DD already crew cabbed.

I've been looking into this for the last week or two as its something I will be considering in the new year. I've been looking at Land Rover Discovery 3's as I too was under the impression that the X5 couldn't be done.......but

There's an X5 with cre can status on donedeal at the moment for sale!

My understanding is it's easier to buy the 5 seater of whatever jeep your looking at as the rear 2 will not have to be removed then.

The shogun is an option too but not many of them in my police range.

They do cars as vans and get the documents the same way.seen a few Mitsubishi 3000 gto made vans for the cheap tax.their work is good but I dunno if fully legal even though all paperwork is supplied..i would have thought the x5 wouldn't be long enough as the rear has to be a certain size.seen it somewhere for crew cabs.theres a way to work it out bit cant remember

The x5 qualifies when the lower hatch is opened and the crowd in Meath fit a rear cage to act as a bulk head. I spoke to a mate last night about it but the biggest concern is the tax and insurance combo, if its taxed as a crew cab, its for employees only, you cant carry the wife and kids.

It's not that easy to get commercial tax. (€333 P.A)

When it's converted as a commercial, You'll need to:
DOE it (€116),
Goods only declaration signed by a Guard, (Basically you'll only use it for 'Commercial' purpose ONLY)
Then you either need a VAT number on the tax form, Or a PPS number but they'll ask for either a Tax Clearance Cert from you (If self employed) or a letter from your employer stating you need a commercial for work.

Only good thing is, Once you've it taxed once as commercial, It's only just renew it the following year with no questions asked. (Doesn't work if there's a change ov owner though!)

Not sure how you would work with insurance?

That's what we had to do after we bought a commercial Transit Recovery. :)

Is the real saving not on VRT if you get one in from England as a commercial ?

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Originally Posted by JohnH

Is the real saving not on VRT if you get one in from England as a commercial ?

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That can be done too but then you have to add the rear seats again and repay the VRT.

Best bet is a passenger car then crew can status.

But as mentioned above, you technically have to be using it for work only. Crew cabs are treated differently to commercials even. Crew cans can only contain employees of the owners company and must be during normal working hours and in the course of their duties.

If you think you may be carrying family then a standard commercial may be a better option but you lose the rear seats.

I know of a fella that converted a twin turbo supra to a van with no issues with tax as be has his own business. Once you get it done right there should be no problem.

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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To Crew cab it you must supply documentation to say you have at least 3 employees. That's where I fell short.

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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To Crew cab it you must supply documentation to say you have at least 3 employees. That's where I fell short.

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Jaysus! They don't make it easy, too much hassle I think

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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To Crew cab it you must supply documentation to say you have at least 3 employees. That's where I fell short.

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Jaysus! They don't make it easy, too much hassle I think

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Yeah it's kinda strict for the crew cab status. Standard commercial is a lot looser.

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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To Crew cab it you must supply documentation to say you have at least 3 employees. That's where I fell short.

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Why not just hire 3 lads but then lay them off after...

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Originally Posted by JohnH

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

I'm a self a employed surveyor and need a vehicle for work, I don't need to carry goods, just myself. I've been looking at buying an X5 anyway and am single with no kids and hardly ever have passengers so it makes perfect sense then to get it crew cabbed . It's €750 plus the DOE so as a once off saves a lot in annual tax.

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To Crew cab it you must supply documentation to say you have at least 3 employees. That's where I fell short.

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Why not just hire 3 lads but then lay them off after...

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No need to ;)
Set up your company (sounds like the OP has that sorted). Put the other half on the books and your children in the books as unpaid staff. Include them in the declaration as employees and your sorted ;)

This is getting way to complicated!!I'd have to find a bird, get married , get her pregnant at least twice ...and all for a crew cab!

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Originally Posted by Billy Greenbush

This is getting way to complicated!!I'd have to find a bird, get married , get her pregnant at least twice ...and all for a crew cab!

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Believe me that'll cost more!!

Is it easier to convert a commercial jeep (with only 2 seats) to crew cab? Cheaper?

iam in the process of looking at this option ... not for an X5 but for a Range Rover but same basic story applies here too

seems everyone doing this crew cab situation .... id prob take the risk as ive no kids and it would only really be myself and the women driving it plus wouldnt be hanging around towns at night asking for cops to ask questions... but then if you meet a customs check point it could be a different matter ...

that said ive a self employed mate who i might ask if i could put the jeep in his name to keep it legit !!

I ended up doing it with a Merc ML.
turns out there's a lot of conflicting info out there.

My commercial insurance policy covers me for social and domestic use too, which means I'm insured to carry the GF and kids etc and go the shops etc

My job allows me the use of needing it as I'm on site everyday and my employed signed a letter for the tax office stating that for cost purposes, we send out 2-3 staff on the one car etc

It was all straight forward in the end. I left it with a mate in a DOE garage, he brought it to the engineers, done the assessment, weighbridge etc and doe'd it for me.

I brought everything to the tax office and they took it off me, swapped my private tax to goods tax and I had my new VLC within a week.

The engineer that done the Merc said there's a few cars that don't qualify, the E53 X5 specifically didn't he said, otherwise I'd have one of them in a heartbeat, but he did say there's a few rogues guys signing them off.

theres lots and lots of stuff advertised as crew cab now and just had new DOE etc... thats all fine but apparently the problem comes when you go to tax it for first time or you have to renew the tax... i THINK the trick is to buy one thats currently taxed and ya can just get the normal online pin verification and just pay your money ..

not sure how true that is ...

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

theres lots and lots of stuff advertised as crew cab now and just had new DOE etc... thats all fine but apparently the problem comes when you go to tax it for first time or you have to renew the tax... i THINK the trick is to buy one thats currently taxed and ya can just get the normal online pin verification and just pay your money ..

not sure how true that is ...

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First time taxing requires a goods declaration signed and stamped by a Garda.
Renewals can be done online as you say.

I had no hesitation signing the declaration as I'm happy enough that I'm insured and most guards will,not be nit picking at that end of the spectrum unless I'm caught in Aldi car park doing donuts some night with my 3 mates eating KFC and drinking old cellar! Although it's a Merc, so the thing would probably die just as I locked the wheel and floor it!!!!

It's when you go to tax it for the first time you need the declarations. Whether you converted it yourself or previous owner had it taxed commercially already!

My Dad bought a Transit with a few months tax, Received a renewal later when tax was due (No PIN on form) Had to go to the tax office/guarda station with the proof he was entitled to the commercial rate.

Has received a PIN on the renewal forms since.

Mate of mine has E53 X5 crew cab all legit on book so it can be done

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Originally Posted by mk2glenn

Mate of mine has E53 X5 crew cab all legit on book so it can be done

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Legit on the book is easy once the engineers sign a form.
It's the fudging of the numbers from the engineer that would worry me. If revenue decide some day to carry out a test of which vehicle actually passes the tests, the X5 owners could be caught out.

I was told that the W163 ML just about passes the load carrying volume figures, and the ML boot is much bigger than my E53 X5 boot was.

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Originally Posted by RossYB

It's when you go to tax it for the first time you need the declarations. Whether you converted it yourself or previous owner had it taxed commercially already!

My Dad bought a Transit with a few months tax, Received a renewal later when tax was due (No PIN on form) Had to go to the tax office/guarda station with the proof he was entitled to the commercial rate.

Has received a PIN on the renewal forms since.

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ya see thats the tough one for most normal punters..they advertise them as being recently DOEd and taxed but if the tax runs out and you then need to prove your a business man etc then your goosed if your just jumping on cheap tax situation

i was looking at a couple of norma tax rate RR sports and its hard not to look at the crew cab ones but reading all this makes me think id be better off buying a full rate one and just suck it up

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

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Originally Posted by RossYB

It's when you go to tax it for the first time you need the declarations. Whether you converted it yourself or previous owner had it taxed commercially already!

My Dad bought a Transit with a few months tax, Received a renewal later when tax was due (No PIN on form) Had to go to the tax office/guarda station with the proof he was entitled to the commercial rate.

Has received a PIN on the renewal forms since.

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ya see thats the tough one for most normal punters..they advertise them as being recently DOEd and taxed but if the tax runs out and you then need to prove your a business man etc then your goosed if your just jumping on cheap tax situation

i was looking at a couple of norma tax rate RR sports and its hard not to look at the crew cab ones but reading all this makes me think id be better off buying a full rate one and just suck it up

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There's no proof needed. You just sign the form :)

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

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Originally Posted by RossYB

It's when you go to tax it for the first time you need the declarations. Whether you converted it yourself or previous owner had it taxed commercially already!

My Dad bought a Transit with a few months tax, Received a renewal later when tax was due (No PIN on form) Had to go to the tax office/guarda station with the proof he was entitled to the commercial rate.

Has received a PIN on the renewal forms since.

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ya see thats the tough one for most normal punters..they advertise them as being recently DOEd and taxed but if the tax runs out and you then need to prove your a business man etc then your goosed if your just jumping on cheap tax situation

i was looking at a couple of norma tax rate RR sports and its hard not to look at the crew cab ones but reading all this makes me think id be better off buying a full rate one and just suck it up

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There's no proof needed. You just sign the form :)

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When my father had a van he had to have proof of a business to get it taxed

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Originally Posted by mk2glenn

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

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Originally Posted by RossYB

It's when you go to tax it for the first time you need the declarations. Whether you converted it yourself or previous owner had it taxed commercially already!

My Dad bought a Transit with a few months tax, Received a renewal later when tax was due (No PIN on form) Had to go to the tax office/guarda station with the proof he was entitled to the commercial rate.

Has received a PIN on the renewal forms since.

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ya see thats the tough one for most normal punters..they advertise them as being recently DOEd and taxed but if the tax runs out and you then need to prove your a business man etc then your goosed if your just jumping on cheap tax situation

i was looking at a couple of norma tax rate RR sports and its hard not to look at the crew cab ones but reading all this makes me think id be better off buying a full rate one and just suck it up

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There's no proof needed. You just sign the form :)

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When my father had a van he had to have proof of a business to get it taxed

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Ive been taxing my dads van for years now, and never once had to give them proof here in Dublin.

Also, i taxed my crewcab this year with no proof other that the goods declaration form.

Guards lifted a few commercial jeeps down the road from me last Saturday night. Road check and were only stopping commercial jeeps with man and woman in it. Then off on the back of a lorry. They are going to crack down hard on this I'd say. When you sign the declaration you state that you will only use it for commercial purposes

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Originally Posted by DaveG

Guards lifted a few commercial jeeps down the road from me last Saturday night. Road check and were only stopping commercial jeeps with man and woman in it. Then off on the back of a lorry. They are going to crack down hard on this I'd say. When you sign the declaration you state that you will only use it for commercial purposes

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This gonna be fixed same as different CC log books ,for sure !

another point as well i don't think talking about stuff like this on a public forum is the smartest thing in the first place, whats not to say a member of the garda or customs is not having a snoop around and passing the info on.

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Originally Posted by Valdelisbmw

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Originally Posted by DaveG

Guards lifted a few commercial jeeps down the road from me last Saturday night. Road check and were only stopping commercial jeeps with man and woman in it. Then off on the back of a lorry. They are going to crack down hard on this I'd say. When you sign the declaration you state that you will only use it for commercial purposes

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This gonna be fixed same as different CC log books ,for sure !

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I heard the current swoop is for falsely declared commercial vehicles ie. commercial but with 5 seats and not classed as crew cabs etc

I don't know what I'd do if I got stopped at a checkpoint. All my work gear is on the car, boot but I'm insured to carry passengers also ??

i went viewing a load of Range rovers on Monday gone and the dealers are defo pushing this crew cab thing... i just said that its a fine idea till your stopped and your not a businessman and then your goosed and they quickly admitted that yes that would be a problem ...

i ended up buying a passenger 06 Vogue and it had 5 months tax left so for all the hassle its worth ive budgeted in to put another 6 month on her when that expires and ill be comfortible in the knowledge iam above board

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

i went viewing a load of Range rovers on Monday gone and the dealers are defo pushing this crew cab thing... i just said that its a fine idea till your stopped and your not a businessman and then your goosed and they quickly admitted that yes that would be a problem ...

i ended up buying a passenger 06 Vogue and it had 5 months tax left so for all the hassle its worth ive budgeted in to put another 6 month on her when that expires and ill be comfortible in the knowledge iam above board

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Yeah you have to make the decision to suit your personal needs at the end of the day. My crew cab spends 99% of the time with me in it alone and on building sites but I'm not a hypocrite, I do carry a pass ever every now and again.

Any pics of the RR?

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Originally Posted by kceire

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Originally Posted by DamienOS

i went viewing a load of Range rovers on Monday gone and the dealers are defo pushing this crew cab thing... i just said that its a fine idea till your stopped and your not a businessman and then your goosed and they quickly admitted that yes that would be a problem ...

i ended up buying a passenger 06 Vogue and it had 5 months tax left so for all the hassle its worth ive budgeted in to put another 6 month on her when that expires and ill be comfortible in the knowledge iam above board

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Yeah you have to make the decision to suit your personal needs at the end of the day. My crew cab spends 99% of the time with me in it alone and on building sites but I'm not a hypocrite, I do carry a pass ever every now and again.

Any pics of the RR?

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collecting it Saturday so ill throw one up then mate !

Anyone know the phone number for the crowd that do the conversions, I'm looking at an 06 x5 but will only buy if I can convert it to 5 seat comm, have vat no and enough employee to cover. Also anyone have any idea how much to replace driver front and side air bags( both front and rear side bags on the X5?

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Originally Posted by Jbrick09

Anyone know the phone number for the crowd that do the conversions, I'm looking at an 06 x5 but will only buy if I can convert it to 5 seat comm, have vat no and enough employee to cover. Also anyone have any idea how much to replace driver front and side air bags( both front and rear side bags on the X5?

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Donedeal has a lot of companies that do it. You just have to call one that's close to you.

Beware buying a passenger SUV.
I bought a 08 landcruiser 8 seater.
Nct'd and taxed privately.
Irish vehicle from new.
One owner.
I carried out the crew cab thing.
All 100% by the book.
Turned out the jeep was a commercial vehicle and I had to pay 3k vrt on it to convert it!

It'll be fun while it lasts and then there'll be a big crackdown, just like all the beemers with 2 litre tax and they'll start seizing left right and centre until people stop doing it.

We all hate paying the huge car tax, but there's just no way around it, as much as I'd love one.

I for one would love to see the introduction of monthly tax. I know this would be an administrative nightmare for the Government, but it would make big engined cars, especially hobby cars, much more appealing. I'd love to pop a months tax on the M3 now and again when I'm in the mood for it. Rather than taxing by the quarter and not using it for large periods of time!

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Originally Posted by nige

It'll be fun while it lasts and then there'll be a big crackdown, just like all the beemers with 2 litre tax and they'll start seizing left right and centre until people stop doing it.

We all hate paying the huge car tax, but there's just no way around it, as much as I'd love one.

I for one would love to see the introduction of monthly tax. I know this would be an administrative nightmare for the Government, but it would make big engined cars, especially hobby cars, much more appealing. I'd love to pop a months tax on the M3 now and again when I'm in the mood for it. Rather than taxing by the quarter and not using it for large periods of time!

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I taxed the m5 June-August.
Drove it to Dublin once and Galway races for the week.
Total 585 miles.
€511.
Fully comp insurance, €585.