Thread: Write off ????

Originally Posted by CraigE

It is in WA, not sure about NSW but I would check it out with the RTA.
I know when we had a crack in an Ambulance chassis that was the requirement.
A certified coded boilermaker had to do the repairs as it was chassis / structural repairs (which is not a big deal there are plenty around).
Then a certified inspector engineer had to inspect it and issue a certificate of inspection.
Costs varied. The first quote I got was $10,000 for 4 plates, which was a joke and by a large engineering firm. I started talking to a small engineering firm manager who I was inducting and he said that price was ridiculous but quite normal from some companies looking to make a fast buck. He advised me as he was an engineer certified to inspect he could do the inspection for around $400 (approx 2hrs work at $200 per hr to inspect thoroughly using a crack and weld detector). We could use our choice of boilermaker or he could supply one of his coded welders to do the job for $600 as it was only 4 plates and about 1-2 hrs work max for a good welder. Easy to see what direction we went. But that was only 2 cracks it was not bent and a plate placed either side of each side of the chassis.
You can get anyone to do the welding, but there are not too many engineers that will certify it unless they know the work has been done by a suitably qualified welder.

I can see how that would be a requirement for an ambulance. Over here vehicles like this need a Certificate of Fitness whereas private vehicles only need a Warrant of Fitness. The COF can be a lot more stringent in certain areas than a standard WOF.

Is there any reason he can't just take it to a panelbeater and have the chassis straightened then strengthened since it is not a commercial vehicle?

By the sound of it though it might actually need two new sections to replace the distorted parts. Surely that would have happended due to metal fatigue and so no amount of plates being welded over the top will be of any use since that will always be a weak area.

Originally Posted by Deefa

Hi Hagus

Checked with my friend last night who had the 130. Apparently what happened was he was towing his camper on Fraser Island and drove a little to fast over some dips in a track and the car came down hard and the chassis behind the rear coil springs bent down and in fact the tow bar was resting on the ground when he stopped. The gap behind the cab to the enclosed back was 75 mm and it looked real bad. Once they got it home he took it to a local panel shop and they cut the chassis jacked it up and re welded the join and then put some long plates on the side and welded these in. The repair looks neat and if you didn't know it had been repaired you would not notice. He did not get any engineer involved and why would you? Its obviously much stronger than the factory set up now, its not rocket science to see that. This was a 300 tdi 130. I forgot to ask him how much this cost.

Hope this helps.

Look, you will get away with it, but I would make some inquiries as to RTA requirements for peace of mind. I spoke to a panel beater here and they said yes they do chassis repairs (getting rarer as most are now considered write offs) and they actually certify any chassis repairs themselves.