converting from private to commercial

You're Joking right?

Can you please tell us what 'you' consider a 'Cherokee'?

We have this Jeep called a Liberty in North America which is your Cherokee I think?

Meanwhile if it is an XJ or 'Cherokee' like I know it, then the rear seat is a fold and tumble one that makes a flat cargo space for the entire back. I suppose if you wanted it permanent, all you would have to do is remove the bottom seat half that folds forward so the back can tumble forward to make the floor.

As far as blanking out the rear windows, paint comes to mind or that stick on mylar sheeting stuff. If the glass must go, I would use some hardwood paneling cut to fit and painted to match the vehicle.

Mike

It is shocking that a citizen would try to cheat the tax system like this. I am sure that you have no intention of putting your Cherokee to actual commercial use, for which this exemption is intended. The rest of the citizens in your community will be supporting your luxurious life style. For shame.

Any mechanic who is not an idiot can replace the rear windows with plywood panels of the proper thickness. For extra durability sheet steel can be glued or fastened to the outside of the panels. It can be done in such a way that it looks like a factory job. Plastic is another option, and takes paint well. Rear seat removal is easy. I can't overemphasize how easy it is. The people you have talked to just don't want the work.

Earle

If you have to ask, then the joke is on you.

Earle

The dichotomy between "luxury" and tooling around with a 2-seater Cherokee with tec-screwed plywood rear windows blew your cover. ...though the Liberty/Cherokee factor really kills the hillbilly image in my head.

I don't see the seats as a problem. They can be unscrewed, most likely. It's the windows bit that bothers me. They have to be blanked out - and surely there must be some sort of kit for this?? I see Jeeps all over Ireland with the windows blanked out. I've asked the owners, and they mainly say.. "bought it like that..."

So - conversion kit, maybe?

The model is a Cherokee limited, 1995, 4 litre.

Tks again..

Nichollette, You should be able to get BLACK window tint. It is applied to the interior of the window and you cannot see through it. As far as screwing plywood or some other unsuitable material on it sounds pretty awful and would look like crap.

Please, specify year and model of your Jeep or maybe post a link to a picture. There is some confusion about if it's what we call a Cherokee or a Liberty in the US and our northern neighbors in Canada.

When you say that the windows have been "blanked out" do you mean that they are not transparent,, or do you mean that they have been removed completely and the holes filled with another panel?

Another thing you might consider is going to a vinyl sign company and having them make full custom window decals for you that would go along with the commercial theme. They would not be transparent and you could put your business name on it. That might assure their acceptance of your commercial intent. Something along these lines:

So - conversion kit, maybe?

The model is a Cherokee limited, 1995, 4 litre.

Tks again..

Somebody is making the windows, but whether in a factory or not is anybody's guess, as is how you get them. In the U.S. delivery vans, camper conversions etc. are made in smallish factories that no one really knows about unless you work there or are in the habit of buying this type of vehicle. Sometimes they advertise in speciality magazines. Next time you see one of the vehicles, ask the owner if you can take a look at the windows, to see what they are made out of. Glass can be painted, or it could be metal, plastic, plywood or any of a number of materials. If you elect to paint the glass, it has to be cleaned properly before hand, or the paint will fall off. Professional painters have access to materials that will do this properly. There is a house painter in my village (it really is a village) that is a wizard at painting anything. I think his secret is that he reads directions.

If you find plywood or paneling that is the same thickness as the original glass, you just remove the glass, or have it removed by a mechanic, and install a piece of paneling cut to the proper size in its place, in the original rubber frame. Appearance depends on the material that you use, which is why I suggest sheet steel glued to the outside of the panel, before it is installed. That will take paint really well, and it is possible to get a "factory finish" if that is what you want.

Earle

She's being penalized for driving a "luxury" vehicle. Or a gas hog polluter. I saw like two pickups the whole time I was in Europe, but one time I saw a Ford Excursion. There are lots of options available for the windows, depending on locally available materials and skilled labor. I have seen aluminum plate that is about the same thickness as window glass. The black tint idea is a good one too, if the local inspectors will accept it. They may see the glass and say no.

Earle

Nicholette has a '95 XJ.

Both vehicles look much like the small commercial vehicles that I saw in Spain, that are a sort of mini-pickup with a bed topper that is actually a part of the body, or something like the old panel trucks that you used to see around here, only smaller.

I would be surprised if Nichollette got her "commercial use" permit without having a bona fide commercial use for the vehicle, but I suppose it is worth a try. One of reasons to buy a Jeep in Europe is the "look at me, I can afford a Jeep" factor, which is ruined when the windows are covered with sheet metal and the rear seats taken out. They are a lot more impressed with Jeeps than we are over here.

assistance...

Sorta like a Land Rover over here (if it didn't break down all the time).

Carl

Here now....

;¬Þ

Kate

I would be surprised if Nichollette got her "commercial use" permit without having a bona fide commercial use for the vehicle, but I suppose it is worth a try. One of reasons to buy a Jeep in Europe is the "look at me, I can afford a Jeep" factor, which is ruined when the windows are covered with sheet metal and the rear seats taken out. They are a lot more impressed with Jeeps than we are over here.

assistance...

Yeah but mom always said you were too easy...

easy to please I mean.....

Does this apply to you?

• All seats and seat belts to the rear of the driver must be removed and the bolt holes welded over. This would mean you'll likely want to fabricate a platform to fill in the space over the rear seat footwells.

• It is not necessary to insist that vehicle owners blacken out windows or to remove windows & replace with other materials.

In the US "black out windows" can be accomplished with paint. If you need to remove the glass and replace it with metal an autobody shop should be able to do do that, but I'd guess that the cost is going to be roughly what you're paying in road use tax now.

I looked for what USAns would call a "panel truck conversion" kit for a Cherokee but found nothing. Oddly enough, what you want to do is the reverse of what some truck owners in the US do. They install windows in the sides of their panel trucks to allow them to drive on certain roads with commercial vehicle restrictions.

-- "We began to realize, as we plowed on with the destruction of New Jersey, that the extent of our American lunatic fringe had been underestimated." Orson Wells on the reaction to the _War Of The Worlds_ broadcast.

I don't need a bone fide commercial use for the vehicle. I just need to have the side rear windows permanently blanked, and the rear seats removed. I'm unconcerned with the "look at me" factor. I had a litre handmade sports car, and got rid of that because every time I returned to the car, there'd be a crowd round it.

But you are correct about the Jeep - it IS seen in the UK as a bit of a prestige vehicle, no matter that mine is an 95 model now. When I moved to Ireland in 1998, I was the only one around with a Jeep - I mean a proper Jeep, and there were very few WAD vehicles. Now, with everyone having loads of cash, big vehicles are a status symbol. However, the Saab convertible is the one that turns heads here now..... :-)

Nichollette

Well you have several suggestions for blanking the windows. Now all you need is a worker to separate you from your cash. Good luck.

Earle