Turning Driver’s Seat: Remove steering wheel?

[Isuzusweet]

I can swivel both of my front seats in my 310, HOWEVER, both of my side panels were removed by a PO, which allows me the extra room to get the seat to turn.

BTW, I'm pretty sure that Martin's steering wheel is not legal for road use in either the US, or the UK; definitely not DOT approved.[emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Jenniflow]

Hmmmm. Most interesting!

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

I can swivel both of my front seats in my 310, HOWEVER, both of my side panels were removed by a PO, which allows me the extra room to get the seat to turn.

BTW, I'm pretty sure that Martin's steering wheel is not legal for road use in either the US, or the UK; definitely not DOT approved.[emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

Can't remember seeing a DOT sticker on any element of Bella or any other classic motorhome.....heck its the reason they don't make them any more; they don't, and couldn't be made to, comply with current safety requirements.

We use them at our own risk.

[Isuzusweet]

DOT compliance numbers on tires, lights, windshields, propane system; but you're right, precious little else.[emoji16]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

Originally Posted by martin300662

Can't remember seeing a DOT sticker on any element of Bella or any other classic motorhome.....heck its the reason they don't make them any more; they don't, and couldn't be made to, comply with current safety requirements.

We use them at our own risk.

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Can't remember seeing a DOT sticker on any element of Bella or any other classic motorhome.....heck its the reason they don't make them any more; they don't, and couldn't be made to, comply with current safety requirements.

We use them at our own risk.

It's certified on the original manufacturers documents that it meets all DOT requirements before it can be sold in the U.S. Airstream might not make them anymore but many other manufactures do and they do meet all current DOT requirements. It's a big industry.

About the only forced retrofit that I know of was Calif. smog rules back in the '60's. Everything else needs to meet original manufactures specs. My Model T Fords for example have no brakes on the wheels, only one band in the transmission yet it is legal to drive anywhere in the U.S. Most aftermarket racing equipment is specified as off road use only because they don't want to pay for DOT testing and approval. $$$$

When I bought my first smart the "approved converter" had to certify that as a new car, something like 147 items meet DOT requirements. The DOT doesn't actually check most of it but the converters' license qualifies him to make that certification. The EPA for example accepted his certification but later forced him to take a couple of cars to Colorado for additional high altitude testing. A pain in the rear and very costly. It took him 3 years to get all the approvals to sell the car in the U.S. This is true of any vehicle brought into the U.S. that is less than 25 years old. He wound up converting a little over 1000 cars before Roger Penske imported them in 2008. I bought the first legally sold 2005 smart in Washington State so it was an interesting education.

Nobody is going to pull you over and cite you for a steering modification unless a sharp inspector happened to catch it in an annual safety inspection however if you were to be involved in a significant collision with a school bus full of kids I guarantee it would be found.

Meanwhile enjoy La Paz, there is some great fishing in the area.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Smartstream

Nobody is going to pull you over and cite you for a steering modification unless a sharp inspector happened to catch it in an annual safety inspection however if you were to be involved in a significant collision with a school bus full of kids I guarantee it would be found.

[emoji16] Especially if you're found holding it when they scrape you off the back of the bus.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[martin300662]

Personally I think the steering wheel I fitted is far an away the safest piece of equipment on these mobile cookie tins.

Lap belts? No passenger safety cell? Heck bumpers bolted directly to the chassis?

As I said this type of construction would not pass any current safety inspection. Modern equivalents may look the same but that is a far as they go.

[Smartstream]

Your steering wheel has nothing to do with safety. It is merely how our DOT bureaucrats write regulations to justify their existence compared to how your MOT justifies theirs. Discussions of tow ball systems and lighting go on endlessly but the only thing that matters is the result of when the people at the top put pen to paper.

No vehicle designed and built 40 years ago would meet todays safety standards and inspections are superficial to make sure some systems work as they were intended but they do not reengineer and retrofit passenger safety cells, bumper mounting systems or any of the many other advancements learned over the years.

We play with these old beasts because we want to and that makes us happy. There is only piece of safety equipment that works on these old beasts and that is that blob of bones and soft matter that resides between the left front seat and the steering wheel.

[Jenniflow]

Originally Posted by Smartstream

We play with these old beasts because we want to and that makes us happy. There is only piece of safety equipment that works on these old beasts and that is that blob of bones and soft matter that resides between the left front seat and the steering wheel.

That’s the hard truth. And that and the gas mileage are probably why we won’t be driving her much more. She’s probably going to be a home for awhile and then an outbuilding. What a stunner though. :-)