This was my first thought. I like this idea but again do you lot think this would put me on the wrong side of the law. Thanks for any advice you might have.

I have chopped the back end of my chassis and also I have done a bob tail with a friend and the law doesn't affect it. You should be ok if you do a bit more homework or someone comes along on the forum who has done something similar.

What about tray backs etc, they can't all be registered differently etc surely?
 
At worst with a bobtail if you got it sva'd would be a Q plate,But you should have enough points left not to worry about an sva.
 
Mgw of a disco is approx 2.7t. Kerb weight is about 2 or 2.1t. With a steel body and tipping gear I think you'll be lucky for half a ton. That is if you don't overload the rear axle with 3/4 of the body behind the rear axle. You'll be blinding pilots if its loaded up.
 
I'm still playing around with springs tyre sizes ect. Streaching the wheel base and shortening the back would spread the load a lot better. At the minute the truck has standard front springs on it and a heavy duty 4inch lift on the rear. I took a load of 800 kgs on the back and there was no handling issues at all it drove lovely. I'v had a ton on the back around the farm that seamed fine to. It's not a tipper body and is made to be very light. If things go well with it I will put an alloy back on it. I plan to have weighed and then see what is what. I checked the vin plate and there is no axle weights gross weight or train weight. Is this normal on a discovery?.
 
As its not a commercial vehicle originally, then here shouldn't be axle weights but should be a gross towing weight etc I would have thought.
 
As far as the law goes if I put a 110 or 130 chassis under it where would I stand.
If you used the 130 chassis and axles then you would keep the doner Defender registration, according to the points system:)
 
If you used the 130 chassis and axles then you would keep the doner Defender registration, according to the points system:)

Thanks for your help everyone. I'm going to run the truck for a while and see how I go. I would be worried that having a discovery body on defender tags would attract the attention of our traffic officers. Could the vehicle be taken off me till things were cleared up.
 
Here a few from today
 

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It is possible to stretch the chassis , as I used to own a 110inch wheelbase rangerover based ambulance. It had a 10" straight section welded in the chassis in front of where it curves over the axle. It had a second vin plate stating the extension. I guess its a straight forward job if its a v.good weld and you have some kind of jig or something. Then a 110 propshaft..? extended brake pipes and exhaust, then chop off the overhang a bit. :)
 
Stretch chassis would be ok if you flitch the join then you got extra strength in it, I had an artic tractor unit chassis stretched once, never bothered with declaring it:rolleyes:
 
Hi Gc77,

I really like what you have done and wondered if you have any pics of what you had to do in preperation to fitting the bed on the chassis, I am also wondering if the pickup bed is off another vehicle or have you built it? I am going to be doing something similar to my Disco 1 Commercial when we eventually get weather fit for doing it and had thought about a smaller version to yours, I think the idea of a six wheeler would be great for you carrying loads :)
 

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