Vertical exhaust regulations

Forum Home > OKA Maintenance > Vertical exhaust regulations

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Rick Whitworth:

I have just completed extensive mechanical reconditioning of OKA 149, she is a beauty.
About to start conversion of the long bus body with intention to register her as a 4 seater motorhome.
I need an Approval Certificate from a VASS (VicRoads, Vehicle Assessment Signatory Scheme) Inspector before I can have her registered.
The VASS Inspector is adamant that any motorhome over 4.5 tonne MUST have a vertical exhaust, even though I have explained that I have seen many OKA motorhome conversions and none of them have vertical exhausts. (I have never seen an OKA with a vertical exhaust and it does not fit my design at all!)
Does anyone know anything about this?
Is there any way I can get around it?
Any suggestions on how it would impact on performance of the Perkins Phaser?
Rick
Rick Whitworth
Spatial Systems Administrator
City of Greater Geelong
42-44 Brougham St., P.O.Box 104, Geelong 3220
Phone: (03) 5227 0269 Fax: (03) 5227 0922
Mobile: 0417 578 028 AH: (03) 52 430063
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
May 31, 2010 at 6:43 PM Flag Quote & Reply

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Peter_n_Margaret:

Just a Victorian problem I believe.
I would take the tack that it is not the way the vehicle was approved in the first place and you hold them liable for the problems that the modification may cause.
But it won't cause a problem, I am sure.
Cheers,
Peter
May 31, 2010 at 6:44 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Hal Harvey
Site Owner
Posts: 510
He's kind of maybe right, but yes it's a Victorian thing. And it depends on what a bus is defined as, amongst other things.
See www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E5F...E8E1C5E3/0/VSI26.pdf , page six.
So a 'bus' is excluded, and it also doesn't apply to "some special purpose vehicles"; and it doesn't apply to a vehicle that meets ADR 80/01 (and I don't know whether an OKA does or not, but OKA could tell you).
--
Hal

May 31, 2010 at 6:46 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Hal Harvey
Site Owner
Posts: 510
Job for Monday:
More information
Contact VicRoads Roadworthiness Section on 1800 816 727.
At a glance ADR 80/01 only came into existence in 1999, so I reckon you're looking for a definition of a 'bus'. I's be very surprised if the standard OKA out-to-the-right-rear wasn't legal for your vehicle.
--
Hal

May 31, 2010 at 6:46 PM Flag Quote & Reply

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Peter Davis:

Hi Rick,
I went through the same experience about 5 years ago when I went from 13 seats to 9 seats. As a bus (greater than 9 seats) it didn't require a vertical stack but as a truck it required a stack. I believe this is the same for NSW also. I went ahead and put a stack on which probably cost me about $1000. I didn't notice any change in performance. The extra back pressure produced was removed by removing the original muffler with a straight through.
Cheers
Peter
May 31, 2010 at 6:47 PM Flag Quote & Reply

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Mark Pain:

I just got my OKA, 152, reregistered here in Victoria after two years off the road. There was no question about the exhaust at all. My configuration is a dual cab with tray.
Regards
Mark Pain
May 31, 2010 at 6:49 PM Flag Quote & Reply

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Tony Lee:

I know when I was looking at grey import Japanese buses, there was definitely going to be a requirement to change them to vertical exhaust in Victoria and possibly NSW. Understandable since it had never been registered in Australia.
I ended up with an ex Ansett-pioneer coach that had been running around for 30 years with rear ground-level exhaust and even after de-registering it for a year was able to re-register it as a MH without modifying the exhaust. In NSW so Vic may be different but normally they don't worry about anything (other than mandatory safety items like seatbelts) provided it complied with the relevant ADRs at the time of manufacture.
May 31, 2010 at 6:49 PM Flag Quote & Reply

OKA4WD.com
Administrator
Posts: 412
From Lloyd Hoskin:

Hi Rick,
I had the same problem 18 months ago when I put 145 back on the road (converted from 14 seat bus to six seat twin cab & tray). As the OKA is an off road vehicle it does not require a high exhaust. An example to compare with all the CFA 4wd fire trucks as they all have low level exhausts cos the first tree they go under will rip it off! Your engineer has to get approval from the EPA which is just a formality. And as you know OKAs didn't come out that way (I provided a copy of an OKA photo brochure). You will have to be firm with your engineer & not prepared to compromise and common sense will prevail (remember he is employed by you).
Cheers Lloyd from Ballarat. m 0412 922302
June 5, 2010 at 9:56 PM

Does anyone have any updates on this regulation as it appears to have become part of the national standards introduced earlier this year.
I am going through the process of getting my 4x4 coaster bus upgraded to 4990 from 4490GVM. 4490 is the standard for short wheel base coasters and 4990 is the standard for long wheel base coasters. In my model, BB21, there is no difference between the suspension and braking systems so the engineer will regard it as a 'GVM option' for the vehicle rather than an upgrade, so he has no problem with that aspect.
BUT, he is saying that under the new regs ( I'm in vic) with the GVM at 4990 I will have to fit a vertical stack to the rear.

Has anyone recently been through this?

When I had our OKA bus engineered earlier this year the only thing he looked at with the exhaust was that it was 300mm behind the last sliding window.

Rob

G'day Glen,
I had my OKA engineered at Enkleman's in Braeside for conversion and registration as a motorhome under the new NHVR in June this year without any problems.
The previous requirement for a stack enforced by the EPA in Vicroria was revoked with the change when everything was bought under the NHVR to make the regs in every State the same. See details here

Unless there has been a change to the National Regs since you should be OK

Rick

Can't find any reference to stacks on the NHVR website
No mention under the exhaust details dealt with on page 55 of the N-H-V-Inspection-Manual

Thanks Rick,
I have forwarded all that info to my engineer so hopefully that is the end of it.
He has given me approval for the GVM upgrade to 4990 and also for the aftermarket panhard rod which uses Heim joints or rod ends instead of bushes and ball joints.