We received a letter yesterday, and I spoke to a M.O.T. rep. today. The letter has to do with the tragic collision involving migrant workers in February, where the driver of a 15-passenger van didn't have the appropriate licence. The letter stated: "As a registered owner of one of these vehicles, we wish to remind you of the requirements and rules".
Apparently the M.O.T. in Ontario has no way of determining that our vehicle is actually a RV. The ownership shows the V.I.N. (in our case a 1996 Dodge) which could have been a 15-passenger van, but of course is not.
It's obvious that the way the ownership certificate lists the vehicle is the problem here, and it is also obvious that the M.O.T. spent (wasted?) a lot of money in mailing out these letters to so many people in error. The rep. told me that he has received many phone calls, and expects more. Of course, he told me to ignore the letter, but I did have the opportunity to express my views regarding designation of the vehicle on the ownership certificate.
Just wondering if only Dodge "B" owners in Ontario received this letter, or did Chevy and Ford owners get them as well?
Jerry & Susie
1996 Roadtrek 190 Versatile (Dodge 5.2 L)
FMCA F390585 Trees are being destroyed through the transportation of invasive insects and diseases in firewood. For more information, please visit www.dontmovefirewood.org
I immigrated to Canada from the UK in 2005 and have learnt already that here in Canada there is very much a "nobody told me....." culture.
Probably when the OPs chassis was made into an RV and not a small bus or delivery van at 'wherever'....'wherever' should have probably informed the Ontario DMV...but did not.
In the UK, failure to inform government offices of the precise details of 'vehicle type and use' will attract a fine for the owner operator of said vehicle.
However here in Canada, one can wear a 'nobody told me badge' safe in the knowledge that one is able to ignore the letter mentioned by the OP......LOL!!!
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ 2007 (new shape)
4x4 Crew Cab VORTEC MAX (L76) 6.0L V8 4L70E 4.10 axle
factory NHT Max Trailering Package.
2010 Coachmen Freedom Express 280 RLS
"...a Waldorf Salad?, sorry we are fresh out of Waldorfs!".......BASIL FAWLTY.
The main point of this thread has been lost due to several posts regarding the tragic accident involving a 15-passenger van. This horrible event had little to do with my original post.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough initially, so I'm going to try again.
If your class B recreational vehicle, or "van conversion" is registered in the Province of Ontario, the Ministry of Transportation does not have any record of the true nature of your vehicle, and therefore considers that all such vehicles could be 15-passenger vans.
This is because the Ontario M.O.T. only records the vehicle identification number (V.I.N.), and not the current use of the vehicle.
In our case, we have a 1996 Dodge B3500 van which Roadtrek converted into our "Versatile" model of RV. I believe that this RV information should be recorded on the vehicle registration as well as the V.I.N. If that was done, I (and I suspect many other class B owners in Ontario) would NOT have received a letter that stated, at the end of the first paragraph "As a registered owner of one of these vehicles i.e. a 15-passenger van , we wish to remind you of the requirements and rules".
Even though the representative of the Road User Safety Division, M.O.T. told me to "ignore the letter", I do plan to follow up with a written suggestion that our registration paper (or ownership certificate as we call it here in Ontario) clearly lists the true use of the vehicle.
Finally, please folks, of course the accident cited in the letter from the M.O.T. was horrific, but let's please stick to the topic at hand. Thanks.
eye8Ubutler wrote: Probably when the OPs chassis was made into an RV and not a small bus or delivery van at 'wherever'....'wherever' should have probably informed the Ontario DMV...but did not.
Thanks for your comments! I'm starting to think that I'm the only one to have received a letter......but the guy at the Ministry of Transportation did say he's received lots of phone calls.
The thing with the Roadtrek is that they buy the "complete van", not the chassis, so the original V.I.N. stays with the registration. Then Roadtrek modifies the van into a class B RV.
It seems that the M.O.T. is somehow unaware of this conversion into an RV, and also don't know how many of these vans were ultimately converted into 15-passenger vans. That's why the letter has apparently gone out to many van owners who DON'T have a 15-passenger van.
Thank you for your email inquiring about the letter you received regarding 15 Passenger Buses and the legislative requirements for those types of vehicles.
This letter was sent out to owners of vehicles that are built on a chassis that is commonly used in the manufacturing of 15 passenger vans. We are aware that this type of chassis is also used for manufacturing recreational vehicles.
If your vehicle is a recreational vehicle and does not have a designed seating capacity for 10 or more passengers it would not be deemed a bus and the requirements indicated in the letter will not apply.
I apologize for any inconvenience or concern this may have caused. Be advised that I have taken the liberty of forwarding your suggestion to the office that is responsible for vehicle registration.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me by email or at the number below.
Thank you for taking the time to clarify the requirements regarding these vehicles.
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