Seats in the truck bed?

TrikeKid · Mar 10, 2008

I was wondering about the legality of bolting a jump seat or two in the bed of my truck once the canopy is on? I have enough stuff to put belts in and all that good stuff, I was just wondering if it was legal. I have run into problems in the past only having one passenger seat and 2 passengers.

84Toyota4x4 · Mar 10, 2008

Well, I dont know how the seats and belts would affect things, but I can tell you that in general in Washington, its not illegal to carry passengers in the bed of a truck so long as the youngest passengers are in the cab properly belted, and all the cab seats are full. So, the bed can basically be "overflow" seating for the older passengers.

~T.J.

84Toyota4x4 · Mar 10, 2008

The more I think about it, I can only think that it would help the cause because its adding belted seat locations to the vehicle, and its not illegal to ride back there to begin with. But, on the flip side (I know, this is ironic), according to the seat belt law, if there is a seatbelt available it must be used. Therefore, the passengers in the bed which otherwise could legally be there without seat belts, or even seats, could be cited for no seatbelt if they were over 16 and not using the seatbelts you installed. If they are 15 and under, the driver gets the ticket.

Does that help ya at all?

~T.J.

TrikeKid · Mar 10, 2008

84Toyota4x4 said:
The more I think about it, I can only think that it would help the cause because its adding belted seat locations to the vehicle, and its not illegal to ride back there to begin with. But, on the flip side (I know, this is ironic), according to the seat belt law, if there is a seatbelt available it must be used. Therefore, the passengers in the bed which otherwise could legally be there without seat belts, or even seats, could be cited for no seatbelt if they were over 16 and not using the seatbelts you installed. If they are 15 and under, the driver gets the ticket.

Does that help ya at all?

~T.J.

Yeah. I didn't know that about the riding in the bed, as far as I knew it was illegal, period. It would only be overflow seating, as I can't imagine it'd be much fun back there with no heat and such, but in an emergency it'd be nicer than making someone stuff into the back of the cab with no seat or try to fit 3 people on 2 buckets.

84Toyota4x4 · Mar 10, 2008

One thing you do have to keep in mind, most officers are probably under the impression its illegal as well for some reason. However, according to the state patrol (and if you read the RCWs), there is no law that prohibits it. I got into this fight a while back with a supervisor who was trying to make me cite an individual for having people in the bed of his truck coming through main gate. I knew that it wasnt illegal beforehand having searched out the answer earlier in life for a similar reason you asked, and it became a HUGE deal. Long story short, he obviously cant FORCE me to write a ticket anyway (officer discretion much?), but I was right.

Laws dont generally tell you what is allowed, and the impression is that if the law doesnt say you cant do it, its legal for the most part. In this specific instance, the seatbelt law doesnt mention cargo areas of vehicles or trucks. There is a law however that prohibits riding on the exterior of the vehicle (such as running boards, hoods, etc), but it also doesnt mention cargo areas of pickup trucks.

Basically what Im saying is, just like most other things with building wheelers and wanting them street legal, youre taking a risk doing it that it will draw attention to you. So, if an officer stops you for that, you argue that its not illegal, he can still write the ticket. Then you have to take the time out of your day to go to court and fight your battle. If he has to go to court, he probably wont care because its just another paid day for him. Or, he might not write you a ticket for that, but Im sure he will find more about the vehicle to write a ticket about if you piss him off, haha.

Thats about all I have. Good luck!

~T.J.

TrikeKid · Mar 10, 2008

The eatonville crew are pretty relaxed, or they already would have ticketed me for no rear flaps or license plate lights or whatever. They spend more time in the bakery collecting free donuts than busting people. Of course, that doesn't stop them from pulling my buddy over every couple weeks, and his truck (2wd Comanche) is all legal, except for his driving.

Flexy Backhand · Mar 10, 2008

rear seats would be sweet. guy comes into my work every once in awhile with a subaru brat, the thing is dead mint, all restored, nice seats in back and some marine speakers so they have tunes:awesomework:

gasman1 · Mar 10, 2008

Well, how about inside a camper connected to the bed of the truck (not a camping trailer).

TrikeKid · Mar 10, 2008

gasman said:
Well, how about inside a camper connected to the bed of the truck (not a camping trailer).

That's an interesting question, since a camper is technically licensed as it's own vehicle like a trailer.

Glenn · Mar 10, 2008

gasman said:
Well, how about inside a camper connected to the bed of the truck (not a camping trailer).

I think there has to be some way to communicate between the driver and occupants?

gasman1 · Mar 10, 2008

Is It Legal Or Not to have people in the Camper While Driving ?

Pat · Mar 11, 2008

X2 on the truck bed from personal experience. Got pulled over in Chelan Co. in the back of a pickup. The driver got a speeding ticket and a seatbelt ticket. My buddy and I sat there in the bed, drinking our Jack and Coke and beers, and the officer said "you guys in back here are ok since there are no seatbelts available." :awesomework:
I thought for sure we would be promptly relocated to the back seat of the patrol car. Which I don't believe have seatbelts, it would be hard to buckle up in cuffs. :haha:

wentz912 · Mar 11, 2008

This makes me a lot more at ease about having people ride in the back that's for sure.

MIG'DHORSE · Mar 11, 2008

for the summer im gonna get a bench seat and throw it in the bed facing backward, bolted down with lap belts. My rear slider is shattered, so i might just take that out anyway. just another step to the walk-thru style cab.:awesomework:

Jeepasaurusrex · Mar 11, 2008

Pat said:
I thought for sure we would be promptly relocated to the back seat of the patrol car. Which I don't believe have seatbelts, it would be hard to buckle up in cuffs. :haha:

Trust me, Patrol Cars have specially designed seats that allow a person to be cuffed and still wear a seat belt. They are molded plastic with a cut out in the area behind your back so you can keep your arms behind you. :redneck:

Alpine4x4 · Mar 11, 2008

Pat said:
X2 on the truck bed from personal experience. Got pulled over in Chelan Co. in the back of a pickup. The driver got a speeding ticket and a seatbelt ticket. My buddy and I sat there in the bed, drinking our Jack and Coke and beers, and the officer said "you guys in back here are ok since there are no seatbelts available." :awesomework:
I thought for sure we would be promptly relocated to the back seat of the patrol car. Which I don't believe have seatbelts, it would be hard to buckle up in cuffs. :haha:

You must have met a nice Chelan Co. PO. Most of them out here are a royal pain, they site for the stupidest things and pull people over ALOT. My friend has been pulled over like 22 times and only issued 2 tickets...the rest of the Pull overs were just BS stops.

Funny though as i was pulled over for chirping my tires and had occupants in the bed. My rear bench seats were open too but the cop didnt give the guys in back tickets. Instead he raised my ticket due to endangering the people in my bed:eeek:

Pat · Mar 11, 2008

Jeepasaurusrex said:
Trust me, Patrol Cars have specially designed seats that allow a person to be cuffed and still wear a seat belt. They are molded plastic with a cut out in the area behind your back so you can keep your arms behind you. :redneck:

Well they've never bothered to buckle it up for me.
The hard plastic cleans up easy too, lots of people like to leave "messes" knowing that officer friendly gets to clean it up.

84Toyota4x4 · Mar 11, 2008

gasman said:
Is It Legal Or Not to have people in the Camper While Driving ?

Hmm... I honestly dont know the answer to that. It IS illegal to have them in a trailer thats being towed, but the camper is not being towed... I'm not sure :eeek:

Jeepasaurusrex said:
Trust me, Patrol Cars have specially designed seats that allow a person to be cuffed and still wear a seat belt. They are molded plastic with a cut out in the area behind your back so you can keep your arms behind you. :redneck:

Yup. Special seat belts too so the officer can buckle them for you. The female end on the seat is extended about 12" up, and the male end has a grab handle so you can hold onto it easier while you buckle it. Kinda nice actually.

Pat said:
Well they've never bothered to buckle it up for me.
The hard plastic cleans up easy too, lots of people like to leave "messes" knowing that officer friendly gets to clean it up.

A lot of officers dont buckle them because you have to lean into/over the subject which can lead to problems.

As for the messes, most departments dont have officers clean them. They have a company that does the cleaning for them on call for when people do the same thing in the holding cells. Its a hazardous waste clean up company that comes out in their truck and does all the cleaning since its potentially biohazardous material. You dont just mop up the vomit, feces, urine, etc of someone you dont know the medical history of and call it a day.

Its funny to me how many things people do to "retaliate" towards us, but it doesnt even make us bat an eye. For instance the clean ups, or when someone says "Im taking this to court!" for a citation as if its going to bother me. My thinking has always been "Ok, you do that. One of us is going to have to take time off work, fight traffic, drive to the court in their own car using their own gas guzzling SUV, and possibly lose pay to go. The other will get a paid day off work to go, and will drive a company car there that you kindly pay for the gas in through your taxes".

~T.J.

Pat · Mar 11, 2008

Thats cool there are crews to clean that stuff for you guys, I guess I just assumed since I frequently see officers washing their own patrol cars before or after a shift. And yeah its amazing to me the way cops can keep their cool despite all the crap they get, not a job I could handle- props TJ.:awesomework:

84Toyota4x4 · Mar 12, 2008

Well, we wash the outside of them all the time. SOME departments have the Explorers do it, some even have an actual job position that does that, but we wash our own. We vacuum the inside and keep that clean as well. Its just that we dont clean up the nasty crap, thank goodness.

Its definitely an interesting job. Im not sure if Im going to pursue it after the military, but for now, its a good taste of what I wanted to do to help me make up my mind. Kind of trying it on for size so to speak.

~T.J.