Can this be done?!

[LetsGo!]

We have a 2 berth Motorhome and have enquired about the possibility of having a third seat beat installed in the rear of the van. After feedback, and checking with specialist garages it looks like this wouldn't be an option both from a safety point of view and insurance.

What i was wondering is if the passenger seat can be removed and replaced with a 2 seater bench type of seat?

 

[oldiesontour]

What vehicle..PVC ? Coachbuilt ??

 

[LetsGo!]

Coachbuilt

 

[EuroTrotters]

Coachbuilt more difficult.

PVC can be done but can cost £1,000 for certification and fitting

 

[68c]

We have a 2 berth Motorhome and have enquired about the possibility of having a third seat beat installed in the rear of the van. After feedback, and checking with specialist garages it looks like this wouldn't be an option both from a safety point of view and insurance.

What i was wondering is if the passenger seat can be removed and replaced with a 2 seater bench type of seat?

We did that on older Ducato based Swift 500. Went to the local vehicle dismantled and picked up a bench seat and mount frame from a delivery van. Make sure you also get the seat belt fittings. One problem was we now only had a narrow gap between driver and passenger seat. In the end I removed the LH passenger seat door armrest and moved the seat over to the left using steel strip to relocate the mount holes. Insurance??? Who knows, van gone now though I refitted it to original and sold it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ianbenny]

The new seat needs to homogenised (not sure thats how you spell it) to the vehicle.
What van have you got - if its a fiat/peugeot chassis there are a couple form Alko, Elddis use the folding ones that sit under the bench seats. The other Alko one is what many manufacturers use on PVC for the extra 2 belted seats. There is also Aguti which make them as well

 

[Boldly]

We have a 2 berth Motorhome and have enquired about the possibility of having a third seat beat installed in the rear of the van. After feedback, and checking with specialist garages it looks like this wouldn't be an option both from a safety point of view and insurance.

What i was wondering is if the passenger seat can be removed and replaced with a 2 seater bench type of seat?

If it is a fiat Ducato then the original fitment would have been a twin seat. They are normally available on eBay where converters have swapped them for single seats. I would think it would be a simple change to the v5 but who knows with DVLA?

 

[Mikeco]

We have a 2 berth Motorhome and have enquired about the possibility of having a third seat beat installed in the rear of the van. After feedback, and checking with specialist garages it looks like this wouldn't be an option both from a safety point of view and insurance.

What i was wondering is if the passenger seat can be removed and replaced with a 2 seater bench type of seat?

They will be the same fixings as long as you get a double seat from a similar year as the base vehicle. I removed a double and fitted a single and could not get rid of the double as no one wanted one so there should be some about. The difficulty will be with the electrics and putting the third seatbelt, which should be fixed already on the double seat onto the base vehicles system. For that you will need to find an auto electrician. As far as the V 5 is concerned you just change the number of travel seats from 2 to 3 and send it off. You will also need to inform your insurance company as well.

 

[Boldly]

They will be the same fixings as long as you get a double seat from a similar year as the base vehicle. I removed a double and fitted a single and could not get rid of the double as no one wanted one so there should be some about. The difficulty will be with the electrics and putting the third seatbelt, which should be fixed already on the double seat onto the base vehicles system. For that you will need to find an auto electrician. As far as the V 5 is concerned you just change the number of travel seats from 2 to 3 and send it off. You will also need to inform your insurance company as well.

When I changed mine to a single seat the electrics were cheated by a resistor. It depends on what your base model is and how old and what the converter did with the original electrics.

 

[gloworm]

When I changed mine to a single seat the electrics were cheated by a resistor. It depends on what your base model is and how old and what the converter did with the original electrics.

If you scroll down on this thread there is a detailed post by Outdoorrambo showing exactly how to change both seats, including seat belts,
Very interesting watch.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PP Bear]

Think the first people I would ask is your insurance and what inspection they would probably require to ensure that the modification meets the required levels of safety standards..

 

[PP Bear]

Tis ok telling us about converting from 1 to 2 or the other way, but the OP is talking about fitting one in the rear of a coachbuild, which brings about the challenges of anchoring it correctly and efficiently enough for the extracting standards we have in this country.

 

[Ianbenny]

Tis ok telling us about converting from 1 to 2 or the other way, but the OP is talking about fitting one in the rear of a coachbuild, which brings about the challenges of anchoring it correctly and efficiently enough for the extracting standards we have in this country.

Thats why it has to be homologated to the vehicle, as tow bars are now as well.

The seat manufacturer has to test the seat in a vehicle( or bodyshell/chassis) under loaded crash conditions if I remember correctly.
If its a Peugoet/Fiat x250 or newer versions etc, the seats are made with supports that go under the floor and are bolted through to anchor the seat.

I worked on the fixed travel seat when I worked for Elddis on the PVC CV40 introduction. We had to go with Aguti as the Alko one would not fit due to the van having an underslung gas tank which was in the way of the under floor brackets. This was in 2018 so may have changed since then.

I seem to remember that Bailey has an issue with their travel seats a few years ago, as they were not up to the job under crash conditions and had to be updated