Kombi back bench seat question

[Tomzo]

Yes you can, they 'tip' onto the front legs

Brilliant thank you.

 

[Tomzo]

Once tipped forwards the seat stays put, it's held by gas struts and is perfectly secure left like this.

Excellent this is great information thank you.

 

[Tomzo]

Excellent this is great information thank you.

Brilliant. Can you give me an idea of the resulting increase in load length please ? I am keen to see if it adds circa 150mm to the 1600mm load length in a SWB Kombi. If it does then I can get my relatively long 29er mountain bike in the van without taking the front wheel off with the bench seat tipped forwards held in place by the gas struts which is also very useful information given that I can’t go and look at one during lockdown. Thank you. Much appreciated.

 

[Tomzo]

You can fold the back rest forward to make a flat platform and front/rear feet stay put, View attachment 100136

Then you can also fold/tip the seat forward so that the rear feet/mounts come out but the front feet/mounts stay in place - abit like in a hatchback car.
Finally you can release the front feet/mounts to enable to whole seat to be lifted outView attachment 100137

Great pictures and response thank you. It looks to me provided there is gas struts that keep both the 3+1 elevated and held in place then there should be at least 150mm extra load length over the 1600mm in a Kombi. My current car only just swallows my long 29er mountain bike being 1746mm Load length with seats folded down.

 

[Gavinda]

Yes, there's at least 150mm to be gained, if you've not yet bought a van would a LWB be a better bet that way you wouldn't need to move the seats at all?

 

[Tomzo]

Yes, there's at least 150mm to be gained, if you've not yet bought a van would a LWB be a better bet that way you wouldn't need to move the seats at all?

Excellent thank you. To an extent your suggestion is a good one however I want the van to be as car like as possible and being used without a bulk head we think the LWB will seem huge inside and extra 400mm on the outside will slightly more tricky in town. Maybe it doesn’t make much difference. Provided I can get that little extra load length then I’m covered for most situations without having to get a vast vehicle in comparison with our current Volvo XC60. Maybe the LWB drives pretty much the same as the SWB maybe I should drive both before committing.

My triple folds and then will also tip forward too.
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[Broadside]

Brilliant. Can you give me an idea of the resulting increase in load length please ? I am keen to see if it adds circa 150mm to the 1600mm load length in a SWB Kombi. If it does then I can get my relatively long 29er mountain bike in the van without taking the front wheel off with the bench seat tipped forwards held in place by the gas struts which is also very useful information given that I can’t go and look at one during lockdown. Thank you. Much appreciated.

I carry bikes in the back of my LWB Shuttle with the rear bench seat tipped forward a lot. You can leave the wheels on but you have to slot the wheels down the side of the seat, you can’t load a bike in the centre section because there is not enough load length, so it would be a lot less in a SWB.

Update: ignore my post above, you were talking about Kombi rear seats, not the third row of seats.

With the middle row of seats in place in a LWB you would get a 29er in without tipping the seats at at all.

 

[Gavinda]

There'll be no noticeable difference in driving, an extra 400mm on an already nominally five metres long vehicle is neither here nor there but the difference between a usable 1400mm and 1800mm load length is significant, surely better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it?

 

[rover220]

Always preferred my lwb over the current swb. Seemed to soak up bumps better.

 

[Tomzo]

There'll be no noticeable difference in driving, an extra 400mm on an already nominally five metres long vehicle is neither here nor there but the difference between a usable 1400mm and 1800mm load length is significant, surely better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it?

This makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

 

[Whitty]

This makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

I'm a keen MTB'r with a long 29+ bike and have a SWB with the split 2+1 rear. If I want to carry the bike with both wheels on then simply place it in the back on an angle (rear 1st). Though the majority of time I carry it with the front wheel off and the fork fixed to a timber mounted across the rear fixing points (more secure). Just tip the single seat forward and rest the rear wheel up against it.....

 

[Tomzo]

I'm a keen MTB'r with a long 29+ bike and have a SWB with the split 2+1 rear. If I want to carry the bike with both wheels on then simply place it in the back on an angle (rear 1st). Though the majority of time I carry it with the front wheel off and the fork fixed to a timber mounted across the rear fixing points (more secure). Just tip the single seat forward and rest the rear wheel up against it.....View attachment 100583

Thanks so much. Everyone so far on this forum comes back super quick with all kinds of useful responses. Thank you. This is all helping my decision.

 

[Dayoster]

Can someone post a photo of their actual 3seater bench tipped right forward so i can see how much room it takes up.

iv got a swb panel van but i want to put the seats in but unsure on which to go for, thanks

 

[BigAl21]

Hi,
Not sure if this has been covered.
I’m switching a panel van into a kombi, how do you know the correct location for the three seat bench in the rear? Is there markings on the floor already once I take up the ply.
Thanks

 

[Deaky]

Yes, there are indents in the floor where the brackets go

 

[BigAl21]

Yes, there are indents in the floor where the brackets go

Appreciate it, thanks for such a quick response