Turning the second row double seat in a kombi around? PROBLEM SOLVED

[aliwhitevanman]

Hi, I've just got a T6.1 2021 plate Kombi, which has two single front seats and a second row double seat behind the driver and a second row single behind the passenger.

I'm in the design phase of converting it into a day van/camper, but I don't want to install anything permanent in it in the way of furniture, extra power, fridge etc until I'm really sure this is for me.

Anyway.....................I want to put a bed set up in but with the second row seat in I don't seem to be able to get the length long enough. I can fold the back of the seat down but that creates some other problems with the height of the seat and the height I want the bed at!!

The easy answer is take the ruddy seats out. However I've no where to store them and they are bloody heavy (to me anyway).

So I'm thinking as they are locked into the floor into four mounting points type of design, I can detach the double seat and turn it round. I haven't done it yet, but I imagine that it won't actually lock back into the four lug holes so to speak. One due to the size of the seat size, as both seat backs will be against each other and the pitch of the lug points wont match up.

I can imagine me trying it and the seat gets stuck somehow in the lug points, never to be extracted again!!

Sorry about this......so my question is that I merely turn it round, the feet don't align with the lug points and it sits on the floor. Job done.

But I'm thinking that I could make a floor plate (prob out of wood), with partial lug holes that the feet sit in to stop it moving about and the seat then doesn't damage the floor or existing lug points. I plan to strap it back somehow to ensure it wont move. This seat wont be used when vehicle is moving.

Has anyone done anything like this, or any bright ideas, before I head off down the wrong road and feck it up.

Cheers Ali

 

[Snoopi-y-Fan]

We've got the same set up as you and our compromise is the bed is higher than perhaps we would like it to be.

Our brief was
to retain four seats for general day use of the vehicle.
to be able to carry sheets of MDF/ply etc 2.4 x 1.2m in size.
to be able to get a single pedal cycle in the van, out of the way and secure.
it all must be removable to facilitate a panel van arrangement should the need arise.

The solution we found was to remove the single seat (it's in the garage out of the way).
I then built a pod, the same height as the double folded rear seat and about half as wide as the van. It's bolted to the load anchor/seatbelt points. A mattress/futon along the top of both the pod and the folded seat back gives a single bed.
The pod has slide out sections, creating a wider platform for a bigger sleeping area should the need arise. We're very fortunate insomuch that MGL is able to sleep across the width of the van so we can sleep in a L shape. We have seat swivels, I use the driver's seat as the bed extension and shuffle up the van with my feet on the driver seat.

Advantages -

flexibility over a permanent set up
we can try it, and if it doesn't work, change it.
very deep storage lockers
cost

Disadvantages -

the long berth is a bit convoluted and bumpy, but good enough for a few nights.
I can't sit up on the berths without my head hitting the ceiling.

Happy to fire some photos off, when the rain stops!

 

[aliwhitevanman]

We've got the same set up as you and our compromise is the bed is higher than perhaps we would like it to be.

Our brief was
to retain four seats for general day use of the vehicle.
to be able to carry sheets of MDF/ply etc 2.4 x 1.2m in size.
to be able to get a single pedal cycle in the van, out of the way and secure.
it all must be removable to facilitate a panel van arrangement should the need arise.

The solution we found was to remove the single seat (it's in the garage out of the way).
I then built a pod, the same height as the double folded rear seat and about half as wide as the van. It's bolted to the load anchor/seatbelt points. A mattress/futon along the top of both the pod and the folded seat back gives a single bed.
The pod has slide out sections, creating a wider platform for a bigger sleeping area should the need arise. We're very fortunate insomuch that MGL is able to sleep across the width of the van so we can sleep in a L shape. We have seat swivels, I use the driver's seat as the bed extension and shuffle up the van with my feet on the driver seat.

Advantages -

flexibility over a permanent set up
we can try it, and if it doesn't work, change it.
very deep storage lockers
cost

Disadvantages -

the long berth is a bit convoluted and bumpy, but good enough for a few nights.
I can't sit up on the berths without my head hitting the ceiling.

Happy to fire some photos off, when the rain stops!

Hi, very interesting thank you for your time. I'm no rush so photos would be brilliant to assist. I always like flexibility and getting items to do more than one job. The guy who did mine before I got it, did it really well, but very simple. The wheel arches are boxed in, so great to pack usual stuff in there for days when you want to make a brew, have heavy duty jack, and all sorts which best keeping in there. These boxes were intended to be a platform, but I need to think it through.

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers Ali

 

[Snoopi-y-Fan]

 

[Snoopi-y-Fan]

Still got work to do, there's a pull out slide for a kitchen to go in.

Phase two is to repeat the pod and use that in front of it's companion, in place of the removed double seat to give a better bed and more storage for longer trips away.

 

[aliwhitevanman]

Hi, thats brilliant, and thank you for the photos, very ingenious. Its funny how I've been locked into ideas, cos things like the rear wheel boxes seem too low and the front double when folded, too high. Your ideas are giving me food for thought, very grateful.
I like the way you've taken your left hand storage up from the base of the vehicle, whereas I was pondering on hanging cupboards. So much easier to support from the floor.

As your requirements are very similar to mine. I want it so simple that it can all come out in a matter of minutes and store. Or reverse.
I do like the U lounge setups. So more to think about.

I did a reccie with a driveaway awning this week to test it out. Had to head to North Pennines as only place with decent weather.

Works well, loads of space, just throw everything in there. However......okay for a week, but took me ages to put away. I watched a nearby Transporter campervan, wake up and disappear off site in 10 mins.

I could have achieved that but would have had to driveway from everything. : )

What I like about all of this....is that I bought a kombi, which is exactly what I wanted and needed. I now have a campervan too, brilliant. and for such little money, buying everything off ebay or car boots!!

I'll get some photos on soon when I start my low level install.

Many thanks Ali

 

[Snoopi-y-Fan]

Took this out of our Kombi - it's served us well during some work on the house and garden.
Closed it's level with the folded rear seats and the area is big enough for a full sheet of plasterboard. Open allows for domestic appliances etc. Really good for keeping the dirty stuff contained and double boot floor handy for moving vast numbers of boxes.
Also gave a barrier to prevent the hound hopping in to the boot where his snacks were kept!!
I'm really pleased with how well it performed - however.

Van has been granted permission for less graft and work, and more for pleasure and trips - so it's surplus to requirements.

Happy to share measurements if you want to build one.

Or free to a good home if you can collect.

View attachment 277514View attachment 277515

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View attachment 277517

Although this has now gone to a new home, might a similar idea to this also be an option for you?

 

[aliwhitevanman]

Many thanks I'll have a think over the next two days, as I've a mate who can CNC cut board. So he may have ideas as he can do more intricate and accurate cuts than I could.

I do think that the objective is a wide as possible bed, with a good comfortable base (which is as attached as per your photos) that way you get a good nights sleep.

Cheers Ali b

 

[aliwhitevanman]

Hi All

I'm still working on the rear design of the bed from ideas provided...so thank you so much.

As regards turning the second row seats around, rather than taking them out and having to store them whilst you go and use your Kombi as a campervan, I think I've solved.

Firstly I had no where to store such a big item, and heavy which I'd probably have to lift out of the van on my own.
Secondly I felt if it was actually turned around, I could
1. use the seat squab to support the bed, which is lower than folding over the back rest (in its forward facing position) which actually sits quite high.
2. It actually provides you with a seat to sit on in the 'campervan space' so another win. But not to sit on whilst traveling for safety reasons.

I'm sorry I haven't a photo of the kit I've designed in action, but it does work as its pretty simple, hopefully I can explain and you'll see in the photo I've taken of the SLED, which I've named it!!

After a lot of head scratching, I set the objectives:

It needs to be easy to make with bits and bobs I had lying round in my garage, cost zero!!
It needs to locate in position by slipping under the seat (once seat is disconnected from the floor)
It needs to allow the seat to actually move, but only forwards and backwards...even if its a short distance. So it a flexible use of your space. So if you can imagine the seat facing to the rear, the drivers seat back and this seats back sit 'back to back', so you can slide them apart and store say a large cushion in the gap to be used as part of the bed, when required. It moves forward, ie towards the rear so link in as the bed support.

So how was it made and how does it work. Please look at photo first.

I first made a template for that the base, a piece of 12mm ply, with four holes in it each large enough to allow the floor fittings to sit within. That makes the top of the ply sit above the fittings.
Once I'd made the base, and test fitted it, I then put two 10mm thick plastic pieces over these holes to form the basis of a 'track' for the seat feet to sit on. These pieces covered the holes (traversing the floor fittings) and were the width of the base.

Then on top of them I put four pieces of plastic (50m by 30mm) it was lengths of composite decking rails, which you secure the composite decking to. Again lying about in garage.

These four pieces fitted in pairs, provided the walls to the track.

I then made the skids for the sled.

Two of these, again from the same plastic as the rails. Each skid had two holes in them so that the feet of the seat would easily sit in the holes, which in turn sit in the track. Actually you can see three holes, one is a slot as each feet has a release lug which needs to sit easily to allow the feet to drop into the skid.

This allows the seat to move back and forward but not side to side.

The seat can then be easily ratchet strapped through its frame to the floor lash points so holding it in a position where it wont move which being driven. When on site release the strap and you can move the seat back and forward. You may wish to actually turn the seat round when you're on site, if your nervous about driving with it only secured by the the ratchet (ie insurance)

I will when weather and time allows get some photos of the way it works.

But I'm sure with the photo and the above description, you'll get the idea.

I hope this idea is useful for others, and it achieves what its set out to do.

I can certainly design my bed now at a lower level and easily supported. Fingers crossed.

Any questions please ask....and no its not copyrighted. I cant see me on Dragons Den.

Ali

 

[aliwhitevanman]

I've just picked up my bespoke cushions for the rear bed in the kombi.

A great guy did these for me, and I think hes done an excellent job. I've not tested anything yet, ie sleeping on it, but just the layout.

Its based on me turning the second row double seats round, placing two sheets of 18mm ply (buffalo board) between the wheel arch boxes.

The idea being that during 'normal' use it configures into a U shaped lounge at the rear, with a small table/seat.

Then when I go away I simply remove the single second row seat, turn the double around, and when on site change the U shaped lounge into a bed.

Hopefully it works......I've never done this before so any advice before I trek off to a site to try it will be useful. IE getting out for a pee etc etc

Cheers Ali

 

[CAB]

That's a great idea ! Completely versatile!