Rear belted seats - what options?

[rod_vw]

Double belted seat in the rear?
What options have folks managed to fit successfully in front of a shower pod and behind the driver's seat in a LWB Crafter/TGE?

Is it possible to fit a double from the cab and if so how has the missing seatbelt mounting been achieved? Maybe one from a LHD van is a better possibility?

Your thoughts please.

 

[Oldrat]

Two seater for us Rod. However Richard, at Rhales who did the conversion has done lots of 4 seaters with pics on his website.

Scrub that, he’s now closed and so has his web site.

 

[rod_vw]

Two seater for us Rod. However Richard, at Rhales who did the conversion has done lots of 4 seaters with pics on his website.

Scrub that, he’s now closed and so has his web site.

Thanks, yes a pity he has closed.

 

[Pauly]

LHD double has potential, they seem ok pricewise on german ebay etc, one belt mounted on van and i think they would work if suitable fixings can be achieved ?

 

[rod_vw]

LHD double has potential, they seem ok pricewise on german ebay etc, one belt mounted on van and i think they would work if suitable fixings can be achieved ?

That is one of my thoughts, lots of discussion going on on the FB page. A few seem to have managed to do it successfully.

 

[gavandi]

This is our rear seating.
Fitted by Richard at Rhales

 

[rod_vw]

This is our rear seating.
Fitted by Richard at Rhales
View attachment 241View attachment 240

Thanks, but unfortunately there is no room for a table between the rear and rotated front seat with that version as fitted to your van.

 

[gavandi]

We opted for a larger fridge and slightly bigger shower/we.
If you did fridge the other side??

 

[rod_vw]

We opted for a larger fridge and slightly bigger shower/we.
If you did fridge the other side??

Yes we will have the fridge the other side but I'm a bit shy of the price of the RIB seat. Have you got a Truma boiler under that? That's my plan as I know it will fit under some seats.

 

[gavandi]

Yes we will have the fridge the other side but I'm a bit shy of the price of the RIB seat. Have you got a Truma boiler under that? That's my plan as I know it will fit under some seats.

Our batteries/boiler are under the rear seats.
Ours is xlwb....so a bit more room to play with.

 

[rod_vw]

Our batteries/boiler are under the rear seats.
Ours is xlwb....so a bit more room to play with.

It's a pity Richard Hales has closed the business, he was one of our options for the conversion. However we've found a local chap now and are hoping that he will make a good job. I'd have been doing it myself if I were ten years younger as I've done five Transporters over the past eighteen years.

 

[Mupp3tt]

This is our rear seating.
Fitted by Richard at Rhales
View attachment 241View attachment 240

What version of the rib seat is this fella. Does it use the driver seat as part of a bed system as well? How do you find it for comfort

 

[gavandi]

What version of the rib seat is this fella. Does it use the driver seat as part of a bed system as well? How do you find it for comfort

Hi
Not sure what version.
Seat base flips 180 then upright folds down.
Front seat turns to become small foot area.
We've only had small kids on it so top 2/3 rds only really needed.
Mrs says we can drop a stool/box into gap between front seats to form bigger base.

 

[Mupp3tt]

@gavandi cheers fella. How is it for travel comfort?

 

[rod_vw]

OK, things have obviously progressed here and my conversion is complete but there are and always will be little tweaks to do. When the almost new Crafter double was fitted in the back it was devoid of seat belt receivers for either side. During the build a second belt was fitted in the centre of the rear of the seat and two basic receivers fitted.
However as the seat was almost new it had seatbelt warning contacts in the squabs which I would like to activate by connecting via the receivers and then to the front passenger's seat. I had the wiring from back to front installed at the time that the van was built.

Up to now I cannot find a pair of after market receivers with contacts that are short enough to be useful so I'm asking for the dimension of VW / MAN originals. The measurement that I am looking for is as per the '?' on the drawing below if anyone can help please.



If these will work OK then I will be off to my MAN dealer for them to replace those ringed in the picture below.

 

[gavandi]

@gavandi cheers fella. How is it for travel comfort?

No complaints from recent passengers.
My son got x2 child seats onto rib seat with isofix.
We recently had x 1 4 yo in his child seat and he loved it.
The seat also slides out from the drivers side of van to give more width to bed.
My 90 yo mother sat there last week and enjoyed being high up!

 

[rod_vw]

OK, things have obviously progressed here and my conversion is complete but there are and always will be little tweaks to do. When the almost new Crafter double was fitted in the back it was devoid of seat belt receivers for either side. During the build a second belt was fitted in the centre of the rear of the seat and two basic receivers fitted.
However as the seat was almost new it had seatbelt warning contacts in the squabs which I would like to activate by connecting via the receivers and then to the front passenger's seat. I had the wiring from back to front installed at the time that the van was built.

Up to now I cannot find a pair of after market receivers with contacts that are short enough to be useful so I'm asking for the dimension of VW / MAN originals. The measurement that I am looking for is as per the '?' on the drawing below if anyone can help please.

View attachment 594

If these will work OK then I will be off to my MAN dealer for them to replace those ringed in the picture below.

View attachment 595

Thanks to Rob Pitman on the FB page I now have the approximate dimension (about 140mm) which will hopefully be OK to fit on my seat and not protrude too high to be a problem on the seat as I have it fitted.

Now to ask the cost at my MAN dealer.

 

[gavandi]

Here's a pic of ours....
Same on other side...

 

[YU10LLY]

OK, things have obviously progressed here and my conversion is complete but there are and always will be little tweaks to do. When the almost new Crafter double was fitted in the back it was devoid of seat belt receivers for either side. During the build a second belt was fitted in the centre of the rear of the seat and two basic receivers fitted.
However as the seat was almost new it had seatbelt warning contacts in the squabs which I would like to activate by connecting via the receivers and then to the front passenger's seat. I had the wiring from back to front installed at the time that the van was built.

Up to now I cannot find a pair of after market receivers with contacts that are short enough to be useful so I'm asking for the dimension of VW / MAN originals. The measurement that I am looking for is as per the '?' on the drawing below if anyone can help please.

View attachment 594

If these will work OK then I will be off to my MAN dealer for them to replace those ringed in the picture below.

View attachment 595

Hi mate may I ask where you got the second belt and outside receivers fitted? And was it costly? I’m right at the start of my conversion and looking at rear seating options. The layout I want is exactly the same as your picture. I’m keeping the double passenger seat in the front but hoping you pick another one up for the rear and have a second belt fitted in the middle like you have. I too want the table and want to be able to fit my Truma boiler under the rear seats. Cheers

 

[rod_vw]

Hi mate may I ask where you got the second belt and outside receivers fitted? And was it costly? I’m right at the start of my conversion and looking at rear seating options. The layout I want is exactly the same as your picture. I’m keeping the double passenger seat in the front but hoping you pick another one up for the rear and have a second belt fitted in the middle like you have. I too want the table and want to be able to fit my Truma boiler under the rear seats. Cheers

Hi, my converter Andy James of Buckettz Dubz did the mod to fit the extra centre seat belt, give him a call via his website or Facebook page.
Originally Andy fitted after market sear belt receivers but as I wanted to wire up the seat belt warning system (which I have yet to complete) I wanted ones with the integrated contacts. The only ones that I could find that were short enough not to protrude too high were OEM ones from MAN which cost me £57.00 the pair. VW wanted much more for the same item!! I've made up the wiring loom for the seat base and it's extended to below the left front seat but not yet connected. Note that my seat was already fitted with the occupancy sensors.
Andy may also be able to supply the seat frame to raise the seat to the same height as the front ones, he knows the dimensions to enable the fitment of a Truma below the seat and will advise accordingly. We are in fact altering mine to push it as close as possible to the side of the van to give as much space between the seat and the kitchen unit.