C shaped interior and seatbelts

[divingbelle]

I have a T25 which was converted from a panel van by a previous owner. The current back seat folds down into a bed but is not fixed and so can't carry passengers. We now have 2 small children and need to modify the interior so we can fit at least one 3 point and one lap belt in the back. I love the C or U shaped layout in the VT20 Autosleepers from around the 80s like this:
http://www.camperinterior.webfotos.co.u ... per_4.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.autosleeper.vwt25camper.info ... _vt20.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But I cant work out how the back seat works and if it could take seatbelts. Is it a full width rock and roll bed or does the back drop down? How far forward of the engine bulkhead does it come? What are the dimensions of the bed? Does anyone have any advice?

[Dazco]

Hiya,
I've got one of those and the seating arrangement is excellent.( myself, wife and 2 dogs )
The seat cushions on the 2 side units lift off then the seat base is pulled forward , the back rest is hinged and folds flat.
Mine is NOT a rock and roll type and would not win any prizes in a safety competition. As far as I know mine is the original fitting. The seatbelts I have are purely to stop the beasts from wandering around.
If you like I could take some measurements and send them through the post.
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... &start=180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
With the bed folded down , there is plenty of room.
I would like to make it all a bit more sturdy at some point in the near future.
Let me know and ill do some drawings .
Daz

[poshbuggers]

Any use? Not sure it's the setup you are discussing.

http://www.vwpix.org/T3/Prospekte/gross ... index.html

[divingbelle]

Hi Daz,
that confirms what I was thinking...that the back of the seat just drops down and that its not the most safe seat for passengers by modern standards.
Just a few questions for you...
Do you just take off the cushions from the side facing seats and slide the back seat forward over storage areas under those side seats? How is the seat fixed in the up right position? What do you keep under the side seats? How long is the bed when down, from tailgate to the end? Does the bed come infront of the cupboard under the sink and if so what is in that cupboard? What are the dimensions of the cupboard unit?
I'd really apreciate your taking the time to answer all that for me. Lisa

[divingbelle]

Poshbuggers,
I was looking at the Autosleeper layout which is slightly different but I hadn't seen that Autohomes layout before so thats something else to consider, thanks.

[trucker]

I put three point Brickwerks seat belts in my old Autosleeper with the C shape seating, the main problem (other than the seat not being really more than two bits of ply with a couple of domestic cupboard door hinges held in place by a couple of these http://www.screwfix.com/p/straight-bolt ... rass/35118" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; bolts ) is the seat base actually sits on-top of the engine bay by a couple of inches thus making the receiver part of the seat belt do an "s"shape backwards from the mounting points on the bulkhead under the seatbase then forwards between the cushions. In the event of even a mild shunt in my opinion this would of shot the base forwards as the tension was taken up by the belts (there was a wooden baton on the front underside of the seat to prevent forward movement of the base but only a couple of centimetres of upwards movement would have overcome this) I tried and measured every rock and roll bed I could find but couldn't work out a way of doing it and still retaining the C shape seating. A real shame as we loved the sociable layout
Brickwerks kits are top quality by the way

[wee bugger]

the seat base actually sits on-top of the engine bay by a couple of inches thus making the receiver part of the seat belt do an "s"shape backwards from the mounting points on the bulkhead under the seatbase then forwards between the cushions. In the event of even a mild shunt in my opinion this would of shot the base forwards as the tension was taken up by the belts (there was a wooden baton on the front underside of the seat to prevent forward movement of the base but only a couple of centimetres of upwards movement would have overcome this)

My old bus had a similar seat (Autohomes Kamper?) and had 3 lap belts in the back - it had a "new" set of mounting points added on a welded bar across the top of the engine bay so that the belts mounted behind the seat base rather than in front of it

[evilnoodle]

My van has the same layout you are talking about, only the seat at the sliding door has been removed and the one on the side of the cooker does not have a cushion so is only a storage box (the gas bottle and tool bag live in there).
The bed is a little cumbersome to make up, and it isn't a rock n roll, but it is a good sized bed when done.
I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too safe for anyone to sit there when the van is being driven. There is only the dog who uses the back seat, and even she manages to stretch her seatbelt far enough to hop over into the boot

I do like the layout, but there are a couple of niggles that make me think other layouts would be better. The cupboard behind the passenger seat is good for storage and the extra work top space, but it means there is no chance of a swivel seat (which can open the van up and make it seem much more roomy), and the bed/rear seat is flimsy and not "easy" to put up and down.

[Dazco]

Jane , I took the unit out behind the passengers seat and fitted a swivel, ohhhh the luxury of being able to spin the seat round and have a bit if room
I'm looking into making the gold down bed alot more secure when in the up position probably using side mounted brackets with a peg going through the back and fixed in place with an "R" clip .
Side cushions lift off and base slides forward. Oh and we have plenty of room for 2 adults and 2 crazy dogs