Club 80-90 Forums

Does anyone have a r&r bed by these people?
http://autotrimsolutions.weebly.com/34-width.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All his seats are m1 tested except the t25 ones due to having to write off a van to get it.( His words) but uses the same locking mechanism as the tested seats. Sounds promising

The company sent me these pics of a customers van'(sorry if it's your van) looks interesting. Gain a lot of space in the living area but lose storage under the seat. Also no need for a rear platform which I'm now dependent on for storage but I guess you could increase the size of the overhead.
Back rest seems quite high too.

Its a personal opinion but looks a right dogs dinner to me - way too much space lost and rear view mirror now redundant I guess. Each to their own but thats a lot of money for something that isn't quite right. I'll admit it sits back further and perhaps gives more floor space but even so. Would look more at home in a Sprinter possibly.

Others may like it though.

Like the integrated belts, that makes it easier! The idea is good but it does look naff!! Prob make a massive difference is the upholstery was nicer and back Lower!!

Be interesting to see in the flesh!!

Aren't these crash tested seats, with integrated belts, for those vans that don't have any seatbelt mounts already fitted? Surely if you have seat belt mounts in the shell already like most T25s - presumably crash tested, then why would you not just build something much lighter and less bulky instead?

I like the belts too but it does look a very odd and doesn't 'go' with the van at all. I'd also have to find somewhere else to put buckets and spades, flip flops, old sweetie wrappers and various other useless items (D2) if there wasn't storage under the seat.

I would have thought, judging by thickness of seat base and height from the floor (its effectively sitting on the engine deck), that seat backs have to be that high. With a child, their feet are going to dangle (not comfortable on a long journey). It could also be that because they've been crash tested, theres no scope for major changes from that design (ie lower etc) without yet more tests so you get what you get.

Crash tested or not, a well made rear seat that is bolted down with spreader plates would be more than adequate. Its when folk use chipboard and self-tappers that things look worrying.

The rear seat in our Westy is basically a plywood construction with typical rock and roll hinges etc, with the seat belts fixed back to anchor points on the van shell not on the seat, so while the whole thing is a sturdy well fitted construction this is more as a result of it being functional and hard wearing rather than any sense of it being 'crash tested'.

And Westy is at least put together well. Was more referring to home made things held on with L-brackets. Seen a few of those...

I'm about to install a r&r bed and there are l brackets attached to that!

What shall I replace them with, do you have an example of the plates covkid?

Ideally you need to use bolts, through the seat, drilled through the bodywork behind (check where you're about to drill by looking underneath) than use a thick wide washer - ideally bigger than 1 inch or better still short sections of flat bar with a hole drilled in it to act as a spreader plate) then fit the nut. This should stop the bolts being torn out in a heavy impact. Something like these (you can make your own out of scrap) http://www.eliseparts.com/img/up/8d/spr ... -8c003.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - nut doesn't have to be welded on - a locknut would do.

This can present a challenge with a wooden seat but if two blokes could physically wrestle the seat out, the fixings need improving. You CAN use L-brackets but try to use bolts/washers/nuts to fasten them so everything is solid.

Thanks, appreciate the advice!

I will do this where the hinge bracket meets the sloping bulkhead, as for the ply I have one large and now small l bracket, ill upgrade one and bolt as u said!!