Club 80-90 Forums

Hi All,

First time poster! My main battery has died on my 86 Joker Hightop and am attempting to replace it but it seems that I need to take the seat off in order to remove the existing battery! Which is fine but I cannot for the life of me work out how to slide the thing off- grrrr.

They are the standard swivel isri seats that came with the Joker ( brown striped fabric and all!) and I cannot see and hook or latch to slide the seats off the rail. Is there one? Or do I have to undo the bolts on the swivel plate and remove the whole thing?

Who knew replacing a battery would take so much time

My velle seats have a hook that needs to be lifted when sliding the seat off.Dont know if yours have though.

Thanks Rob, I have been trying to find just that type of thing but either it's not there or I have a selective blind spot...

Seems odd that there would be no other way than to remove the swivel bit to take e seat off to replace the battery!

R0B wrote:My velle seats have a hook that needs to be lifted when sliding the seat off.Dont know if yours have though.

Once the seat has been released from it's runners and removed spin the swivel plate 180° for complete access to the battery compartment

Cool- only problem is that there is no hook/ lever anywhere to be found on the passenger ( RHS) seat on either side. Are the seats released differently on a Westy?

There is a little round metal circle thing about the size of a ten pence under the seat in the middle of the front side. Press this down and the seat swivels. You will have to let the handbrake off to get the seat to swivel all the way.

If you then turn the seat 90 deg so the front is facing the passenger seat and then use the forward/aft adjustment you can slide the seat all the way out the door.

The swivel plate will need to be moved another 90 deg to get the battery out. Best to mark the front of the swivel plate with a bit of sticky tape so that you remember which way the seat goes back in.

fooster wrote:Seems odd that there would be no other way than to remove the swivel bit to take e seat off to replace the battery!

Revolve the seat 180 degrees and slide it as far towards the front of the van as you can.

I just open the engine lid and there the battery is!
Hiding yours at the other end of the van to the engine is a crazy idea .

horns wrote:

fooster wrote:Seems odd that there would be no other way than to remove the swivel bit to take e seat off to replace the battery!

Revolve the seat 180 degrees and slide it as far towards the front of the van as you can.

Yep, definitely works - I've had the (starter) battery out of our Club Joker without taking the seat apart.

Not sure it'd work with the leisure, though - some pilchard put a kitchen in the way. Mebbe taking the steering wheel off...? <grin>

AdrianC wrote:Not sure it'd work with the leisure, though - some pilchard put a kitchen in the way. Mebbe taking the steering wheel off...? <grin>

Yep - it's a bit tricky with the steering wheel in the way, but still less faff than taking the seat out.

Isri seats are different - you have to remove them to get the battery out. I've just had to do it. First swivel your seat through 180 degrees so its facing forward, then slide it as far forward as it will go. Then you have to release the locking catch.

I dont have any pictures but essentially its an L shaped piece of steel that is on the inside of one of the runners, you can press it up with your hand from the rear of the vehicle (after the seat is turned through 180 degrees), or with a long screwdriver from the front. With it pressed up the seat will slide further forwards and right off, without any need for removing the sterring wheel.

Great! - when you say the l shaped bit of steel is on the inside of the runner do you mean on the side of the runner that is underneath the seat? Ie so you have to reach underneath the seat to fiddle with the release catch?

I don't think red wine wil mix too well with van fiddling at this time of the night Tempting tho....

Mr Fudge wrote:Isri seats are different - you have to remove them to get the battery out.

If they're the standard Westy Joker ones in brown that the OP mentions - then no you don't. I've had my leisure battery in and out several times without removing the seat.

i took my isri seat out of my joker when i replaced the battery...tried lots of different positions before resorting to this

I took mine out the first time too, before I realised you didn't have to.