How to fit a 2nd row of seats?

[nediam]

I'm looking at buying a SWB transit (1996 onwards) but require a second row of seats with either 2 or 3 seats.

I've seen a few with seats already fitted but they are some distance from home.

How easy (or is it possible) is it to fit a second row of seats to a standard van? Do I need special fittings or are there fittings already there as standard?

Thanks in advance

[FredTransit]

The seat mountings won't be there in a van, only a minibus. If you get 2nd hand seats with integral seat belts, the belt/MOT thing won't be an issue. Without seat belts, the maximum seats allowed are 6 with the driver. If you might want to take the seats out in the future, might be an idea to make up mounting plates with captive nuts and weld them to the floor. Then bolt the seats to the mounting plates. Double seats are easy to get hold of in the scrappies, triple minibus seats are a bit harder and tend to be sold with the whole set. Allow £50 per seat = £100 for a double and £150 for a triple.

[nediam]

Cheers Fred

That's some good advice and info. Have been looking at some seats on Ebay but also saw a van for sale that had seats out of a Jumbo Jet! They looked great. (unfortunately they weren't for sale with the van )

I take it from your reply that if I fit just 2 or 3 more seats, I won't have to fit seatbelts for them and they'd still be legal?

Have been looking at Tourneo's which solves the problem but they are expensive and a bit hard to find!

Cheers.

[FredTransit]

Cheers Fred


I take it from your reply that if I fit just 2 or 3 more seats, I won't have to fit seatbelts for them and they'd still be legal?

Have been looking at Tourneo's which solves the problem but they are expensive and a bit hard to find!

Cheers.

That's right, legal total number of seats without all being belted is 6, you will of course have belts on the driver's and passenger seats. Wherever you buy the seat(s) from, use the fact they may or may not have integral belts as a bargaining tool! There is a tourneo over in parts for sale, don't know if the seats have gone. If you find a minibus in a scrappie, why not ask if you can cut lumps out of the floor to save you having to make up mounting plates?

[nediam]

If you find a minibus in a scrappie, why not ask if you can cut lumps out of the floor to save you having to make up mounting plates?

Nice idea!

[arcticdreamsibes]

how does that work if you are carrying children on the extra seats

[Luke]

That's right, legal total number of seats without all being belted is 6

you sure about this - if a van is made after a certain date does it not have to have belts to all seats?

[BigMac]

fred if you fitt any seats in the back you must fitt seat belts . as with the seats in my van thay all have belts . when i had my m.o.t thay were all tested and the fixings were tested too . also if you fitt a bed seat in the back you should have lap belts .by law if its a seat it must have a belt . when you fitt seats you should fitt the bass firmly . the best way is through the floor with bolts and plates and nylock nuts . this is what i was told by the m.o.t ministry of transport officer

[arcticdreamsibes]

think you are right aftera certain date they have to have belts however i was told that if the seats are sideways on the van and there are only adults on these seats they are okay
but i could be wrong

Neil

[MrMPuk]

This is a quote from the ROSPA site.

Minibuses and Coaches registerd before 1st October 2001.

When the main purpose of the trip is to transport three or more children, minibuses and coaches registered before 1st October 2001 must have forward-facing seat for each child, fited with either a three-point seat belt or lap belt.

So you don't need belts if you vechile was registered before 1st October 2001 and as long as your not 3 or more children, anything registered after this date must have belts fitted.

[FredTransit]

I actually asked the MOT tester directly about seats. Remember we have the full set, but only the front ones were fitted for the test (driver with 3 point belt, outside passenger same and middle seat with a lap belt.). He told me that if you were to fit a full set of minibus seats, 12 for a SWB and 15 for a LWB all have to have full (not lap) seat belts, regardless of what age the minibus is. Less than 6 seats in total, it's not a minibus and falls within the seat belt regs for the age of van, as if it were a car or people carrier. Mine (86) would not have to have rear belts if it was a car, so same in a down-rated minibus (with some seats taken out.). Side facing seats are excluded, can't see yjr difference if you have adults or kids in them, the seat itself is the same. Remember even small children have to wear seat belts forward facing, if they are fitted. The 6 seat watershed is the key thing. It's right to say rear seat belts have to be fitted, it depends on the age of the van (up to 6 seats). Sorry I was talking about Mk2s. Rmember though many later seats have self contained seat belts attached so if you buy them from a scrappie and retro fit them, they should pass the MOT as long as the total number isn't over 6.

[FredTransit]

This is a quote from the ROSPA site.

Minibuses and Coaches registerd before 1st October 2001.

When the main purpose of the trip is to transport three or more children, minibuses and coaches registered before 1st October 2001 must have forward-facing seat for each child, fited with either a three-point seat belt or lap belt.

So you don't need belts if you vechile was registered before 1st October 2001 and as long as your not 3 or more children, anything registered after this date must have belts fitted.

When you take it for the test, how does the tester know what type of passengers you are going to have? unless of course you have school bus written all over it!

[jonnyshag]

Hi , i have a 3 seater seat , there were out of a midi van , its just a basic seat 6 bolts , i put it in mine but took it out , theres no seat belts , but if you want you can have it for nowt

[bortaf]

I think it all depends on wether it a mini bus or a van, when i converted my LDV ambulance to a camper the MOT tester said nothing behind the fronts seats had anything to do with the MOT as it wasn't a minibus?

[Valsheda]

MY MATES DAD PUT SEATS IN THE BACK OF HIS VAN AND I BELIEVE THE MOT TESTER SAID THE SAME TO HIM AS WHAT WAS SAID TO BORTAF