camper seating/belts

[optimistic]

Hi new to the site and it looks great and informative and wondering if anyone could help.
Just got a 1988 swb Mark 4(I think!) petrol camper with pop-top and original Marquis conversion, with back kitchen. The seating in the back is basically two forward facing seats with seat belts which fold out to make two benches /double bed (one actually stays as a bench at present). My problem is I have four kids and a wife( they are not the problem, well...)and I would like to add extra forward/back facing seats with belts so all four kids can travel safely in the back.
Not sure whether to just sell it... or try and configure a way round the problem. Is it possible to put in extra seats/bench with seat belts or do the belts' anchorage points have to be in specific locations . Bit of a chicken and egg thing!
Any help would be much appreciated, thanks a lot
Tim

[angus]

Hi Tim,
I have a MK1 camper and had the same problem with seating. In fact i had no seat belts in the back and the seats faced inwards. I am not sure whether you can do a similar thing or if you have the room but I got two rear seats and seat belts from a suzuki jeep. These I mounted in the floor and when not in use they fold up, the back rest folds onto the seat part and then the whole seat hinges forward onto its front edge (in our van they fold up against the back of the front seats). When they are in use they lock down securely. We now have 4 seats with seat belts. Hope this helps, Angus.

[optimistic]

Thanks Angus ,
It seems one way to go.Did you have to find predrilled anchorage points in the floor or is it possible to install belts "anywhere" ? Presumably your seats had belts attached to them rather than to the floor? I have read a double seat needs to be able to withstand a ten ton impact "load" in testing??
My other thought was can I make a seat out of ply (like all the others, and indeed a lot of other conversions) and then install belts to the floor? Brain a bit frazzled!
cheers

[jnwferguson]

Hi you can fit belts anywhere but you have to have spreader plates underneath to spread the load if you just bolt through the floor they could pull out in an accident ideally the plates should be welded in rough size is about 3 in or 4 inch square and fairly thick unless you can fit to a chassis member.
cheers jim.

mk2 camper
mk2 4x4

[optimistic]

Thanks Jim,
That's very helpful, it's cleared up my confusion!
Cheers

[Nadjenka]

Sorry to intrude, but I am interested in this topic too... Someone at ACE meeting told me (and I am SORRY that I didn't remember who it was ) that you should have the seats facing only forward or backwards as you are saying in the first post too... Is that right? Is that the only legal way to face them?

[pippin]

Side-facing seats are a total no-no.

Apart from the legalities of seat belts being totally ineffective, your passengers would be travel sick within a few miles.

[Nadjenka]

Thanks, I was curious about that. My plan is to fit forward facing seating anyway (I hate travelling backwards), just wanted to make sure I got that info right...