Customshop Design double swivel installation

[richm]

Fitting a Customshop Designs Ford Transit Custom Double Seat Swivel in a Transit Custom Limited

Summary
First impressions, the packaging is poor, ours arrived with the legs sticking out of the cardboard box, for a £300 item I expected better.
The base itself is solid and well made with no rough or sharp edges, all parts move freely.
Realistically it is 5 hours work for a DIYer and an assistant.
Patience is required to keep removing the heavy seat base and refitting with spacers/washers to get it level, it will not operate unless fitted correctly.
Some modifications are required to the van, but these are not difficult.
Is it worth it...as this is currently the only double seat option for the Ford Transit Custom, then, yes definitely, despite the slight loss in headroom it makes a real difference to the usability of the campervan.

Our modified installation instructions.
I hope they assist someone

Tools and stuff required
Torx T55 bit ½ inch, eg USPRO from fleabay
18mm socket ½ inch
19mm socket ½ inch
½ inch ratchet
½ inch long levered ratchet (eg torque wrench) or an extension bar
100mm ½ inch extension
Sharp blade (eg stanley knife)
Hacksaw with sharp blade
Release spray
Assorted M12 washers

Customshop Designs photo is attached for reference:

1 - CustomShop designs.png

Installation

1. The day before, spray the Torx bolts (red) with some release spray using a pipe, and spray the thread underneath the van.
2. DO NOT CUT ANY STUDS UNTIL YOU TEST FITTING THE NEW BASE
Not all studs will need cutting
3. Remove the 3 x Torx bolts (Red) using a T55 Torx bit and a Torque Wrench or similar length lever.
Clean the bolts with a wire brush and apply a small amount of grease, these will be reused.
4. Remove the M12 Nut (Yellow2) with an 18mm Socket , will be reused.
5. Unclip the Heated Seat cable under the middle seat
6. Remove the seat
Lift the seat off the studs and maneuver to back of van, with seatbelt still attached (TWO PERSON JOB)
7. Trim the floor mat
With the seat removed lift the mat and place a plywood board under cut lines to prevent causing any damage to cables.
Cut along the blue cut lines with a stanley knife and remove the piece of floor mat

2 - Flooring cut.PNG

I refilled the gap with some 3mm floor insulation
Remember to leave space for the seat base legs and Torx Bolts
Check that all rubber matting and insulation is secured

3- Flooring insulation.PNG

Test fit the seat base.
8. Place in situ, release the thumb-screws to allow rotation of the top plate.
Check if any of the studs are preventing the base sitting to the floor or impeding the top base movement.
In our case the only stud that needed trimming down was the unthreaded location stud (Yellow1)
Customshop Designs instructions do state to trim other studs, if required, I found this was not necessary:
"Trim down 3 x floor studs (ringed 1 x green / 2 x yellow on pic above) leaving 50mm thread on the left stud (green ring) and 40mm thread left on the 2 x right studs (yellow rings)"

9. Installing our seat base
Patience and two people required to keep retesting the seat base.
We found that it was not possible to get the studs on both sides located, identified the cause to be the location stud (Yellow1) was too far left.
See the diagram below, we loosened the 2 T55 torx bolts holding the centre bracket in place (red) and with the help of a hammer persuaded it a few millimetres to the right. (yellow arrow)

4 - Flooring Adjust.PNG

The seat now fitted on all of the studs and the bolts all lined up.
Tested all of the seat locking thumb-screws, all ok.
Tested rotation of the top plate, all ok.
Tightened Torx bolts back up.
Noticed that a 2mm gap had appeared between the top and bottom plates at front right, which prevented us from locking all of the thumb-screws.
Removed seat base and placed a 2mm washer under front right seat mounting.
Tightened Torx bolts back up, all good.
Tightened the M12 nut up, there was just enough thread to tighten the existing flanged nut with no additional washer (Yellow2)
Tightened the new supplied nut and washer down with 19mm socket (green)
Re-tested all worked ok again.

10. Refitted the seat onto the seat base, securing with the 7 x M12 nuts and washers provided.
11. 5 hours later. Complete.

Turning the seat
Lower the headrest to prevent them catching on the roof console
Unplug the heated seat connection under middle seat
Then, follow CustomshopDesigns Youtube video to rotate the seat counter-clockwise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3K4i6W ... hopDesigns

[oneflewover]

Thanks for the write up, done things on other forums and realise how much work goes in to them.

[CustomColin]

I have one of these to fit, it’s been in and back out a few times. The issue is my van is the new facelift version of transit custom (18 plate) and the limited spec. This van has a cable tunnel under the passenger seat that houses all the extra wiring for all the extra gadgets on the van.

The swivel base from custom shop does not fit over or around this and cannot be installed. I’ve sent them tonnes of photos but they are refusing to accept it doesn’t fit.

Warning to anyone looking at this swivel base is if you have the later custom, limited spec, it will not fit without major enabling works.

I spoke to someone who has installed one of these in a similar van (professional fitter) and he had to take off the plastic cover from cables and use carpet tape to protect them and spacers to ensure the base wasn’t impinging any of the cables.

I’ll get it fitted eventually, but certainly more time needed than advertised. I’ve clocked up two days so far.

Good to know it functions once in. Will update forum once it’s in.