Mystery lever behind seat in TRophy

Hi,

Looking at the making up of the single bed on the sliding door side of my Trophy, I notice that there is a lever between the rear of the base of the seat and the wash basin assembly. There is also a handle at the side of the base. All this suggests that by pushing down the lever and pulling on the handle, I can pull out the bas and seat so that it lines up with the front passenger seat. The lever will not push down all the way down its slot and the seat will not release. Am I missing something?

In my Topaz the seat is pulled to the middle by the handle at the back for travelling if you have a back seat passenger, also for making up the bed. as it says in the manual.

Have you tried lifting the handle ? it may need to slide to one side to release, cannot remember now, don`t use mine, found out what it was when I took the seat out for recovering, it is not easy to get out, it is bolted through the floor and difficult to get at. perhaps a squirt of WD40 will help it to be smoother.Will have a look at mine ASA.

Juat noticed the year you have for your Trophy, didn`t think they were built then, but earlier, only built for a very short time as they are on the VW short chassis, and AS added on a pod for the shower area, when VW bought out the long chassis, AS changed to that and called it Topaz.

Best regards,
Margaret

Thank you for your prompt reply. The Trophy seems to be slightly different. By lying on the floor and using a flash light, I can see that when the lever is pushed down, a rod is lifted out of a hole in thefloor. By all reason, that allow the wooden box base to be pulled foreword. There is something else - could be rust on the rails that the box has to run on. I will dismantle the assembly and find out. Asan aside, the seat cushion is held down to two wooden and metal cross members by screws, a very poor arrangement. I am going to replace with Velcro. The lever which is at thebfront of the seat base, which one twists, is connected to a pathetic length of steel which is notched to catch in two upstanding bolts. The length is FAR too long, and I am replacing it with length that lies on the full length of the box and does not ride up from engaging the bolts when used. Autosleeeper should be ashamed of themselves.

I think you might it's a lever to eject the rear washroom.

Yes I know how it is and what works, as I had the seat completely to bits to reupholster, which I did myself, just my view, I wouldn`t like to swop my bolts which I put in to replace the screws, to hold the seat to the steel base, for Velcro, hate to think what would happen in a crash . jmho.

Taking it out and putting back isn`t an easy job. I did mine all through that very hot weather, sometimes up at 3am to work in it when it was cooler, I refurnished all the interior, seats, wall panels replaced the carpet with wood effect vinyl flooring, and I took off the lining carpet that was on the seat bases replaced with wood effect , looks much lighter and cleaner, I did all this myself, apart from my husbands help to fix the bolts under the van to the seat base.

Also stripped the drawer fronts and painted them cream, added new handles.my husband steers clear when I have one of my projects going on, I like to work alone as he does his.

Good luck,
Best regards,
Margaret

for Velcro, hate to think what would happen in a crash . jmho.

HMMM! I see your point. perhaps bolts will be best

To be honest, If I were to choose between the Trophy and the Topaz, I would still select the Trophy, coz the idea of being in a Topaz, on the loo or having a shower and having the tail gate fly open, gives me nightmares!-

In the Trophy the supporting framework of 1.25" steel rods, aka a rally car, to hold the rear extension, were tested almost to destruction by AutoSleeper. I have a Fiamma Cargo carrier bag, mounted on the bike rack, and the idea of lifting up the tail gate against all that weight, seems impossible.

Having had a bike rack plus large Fiamma box on the back of Transit with lifthatch rear door it's a pain to open with almost nothing in the box. The weight means the door gradually closes on you. With bikes on as well it would be impossible to keep it open, or maybe get it open at all. The answer would be to unload the rack before opening the tailgate.

You can buy replacement  struts that lock the door open and you lift slightly to free, but tell any travelling companion they're fitted before they hang on the door trying to close it against the lock. Been there, got the shirt.

As to 'flying open', I've never seen a lifthatch door fly open on it's own, on any brand of van, so I doubt it's a likely event.