Suitable front double seat that folds down.

Hi all
Been getting some great reply’s here with us setting up our future pleasures in autosleeper vans.


We are really close to buying a Topaz 1994 but we have a child that we know will want to sit up front with us and enjoy the drive to wherever we go. I want to remove the single captain passenger seat and replace it with a double which includes the seatbelts within in the frame that bolts to the floor. Also i have seen that some double seats fold forward to be flat and thus might create the ideal extension for your feet when the near side bed is put into position and also act like the captain seat for dining etc even with padded modification to its back ( a simply cushion pad or similar).

What set of secondhand double seats are out there to use from other T4 transporter vans etc for such a modification that ticks our box?
Any advice and particular reference numbers would be much appreciated.
Dai

I was interested to see the Topaz that's currently for sale in Perth, as it has a really good photo of the roof bed (undeployed) that was the subject of your last thread.

As before, my experience is with T5s, but I think the answer will be the same for a T4-based conversion: the best answers are likely to be found on the vwt4forum. Why? Because you want to do what very few other A/S owners would want to.

The reason why double front seats are not favoured for camper vans is firstly because they make getting from the front to the back without opening any doors an awkward task - not impossible, just awkward. Secondly, every camper van needs swivelling front seats (apparently), and making a double swivel is annoying, usually. And thirdly, as a generalisation, double seats are less comfortable. In your specific case you also face the fact that you won't be able to get a double that matches the upholstery of the existing van, though you may not care, or you may be happy with the retrim costs.

Anyway... the point is that you'll probably find better replies in the DIY camper van world than here. One good thing is that if the situation with T4s is like it is with T5s, a double of any description will probably be cheap! Single captain's chairs are the ones that fetch a big premium.

Roopert has pretty much summed this up, if you join the T4/T5 forum lots of very helpful people on there. Again my knowledge is T5 based but in my work / day van I took out the double to fit a singe. If I remember correctly I paid about £300.00 for the single and managed to sell the double for £40.00. On the T5 some of them fold flat but not all so worth checking. You can get a swivel for the T5 double but again not sure on the T4.

If you do go down this route I would suggest not selling the single but storing it somewhere, then if you decide that the double is too awkward or too uncomfortable you can swap back.  Also when it comes to selling the van having the single will be a big bonus. 

You could keep both seats and swap around from time to time, a fairly simple, if slightly awkward due to the bulk, job.

Thanks for the pointers. I will go to that forum.
Obviously I certianly would not corrupt the van permanently and retain the single seat. I'm assuming it simply finding the two other existing bolt holes in the floor.

Anyway, all good fun with these wonderful automotive creations.