Moving stuff around.

daddypine's - Task: Rear Seats
Write up for their project HarveyStatus: 100% Complete

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Task Write-up: 

This was also part of the third layout we did and finished up being used and we are pleased we did.
The Sprinter has as standard I believe, a single drivers seat and a twin passenger seat. What we did was move the twin seat behind the drivers seat, watched e-bay for a single passenger seat (and a box) and did the swap around.
The front bit was easy as the holes in the floor were partly used from the twin seat, and that was just about a done deal. The only thing I discovered here was that there is an SRS cable connected to the centre seat seatbelt. I thought it was something to do with the airbag system but on checking with the dealership I got the van from, they said it basically just retightens the seatbelt in a collision.
So the next thing to point out is that it's ok to disconnect this cable, providing you don't start the engine or turn on the ignition as this brings on an SRS fault light on the dash. Well, I really do know what I'm talking about on that last bit cos sh.. mine came on. Anyway, once the seat was in it's new position I extended the cable into the back and reconnected it again and I knew the light would stay on cos the stealership want money to switch it off, Luckily, my local garage has the software to turn it off.
Where you need to do a little califudging is when you come to put the seat in the back, you'll then notice that it slopes forward because the floor in the front runs uphill.
I welded a lump of angle iron onto the front edge to level things up and hoorah, all was sorted. I whacked some bolts through the floor and put plates on the underside after speaking to a company who put rear seats in vans.
I was concerned about the legality of things should there be an accident or from an MOT standpoint. They said if I was doing it to sell, the way the seat was fixed would have to be tested and basically take a load of up to 3 tons without pulling out but as it was for myself, that didn't apply. I wanted it right for my own peace of mind as my granddaughter would be riding there some of the time.
It then left a seatbelt short. The guy at the seat place said for MOT purposes, they would be quite happy at the test if it just has a lap belt, so I hope he's right cos that's what I've done. It's due for test next month so time will tell!
I planned, and have since, fitted my two leisure batteries under one side of the rear seats, worked a treat. Used two Bosch S5 100amp batteries. wanted 110amp but they were 40mm longer and they would not have fitted in there had I got them.
UPDATE!
Took it for the test, it passed no probe and the tester didn't even look to see how things were fixed, wether a lap or seat belt was fitted, he seemed far more interested in the conversion (though he did have a look inside)

UPDATED Seats now recovered and rear seats constructed and upholstered, Very pleased with the results

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