Hi! New member and reversing rear seat question, again!

[chezynickannie]

Hi new member! just got back from our 2nd weekend away in our bongo which we got courtesy of northern bongo and ian on this very site!
Been up to the dales and after a bit of experimentation have had some great nights away already using the rear/front seats to sleep on(With the added addition of a couple of ikea 25 quid kids mattresses cut to size.
However ally want to reverse the middle bench seat so that it faces the rear where we have a small kitchen unit and a new mdf box seat at I've added..... Although I've heard it's impossible to flatten the drivers/passenger seats down fully if you reverse middle seats, I've measured it up and it looks to be about 5cm out. Is there any way round this without fittings the long rails?

Thanks
Nick

[Diplomat]

Leave the seat how it is, flip the backs down flat, get some cushions and sit on them facing backwards, nice and high up!

I've not tried this but it might work, especially for small children.

Frank


Edit. I've just been out to the van and done a feasibility study. Using a self inflating camping cushion it makes a nice perch if one is not tool tall and it's a tin top. Mine is and I'm quite tall so I'm conscious of the roof but even so it feels more like normal dining chair height.

I had a spell of running with the seat reversed but found that the back got in the way of easily moving things to and from the immediate rear area whilst seated in the front so I canged back to normal and I've never been motivated to return to that configuration, which I think lends itself more to captains seats with a walkthrough space.



Frank

[chezynickannie]

thanks for your reply frank

not managed to log on for a while but in the meantime have actually just gone for it swapped the middle seat around and found that if i tip the drivers and passengers seat fully forward, flatten the middle seats and use 2 boards we can rest them across the gap.
the boards sit between the middle beanch seats and pass/drivers seats when not in use and are now topped by 2 ikea kids mattress (£25 each) which have been cut to shape to fit around the centre console. yest to test it fully but feels comfortable and you can use the back of the pass/driver setas as backrests to sit up in bed. the boards which again have been cut to fit around the console rest on the back of the pass/driver seats and will hopefully stay in place with the weight of us?
we have a rear kitchen unit on ione side and i have just finished building a larger unit of the opposite side at the rear to hold any bits and bobs.
all set to go now- going down to norfolk in mid sep to try it out so will let you know how it works out!

nick

[Oh no Bongo!]

Hello there

I was thinking about doing exactly this to my Bongo using the fact sheet avout reversing the middle seats on Bongo Fury. I too have a weekend unit in the back on the passenger side and have built a same width storage/seat unit on the other so I can sit and cook. At the mo, the driver/pass seats fold flat and butts up perfectly to the flattened middle seats to make the two single beds (feet towards the windscreen) and in this configuration the middle seat just butts up to the back units.

I am not clear if reversing the middle seat will muck up this perfect matching. I would really appreciate your thoughts on your solution to the problem as I would love to have rear facing middle seats. Don't know if you can post pics...?

Many thanks.

[Oh no Bongo!]

Hello again...

I have just re-read the chezynickannie post and realised you were talking about keeping the middle seats fixed and adding boards and mattresses on top of seats backs. Sorry for the misunderstanding!

I am hoping to reverse middle seats, as per Bongo factsheet, so they still slide on short runners and hopefully open flat and still butt up to flattened driver/pass seats and weekend unit. I am hoping to not have to carry boards and mattresses, my objective is to use the existing kit as much as possible.

Any help very gratefully received.

[chezynickannie]

Sorry been a while only just noticed your reply!

I have reversed the runners as well so with the middle seat now reversed I still slide it forward and backwards also on short rails. I have taken to removing the centre console though the middle seats do recline just with the console still in place, I then pull the driver/pass seats as far forward as poss and tilt them forwards as well. I have cut down to ply boards that sit on the high bits of the middle seats and rest for support on the back of the front seats which actually creates a pretty solid double bed, those with longer legs will have to stick their feet through the middle dependant upon what cupboards you have at the back. i will try and get some pics up later if anyone wants to see probably make more sense than my ramblings!

we find it 10 times better with the bench reversed makes it alot more sociable you can also use the back of the driver/pass seats as back rest to sit up and watch telly at night, also with the full width bed even room for 1 small slightly smelly dog!

[chezynickannie]

pics of our conversion if they help, beds look short but are around 5.8ft so my overhang onto the bench which is where we store the cooler box under the cushions.
hope this works

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickanne/s ... 294264054/