Front bench swivel seats

[Whatersname]

Hi all I am new but have read virtually every word written about bongos available on the tinternet! I maybe slightly obsessed
So getting to the point..... I have found a bongo with full side conversion in our price range with lovely body work, nice interior low mileage etc but it only has 1 3 point seat belt on the Back seat. The other 3 seats all have lapbelts. I have 2 kids needing car seats. The front bench has been turned to make a living room layout which is great when using as a day van but can't use the still attached 3 point seatbelt on the passenger side. I am trying to find a way of not having to have this reversed so that both kids can be safe in their car seats. I don't mind that they are in different rows in fact it will stop them winding each other up!

So what's everyone's views on having the front bench converted to a swivel bench so I can use the original seatbelt whilst carting the kids around and then swivel it when using it as a camper? This costs £480
Is there a safety implication of this??

Other option is to try and have a 3 point seatbelt added but have a cupboard in the way and as kids car seats are wide I am not convinced they would slot together well as the back row is tight due to conversion. Anyone care to guess cost if this?

Option 3 is to suck it up and just get front bench turned to face the front - any idea of cost? ( hubby and I not handy at all- yet). Really don't want to do that.

I am planning in getting it undersealed coolant alarm etc and intend to keep it FOREVER, hopefully as kids only small so hoping to get tonnes of use out of it so whilst I am so tight I squeak when I walk I am not adverse to investing in the van.

Thanks in advance.

[Bongolia]

Seat belts can be tricky legally speaking and from insurance point of view too.
I am a bit confused by your post actually. the seats you refer to are excluding the front passenger and drivers seat is that correct?
If yes then the lap and diagonal and the lap belt on the rear forward facing seat is legit, the rear facing seat does not require belts legally, not sure on the kids aspect though.
I suppose it depends on whether there are lap belt secure-able child seats available.
Hope that makes sense however this link may help you
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/choosing-using/faqs/

[Bongolia]

To avoid any confusion, lap and diagonal = three point fitment.

[Whatersname]

Thanks for the response. Need to look into insurance side of things definitely as I am not sure what they would think - they are not crash tested.

Yes there are 2 sets of 2 seater benches. Whilst I understand rear facing seats don't need seatbelts I wouldn't put kids in them. There are car seats that use lap belts but they don't go big enough for my kids and they are almost £200

So the back seats sit 4 in total but only 1 lap and diagonal belt, 3 lap belts - unless I use a swivel seat modification or put the seat into its original position.

Has or would anyone do this? Whilst it quite expensive so are all the alternative's and at least using a swivel seat it uses the factory fitted lap and diagonal seatbelt.

Aarrgghh need to let them know tomorrow if I want the van - which I do but I need to seat my kids safely.

[Bongolia]

Have search of this site , there are a few posts relating to swivel seats, entered "swivel bench seats.
I suppose in the meantime you could put one in the front passenger one in the rear and you sit on the rear facing until you get it sorted.
To add to the mix there are four point racing harnesses that you could fit to the rear facing bench if you were happy with that as a solution but didn`t fancy the lap belt.

[Whatersname]

2 mins after I posted I realised I could do that duh. Hubby would just have to slum it in the back! That would also solve the kids winding each other up bit but would have to negiatate whose turn it is to sit in the front!

Will look into racing harness, that sounds promising. Thanks

[Bob]

Have search of this site , there are a few posts relating to swivel seats, entered "swivel bench seats.
I suppose in the meantime you could put one in the front passenger one in the rear and you sit on the rear facing until you get it sorted.
To add to the mix there are four point racing harnesses that you could fit to the rear facing bench if you were happy with that as a solution but didn`t fancy the lap belt.

Results can be improved when searching by putting 'And' between the words, eg 'Swivel and bench and seats'.

[Whatersname]

Thanks very helpful. Found loads of info. Short term we will use front seat for 1 child, back seat for another and hubby can travel in the back. Aim is to save for swivel bench seat, I like hubby to be co pilot. We will only be doing local trips for this year so it will give us time to save. Great help thanks

[Jimbobvfr400]

I have the same layout, a full side conversion that uses the factory seats but shortened to fit.

I have 2 3 point seat belts on the rear bench.

The right hand side belt uses the factory belt in the cupboard, however the bottom mount shares the seat bolt so it comes through the cupboard. To use the seatbelt I open the wardrobe cupboard and operate the latch so it can't close. The seatbelt can freely move in the gap,
We use 2 high backed boosters for the kids on this rear seat. They're quite close together but fit OK

I do also have the swivel on the middle bench which gives me a 3rd 3 point belt and a lapbelt, or 2 lapbelts when rear facing for adults.

[Whatersname]

Hi jimbob thanks for taking the time to reply. I rang the company that installed it originally and they said they couldnt add a 3rd 3 point seat belt through the cupboard but could mount the unit on the back of the seat?? - it would be £140 ish. So it looks hopeful.

I take it you don't have any safety concerns with the front bench swivel and nor do your insurance company? I was quoted £480 for this from north star. It seems a lot but long term would be good for safely carrying extra passengers. Is that about what you paid?

The other thing I am unsure of.... In the winter we have foreign language students to stay and sometimes have to pick them up and drop them off they are 12yrs plus. Legally and insurance wise am I allowed to carry them on the rear facing seats with a lap belt? My husband has a car so we can usually work it out but it would be better if I could just chuck everyone in my van.

[Jimbobvfr400]

The whole conversion was done by Northstar, they did everything including modifying the seats.
My insurers have no issues, I'm perfectly happy the swivel is upto the task. TBH the middle bench has been travelled in once, not that I'd have any qualms using the seat more often.

[Whatersname]

Thanks jimbob that's good to know. Its pricey so need to save for it. Probably keep one child in front seat for now as it will be a pain putting them both in back as I will have to swivel it each time I want to get both in the back. Now looking at getting another 3 point seatbelt added as it's a cgesoer option. Thanks for the reply.