OH NO - Another seat question - Please help

[Griffin]

Hi Everyone, been lurking here a while and finally decided to take the plunge and buy a Bongo. Joined the club, read the forums thought I had it all sorted but......... the seats are troubling me.
I don't yet have the Bongo, it'll be with me in 10 days or so but I am committed. After spending ages on here reading I decided I needed 2 bench seats with full lenghth rails so I can have the bench seats facing each other and still use them as a bed. Now I cant find the threads and information that I thought I'd read to show me how to do it.

I've been to see the Bongo today following SVA and the dealer has turned round the middle seats for me but they do not slide - have I messed up and misunderstod what can be done?

I've tried the search and re-read a lot of threads regarding long v's short rails and foam gaps but cant actually find the one that tells me it'll all be ok and how to do it

Apologies to the more informed, I know this will have been asked before, I am sure it will again, anyone fancy doing a factsheet for the Members area?

[Veg_Ian]

The owners manual goes to great lengths to show all the variations of seating arrangements and even gives them individual names. You don't need to reverse them to get them flat for a bed. My advice - wait while you get it home then have a play, you could also get the manual in advance.

[waycar8]

i think he(who has reversed the seats) has reversed the seats but not reversed the runners too.

if he takes the runners out and reverses the runners like he has done with the seat it will slide forward.

[dreamwarrioruk]

firsly remove the trim around the lower of the seats, 2small screws per side and the end covers pull off. Then remove the seat with 4 17mm bolts. remove from the bongo, people say you need help but i found them not as heavy as ive been led to believe.
If you pull back the carpet you will find the runner assembly held to the chassis with 6 14mm bolts. i found it easier to remove these to work on.
From one end remove the retaining bolt which has the washer on and after depressing the locking mechanism withdraw the runner from the guide.
Follow suite with the other runner. Put these into the opposite runner and rebuild and voila sliding middle seat.
If ive missed anything out im sorry, should take about 3/4 hour to do with instructions or 3 hours without any help.

[Simon Jones]

Also depends which seat arrangement you have. If it has the fold up rear seats then these instructions are correct. If the rear seat is a bench seat that uses the same runners as the front, then reversing the rails will just move the problem to the rear. I've not investigated too much, but it appears that only one of each pair of rollers has the lever which is engaged to allow it to slide. Assuming it is possible to get these roller mechanisms out of the runners, then it should be possible to swap left with right to allow the mechanism to engage again.

Martin is the man who probably knows all about seat runners as he has fitted an extra set in his van.

[dreamwarrioruk]

sorry i fogot people have different seat arrangements other than the fold up rears. When i did ours the rails were not universal and the mounting holes didnt line up thats why i removed the rollers within the rails.

[Griffin]

Thanks everyone, still a little confused though. The seat configuration I will have is 2 bench seats and long rails. As per one of the comments above, surely turning the rails around will mean the rear bench seat will not move but the middle one will - which isn't what I need.

Any other suggestions?

[Simon Jones]

Griffin, I think your best option for now would be to put the front set back round the right way if you have any intention of using it as a camper. It will only take you 10 minutes to do. You will find loads of post on the forum about how to do it, but it's much easier if you have someone to help you as they are quite awkward to move. If I get a chance in the next week, I'll have a look at the roller mechanism on mine to see if they can be swapped from left to right which would mean you should be able to get it sliding again.

[Griffin]

Thanks Simon, I'd appreciate any info you have. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome.

[Colin Lambert]

Well I'm going to stick my penn'orth in now, speaking from a position of complete ignorance!
My V reg has two bench seats. The front of the two rows has been reversed and the rails were reversed as well and BOTh SEATS slide! BUT the rear seat does not lock in every position, this is not really very important as it will lock at the back and the front and can make up into a bed.
Imperial did it for me when I bought it so don't ask me how they did it. But it is obviously possible.
best of luck.
I think Pippin has had it done on a new shape drop him a line for his comments.

[white van man]

The rails are handed and dont reverse!! remove end caps at rear of vehicle,remove plastic cover on top of rear edge of carpet,lift carpet carefully so as to be able to remove locking pins in end of rails,bit of a pig to remove sppring clip on one side the other will just tap out,easier to unbolt seats from runners,slide out rear runners,slide out front runners swap front runners side to side and then put back together in reverse order,should do in an hour easily!!!

[Griffin]

Thanks White Van Man, got it, did it, now got 1 reversed and all sliding seats.

[vanvliet]

Did anyone try to fit the long runners to the 'rear fold up seat version'? Someone said that it could not be done but no explanation was given