monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 You will not find them in the cockpit of a aircraft. To turn them 180 degrees can be very difficult. Who makes the base( Assume china mass product) And who the swivel turn table. In my case i have to open both doors. but have a low off-set handbrake which can be engaged. Fiat ducato does not have this and others. What is your experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 My Fiat Ducato PVC has two swivel seats and they operate smoothly with no problems or fouling with the doors although you can only turn them fully round in one direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 My van has swivel bases which I think are Fiat OE, they work quite well, but if seat is pushed completely to back of runners they will foul doors. WildAx use some other aftermarket swivels and they are not so good, I don't think it's possible to swivel them without sliding seats forwards and backwards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Arm rests get in the way when swivelling our seats, especially the driver seat unless the steering wheel is adjusted to its lowest settings. Handbrake doesn't affect the swivel but it does mean the handbrake is low down and is a good stretch to release. There are several firms that make swivel seats. This link shows after market swivel bases. The text says FASP are the most popular and "fitted to most Motorhomes as standard by the manufacturer". https://www.outdoorbits.com/motorhome-seat-swivels-c-156_25.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Monique now owns a 2018 Westfaia Kepler One motothome (which I thought used to be identified from the information in her forum Profile’s ‘Location box’). The Kepler One model is based on a Volkswagen T6 that - as will be evident from the data on this link https://www.westfalia-mobil.com/en/modelle/modelluebersicht.php is significantly narrower than a Fiat Ducato. The photos of the Kepler One’s interior https://www.westfalia-mobil.com/en/modelle/kepler/kepler.php show that the cab seats (each with twin arm-rests) are quite wide, so it’s hardly surprising that fully rotating them is trickier than with a Ducato, or that the cab doors may need to be opened to allow this. “Sportscraft” seat swivels suitable for VW T5/T6 vehicles are advertised as being made in Germany, but I would not have thought it matters where the swivel ‘plate’ originates from as it’s the limited space in the T6’s cab that complicates swivelling the seats not the design of the swivel mechanism itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 My partner not me did some study on this. Here it comes: On a A class burstner fiat ducato whit Aguti ball bearing swivel seats the hand brake should be fully down which is a safety risk if you are not in park position whit first gear on. And the steering wheel fully up and forward. And vice versa when you leave. As Derek clever noticed the B- pillars on a vw t6 are smaller in wide. I turn open doors like my fiat and have a hand space free on the b pillars thanks to Chris Evans UK california VW, which is not the same as westfalia which use a long wheel base + 40 Cm. That is the swivel, but another thing what are they building under these swivels like two leisure batteries, he also his expert in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 This 2016 YouTube video explains how to rotate the swivelling cab-seats of a VW California. For filming reasons the swivelling method shown for each seat involves having the appropriate cab door open, but it seems that the manipulation required to swivel the driver’s seat would be much easier with the driver’s door open even if it is actually possible to rotate that seat without opening the door. There have been many motorhomes with swivelling cab-seats where one or both seats will need to be fiddled about with before they can be rotated. And it has not been possible to rotate through a full 180 degrees the swivelling cab-seats of quite a few motorhomes because something (eg. a bulkhead, floor-mounted gear lever or handbrake) inhibits the rotation. But any seat rotational limitation ought to be apparent to the motorhome buyer, who will then need to decide if the limitation is such that the vehicle should not be purchased. My Fiat Ducato-based Rapido motorhome has Fiat factory-fitted swivelling ‘Captains Chairs’ cab-seats. I have removed both armrests from each seat, but - because of the seats’ positions when the motorhome is being driven - each seat still needs to be slid about in order to rotate it fully. So what? - I never expected that I could rotate the seats without first adjusting their position on the swivel-plate. If I was in the market for a VW T6-based motorhome I’d be well aware that its cab was narrower than a Ducato and, consequently, I’d anticipate that rotating the VW’s cab-seats would be no easier than for a Ducato and quite likely would be more difficult. If fully swivelling the VW’s seats was facilitated by opening the cab doors, that’s what I’d do and accept that it was a predictable ‘penalty’ for choosing a base-vehicle with a narrow cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptSteve Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-07 4:54 PM You will not find them in the cockpit of a aircraft. To turn them 180 degrees can be very difficult. Who makes the base( Assume china mass product) And who the swivel turn table. In my case i have to open both doors. but have a low off-set handbrake which can be engaged. Fiat ducato does not have this and others. What is your experience? I have just joined your forum, after being directed by one of your members, Keith, and this is my first post. So please bear with me and and any posting errors. Having just recently moved on from VW California’s I can say that there is no hard and fast way to make it easier. There will always be an amount of fiddling to do it, and I have always found that there is no way of avoiding having to open the door. One thing that I did learn was that once I had worked out how far the seat had to be moved back on the rails, I marked it so that I always had a marker on where to start, especially on the drivers side. Then the fiddling was done moving the seat back up with arms up and down to get it round. The handbrake is always an issue, less so on a flat site, but you still have to release it for the seat to swivel. My new van has a folding handbrake, hopefully VW will move to that one day, it would make it a lot safer. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 CaptSteve - 2019-02-08 8:14 AM I have just joined your forum, after being directed by one of your members, Keith, and this is my first post. So please bear with me and and any posting errors. Steve Hi Steve and welcome!!! Look forward to seeing many more posts from you over here. Cheers, Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Anyone might consider removing the arm rests if this would allow easier movement of seats I've done this to my vans as never used the armrests also makes it easier to pass between the seats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-07 3:54 PM You will not find them in the cockpit of a aircraft. To turn them 180 degrees can be very difficult. Who makes the base( Assume china mass product) And who the swivel turn table. In my case i have to open both doors. but have a low off-set handbrake which can be engaged. Fiat ducato does not have this and others. What is your experience? Monique. Do not fight the seats. Work with them. You cannot use other swivel seats or bases. They are purpose made for your van. Learn to work with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 There’s a thread on the VWT4 forum that describes removal of a cab-seat armrest https://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=355513 The armrest in the photos looks similar to those shown on the VW California YouTube video, but it’s not plain what the advice in the thread "Remove the M10 - 12 splined bolt from pivot and remove arm rest from seat” actually entails. It was obvious with my current Ducato how the armrests were attached to the seat, so their removal was straightforward. I can’t recall how the single armrest on each cab-seat of my previous Transit Mk 6-based Hobby motorhome was attached, but I don’t remember having any difficulty removing them. The two armrests fitted to each cab-seat of my first motorhome (a Ford Transit Mk 5-based Herald) were trickier to remove as (If I remember correctly) each armrest had a tube that plugged into a socket welded to the seat’s metal frame and the seat’s upholstery fabric needed to be displaced to access a socket-head bolt that locked the tube in the socket. Although removing the inner armrests from a VW T6’s cab seats should definitely facilitate moving from cab to living-area, even if all four armrests were taken off it might still be necessary to open the cab doors to rotate the seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptSteve Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Many thanks for the welcome, Keith. There is a bit of detail in this YouTube video describing how to take the arms off of a VW California, if they are the same? Start watching from about the 4 minute mark. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Excellent - the YouTube video makes it clear how to remove the armrests and also what the armest and seat connectors look like. A good guality correct-size Torx bit should be used to avoid any chance of mangling the head of the bolt that connects the armrest to the seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 It is possible to do it whit doors closed. But the steering wheel seat is tight. But has a lowered handbrake modification. And i was fully a where of that seeing in the showroom of my dealer. Apparently you do not understand what downsizing means And that was the goal, and perfect fits my purpose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-09 6:31 PM ...Apparently you do not understand what downsizing means... I’m not sure who the “YOU” is meant to be in that sentence, but the Collins English Dictionary defines the verb “downsize” as follows 1. to reduce the operating costs of a company by reducing the number of people it employs 2. to reduce the size of or produce a smaller version of (something) 3. to upgrade (a computer system) by replacing a mainframe or minicomputer with a network of microcomputers Use of the word has become commonplace where domestic housing is concerned “We have downsized from a luxurious 5-bedroom detached house to a pokey 1-bedroom flat” and motorcaravanners have mirrored this regarding motorhome size “We have downsized from a huge Burstner A-class motorhome to a tiny Westfalia campervan.” When it comes to motorhome significant downsizing, I would have thought the primary negative - reduced interior space and the potential effect of this (like cab-seat rotation being trickier) - is so self-evident that it does not need highlighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Monique, I do not understand your argument. To downsize ... all things are down in size (smaller). Its like riding an adult bicycle and changing to a child size, you have to make yourself smaller or adjust to what you have. It has nothing to do with aircraft or China or Fiat ... Monique its YOU who has to downsize. Try before you buy is always the better approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 The front floor plan and the holes in it are the base for the seat pedestal. On which a swivel is mounted. And above that the seat itself. In the case of a VW - T6 and LWB and only two front seats very simple. But very narrow to the driver seat B- pillar. The passenger side is easy. But driver seat can be turned whit handbrake on and doors closed. More easy whit doors open. Aguti has option on t6 whit asymmetric 20mm table to incline inside to make it more easy. That is the story, and you can put batteries or electric under it by height options. And i was aware of this before buy. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 Derek you seem to be becoming blind folded. Downsizing is normal on RV vehicles. I did it because my partner which is as old as you decided do do so. Turn it in a daily car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-10 6:02 PM Derek you seem to be becoming blind folded... That’s possibly because I don’t understand your postings... Some forum-members have ‘downsized’ from a large coachbuilt motorhome to a small campervan; others have ‘upsized’ from a small campervan to a large coachbuilt motorhome. Many have started out with a caravan and then changed to a motorhome, and some have then changed back to caravanning. Presumably all of these people have had valid reasons for the choices they made, but whatever those reasons were they will not have affected me. So why do you appear to think that it would be any business of mine that you’ve followed your partner’s wish to buy a ‘car size’ vehicle, or that I might somehow be critical of your decision? I’ve no interest in owning a smaller motorhome than what we have now. In fact, if I had my way we would not own a motorhome at all. But my wife (probably correctly) says that, if we did not own a motorhome, she would rarely have a holiday. So, just as you’ve acceded to your partner’s wishes, so have I. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 Monique monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-10 6:02 PM Downsizing is normal on RV vehicles. . The VW - T6 is not an RV it is a camper van and where everything is different. It is you who are blindfolded because you cannot see there is a difference. The only answer is for you and your partner to each have a different vehicle. monique.hubrechts@gm - 2019-02-10 5:50 PM And i was aware of this before buy. :-D Then why did you buy it Monique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 11, 2019 Author Share Posted February 11, 2019 To the last two posts. I do dog agility festivals. Like cycle cross etc. A big around of vehicles where they can sleep in. Or caravans and tents. About 350 dog runners. To move out their site is a problem, because they stay mostly on farmers green grass land. The whole Scala of brands is their. My partner being technical liked it. And is sparring partner in the club. I do understand your choices on RV when leaving to the continent. And regret the Br-exit. As you had dominant presence in Europe before. Have a look at continental railways.But a motor home is not a thing that can take your live looking out of the cathedral. It is just a dinky toy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 11, 2019 Share Posted February 11, 2019 Monique, A wonderful choice of words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted February 15, 2019 Share Posted February 15, 2019 Will86 - 2019-02-11 10:12 AM The VW - T6 is not an RV it is a camper van and where everything is different. It is you who are blindfolded because you cannot see there is a difference. Surely any vehicle used for recreational purposes could be referred to as a RV regardless of it's size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Certainly ... but it was Monique who muddied the waters with her many different titles, there are plenty of T6 VW's on the continents but I doubt any are called RV's. The name fits America because most things are RV size and often lived in for whole seasons as they move south and north according to their weather patterns, hence their ability to provide a "recreational space". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.