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Old 04-12-2008, 02:34 PM   #1
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

shortbus, I am with Smitty on this one. I think trying to mount proper bolts through the floor is going to out you near the tranny and or drive shaft system. That would be messy and hard. I would think any changes from standard is not going to go over with the insurance company. I had a hell of a time just trying to get a company to insure my bus period. My bus is pretty much a factory school bus.

My problem is that my wife wants me to change out the current seat with something more comfortable so that she will drive it.

I did not think the seat was too bad but I wonder if a different one will be anymore comfortable. I have found a seat seller that resells brand new seats that were taken from conversion companies. I can get a decent seat and base for $35.

What do you guys think?

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Old 04-13-2008, 12:00 PM   #2
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

your drivers seat os the standard chevy van seat with the steel mount thats bolted to the floor the captains seats i salvaged out of my 88 chevy parts van will bolt in but you must remove the standard seat base if you get a rear captains seat it will swivel and will bolt to the floor with the floor plate the great thing about the rear captains seats is that the seat belts are attached tto the seat as one unit these are the best to use as far as i can see it would be tough to mount in the middle id go with somewhere else timbuk
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Old 04-13-2008, 06:37 PM   #3
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

safety aside, i like to have a co-pilot on bus trips. good for looking at the map, and gives me someone to talk to when driving for hours and hours.

i never mounted a seat....a cooler is good to sit on, and easy to move out of the way. I also used a peavey cabinet speaker for a co-pilot seat. I know another guy who used a swing that was bolted through the ceiling with a large eye-bolt and could easily be moved out of the way when not in transit.

in an accident sitting on a cooler wouldn't exactly be safe.....but seems like most skoolies have plenty of things inside that would fly foward and crush the driver and other passengers if the bus were to ever run into a brick wall at high speed, so what's the difference?
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Old 04-13-2008, 11:24 PM   #4
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

Quote:
Originally Posted by lapeer20m
in an accident sitting on a cooler wouldn't exactly be safe.....but seems like most skoolies have plenty of things inside that would fly foward and crush the driver and other passengers if the bus were to ever run into a brick wall at high speed, so what's the difference?
Most of us go so slow by the time we get there the brick wall would have moved on.

On the way my original driver seat was mounted it was only in with 4 self tapping bolts that were maybe 5/16 or 3/8 I can't remember exactly what size. My new seat is using large washers underneath. As for a shotgun seat it is behind me as I didn't have the room up front for it unless I decided to close the door off and make a new door further back but then with my lift door it would be hard to do that unless I reversed the way the lift door opens.
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Old 04-15-2008, 03:02 PM   #5
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

I have only got liability insurance so if you are hurt riding with me you can sue me to death, good luck. That being said I installed a wal mart boat seat Like this:
So that I can do this:
Dave
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Old 04-16-2008, 08:46 PM   #6
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

Working for a heavy truck dealer has it benifits I guess.... I replaced my drivers seat and also added in a co-pilot seat using a pair of Air Ride truck seats...just bolted the bases through the floor the same way the original seat was bolted in.
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Old 04-23-2008, 11:34 PM   #7
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice


Whoa.... I've seen some of those boat pedestals, and I was not impressed. And that one looks... rather spindly. You would not want your seat to give way when you hit a big bump at speed.

Millicent has this very stout swivel pedestal that I found on eBay:



It looks like 1970’s van conversion technology -- very strong and heavy. Bolts to floor like a commercial truck seat.

And gives me...




...immediate access to dinner -- if somebody cooks it.

Seat is a six way power Hyundai Santa Fe, because... it was free.

When you bolt a seat to the floor, you use huge thick washers underneath. Nuttin' to it.
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Old 04-24-2008, 07:13 AM   #8
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

Thank You Elliott,
for your concern. That seat base is very heavy aluminum and is quite old as in they don't make um like that any more old. I assure you it is quite safe and I am confident that my family and myself are in no danger due to the seat.
once again thank you for your concern,
Dave
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Old 04-24-2008, 10:42 AM   #9
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice


Good, good. Glad to hear it, Dave. I've seen some very flimsy boat pedestals lately -- part of the ongoing crappification of things these days, I suppose. That's why I mentioned that mine seems to be from the 1970s -- it is built like a Sherman tank. Thanks for giving that thing a second look/thought -- now I can sleep soundly again.
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Old 12-10-2008, 01:22 AM   #10
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

Quote:
Originally Posted by ShortBus
It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I think you guys are right. I was thinking if I bought a seat + mount out a van or car, that I could just mark the areas where I need to drill, and stick some grade 8 bolts in there and give them all the torque I can put out. It would just be nice, less rude, and more convenient to have at least one passenger up in the front with you when you're driving. I know of a few people who have/do restore vehicles, and a lot of them frequently are replacing their seats. Would it be any different if I had a professional auto body shop, or even my mechanic install a seat, or would that not help the 'approved mount' factor?

The seat I have in there now is okay, it's kind of yellowed-out and musty, but it seats comfortably. A captains chair, or two, would be such a nice addition. I'm just not sure what my seating options will be for my future passengers, there will be a small dinette and a loveseat, but those will still be a ways back from the driver. Darned insurance companies really push the little things to the limit.
Did you ever put a seat in there? I have a short bus too and am in the process of mounting a passenger seat on mine. Looks like you have even less room than I do.

As for the seat itself, why would a passenger riding in a homemade "dinette" without a proper seat belt make an insurance agent more happy? It wouldn't.

Look at how seats are mounted and mount yours even more secure and you'll be fine. Mount your seat belt even more secure and you'll be better.

-Ray
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Old 12-10-2008, 09:14 PM   #11
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Re: Changing front seats - need advice

Just FYI, you can get seat pedastals HERE
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Old 01-08-2023, 07:35 PM   #12
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seats

The big thing is where you anchor your seatbelt. It will hold you and the seat if done right and you wear it. If you anchor the belt to the seat you are asking for trouble.
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Old 01-09-2023, 08:16 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gottabus View Post
The big thing is where you anchor your seatbelt. It will hold you and the seat if done right and you wear it. If you anchor the belt to the seat you are asking for trouble.
You may be a tad late with this advice....this was/is an ancient thread.
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Old 01-09-2023, 09:42 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gottabus View Post
The big thing is where you anchor your seatbelt. It will hold you and the seat if done right and you wear it. If you anchor the belt to the seat you are asking for trouble.
Like BYC said, that discussion is about 13 years old so I hope they got it sorted out by now.

I would respectfully, but strongly, disagree with any suggestion that your seatbelt should also function to hold the seat in place. If the seatbelt holds you down but the seat is free to come loose, you're going to get squished between the seat and the belt. On lots of bus and semi seats, the seatbelt is anchored to the seat...but there's an additional tether between that point and the floor...so the first line of restraint is the seat anchor, but if the seat moves it doesn't tighten the belt and pinch you in half.
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