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Old 04-28-2018, 09:09 PM   #1
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: near Christiansburg VA
Posts: 692
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 44 or 66? 11 rows
Lay-z-Boy for my Co-Pilot ?

Ours is a combo RV/Moving Van, and I need a copilot chair for my dear wife. We also need to move her smallish Lay-Z-Boy recliner. Why not add a seat belt, secure the recliner, and use that as her co-pilot chair?

She will not be reclining in it for safety reasons, and I will be strapping it so it doesn't go "pwang" and open in a hard-braking situation. But I believe I could easily snake the seatbelts along the inside of the arms and just outside the reclining back. The chair and the belts would be secured with Grade 8 bolts and big washers through the floor using the holes kindly provided by Mr. Thomas. I assume I could also do a shoulder belt mount to the side above the windows, too.

Thoughts?

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Old 04-28-2018, 09:14 PM   #2
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Owasso, OK
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Year: 1999
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Rated Cap: 46 Coach Seats, 40 foot
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Originally Posted by Dapplecreek View Post
Ours is a combo RV/Moving Van, and I need a copilot chair for my dear wife. We also need to move her smallish Lay-Z-Boy recliner. Why not add a seat belt, secure the recliner, and use that as her co-pilot chair?

She will not be reclining in it for safety reasons, and I will be strapping it so it doesn't go "pwang" and open in a hard-braking situation. But I believe I could easily snake the seatbelts along the inside of the arms and just outside the reclining back. The chair and the belts would be secured with Grade 8 bolts and big washers through the floor using the holes kindly provided by Mr. Thomas. I assume I could also do a shoulder belt mount to the side above the windows, too.

Thoughts?
My thought is that the frame of a recliner is not strong enough to hold either the seat, or your wife, in an impact.

She needs a vehicle seat. You could use one of the original bus seats if you still have them ... or just pull one from a salvage yard. It doesn't need to be fancy.
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Old 04-28-2018, 09:36 PM   #3
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
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Year: 2002
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Originally Posted by Twigg View Post
My thought is that the frame of a recliner is not strong enough to hold either the seat, or your wife, in an impact.

She needs a vehicle seat. You could use one of the original bus seats if you still have them ... or just pull one from a salvage yard. It doesn't need to be fancy.
I completely agree.

I would lean towards a captains chair out of a van mounted SECURELY with grade 8 bolts and reinforcement under the floor.

I saw one install where they cut a piece of 3/16" plate slightly larger than the seat mounting base and drilled matching holes. The plate went under the floor and grade 8 bolts went through the base, the floor then the reinforcing plate.

I have seen a number of RV's and buses that have been involved in accidents and seen how critical it is to secure everything in your rig.
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Old 04-28-2018, 09:51 PM   #4
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Location: near Christiansburg VA
Posts: 692
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Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 44 or 66? 11 rows
Thanks - ya sold me!
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