Re: Which LD 26.5 to choose? Reply #25 – July 10, 2009, 11:07:27 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103822The passenger side on our 97 swivels, but it is a pain to do it. I believe that seat was a replacement unit, it is not stock.Chuck 97RB Skye Central Iowa
Re: Swivel seats Reply #26 – July 11, 2009, 01:42:39 am Yahoo Message Number: 103829Quote My guess is it's a safety requirement. If the passenger should swivel the chair while underway, and there was an accident, severe injury could occur because the seatbelt wasn't connected and the air bag deployed. If it's a safety issue, it's selectively enforced. Coachhouse's Platinum motorhomes, built on the same Ford chassis as the LDs, have swivel passenger seats and front airbags. http://www.coachhouserv.com/ When we were at the LD factory, we asked about swivel front seats, and were told they no longer offer them because of safety issues. I find that hard to believe. I think there are ways to at least allow the seat to swivel when the engine is turned off.Sharon N.Crossville, TN
Re: Swivel seats Reply #27 – July 11, 2009, 12:44:29 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103832We purchased the CoachHouse seat and installed it in a 2006 RB, passenger side, with twin couches. It doesn't really work all that well. We did modify the passenger side couch to allow the seat to swivel enough but it still cannot recline as much as we would like. More modification to the panel between the couch and seat would make it work better. If Roadtrek can do it and make it work certainly an E-450 could make it work. For those who care the CoachHouse swivel is a bolt in modification. The RB party model may work better. The safety issue I believe has to do with the testing/crash testing involved. Coach House did the required testing but I don't know if the requirement is from the lawyers or the NTSB. Off to British Columbia so may not get back to this forum for a few weeks. Harry
Re: Swivel seats Reply #28 – July 11, 2009, 01:07:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103837"I think there are ways to at least allow the seat to swivel when the engine is turned off." Ummm... that would take some engineering work. You'd have to have a constant-duty solenoid that was activated when the ignition was on, built onto the seat in such a way as to lock out swiveling. (And even that would not prevent swiveling the seat first and then starting the engine.) I don't say the kind of interlock you describe is impossible, but it would require substantial alteration of the seat base, and I don't blame Lazy Daze for not wanting to undertake such a modification. As for Platinum's swiveling seats, it may well be that Coach House figures that it's the owner's responsibility to make sure the seat is facing forward so the passenger isn't injured by an airbag hitting them from the wrong direction. You can make a reasonable argument for that point of view, just as you can make a reasonable argument for Lazy Daze's "we're protecting your passenger" point of view. I don't miss being able to swivel the seats--in my midbath, unlike some floorplans, there wouldn't any benefit in doing so--but in my old 1985 twin/king, I kept the passenger seat swiveled 90 degrees to the side so that while driving, I had easy access to the fabric seatback organizer I had attached to it. See photo here:http://www.andybaird.com/travels/gertie/turned_seat.jpg>Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Swivel seats Reply #29 – July 11, 2009, 07:46:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103841Most of the older LDs that I have looked at had seat swivels when they were not factory equipped with shoulder belts. The swivel equipped models had the seat belt built into the seat base so it could be worn when rotated. A shoulder belt needs to be anchored to the floor and side pillar so it provides no protection when swiveled If a swivel seat will work with your floor plan, they are available in the after-market. 96+ FORD swivel bases for stock factory seats (approved for class C or B motor homes) Stock # 113630 and 113631 $189 http://www.discountvantruck.com/rvvanseatbases/rvvanfrontseatbases.htm> On late the model Ford chassis, there is a wire entering the seat bottom. I believe it's a weight sensor for the passenger-side air bag. Make sure the wire is long enough and is positioned not to be damaged when the seat rotates. My brother installed a swivel base in his Winnie (same chassis and seat). He said it was easy and only took an hour to do. A friend, with a 2003 23.5' T/K, was having problems with the passenger seat vibrating badly (a very common problem in the E450 23.5's). After many attempts to cure the problem, he had Butterfield install a swivel base, which fixed the vibration.Larry
Re: Swivel seats Reply #30 – July 11, 2009, 08:32:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103845Quote Yea, there's definitely not any airbags in my 89. Too bad that happened. It is pretty darn nice when you need the extra seating. That's the one mod that I really want to make to our '0623TK. I would love to be able to sit in the passenger seat facing rearward. It would be the best reading spot in the rig. Plus, it would probably resolve the vibration problem in that seat. -- Jon
Re: Swivel seats Reply #31 – July 11, 2009, 10:03:52 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103851QuoteIf a swivel seat will work with your floor plan, they are available in the after-market. 96+ FORD swivel bases for stock factory seats (approved for class C or B motor homes) Stock # 113630 and 113631 $189On late the model Ford chassis, there is a wire entering the seat bottom. I believe it's a weight sensor for the passenger-side air bag. Make sure the wire is long enough and is positioned not to be damaged when the seat rotates. My brother installed a swivel base in his Winnie (same chassis and seat). He said it was easy and only took an hour to do. LARRY: thanks for the link. Before I jump into this, how long is "long enough" for that wire. Without having the swivel base in hand, I wouldn't know what to measure. Is your brother as mechanically adept as you (hard to believe)? How about we fumblefingers types? Still easy? I guess if I get stuck, the Ward RV Repair and Modification Service will take me in. -- Jon
Re: Swivel seats Reply #32 – July 12, 2009, 01:25:09 am Yahoo Message Number: 103853Quote We purchased the CoachHouse seat and installed it in a 2006 RB, passenger side, with twin couches. It doesn't really work all that well. ... The RB party model may work better. The safety issue I believe has to do with the testing/crash testing involved. Coach House did the required testing but I don't know if the requirement is from the lawyers or the NTSB. Off to British Columbia so may not get back to this forum for a few weeks. Harry Thanks for that info, Harry.Sharon N.
Topic: Which LD 26.5 to choose? (Read 25 times)
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Topic: Which LD 26.5 to choose? (Read 25 times)
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