Swiveling Seats February 17, 2001, 05:25:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 2100None of the truck cab seats swivels in any model.
Swiveling Seats Reply #1 – February 17, 2001, 05:36:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 2101The passenger seat in my 1987 22' Multi plan swivlels, and I sure do like it. Sarah in Seattle
Swiveling Seats Reply #2 – February 17, 2001, 10:19:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 2109I don't believe the truck cab seats swivel in any of the NEW models. If anyone knows differently, please chime in.Chris
Swiveling Seats Reply #3 – February 18, 2001, 06:24:55 am Yahoo Message Number: 2114I asked LD about swiveling cab seats a few months ago. Their reply was that the seats do not swivel due to recommendations from Ford because of the airbags. So my guess here is LD stopped installing swiveling cab seats when Ford installed dual airbags (when the V-10 debuted?)
Swiveling Seats Reply #4 – February 18, 2001, 06:24:55 am Yahoo Message Number: 2115I asked LD about swiveling cab seats a few months ago. Their reply was that the seats do not swivel due to recommendations from Ford because of the airbags. So my guess here is LD stopped installing swiveling cab seats when Ford installed dual airbags (when the V-10 debuted?)
Swiveling Seats Reply #5 – February 18, 2001, 10:11:40 am Yahoo Message Number: 2116Swiveling seats in contemporary vehicles are restricted by two technologies.Airbag installations want the passengers to be facing into the bag (and belted). It would be bad juju to get whacked in the side; so the seat is locked facing forward.I am not certain of this in the Ford RV chassis, but when the seatbelts are attached to the seat, it is easier for the manufacturers to use a really solid, simple seat mount to take crash loads. Instead of passing the loads to the door pillar, they are reacted through the seat tracks to the floor. A swiveling seat post would complicate the structure, probably increase the cost of the seat mount and add weight.In our up-coming 26.5RB, I'm tempted to remove the airbags. I'd like a more comfortable steering wheel; and I'd like the navigator seat to rotate to look into the lounge area. The navi seat was a great asset to our retired 22' Multiplan.bob phillips
Swiveling Seats Reply #6 – February 18, 2001, 07:47:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 2131Hello Bob, There might be at several things to consider before removing or deactivating the supplemental restraint systems in your Lazy Daze.One if that it would be a violation of Federal Law to do so and your state's department of licensing might therefor be very unhappy. Several states have laws that preclude licensing a vehicle if the Federal law is not complied with and have fines as well.Another is that your insurance company would probably no longer allow for them in their premium calculation and most likely, would not offer you insurance if you deactivated them. If they were not told of the deactivation, it is probable that would be considered an omission of a material fact, which could void their responsibility to pay for any claims that might have been mitigated or prevented by the Ford supplemental restraint system being installed and active.Installations made by Lazy Daze are in accord with the Ford criteria for interface with the E 450 Cutaway Cab RV chassis, which I believe includes the current non-swivel base for the driver and co-pilot seats. I believe the seat belt / shoulder harness upper attach fitting is part of the Ford cab structure, not on the door or on Lazy Daze built structure.We would like to have had swiveling seat mounts in our new LD, and while the existing seat mounts could be deleted and pedestal mounts installed, it would not be in accord with Ford or Govm't requirements for our year and model vehicle. We'll have to leave them as built. We only used the swivelling seats once or twice in our last class C during the three years we had it, so it is not a big deal.We also note that our grandchild will have to grow a lot before he will be allowed in the front passenger seat, as there is no legal way to deactivate the Class C passenger airbag, unlike some pickup trucks. Reason being, the pickup does not have any alternate seat for the youngun.Happy motoring, and may your bags never need to inflate!Don McG
Swiveling Seats Reply #7 – February 19, 2001, 01:22:48 am Yahoo Message Number: 2137Bob,I'm interested in how expensive you think it would be to remove the air bags. I detest those things and thought that it was now legal to deactivate them. You mentioned a more comfortable steering wheel as another advantage, is it expensive to replace the steering wheel? Is that how you would get rid of the air bags? How is it done for the passenger side? Thanks for any info.JH
Swiveling Seats Reply #8 – February 19, 2001, 07:05:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 2153I appreciate the feedback on airbags. I work for GM, and we frequently disable airbags in competitive vehicles to make them safer to test. One thing we do is add a steering-wheel angle monitor so we can know what the car is being commanded to do. It would be ugly to have that device tossed in your face.Most often, if the vehicle is to be sold after our examination, we will just pull the fuse out of the fuse block. This brings on the air-bag (or SRS, SIR, ...) warning light; but it usually goes out without a factory reset when the fuse is reinstalled and the ignition cycled.On the driver side, the airbag really bulks up the steering wheel, and the electrical connection to the detonators is a potentailly troublesom noise maker in the steering column. After removing the fuse (and getting the instrument panel warning light), you can remove the steering wheel, disconnect the airbag circuit and remove it. It should bring a nice return on the automotive black market.Once the steering wheel is off, you can replace it with an aftermarket (jegs.com) wheel and adapter. I don't think the ford F450s have any radio control switches on the wheel to complicate replacement. The airbag light can be disabled by shorting the firing cable through a suitable resistor. Look around for specs rather than trying to measure the detonator.On the passenger side, the removal can be more difficult because the airbag is likely to blow a hole in the dash board cover to get out.I've had two airbag deployments in low speed incidents. Neither has been a pleasant experience, and the bag deployment did more damage than the accident. The azide pressurization burn products stink. The sheet metal flap opened on the passenger side broke out the windshield, and the emerging airbag friction-burned my forearms (mildly).In both cases, my speed was low, I was belted; and the bags provided no benefit.There are cases where the bags will help; but it is extremely important to be belted in behind them. If you are small (smaller than, say the 15th percentile), be certain that the lap belt won't ride up over your pelvis in a crash. Slow motion photography of a smaller person submerging below the lap belt is a really ugly image.may no one's supplemental restraint ever need to be deployed.bob phillips
Swiveling Seats Reply #9 – February 20, 2001, 12:55:07 am Yahoo Message Number: 2162Thanks, I'll keep your info on disabling the airbags. I've talked to a lot of CHP about them and not much of it has been positive. Plus, because they are a hot item on the black market, many cars are damaged extensively in the attempt to steal the airbag. I wish the govt would stay out of the front seat of my MH.
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Topic: Swiveling Seats (Read 16 times)
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