help! removing middle seats - problem with rails

Travellin_Jones · Mar 13, 2015

Evening all. Got a problem with my new beach - hope I'm just being stupid and a more experienced owner on here can point out what I'm missing...

It's a 3-seat bench beach with 2 additional middle single swivelling seats. My job for tonight was to get the 2 single seats out - I failed...

My issue is with the rails. There are section of these which need to come out to allow the seat to be released. The big plastic 'end pieces' (closest to front of each rail) came off no problem using screwdriver as per the manual. However, the manual refers to smaller sections about a foot rearwards which should come off by hand. My rails don't seem to have this, just a break in the rails where the removable pieces should be.

Some pictures below which deslite the poor quality may help clarify what I'm on about.

Does anybody have any idea what I'm missing? Do my rails look same as yours?

hubert72 · Mar 14, 2015

I really struggled with this, no easy way to do it but it has got easier now I have them in and out a few times. You need to slide the strips left to right as you look at them, hard bit is getting them started as where they are joined it is quite flush so nothing to push against, I used a scraper blade to start them off, then you have something to push against, when you have them parted they slide up towards the gap and at some point pull upwards, you can slide from left to right by putting fingers in to the rubber and trying to get a good grip but run the risk of pulling the rubber off as it stretches when you pull, now they have been off a few times it has got easier, just think it's harder when new. A poor design really as it is so easy to cut your self when it finally decides to move.getting them back in is also tricky, I find it easier to give them a wiggle as you slide them back in and it eventually finds it place. I thought about drilling some holes in the strips and using rubber grommets to make it easier in future but seems a shame to drill into the strips on a new vehicle. My spare seat are currently sat on the garage floor until I need them. Another tip is don't under estimate how heavy the seats are.

rippers · Mar 14, 2015

How strange they must have changed the design or thats a manufacturing fault? as my Beach had the inserts as shown in the manual.
It was already a pita to take the seats in and out, that looks even worst hope you can get it sorted.

You can kind of see where the pop out metal inserts are in this pic

Not a Cali but same rails without the aluminium covers in place

hubert72 · Mar 14, 2015

That would explain why the manual didn't make any sense to me, before buying we asked the sales guy how they come out with the showroom model and he had to get someone else to take a look saying it has changed In design and didn't know how they came out. I never gave any thought that it might be a fault or something missing, just thought it was a really poor design. Thinking back the sales guy did cut his fingers while removing them just like I did on first attempt.

rippers · Mar 14, 2015

I'm assuming you guys have very new Beaches so this seems like a either very late change in design or maybe they ran out of parts? scratching my head as to how they got them in there in the first place.

I'm assuming both of you guys specced the middle seats from factory, so there is no excuse to not have the seat mount holes

Have any 2015 SE owners seen the same design change?

rippers · Mar 14, 2015

One other thought are the holes with inserts on the other end of the rails in the boot as I remember having them for the multiflex board and fridge mount

hubert72 · Mar 14, 2015

rippers said:
One other thought are the holes with inserts on the other end of the rails in the boot as I remember having them for the multiflex board and fridge mount

Never had the multiflex board out as yet so haven't really noticed what the rails are like, will take a look in the morning.

rippers · Mar 14, 2015

Scrap that just been thinking it over and there shouldn't be those removable inserts in the back as the fridge mount and multiflex board used twist mounts.. however if they are in the boot maybe they have been installed the wrong way around!

shaun5 · Mar 14, 2015

I just put my fingers in and pull outwards To a right angle. More or a pain putting them back in.

Travellin_Jones · Mar 14, 2015

Thanks hubert and all for the prompt replies. I knew there was more chance of getting the solution here than in the manual! For future ref of others who may have same issue as me mine is a 15plate beach (but with an earlier iteration manual it would seem)

, and below is a photo of the rails with the sections discussed above removed. No fingers were damaged in the making of this image - but I can see the risk exists. Next step, seat removal - wish me luck!

rippers · Mar 14, 2015

Well thats a lot different, I bet they are fun to put back in after the seat is fitted

Travellin_Jones · Mar 14, 2015

Not too bad, you need to push 3-seat bench right back so that there's then room to install and slide back the single seats. These need moved sufficiently rearwards to leave the front of the rails clear to reinstall the removable sections. Not as big a deal as it maybe sounds - once you know how - thanks again all!

tomyost35 · Mar 30, 2015

Hello from Germany! I have a new 2015 Beach and I have the same rails as Travellin_Jones. I had the same issue with the manual not being helpful. Last night it took me a while to figure out how to work them. They slide to the right and then lift up. Reverse process to put back in. If you look at the picture above the "cut out" in the removeable piece allows you to lift the piece up. You have to slide it right until the "cut out" is at the little black piece in the rail itself and then lift up. Not sure about why the change, but it will make it easier to clean out the rail!

ibis64 · Mar 30, 2015

As shown in the picture its pretty easy to take out the middle seats, pop out the plastic insert at the end, the hard bit is figuring out that those aluminum strips need to be slid back towards the plastic insert before you can remove them, then lift them out. Slide seat back over the slot, fold the back of the seat flat makes lifting it easier. They are heavy but not too heavy. Just to add mines a 2015 Beach

larrylamb · Apr 1, 2015

rippers said:
I'm assuming you guys have very new Beaches so this seems like a either very late change in design or maybe they ran out of parts? scratching my head as to how they got them in there in the first place.

I'm assuming both of you guys specced the middle seats from factory, so there is no excuse to not have the seat mount holes

Have any 2015 SE owners seen the same design change?

Yes, our 2015 SE has this new design, my dealer hadn't seen it before either. Should make refitting the seat easier fingers crossed. You do risk cutting fingers removing them :rage

rippers · May 1, 2015

Now we have our 2015 SE I can confirm I have the new seat rail design too. The manual in the glovebox had a extra supplement booklet included on how they are now used. Would anyone like me to scan it?

tomyost35 · May 8, 2015

Yes Please do scan them!

zeratul · Oct 9, 2015

Thanks to the great info in this topic, I just removed my (Beach '15) two middle seats for the first time in just 15 minutes. It's easy when you know how to do it. Prior to lifting the seats out I removed the headrests. They're heavy but doable alone if you have no back injuries.