Rear seat headrest removal ?

[dfps]

Hello,

Not sure if this has been asked before but is it possible to remove the rear double seat headrests completely when not required ?
I find them a real pain that they impinge on the storage space under the seat as they do not fold flat into the back of the seat but instead hang down.I completely obliterated a newly bought plastic storage box becasue the headrest hung down too low when the seat was put in the sleep position.
It means that the area under the seat cannot be fully utilised for storage as space needs to be left of the headrests.---A design flaw in my opinion.

Has anyone removed the headrests and put them back when needed ?

 

[steviej]

I've also been trying to find away to remove my rear headrests. I would love to know if its possible. I had my Cali seats recovered in leather last September - a great job apart from the rear headrests which are a bit untidy underneath. I want to post them back to save myself a drive from London to Nottingham.

can anyone help please.

 

[dfps]

Hi Stevie,

Have just taken another look and I cant see anyway in which they can be removed.The button in the middle only allows them to rotate backwards to that the seat can be laid flat to make up the bed.
Anyone else know better ?

 

[lewisnoble]

I seem to recall that there was a thread about this a while ago, but on which forum I don't know. The conclusion was, I think, that yes it is possible, but involves pretty massive dismantling of the seat assembly or backrest - presumably its built very strongly to conform to crash protection regs.

But yes, they do seem inconvenient if you are not needing them for passengers . . .

 

[Martin]

I also remember reading it would also be an MOT failure if left removed

 

[dfps]

Hi,

I'm not suggesting they be removed when vehicle is in motion, only when the vehicle is stationary when the seat is down in bed mode.
If the headrests slid out rather than hinged and swung back below the seat they would leave a lot more space under that part of the seat for storage.Although with minor engineer modification at the factory it should be possible for them to hinge (and slide out just like all the other headrests in the VW range ).
As it stands when the headrests fold back they drop down into an area under the seat and take up a lot of the area that could be used for storage.
I completely obliterated a brand new plastic storage box which fits perfectly for height under the seats if it were not for the headrests.I found out the hard way that the headrest take up this space when I tried to put the seat down with the plastic storage box in situ and due to the plastic being cold and brittle it just shattered into bits.It was only then that I look carefully at how the headrest actually stow away and how they affect the available space under that area of the seat/bed.

 

[Andy]

As Lewis I also remember reading somewhere how to do this & remember it to be quite an involved job. Not something to be done on a regular basis on a campsite.

Have searched with google but can not find the post.

 

[GeoffB]

Yes, I tried to do this when we got our Cali, anticipating never carrying anyone in the back (apart from the dog) but couldn't see how it couple be done. We never have them up as they cut down the rear vision dramatically, and are a damn nuisance when packing stuff in the back.

Bound to be some b* Euro directive - you must have them, don't question why, orders are orders!

 

[jamie]

Hi guys,

I've done a writeup on how to remove the rear headrests here:-
http://k3yak.com/remove-vw-t5-california-rear-head-restraints-headrest/

 

[Martin]

Great work Jamie, would it be OK if I put a copy of this in the downloads section so it is easy for people to find?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[dfps]

Thats excellent Jamie...... I just knew some clever person on this forum would have the same issues but have the technical capability to find a solution. :goodone

I will do the same to mine but when I get a chance I'm going to ask a realtive who is a timed served engineer and generally a very clever guy to see if there is any way the existing mounts can be re-engineered to fit / add / modify the fitting method to incorporate the same slide in slide out system found on all other VAG vehicles.

If I make any progress I will post it here.

 

[GeoffB]

Thank you Jamie! Fantastic pic of the Cali in the snow, by the way.

 

[peregrinus]

Clever stuff but does this create an MOT failure?

 

[dfps]

Not sure on that one or how insurance would be affected in tha case of an accident --- thats why I want to look to see if once removed the fittings can be modified or re engineered to make the headrests removable exactly like the are on the 2 front seats and every other car in the VAG range.

Can't really understand why VW didn't think of making them removable like all the other VAG vehicles.It probably would have cost pennies at the production stage of the build to have them both rotate back AND be removable.

To my mind its a design flaw or is simply a matter of aesthetics over functionality.

 

[Beachbum140]

Hi guys,

I've done a writeup on how to remove the rear headrests here:-
http://k3yak.com/remove-vw-t5-california-rear-head-restraints-headrest/

Thanks for this Jamie. I have tried it but failed at the first hurdle which is the plastic side covers. Mine have 'wings' that prevent me from lifting them out the way as you have in your pic. If I bend the side cover far enough the get them past the lip of the housing I am sure the side cover will snap. Any suggestions?

 

[Chris Ratay]

Thanks for this Jamie. I have tried it but failed at the first hurdle which is the plastic side covers. Mine have 'wings' that prevent me from lifting them out the way as you have in your pic. If I bend the side cover far enough the get them past the lip of the housing I am sure the side cover will snap. Any suggestions?

Did you figure out a solution?

 

[Chris Ratay]

I came across this on YouTube

 

[Beachbum140]

Did you figure out a solution?

Sorry for late reply- I have been trying to recall what the trick was that got me to solve this but cannot remember. I do remember I gave it some time andbwent back to have another crack at it and all fell into place. Good luck.

 

[Chris Ratay]

Sorry for late reply- I have been trying to recall what the trick was that got me to solve this but cannot remember. I do remember I gave it some time andbwent back to have another crack at it and all fell into place. Good luck.

No worries. Found it on YouTube

 

[Calimili]

No worries. Found it on YouTube

after delaying for so long, thanks to your thread resurrection, today I've removed the headrests from my T6 2019 Ocean.
Bought a non tapered 5mm pin punch, followed the instructions on the video above.
After cutting the little tabs on the first headrest and swinging the side covers up, I put WD40 on the pin/splint. Was it needed or not I don't know, but by doing this I didn't find any of the pins, both for right and left headrest, particularly "stubborn". They just went in as I was hammering with a 1Kg mallet.
I want always to be able to bring the mods back to stock. For me it is important to be able to have the headrests locked in so that they won't pop out in case of accident, in addition to MOT or other checks.
I made a discovery: the Ikea odd shaped screw and nuts provided to connect shelves/wardrobes to another (see pic) happen to be the exact same diameter (5mm), exact same length (2,5cm) as the displaced splint.
Therefore, when I want the headrests fixed in their original place when travelling with passengers on the rear, I just insert the "nut" part with the head sawn off into the hole where the splint was, by holding it from the partially screwed in screw, once in place unscrew the screw leaving the nut in, blocking the headrest from coming out.
When I need to remove the headrests, I just screw the screw back into the "nut" which is now situated in place of the original splints, (friction from the headrest trying to be pulled out is sufficient to avoid the nut from rotating(, then pull the nut out.

This solution is particularly convenient because the splint hole is flush with the body of the headrest swiveling box so no other screw can be used in order for the side caps (the ones with the little rear tabs sawn off) to close perfectly aligned with the headrest box.

 

[westfalia]

after delaying for so long, thanks to your thread resurrection, today I've removed the headrests from my T6 2019 Ocean.
Bought a non tapered 5mm pin punch, followed the instructions on the video above.
After cutting the little tabs on the first headrest and swinging the side covers up, I put WD40 on the pin/splint. Was it needed or not I don't know, but by doing this I didn't find any of the pins, both for right and left headrest, particularly "stubborn". They just went in as I was hammering with a 1Kg mallet.
I want always to be able to bring the mods back to stock. For me it is important to be able to have the headrests locked in so that they won't pop out in case of accident, in addition to MOT or other checks.
I made a discovery: the Ikea odd shaped screw and nuts provided to connect shelves/wardrobes to another (see pic) happen to be the exact same diameter (5mm), exact same length (2,5cm) as the displaced splint.
Therefore, when I want the headrests fixed in their original place when travelling with passengers on the rear, I just insert the "nut" part with the head sawn off into the hole where the splint was, by holding it from the partially screwed in screw, once in place unscrew the screw leaving the nut in, blocking the headrest from coming out.
When I need to remove the headrests, I just screw the screw back into the "nut" which is now situated in place of the original splints, (friction from the headrest trying to be pulled out is sufficient to avoid the nut from rotating(, then pull the nut out.

This solution is particularly convenient because the splint hole is flush with the body of the headrest swiveling box so no other screw can be used in order for the side caps (the ones with the little rear tabs sawn off) to close perfectly aligned with the headrest box.

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Are those bolts Tüv approved ?
If not, you may find that a problem with your insurance
company. In the UK you'd probably get away with it seeing that
everything has gone down the swanny over there.

 

[WelshGas]

Are those bolts Tüv approved ?
If not, you may find that a problem with your insurance
company. In the UK you'd probably get away with it seeing that
everything has gone down the swanny over there.

Did someone mention Tanks?

 

[Calimili]

Are those bolts Tüv approved ?
If not, you may find that a problem with your insurance
company. In the UK you'd probably get away with it seeing that
everything has gone down the swanny over there.

Aren't you familiar with §35a Abs. 2 of the Strassenverkehrzulassungsordnung ??
You must know that headrest are compulsory only on the front seats ! You've problably forgotten that...

§ 35a StVZO - Einzelnorm

 

[Snowman]

I have a T5 Cali from 2013. I can’t shift the C pins at all though I admit that I have inadequate tools, by way of an old drill.
I worry about messing something up, and wonder too if VW ever had a version where the pins actually can’t be pushed in as suggested.

 

[Azteccamper]

I have a T5 Cali from 2013. I can’t shift the C pins at all though I admit that I have inadequate tools, by way of an old drill.
I worry about messing something up, and wonder too if VW ever had a version where the pins actually can’t be pushed in as suggested.

My 2012 T5.1 the same. Hitting the pin so hard that I thought it was an accident waiting to happen. Ended up leaving it - which is a shame as going on a 6 week tour where they’d be better off gone!