Rear seat removal

[Simon2]

I have a 2013 California SE and attempted to remove the rear bench seat but gave up manly because of fear.
I wonder if anyone has been able to remove their rear bench seat and if so do they have any helpful advice after their own experiences.
As a point of interest I imagine the California Beach seat would be even heavier - if it can be removed?

 

[McMeefia]

I wouldn't recommend it. Very heavy, we were terrified of damaging the van or seat and I'm not sure the seat needed as much wiggling to lock in the rails before it was taken out.
Next time I'll slum it and rent a Transit
Matt

 

[T5WOB]

took my one out when we did the carbon wrap on units .have to pull the plastic floor clips out middle and endow railes .there is like a nut bolt thing out the end of one of the rails .have to pull it out .there is a small hole on side of the seat this will realise .seat from runners .now you need 4 men push screwdriver in the hole and lift .

 

[The Fockers]

Raising a dead thread here but I just tried to remove my rear (2 seat bench) seat and failed because the notched clamp is too long to lift out of the hole. Difficult to see in the photos but when one end of the clamp is level with the end of the slot, the other end is still under the rail by about three notches.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

Raising a dead thread here but I just tried to remove my rear (2 seat bench) seat and failed because the notched clamp is too long to lift out of the hole. Difficult to see in the photos but when one end of the clamp is level with the end of the slot, the other end is still under the rail by about three notches.

View attachment 130339

View attachment 130340

Have you removed the stop in the track ? Might be in the wrong position.

 

[kurienp]

Raising a dead thread here but I just tried to remove my rear (2 seat bench) seat and failed because the notched clamp is too long to lift out of the hole. Difficult to see in the photos but when one end of the clamp is level with the end of the slot, the other end is still under the rail by about three notches.

View attachment 130339

View attachment 130340

How are the rails held in place? Is there a small flat head screw holding it down? Loosen that to give some leeway at the end.

Or remove the screw completely from the notched clamp and see if that helps.

 

[secret lemonade drinker]

The T6 beach had large removable sections of rail cover which made seat removal easier

 

[The Fockers]

Have you removed the stop in the track ? Might be in the wrong position.

I have. I actually read the F... manual (RTFM) before attempting this. As you can see (just) in my pictures, I had the clamp thingy lined up with the hole in the rail but it's too long to come out through the hole.

 

[The Fockers]

How are the rails held in place? Is there a small flat head screw holding it down? Loosen that to give some leeway at the end.

Or remove the screw completely from the notched clamp and see if that helps.

The rails seem to be screwed down onto the chassis.
Which screw on the notched clamp do you mean?

 

[The Fockers]

Does anyone know how to remove the drawer? I can't see an obvious way to lift that out to get "inside" the seat.

 

[The Fockers]

The T6 beach had large removable sections of rail cover which made seat removal easier

The removable sections on mine need to be about 2" longer to allow the clamp to come through.

 

[kurienp]

Does anyone know how to remove the drawer? I can't see an obvious way to lift that out to get "inside" the seat.

There are two screws on the inside front bottom of the drawer. Remove these and you are able to lift and pull the drawer out. It will be easier working on the rails with the drawer out.

 

[kurienp]

The rails seem to be screwed down onto the chassis.
Which screw on the notched clamp do you mean?

Correct. First remove the screws on the end stop clamps. Then loosen the screws holding the rails to the chassis give you some leeway to remove the end stops.

Is yours a new van from the factory or did you pick it up used?

 

[The Fockers]

Correct. First remove the screws on the end stop clamps. Then loosen the screws holding the rails to the chassis give you some leeway to remove the end stops.

Is yours a new van from the factory or did you pick it up used?

It's a 63 plate T5.
If I were to loosen the channels, I suppose the seat might be able to slide out the back end of it.

 

[kurienp]

It's a 63 plate T5.
If I were to loosen the channels, I suppose the seat might be able to slide out the back end of it.

sliding it off the back end will not be easy due to the inside lip on the rear right area of the van. At least I have not tried but I see that as a possible challenge.

I would only loosen the channel enough to take out the end stops. The seat should come out with the channels tightened in place.

The space at the end of the channels is just enough for the "feet" of the seat to slide out.

You can cut the end stops short so that in future they can come out normally.

 

[andyinluton]

It's a 63 plate T5.
If I were to loosen the channels, I suppose the seat might be able to slide out the back end of it.

You won't get the seat off the back end of the rails, in addition to the removable stops there is a welded stop across the very back end of the rail. I found out when trying to insert a 5th seat behind the 2 seater bench. I only took the bench out once in our 2015 van & remember it being a pain to get the feet lined up exactly with the holes in the rail trim.
Am trying to remember if the rear feet on the bench actually hang down at an angle if you lift the Bench.

Removing the draw or trying to remove the rails from the van isn't going to get you anywhere. If it went in its got come out the same way.

 

[The Fockers]

You won't get the seat off the back end of the rails, in addition to the removable stops there is a welded stop across the very back end of the rail. I found out when trying to insert a 5th seat behind the 2 seater bench. I only took the bench out once in our 2015 van & remember it being a pain to get the feet lined up exactly with the holes in the rail trim.
Am trying to remember if the rear feet on the bench actually hang down at an angle if you lift the Bench.

Removing the draw or trying to remove the rails from the van isn't going to get you anywhere. If it went in its got come out the same way.

When we were trying to get the clamps out of the removeable section we did wonder how the whole thing was put into the van in the first place since the clamps were most definitely longer than the removeable bits.