Sliding the 3 seater bench

[jonddd]

Our (2015) beach seat must first have the seat back folded forward before you can operate the second handle to slide it forwards or backwards which is a lot of bother. We didn't have that palaver on an Ocean double seat which was simple to move. Is there a good reason for this?

 

[babble]

No good reason. It's a pain in the bum. But there is a hack to get rid of that feature I seem to remember.

 

[CannonDale]

Wonder if they changed the seat, I have aT6 and don’t have to fold the seat back forwards to move the seat.

 

[Hmb]

Wonder if they changed the seat, I have aT6 and don’t have to fold the seat back forwards to move the seat.

+1

 

[clarinetbcn]

+1

My 2014 5.1 has that stupid and annoying system. The hack is somewhere here on the forum, I just haven't got around to it, but I will. Meanwhile I've made a barely visible guide mark for the seat position that allows the bench to be folded into a bed with all 7 seats in, because you can't move it once it's flat. If you miss you have to fold it all the way forward, slide the seat where you think it might fit, then fold it flat again, etc. These are design mistakes that the designer should be punished for by making them use it over and over. Imagine if they used the same system on the driver's seat!

 

[babble]

My 2014 5.1 has that stupid and annoying system. The hack is somewhere here on the forum, I just haven't got around to it, but I will. Meanwhile I've made a barely visible guide mark for the seat position that allows the bench to be folded into a bed with all 7 seats in, because you can't move it once it's flat. If you miss you have to fold it all the way forward, slide the seat where you think it might fit, then fold it flat again, etc. These are design mistakes that the designer should be punished for by making them use it over and over. Imagine if they used the same system on the driver's seat!

Haha. Yes, the designer should be condemned to spend eternity trying and failing to get the bed in the right position, forever putting it back up, (with the incredibly stiff handle that feels like it will break at any minute) sliding it this way and that, having to move bags that have fallen down the back each time, with three tired, angry, impatient children standing outside in the rain. That would focus their mind.

 

[TripleBee]

It must be a locking lever somewhere that unlocks when the back of the seat is forward, I guess.
One should try to find out what is locking the slide function.
In my dad's T6 the back seat slides with the back right up.

 

[babble]

There is a little bit of metal somewhere you can just hacksaw off and it fixes it. I read it on the T6 forum I think. I'll try and find it once I've fed these angry children.

 

[Rich20]

I hacked it by putting a bit of cord With a handle on it onto the latching mechanism. I will try and post a photo later.

 

[Rich20]

Here are some pictures (not easy to photograph) of where I attached the cord if it helps.

 

[jonddd]

Thanks for the photos. With your help I've sorted it out (I hope).
With the seat in the normal sitting position lift the seat squab (it will rise just enough to give you access) and you are faced with the view in the photos. Unhook the spring from the far end, turn it 180 degrees and rehook it on the bracket behind the knot in the middle photo. The locking tab is now permanently clear of the forward/reverse lever mechanism and the whole seat will move independently of the position of the seat back.
Hopefully that's it unless someone knows otherwise...
At least it is easy to put back.

 

[jonddd]

Luckily it is easy to put back!
Moving the spring does allow you to move the seat independently and make the bed.
But...today I tilted the seat back completely forward for the first time and it would only come halfway back up, so I've had to return the spring to its original position. It all now works as it originally did.
So Rich20's mod with the cord is probably still the best solution.