swapping two seater bench for three seater

[nsnk]

just bought a nearly new cali beach. it came with the two seater bench but i have already realised that a three seater would be better. anyone know where i could buy one?
or exchange my two seater for a three?

 

[sebking]

try http://www.oxfordt5.co.uk/

 

[James]

just bought a nearly new cali beach. it came with the two seater bench but i have already realised that a three seater would be better. anyone know where i could buy one?
or exchange my two seater for a three?

There are quite a few on German E Bay - Oxford T5 a good place to start - but I doubt they will have one. Also, the guys from poland (found on UK EBay) are worth a look.

You'll also need to change the multiplex board - the three seater one is adjustable.

Why do you want to swap them over - it would cheaper to source a single swivel seat and put it in the Beach, thus giving you the ability to transport three in the back.

I am not sure the three seater is better, just different, but if it doesn't meet your needs fair enough.

James

 

[Andy]

5th seat for sale here

http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1674

 

[James]

5th seat for sale here

http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1674

Wrong pattern I think Andy - needs to be Takato - unless you buy it and put a Brandup seat cover

I couldn't see a reason for the two seater Beach until I saw one at Hollands Wood - I wouldn't swap my three seater Beach but I would happily own one - the bed is going to be more comfortable and I like the storage drawer and the under seat storage.

As I said, I 'd just buy a single seat to put in the van so that carrying capacity was back up to three - that's going to be cheaper than sourcing a three seater bench. Can't argue with a three seater and two extra seats for practically (like Chris').

But the two seater has its own appeal.

James

 

[Andy]

Wrong pattern I think Andy - needs to be Takato - unless you buy it and put a Brandup seat cover

Yes your rite, didn't realize it is a beach. Sorry.

 

[James]

Wrong pattern I think Andy - needs to be Takato - unless you buy it and put a Brandup seat cover

Yes your rite, didn't realize it is a beach. Sorry.

Still might make sense - if you could get a cover, might be easier to do that than source a Beach single seat.

Oxford T5 had one a few weeks ago, not sure they have it now.

James

 

[nsnk]

Hi. Thanks for the replies. I spoke to Oxford and they offered me a caravelle interior but I would have to buy a new multi flex board. Cost was quite high by the time I have bought the board and seat covers to make it match I might as well buy new.

Do I definitely have to buy a new multi flex board if I get an actual California 3 seater?

I saw the polish company on eBay and will probably order two single seats and take the box out for now. The bed will be narrower but it will make it a six seater but it's 7? Seats I really want.

Even if I have to change he lot I still gt a bargain so not overly worried.

Can someone confirm I definitely have to change that multi flex board if I go for a California beach 3 seat?

 

[James]

Hi. Thanks for the replies. I spoke to Oxford and they offered me a caravelle interior but I would have to buy a new multi flex board. Cost was quite high by the time I have bought the board and seat covers to make it match I might as well buy new.

Do I definitely have to buy a new multi flex board if I get an actual California 3 seater?

I saw the polish company on eBay and will probably order two single seats and take the box out for now. The bed will be narrower but it will make it a six seater but it's 7? Seats I really want.

Even if I have to change he lot I still gt a bargain so not overly worried.

Can someone confirm I definitely have to change that multi flex board if I go for a California beach 3 seat?

I am not too sure about the board - in my mind you shouldn't have to change the board - I only mentioned it because the three seat board adjusts. I didn't spend much time at he Hollands Wood meeting looking at the board and it was pointed out to me that they were different. But I guess if the board sits on the rail system then the rail system should accomodate any multiflex board. In essence that is what it is designed to do.

Oxford T5 were good but when i spoke to them they were convinced that Beaches came with different rail systems dependent on the seating spec, they don't, I just think the Beaches are a bit unknown at the mo.

Why order two single seats and take the box out? How much carrying capacity do you need? It seems a long way round to get a solution, and no offence meant, but when you bought the Beach what did you want in terms of seating? There's no price difference between a three/two seater Beach - it only changes on the number of additional seats that may have been ordered.

If you have the part number you should be able to order seats from VW - if you can stomach the cost.

It might be worth while speaking to Alex on here, from SMG,

The other problem you have is, outside of the UK, a lot of Beaches are sold in a two seater format because that is how they were designed to be - so the interiors you see come up, tend to be the two seater variety.

James

 

[nsnk]

I bought the beach as nearly new. It's An ex demo and I paid a lot less than brand new price. So I knew that even if spent money on extra seats I woud still have a bargain.
I bought two extra seats, they are brand new and fitted onto the rails easily. ( I took the box out) . However there is almost no legroom between the bench seat and the single seat, only about 10 cm.

Is that normal? If I had bought new and specced it as a 5 seater with a double bench and an extra mid row seat would I have got a smaller multiplex board or are they all the same size?

 

[James]

I bought the beach as nearly new. It's An ex demo and I paid a lot less than brand new price. So I knew that even if spent money on extra seats I woud still have a bargain.
I bought two extra seats, they are brand new and fitted onto the rails easily. ( I took the box out) . However there is almost no legroom between the bench seat and the single seat, only about 10 cm.

Is that normal? If I had bought new and specced it as a 5 seater with a double bench and an extra mid row seat would I have got a smaller multiplex board or are they all the same size?

The two seater bench model is only ever designed to have one extra facing seat. The two seater bench is a flatter bigger seat. The storage drawer gets in the way of providing two extra seats.

If you want the two extra seats - you need the three seater bench - this also gives you the chance to create the 'long bed' by using the extra seats

If, after taking out the box there is no leg room then perhaps the board is bigger, at a guess i would say it was as the two seater bench model is like a full Cali and that board looks bigger, but that is only a guess.

If you have paid a lot less than list, I got an ex demo too and paid 32k and I thought that was pretty good, if you have done that it may be just worth ordering the board and the seats from VW. Stu here will probably be able to confirm if that's possible.

I always think, when doing these sorts of things, stick to what VW did - so if you put in a three seater bench, put in the different board etc.

Are the extra seats Beach seats or did you pick up some Caravelle seats?

James

 

[nsnk]

Thanks custard

Yes I paid around the same price for mine. The seats are caravelle seats, only paid £650 and got two seats and a table, all brand new. The table I knew wouldn't fit because caravelles have doube rails in the centre and the table slides on these.

There are 6 of us so I need 6 sears but it would be nice to have 7.

Oxford have said they will consider buying my two seater interior and selling me a 3 seater but not sure if this is the way to go.

The catalogue clearly shows a 5 seat set up with a swivel chair by the door, sticking with vw recommendations, as you suggest too, i put one of the chairs there. With the chair in that position there is no legroom. So I took the box out and put the seat on the opposite side facing inwards. That gives sufficient leg room for kids but not adults.

Weird that they would recommend a config that does not give sufficient leg room hence I wondered if the boards were different.

 

[MKRW]

The catalogue clearly shows a 5 seat set up with a swivel chair by the door, sticking with vw recommendations, as you suggest too, i put one of the chairs there. With the chair in that position there is no legroom. So I took the box out and put the seat on the opposite side facing inwards. That gives sufficient leg room for kids but not adults.

This is the same with the 5 seat Cali. Hence you do not see any as demo's!

In the Cali if we are day driving we remove the rear metal bed base and push the rear seat right back so there is plenty of room around the seats. If we are camping then its a squeeze for the journey, but with a baby in a car seat he does not yet need any leg room...

 

[nsnk]

Thanks mkrw

Glad it's not just me !
Surprised that vw did not spec a folding multiplex board to give more room.

I still like the two seat rear bench for the flat bed and ability to add a kitchen at a later date so for now I'll take the board out and slide the bench back to get leg room and when we go camping put it back in.

If I can find a folding muti flex board i will see if it fits.

 

[nsnk]

The other thing of course is you can't fold the bed out with the 5th chair in place.

The brochure clearly shows the layout with a 5th mid row seat and a multiplex board. So it is misleading of vw to imply that the bed will fold out still.

I guess I will have to put the Extra seat in the awning each time, which will cause wear and tear on the rails and floor. Poor design vw. You could easily have solved this with a better design of multi flex board or slightly longer rails.

 

[James]

The two bench seat Cali is a camping vehicle - it's not designed for MPV practicality - one extra seat goes in with limited leg room because the bench seat is bigger and the bord does not fold.

If you are buying a two seater - you are buying something geared up for going away/camping - it is practical but not in the same way.

The three seater Beach does have a board which folds and it has a rear seat akin to a Caravelle - it's not like a bed, unlike the two seater. The three seat bench Beach can utilise additional seats to make a long bed.

You can't really buy one and turn it into something else easily. They are vehicles with a different remit. Most people in the UK will be looking at something like a MPV. In this instance, you'd need to look at the three seater bench.


James

 

[James]

The other thing of course is you can't fold the bed out with the 5th chair in place.

The brochure clearly shows the layout with a 5th mid row seat and a multiplex board. So it is misleading of vw to imply that the bed will fold out still.

I guess I will have to put the Extra seat in the awning each time, which will cause wear and tear on the rails and floor. Poor design vw. You could easily have solved this with a better design of multi flex board or slightly longer rails.

You're trying to use your van for something it is not designed to do. The three seater Beach has a board that folds in half, so you can drop half of it, push the rear seat back further and include two additional seats for leg room and if required create a larger bed.

The MPV style you want - would only truly come with a three seater version - that is why VW produce the three seater version.

Hopefully these pictures will explain and maybe, by just buying the board you will get some increased practicality.

This shows that in the three seater is hinged so it can be moved/manipulated and folded.

Like this...

Or if you had two additional seats you can drop the back part and push the seat back giving your passengers more room

Not a great photo but you can see the gap now the front part of the board is dropped. You can now push the seat further back but still keep the board and turn it into bed if you wanted to travel with extra seats.

Hope this helps

You have got to think of the Beach two seater and three seater not so much as variations but vehicles with a different purpose and focus - one is geared towards being an MPV and one a Camper/Weekend Van.

James

 

[nsnk]

I think the whole point of basing the beach on he caravelle and having the 4 rails not two like the California is versatility. The ability to change the layout. Vw are selling this concept heavily so I think they should have thought through better. All,they needed to do was spec that folding mutiflex board with the two seater and there would be no issue.

It would also mean vw nky having to produce one board. Economies of scale.

I am tying to get hold of a folding board to see if it will fit with my two seater bench.

As I said I still want the two seater bench because of the better bed and option to add a kitchen in but need to make the vehicle more useable for every day school runs etc and a folding motif lex board would open up the versatility.

 

[James]

I think the whole point of basing the beach on he caravelle and having the 4 rails not two like the California is versatility. The ability to change the layout. Vw are selling this concept heavily so I think they should have thought through better. All,they needed to do was spec that folding mutiflex board with the two seater and there would be no issue.

It would also mean vw nky having to produce one board. Economies of scale.

I am tying to get hold of a folding board to see if it will fit with my two seater bench.

As I said I still want the two seater bench because of the better bed and option to add a kitchen in but need to make the vehicle more useable for every day school runs etc and a folding motif lex board would open up the versatility.

Technically speaking the Beach is not based on the Caravelle. The two seater Beach was always designed to be a day van/camper. It's history stems from Multivans. It's a bit confusing in this country because the Beach is sold on its versatility but that only really applies if you opt for the three seater. It's probably why the majority of the dealer demos are three seaters because that for the uk market is easier to sell. Campers in mainland Europe are far more popular hence why the VW sell the Caddy Tramper but not in the Uk.

I guess VW eventually introduced the three seater Beach to give it some mpv versatility. You have to remember that aside from a pop to roof the caravelle can be specced as a camper. Parking heater, swivel seats and board etc. So the beach has always needed to be something different.

The adjustable board is probably yor answer. If I can help in any way let me know, I am based in Essex

James

 

[James]

Message Alex at Smg - he's on this site

He'll give you a price for two single seats an possibly for an adjustable board.

He's really helpful

James

 

[nsnk]

Thanks for your advice James

 

[James]

Thanks for your advice James

No prob - it's actually really interesting that you posted - it's (for me anyway) interesting to here about the two seater Beach.

I didn't know my board was so adjustable or that it folded down to push the seat back, well I know but I hadn't really figured it was to give more room to additional seats.

It won't be cheap and I have never seen an adjustable board for sale, but that could be your answer, as I said, speak to SMG. In theory they should be able to order it.

James

 

[nsnk]

Thanks to Coiln at Oxford t5 I now have a three seater rear bench complete with a folding multiflex board and cushion.

It looks brilliant and has masses of leg room.

So a huge thank you to everyone on here for advise but an absolutely massive thank you to Colin at oxfordt5 for his help, expertise and of course a fantastic deal!

If anyone needs seating solutions Contact Colin !

 

[oxfordt5]

Only just joined the forum and noticed this post, and wanted to say thankyou for taking the time to post this up. It was a pleasure to meet you and your family and doing the swap has helped me immensely in my California camper conversion to my panel van!!
Cheers
Colin

 

[James]

Only just joined the forum and noticed this post, and wanted to say thankyou for taking the time to post this up. It was a pleasure to meet you and your family and doing the swap has helped me immensely in my California camper conversion to my panel van!!
Cheers
Colin

Colin - was this a Beach three seater bench?