Swivel seat problems

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Apr 23, 2013

Hi,

Betty Bus's passenger swivel seat has seized solid and won't rotate.

I've sprayed anti-seize and wd40 down there, but it hasn't released.

Has anyone replaced the swivel with the Just Campers swivel base? Are they the same dimentions, height, seat bolt positions?

Better, does anyone know where I can get a replacement that has a safe, that will fit an early T4? All the one's I've found are for the T4b, I guess the holes are in a different place.

Thanks,
dan

pabloalfa76 · Apr 23, 2013

Hi Dan,

I can't help you with any advice on the seat bases, as touch wood mine have been ok, so far.

But I saw a guy breaking a T4 California on the T4Forum a few weeks ago.
It might be worth contacting him, if you want to replace with an original part?

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.p ... =westfalia

I hope this helps,

Regards, Paul.

James · Apr 23, 2013

Could try here

http://www.c-m-c.org.uk/t4-swivel-seat-cmc.php

this company have a good reputation

James

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Apr 23, 2013

Thanks guys.

I hadn't thought of looking for someone breaking a van, might be an option, but I'm a bit concerned I'll hit the problem again in the future. I'll drop him an email and see what he says. See if he has a safe lock and key as well

I'll give CMC a call, it doesn't say if it is for an early or late, but it is just the sort of thing I was thinking of.

ta,
dan

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Apr 24, 2013

I've gone with the CMC safe and swivel mount. Spoke with them earlier and it should fit - apparently the difference between early and late T4's is the seatbelt mounting - and the Westies appear to use the late config anyway.

I pretty sure that ordering that will mean that my original swivel will be as free as a bird when I get home tonight

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Apr 25, 2013

Fast delivery, the new safe/swivel arrived today. Quality seems okay.

Unfortunately it's not quite a perfect fit - about a 5cm difference between the mounting hole centres on the westy rails and the base.

I will be attacking it with a power drill tomorrow...

Another difference is the little rail that runs down the side of the westy swivel base that the seatbelt catch runs along - it basically limits the fore/aft movement of the seat. There is no way of attaching that, so I will need to find a way to stop the seat coming of the rails, plus put up with a wobbly seatbelt catch.

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Apr 27, 2013

I think it's safe to say that it's not an easy job to swap to one of these bases.

It's been one problem after another and I've just had a major toys out of pram incident.

Top tip to anyone else contemplating this - just send Mr Gunzl €300 and get an original.

:headbang

TwentyOneThirtyFive · May 29, 2013

It should have been the simplist of jobs...

The base that Gunzl supply is driver's side only for early T4's - it does not have the correct mounting points for the seatbelt buckle to work as a passanger side seatbase.

It will probably work for late T4s as the seatbelt buckle is attached only to the seat?

On the plus side, that empty spot in the corner of the utility room is now looking quite full with it's stack of seat bases.

dan

TwentyOneThirtyFive · Jun 1, 2013

Success!

The basic swivel base supplied by Just Kampers (they source it from somewhere in Germany) can be made to fit an early Westy passenger seat.

It's not perfect, it expects longer seat rails than the Westy has, so it needs a couple of holes drilling and some 2 new bolts.

It expects a seatbelt slider which is shorter than the Westy one. Luckily I had one that fitted from when I had to replace the seatbelt buckle. The Westy one could be easily modified to fit though. A couple of 14mm washers are required between the slider and the base, otherwise it is loose on the bolt.

Washers are required under the base, as mounting holes are in recesses. The original is formed to fit, the replacement is flat.

I had to grind off part of the swivel lock mechanism, as it was catching the underside of the seat.

It's not quite as refined as the original was, nor does it have so much forward movement, so you can't get as close to the table.

It will do for now, the original is going to sit in some diesel for a while and hopefully it will eventually free up.

That was much harder than it needed to be! I deserve a beer.
dan