[Metris_the_van]

Hello .
Anybody.. please provide any pictures how dose the passanger version Metris van has the seat rails mounted to the body of the vehicle.
Thank you.
Or if anyone has already done any type of conversion for cargo into passanger, please help me with pictures and mounting points.

 

[pawo007]

I have a feeling that completing that conversion successfully would cost as much or more than just trading in the cargo version for a passenger one....it also opens up all sorts of liabilities if you ever try to sell it. The passenger vans are equipped with several airbags in the rear compartment, a major item not easily (or at all) replicated in a conversion.

 

[Metris_the_van]

I have a feeling that completing that conversion successfully would cost as much or more than just trading in the cargo version for a passenger one....it also opens up all sorts of liabilities if you ever try to sell it.

I dont need a passenger version of it .
I need cargo version with removable seat option .
Thats what I'm trying to create pretty much .
I just haven't seen how the rails are attached to the body of the car on passenger one .

 

[Greenmanedlion]

The seat rails are connected to a specially reinforced section of the body that is not present on cargo vans, essentially sandwiching the mount with the rails on top, the floor in the middle, and the reinforcement on the bottom. Installing that reinforcement is theoretically possible, however it is very complicated and involves removing things like the fuel tank. If you were to realistically install passenger seats, it would be quite substantially less safe than even a non-airbag equipped passenger van (a non-finished, non airbag passenger Vito is sold in some markets). It would also be illegal for road use in the US without going through substantial hoops (Actually it would be illegal even if you DID install the reinforcement).

Enforcement criminally of this is pretty lax, and afaik is only ever done if a fatality occurs because of the violation, or the vehicle is being used to commercially transport passengers for hire (think taxi/bus/livery). However you would be engaged in negligence and could be (probably would be) sued in the event of death or injury by, for example, an employee. It would also likely invalidate any liability insurance you have for damages related to it (both auto and business), so you would be on the hook for it personally. I am not a lawyer, so i am not giving you legal advice, but still keep it in mind. Were I using my potential Metris as a crew van, I would use a passenger van as the base. (Actually, I’d probably buy a Sprinter crew van, since it is larger and not substantially more expensive than a passenger Metris).

If the safety is not articulately important to you, it really doesn‘t matter where you mount the things, although I suppose I would try to take advantage of the reinforced mountings for the tie-down points. Jury-rigging something using them would probably be mildly safer than attempting to bolt in OEM seat rails without the passenger reinforcements.

 

[gogoKawi]

I did this earlier this year. Cost me about $2600 in parts and labor to add four 8-foot L-track rails to the floor and windows in each of the side sliding doors. It was done by a local van upfitter. The L-track is secured with about 80 plusnuts, while using the 4 pre-drilled points in the floor for the outer rails. I currently have a 3 seater (bought on this forum) turned sideways against the door, which allows me to slide my motorcycle on the other side. If I need to carry people, I just move the seat to whatever position I want on the l-track and bolt it down using the L-track heavy duty studs accessory.

L-track gives you the most flexibility. It's what I wanted in my cargo Metris originally, but I couldn't find a van with the OEM track and configuration I wanted. Sure, the passenger van has the rails built in. But what folks forget is that you lose space with the passenger version, suspension is softer, and you don't have the flexibility of the cargo version without ripping out stuff. There's no good solution except for Mercedes to have a crew van Metris.

You can do the work yourself to save quite a bit of money.

 

[Metris_the_van]

I did this earlier this year. Cost me about $2600 in parts and labor to add four 8-foot L-track rails to the floor and windows in each of the side sliding doors. It was done by a local van upfitter. The L-track is secured with about 80 plusnuts, while using the 4 pre-drilled points in the floor for the outer rails. I currently have a 3 seater (bought on this forum) turned sideways against the door, which allows me to slide my motorcycle on the other side. If I need to carry people, I just move the seat to whatever position I want on the l-track and bolt it down using the L-track heavy duty studs accessory.

L-track gives you the most flexibility. It's what I wanted in my cargo Metris originally, but I couldn't find a van with the OEM track and configuration I wanted. Sure, the passenger van has the rails built in. But what folks forget is that you lose space with the passenger version, suspension is softer, and you don't have the flexibility of the cargo version without ripping out stuff. There's no good solution except for Mercedes to have a crew van Metris.

You can do the work yourself to save quite a bit of money.

Do you ha e any pictures of what has been done and how .
Also I'm in Cali and bote sure who dose any this kind of modification in my area.

 

[focus805]

Sorry to be a Buttinski, but I think it's grossly reckless to hack in seats, or even those upfitter rock 'n roll beds. Good name, actually. Please don't put young humans in those seats while you're rolling. Adults can do whatever they want, I suppose, but I'd like to be repaid for the taxpayer-funded ride to the ER, and sadly for many, the taxpayer-funded stay at the hospital.

 

[imacd]

I tend to agree with Focus805. Admittedly, you do lose some space, but you can get a 4x8 in there, just not flat on the floor. Just prop it up on something or have a little platform to raise it a bit. I use mine mostly for hauling dogs (hence rear A/C), and banana boxes of stuff for the food bank (I can get 50+ in there, 30 if they're full of cans). Good vision, good seating when I want it.
Question for someone - Can you put the cargo van suspension in the passenger van?

 

[gogoKawi]

Here is a pic with the carpet over the L-track on the floor and the 3-seater attached to the floor. I can move them anywhere along the L-track by loosening the bolts and sliding them to the preferred position. This is with the stock Metris seats. I did purchase the cleats for the passenger version which the seat latches into. They fit perfectly in the L-track. The second pic just has the seats against the wall so there's space for the motorcycle when loaded.

 

[pawo007]

I tend to agree with Focus805. Admittedly, you do lose some space, but you can get a 4x8 in there, just not flat on the floor. Just prop it up on something or have a little platform to raise it a bit. I use mine mostly for hauling dogs (hence rear A/C), and banana boxes of stuff for the food bank (I can get 50+ in there, 30 if they're full of cans). Good vision, good seating when I want it.
Question for someone - Can you put the cargo van suspension in the passenger van?

The only real difference between passenger and cargo suspension is which shocks are used (firm vs softer) and which springs (softer vs reinforced) A true passenger only equipped version also has a rear sway bar.

In my van I have the middle suspension option, that being softer passenger shocks + reinforced springs and no sway bar. I didn't even realize this until I was under it, it handles plenty great with no sway bar.

 

[imacd]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Vitovito]

Hello .
Anybody.. please provide any pictures how dose the passanger version Metris van has the seat rails mounted to the body of the vehicle.
Thank you.
Or if anyone has already done any type of conversion for cargo into passanger, please help me with pictures and mounting points.

Please keep in mind the strength of the seat anchor bars. In a frontal collision, for example, with 3 big passengers and the weight of the seat itself (say a thousand pounds), the peak load on the anchors could easily exceed ten thousand pounds.
Using the seat anchor bars for to secure heavy cargo in a passenger van is a more secure technique than using the relatively weak cargo D rings.