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Cargo van conversion into passenger van .

12K views 29 replies 10 participants last post by  VanGo 
#1 ·
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.
 
#2 ·
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.
 
#3 ·
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 .
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#5 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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?

17920
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
 

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#12 ·
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.
 
#13 ·
I just went on a trip and turned the seats around for passengers. I figured I would take a pic just in case someone wanted to use this as a reference.

The seats are in the Metris passenger cleats, which are bolted to L-track, which sit on top of the L-track in the floor. The visible track is not a necessity. The seat cleats can be bolted directly to the track in the floor, which is covered by the carpet. It's just that the track on top of the carpet makes removal and moving easier.

As I stated previously, the L-track gives you lots of options. Moving the seats forward and back, turning them around, or unbolt them so the bench can go to one side of the van. They can be taken out or moved with just a socket wrench.

Hopefully this gives those looking to do something similar some ideas. Please, no comments on whether this is safe or not. We know everyone doesn't approve. :)


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#17 ·
The OP asked for options and solutions, not opinions. Yet the need to impart one's opinion, despite no one asking for it, is just too strong for some to overcome. It's hilarious, and sad. And the arrogance... "When someone is doing something stupid or illegal I want to inform them of it." Translation: "I know better than you, and I'm going to let you and everyone else know it."

Moral of the story to anyone that wants to modify their van, get permission from the forum first. Or just don't post up your question or solution. Otherwise, you will get: "When someone is doing something stupid or illegal I want to inform them of it." No solutions to actually help you. Even if you took months to research and talked to your DMV, insurance company, dealership, upfitters, collision shops, and local law enforcement and were given the thumbs-up on your particular solution, it doesn't matter. People in the forum know better.

Metris_the_van, good luck with your project. I'm curious to know what you decided to do.
 
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#18 · (Edited)
I’m an arrogant prick? Really? You’re just picking up on that now? 😂😂😂

They don’t need my permission. I am stating my opinion, or in this case stating information that they apparently are unaware of. It is not my opinion that’s such a seating solution is a legal; that is fact. It is my opinion that it would probably be dangerous as that kind of track is not designed to withstand that kind of levered torsional force.

Nevertheless what I said is true. The OP can flamenco dance up Mt Everest, and I am not going to stop them. Actually I’d probably buy popcorn. But I will tell them that I think it is dangerous, if they submit their intention to do it on a public forum. I do all kinds of stuff you people would disapprove of; I’d only mention it here in search of your opinions, for goodness sake!

By the way the only legal solution to having rear seats in a Metris is to buy a passenger version, or certify yourself as an up fitter. You can come up with illegal solutions on your own. That’s not my bag.
 
#19 ·
This might be helpful to people like the original poster who want to get something done. It might be infuriating to doubting Thomases, who just want to spend time pontificating. I'm becoming pretty sure that clinging to the notion that the floor in my 135" cargo van differs, other than length, from the 126" passenger van, is a losing position. I'll bet when I take out my floor, I'll find all the superstructure to mount 4 stock Mercedes seat rails in my cargo van. Can anyone who owns a 135 or works for a Mercedes repair outlet tell me if my hunch is true? The poster of the thread I referred to said he thought one must drop the gas tank to install the forth rail. Can anyone who owns a 135 tell us whether that is true. It seems far-fetched since the other three rails are installed into riv-nuts, which would preclude dropping the tank. If you don't know, please hold your fire. I will soon find out and call you out if you're speculating. It isn't helpful to people looking for fact-based exchanges. I believe all the scare talk about mounting rear seats in a cargo van is just that - empty scare talk.
I think these vans are all made with the same superstructure and the only thing missing is the side curtain airbags in the rear. But, I will soon see for myself in any case.
 
#20 ·
@ vango ... I am personally curious on this topic, as I found an extended cargo van that I like ...without the lashing rails in the floor ... and wanting to secure a few things, frequently or every now and then ... I am thinking to retrofit the floor rails ... but are the “ riv-nuts there “??? ... I am curious if there are threaded nuts in the metal floor of the van, underneath the plain plywood cargo floor.
 
#21 · (Edited)
@ icerabbit, I have only taken out one bolt in the floor rails and one in the side rails. They both have a nut under the metal floor of the van. However, if you crawl under the van, what you find where you should see that nut is, instead, a longitudinal box beam running the length of the cargo floor. So, there is no way to fabricate that nut in there without either installing it before the frame is put together, doubtful because maintaining location tolerances to fit floor rails would be impossible, or installing it from above after the van steel subfloor is fabricated. I just looked again and I can see 3 more box beams below the steel subfloor with proper spacing to fit passenger van seat rails. One of those is above the gas tank, but the van steel floor is at the top of that beam 2" above the gas tank. No, there is no plywood floor below the L-track tie-down rail. The L-track is an inch tall and is slotted into the ply floor, which must exist below the 3/8" composition floor that I can readily see surrounding the L-tracks. The L-tracks are hefty aluminum, unlike the more normal 7/16" thick wall-mounted L-track. The floor rails are extruded with a horizontal rib at their midline, so, looking from the end, they are a figure 8 with square corners. Where they have mounting bolts tying them to the floor, that rib is drilled large enough for the head of the torx bolt to go through it. So, only the bottom of the L-track is bolted to the floor. That way, unlike with normal L-track, you can slide a clamp down the track without hitting a bolt head because the bolt heads are recessed in the lower chamber of the L-track. After looking again today, I would bet with 90% security that the cargo van can easily become a passenger van and be safe. By simply slotting the floor for the 2 inner seat tracks 21-1/4 apart to match the floor bolt mounting points, and using Mercedes or equivalent tracks, you can install a seat safely. The only thing missing will be the side curtain air bags, which don't work on a large number of cars today because of the giant recall! Nobody is going ape-sh... and parking their cars due to that recall. If you put a child in the middle of a tested rock-n-roll bed or an OEM Mercedes seat, I'm confident they will be as safe as in a passenger Metris, but you can be your own judge, assuming you, too, find mounting nuts when you slot your plywood to install the seat tracks as I believe you will. I prefer to live fact-based. Yes, I am speculating that what I have seen, when I looked at it in detail, is typical of the rest of the van floor. I guess whoever disassembles first will be the one to inform this community with the facts. Stay tuned. For the doubters, please read the Magnuson-Moss act of 1975. It is legal to modify your van without impacting the warranty unless something you do provably destroys the integrity of the vehicle. We are talking of doing no such thing. Also, icerabbit, I realise you are just replicating L-track, but others may be interested in going further.
 
#23 ·
@ icerabbit, I have only taken out one bolt in the floor rails and one in the side rails. They both have a nut under the metal floor of the van. However, if you crawl under the van, what you find where you should see that nut is, instead, a longitudinal box beam running the length of the cargo floor. So, there is no way to fabricate that nut in there without either installing it before the frame is put together, doubtful because maintaining location tolerances to fit floor rails would be impossible, or installing it from above after the van steel subfloor is fabricated. I just looked again and I can see 3 more box beams below the steel subfloor with proper spacing to fit passenger van seat rails. One of those is above the gas tank, but the van steel floor is at the top of that beam 2" above the gas tank. No, there is no plywood floor below the L-track tie-down rail. The L-track is an inch tall and is slotted into the ply floor, which must exist below the 3/8" composition floor that I can readily see surrounding the L-tracks. The L-tracks are hefty aluminum, unlike the more normal 7/16" thick wall-mounted L-track. The floor rails are extruded with a horizontal rib at their midline, so, looking from the end, they are a figure 8 with square corners. Where they have mounting bolts tying them to the floor, that rib is drilled large enough for the head of the torx bolt to go through it. So, only the bottom of the L-track is bolted to the floor. That way, unlike with normal L-track, you can slide a clamp down the track without hitting a bolt head because the bolt heads are recessed in the lower chamber of the L-track. After looking again today, I would bet with 90% security that the cargo van can easily become a passenger van and be safe. By simply slotting the floor for the 2 inner seat tracks 21-1/4 apart to match the floor bolt mounting points, and using Mercedes or equivalent tracks, you can install a seat safely. The only thing missing will be the side curtain air bags, which don't work on a large number of cars today because of the giant recall! Nobody is going ape-sh... and parking their cars due to that recall. If you put a child in the middle of a tested rock-n-roll bed or an OEM Mercedes seat, I'm confident they will be as safe as in a passenger Metris, but you can be your own judge, assuming you, too, find mounting nuts when you slot your plywood to install the seat tracks as I believe you will. I prefer to live fact-based. Yes, I am speculating that what I have seen, when I looked at it in detail, is typical of the rest of the van floor. I guess whoever disassembles first will be the one to inform this community with the facts. Stay tuned. For the doubters, please read the Magnussen act (spelling?). It is legal to modify your van without impacting the warranty unless something you do provably destroys the integrity of the vehicle. We are talking of doing no such thing. Also, icerabbit, I realise you are just replicating L-track, but others may be interested in going further.
Oh, by the way. I learned today that Vito (German version of Metris) comes in the long wheelbase version passenger van. More evidence my 135" Metris floor can easily accommodate seat rails since its probably a long Vito chassis.
 
#22 ·
Yes, no ambition here to put any kind of seating in.
Just exploring options to secure cargo, so stuff doesn't go flying if I need to step on the brakes, or have a tight on or off ramp ( as it currently tends to do in my Grand Caravan, I pack it carefully, and have tie ups via the seat belt anchors, ... :) ... but still )
The easiest for me ( upon purchase of a van without lashing rails ) would be to get the official ones for the horizontals on the side, so the hole pattern matches; and then get equivalent 8 foot lengths, for surface mount, that has chamfered sides.
 
#24 ·
Noooo, don't tease me about Vitos and V-class vehicles ;) :p

I actually sent MB of USA a note that they're missing out on sales potential by severely down featuring the option catalog.
The vans are all coming from the same factory, they're all made to order, the parts all exist and have no bearing on certification ... So, why does pretty much every white van have to have black plastic bumpers? Why only three vans with a colored bumper option? Why didnn't we have CarPlay yet? Why no MBUX on the next gen?

The Dodge Grand Caravan is being discontinued. Nissan is being cancelled as well, I heard. And with larger orders coming in, perhaps go on the offensive and ride on the success of the Sprinter. Is there a case to be made to make them local?

We all could be Metris ambassadors ;)

And I say we, as I put a deposit down on one this am and should have it before next weekend. 🤞

Exciting!!!
 
#27 ·
Look, bro, these aren’t Legos. Just because a feature is available for the van, and if put into the van while in production is in fact easily possible, does not mean that retrofitting it is reasonably easy, practicable, or even possible.

The passenger seat rails on cargo vans is a perfect example: the reinforcement required to install passenger seat rails are only installed on passenger vans. They are installed on the body shell and then stuff is installed in place on top of it. You have to remove all that stuff to install the reinforcements in order to properly install seat rails.

Installing the power-operated vent windows on the back of the van requires the following: a hinged window, the trim for the window motor, the window motor, the rear seat switch assembly, the trim piece for the different rear seat cup holder trim (which holds the switch in vans so equipped), the four-window switch assembly and trim piece (that should be easy; the same piece is used in various Mercedes sedans), the wiring harness to connect the motor to power, the appropriate relay to activate the motor on command from the CANBUS, the wiring harness to connect the rear switch to the CANBUS, the wiring harness to connect the front switches to the CANBUS, and reprograming of the cars operations computer to activate the motor upon command from the switches via the CANBUS, as that feature would not be active on vans not so equipped. You also have to obviously install all of these things, disassembling the entire vans interior to do so. You may also have to install additional electrical componentry depending on whether or not appropriate pre-wiring and relay boards are present on our vans, something which I do not know.

An example I am aware of is that the difference between the seats we get on the Metris and the folding and reclinging seats available on the Vito is about $1500 for the upgraded trim level that receives them, among other things. The cost, currently, to retrofit those to the Metris (all four tracks, a three row, and a two+1 row with folding and reclining features) is about $5000 for the parts, and I don’t know exactly what it would cost to have them installed. It would take you several good hours if you want to do it yourself.

Frankly though, if you are looking for a luxurious van, you would be best served either buying a Kia Sedona, or ordering a conversion van.
 
#28 ·
I believe the cargo van has all the seat reinforcements your passenger van has, but I will soon see, when I do it. I have given ample evidence for my case. Crawl under a van. The reinforcement rails are there in plain sight! As to your other objections, to each his own. I don't plan on operable rear door windows because a fan is adequate. I love building vans. Why would I give the fun stuff to an upfitter? Many people on this site are like me in that love of customization. Don't spoil our fun!
 
#29 ·
I’m glad you believe that. I’ve always wanted to see somebody who insistently believes things they have no knowledge of, especially when they happen to be wrong. (I mean, I’ve had such people coming out of my ears most of my life, but whatever...). The seat rails are secured to the van by bolting them to spreader plates under the floor. Vans that don’t have seat rails don’t have the spreader plates either, because they 1) cost money, 2) would serve no useful purpose, 3) add weight, which would reduce payload, and 4) would have nothing to bolt to in the absence of seat rails anyway. Installing the spreader plates requires removing quite a few components, including the fuel tank, because all of these components are, as a result of logical progression, installed on the van body after the part of the assembly process where the seat rails and spreader plates are installed.

In the world of internet forums, there are some people who just happen to know specific things about the subject under discussion. That is why people like that whither away their time posting on internet forums. You might notice my join date; I am one of the first members on this forum, and may well be the longest active member. I also took delivery of one of the very first Metris vans retailed in the US, (number 3, actually), which I ordered, sight unseen, the day dealers were allowed to place their first order for inventory. When I tell you this, I am not speculating; when I speculate, I indicate that it is speculation. There are a lot of things I don’t know, even when it comes to vans and even MBs, but I know when I don’t know something.
 
#30 ·
There are those who talk and there are those who do, in spite of nay- sayers. I'll continue to document my progress on the Metris and share what I learn because I appreciate others who have helped me by doing the same. That's what I like about this forum. People helping others get stuff done, adding to enjoyment of life.
 
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