R
Revive
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Just wondered if you drilled through to the bottom with the holes for the Rivnuts. If so did you cover or protect the outside for corrosion.
From the beginning, conversion progress
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I used a zinc chromate based spray paint on the holes that went through to the exterior. You need good ventilation and/or a proper protective mask with zinc chromate- its not what you want to be inhaling.
Bill- I spent almost 3 months trying to get a local upfitter to order a Scopema seat/bed. After checking with him almost weekly and hearing a litany of excuses concerning his schedule and problems with the North American distributor (based in Canada and somewhat active on this forum), I gave up and designed my own setup. I don't have it done yet, perhaps in the next few weeks.
After completing the interior preliminaries in our 2016 cargo I looked for a bench seat/bed unit as a base for the rest of the interior installation. Like RansomRidge I had no success finding a suitable European seat option available to me. Stateside upfitters would not sell me a unit unless they installed them and I couldn't find anyone to ship from overseas. I see now Sprinter converters are getting units shipped from Europe but at a very steep price. This was disappointing since I like the clean look and engineering that these seats have. So it was either fabricate a rock and roll type unit or go with an alternative I found on craigslist for $250 similar to this one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Regency-20...erts-to-Bed-/263736781186?hash=item3d67efe982
The unit I found was from a 90's era Dodge van conversion was a beast 58" wide which took up the whole width of the van. The seat base and back have an internal steel structure which allowed me to shorten the overall width to 52" while maintaining structural integrity. Would have like to shorten a few inches more but the seat base aligned with the floor tracks perfectly and I did not want to modify the base unit except some reinforcement for track attachment. I did minor seat and back reinforcement, installed new foam, and recovered with UltraLeather upholstery I found at a marine swap meet. Unlike the European units this seat does not slide in the tracks fore and aft but is secured solidly to the tracks with fabricated plates and 1/2" grade 8 bolts. Even though I have an engineering background, have the proper tools, and have the fabrication knowledge to do this correctly, this was not an easy project. The final installation is heavy and a little too wide it but it is solid, secure, comfortable and functional. I had the option of getting a unit with electric motor drive for a hundred more but went with the manual raise/ lower allowing room for a drawer underneath.
When lowering the seat pivots in the middle and mostly moves forward. Because of the seat width this limits the depth of lower cabinetry where the seat moves forward. But it allows for plenty of storage behind the seat with access from the rear cargo doors. I fabricated a foam cushion to go on top of this storage unit that aligns with the lowered seat giving just over 6' of bed.
This is a two person van. Even though this seat came with seat belts and headrest we do not plan on ever using it for passengers. This is strictly a bench seat and bed unit and like everything else in this conversion is designed to be remove if the situation requires. Originally thought that if the Westfalia/Scopema type seats ever became available I would make a change out. But this bed/seat is so comfortable, because of the width and my upholstery design, without the need of a topper, that it is now preferred to what we see in the Marco Polo with its over engineered automated and deflating systems. But they do look cool.
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That's a great idea Mikit. Your attention to detail and craftsmanship is truly impressive!
Would you post a few pics of how you're securing the seat to the floor track?
Would you post a few pics of how you're securing the seat to the floor track?
Thank you for the comment.
I wanted to utilize the track as well as the mounting hardware that came with the seat but they were incompatible as far as fit. I fabricated mounting platforms with two 24"X4" high strength 2024 aluminum bars that attached to the tracks using 3 of these fittings per track. http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratch...Accessories/Double-Stud-Fitting-w-Bolt-Thread (Used 6 total)
I purchased the aluminum bar stock many years ago when Boeing had their surplus center in Kent Washington. A dark day when Boing closed my favorite store.
The mounting hardware that came with the seat included 4 base plates and saddle clamps of heavy stamped steel. I through bolted the base plates to the aluminum bar stock with 5/8" bolts. Since the through bolt heads, as well as the track mounting hardware, would not allow the aluminum bar to set flush to the floor I utilize strips of HDPE (starboard) fastened to the bottom of the bar stock to level the base and give a secure clamping surface to the floor. The seat is secured to the base assembly with 1/2" knob bolts and a saddle type clamp. Even though the aluminum base assembly is securely bolted to the track, the clamp assembly allows the seat to be removed easily if needed. At the rear of the seat ( too hard to photograph) I attached two 1/2" turnbuckles angled from the track to seat frame for added security. These turn buckles were made for securing camper units to pickup trucks. Also should be noted, in addition to the many bolts holding the track down, the track in this area is also bolted to the frame utilizing factory threaded fittings previously used for D rings. There are many ways this could have been done but I used what I had available and, for our use, am confident in the installation.
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Bob,
Thanks for the compliment. Finally down to the detail work after much of the hard stuff was completed. Kind of slow going because of other activities and the van has been usable once the bed was installed. Several others on this site have impressive conversions with inovative ideas.
My wife and I do wildlife, landscape and architectural photograph in the Pacific Northwest and BC Canada. The primary reason we purchased the Metris was to accommodate our equipment and offer somewhat better security than our previous vehicles with their multiple windows. We often find ourselves off the beaten path at the end of the day so our Metris gives us the option to stay over over night and take advantage of evening & morning light. We have more tripods than anyone needs so our easy solution is to carry them out of the way with this system installed on the barn doors. We use velcro straps to secure the equipment on the hooks as well as down low. [ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0725FRN4V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATSUHE5486TFT&psc=1[/ame]
This is the hardware I used for the cabinets and drawers shown in the included photos. For the drawer under the seat I used blum full extension undermount drawer slides with locking devises. Good for 100lbs allows heavy equipment to be stored. https://www.build.com/blum-563h5330b/s869746?uid=2221277
This is a custom made drawer so I couldn't go with my normal drawer solution used for the two upper drawers in the toilet module.
For these two drawers I used Blum drawer assemblies that, in my opinion, are very good but expensive if purchase from a hardware retailer. You can get the same product from Ikea at a fraction of the cost. Ikea uses Blum drawer hardware for their kitchen cabinets and I use this hardware in my own ply carcasses. If you can design the layout of your cabinets to be exactly the same width as a stock Ikea cabinet then there is a cost advantage going this way. Ive done 2 kitchens over the last 10 years using these drawers they hold up very well. You do have to be exact on your inside width measurements. The drawers include everything except the front panel and latch.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10265655/#/30265659
For the porta potty storage I use pivot door slide hardware. Normally used in the vertical to open a door and slide it into the cabinet. This works just as well in the horizontal. https://www.wwhardware.com/kv-8080l-ez-overlay-self-closing-pivot-door-slides-kv8080l-pez
The latches I used are from the boating world and purchased on ebay. The large ones are way more robust than needed but they offer an easy open and lift option and were inexpensive. https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Steel-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
The push button latches are from SeaDog. They're less expensive ones available but Ive had good luck with these. They seem better made and have two strike plate options. You can pay more and get metal knobs instead of plastic but both work well. https://www.ebay.com/itm/SDL2243121...987901&hash=item5447d867d1:g:2~gAAOSwBt5ZHL44
For the door over the two 2.5 gallon water jugs I close with rectangular Neodynium magnets purchased on eBay. N52 is very strong probably more than needed. Had to use a tool to get them apart. One got away from me and broke in half as it smacked against another magnet several inches away. Learned they're ceramic even though they look like metal. I put a latch in this door front to act as a handle and security latch.
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I love the Blum stuff.
I get a commercial price on them as I have build quite a few cabinets using them.
I love the Blu-Motion.
I am contemplating combining a Euro-style inset door with these hinges (to kill the rattle)
Not sure if I'm gonna doo doors or cubbies with pull-out bins
I get a commercial price on them as I have build quite a few cabinets using them.
I love the Blu-Motion.
I am contemplating combining a Euro-style inset door with these hinges (to kill the rattle)
Not sure if I'm gonna doo doors or cubbies with pull-out bins
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23 Posts
Negative. It's buried below my bed and behind the cabinet for my fridge, so I can’t easily take a photo.
I mounted everything on a 5/8” piece of plywood that was trimmed to slide forward and between the front passenger seats - I have the cargo with partition, so there is a 'platform' the seats fit on. The batteries mount on the plywood behind the driver and have mounting straps holding them to the rear of the seat platform. The other electrical stuff ( inverter, chargers) was screwed to the plywood.
Hello,
Well, after lots of thought and internal angst over spending $6000 to buy new seats for the metris , I finally put the hammer down last spring and bought the Scopema seat 54” wide bed ,The 2 swivel seats, and slider windows for the middle doors. I track to Montreal to have the work done, and made it into a an excursion. The people at Travois were most accommodating, and the work was done in a day and a half.
Probably because I never sit in the back, or rarely, I never noticed that the seat was rather high. The floor to the top of the passenger seats is about 14 inches, while the floor to seat on the scopema bed/seat is almost 22 inches. I’ve contacted a local mechanic who can knock off several inches and re-weld the seat. Does anybody have any experience with this? Or an alternative method of shortening the height?
Bill Z
Well, after lots of thought and internal angst over spending $6000 to buy new seats for the metris , I finally put the hammer down last spring and bought the Scopema seat 54” wide bed ,The 2 swivel seats, and slider windows for the middle doors. I track to Montreal to have the work done, and made it into a an excursion. The people at Travois were most accommodating, and the work was done in a day and a half.
Probably because I never sit in the back, or rarely, I never noticed that the seat was rather high. The floor to the top of the passenger seats is about 14 inches, while the floor to seat on the scopema bed/seat is almost 22 inches. I’ve contacted a local mechanic who can knock off several inches and re-weld the seat. Does anybody have any experience with this? Or an alternative method of shortening the height?
Bill Z
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9 Posts
Hey, did you ever shorten your Travois bed seat? I bought a used metris that has the Travois Rnr seat in it and it’s so high that I can’t sit in the back without the top popped...
I looked at several possible “cuts” to shorten the height,, all involved other mods I wasn’t ready to do ( cutting into the plastic side wall , ) so I didn’t
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