Swivel passenger and bulkhead

[bigsallysmom]

I like the idea of a bulkhead but I want a swivel passenger seat too.  Does anyone have a temporary bulkhead that you take down after arrival?

 

[John61CT]

Why would you want one?

If solid, where would you stow it?

Maybe a strong mesh hooked across the space like in military transport planes. . .

 

[waldenbound]

Given the choice of a swivel passenger seat or a bulkhead, I wouldn't give up my bulkhead for anything.
If I want a comfortable seat to read a book, I just go in the cab.

 

[Dgorila1]

Make the bulkhead slide, so you can slide the passenger side bulkhead across behind the drivers seat when you want it open.

 

[Almost There]

I have what is essentially a partial bulkhead that protects the drivers' area.

I didn't build it for that reason but it works and I still have my passenger seat swivel. Since I very seldom carry any passengers I'm happy with it.

My layout includes a pantry directly behind the drivers' seat that is 24" at the deepest part and of course tapers at the wall side as needed. It leaves the center open so that I can go directly from the drivers' seat to the living area.

I also positioned it so that the seat is in 'my' position. I warn mechanics that they better have some awful short person move the van or his knees are going to be stuck in his ears....

 

[MrNoodly]

I have what is essentially a partial bulkhead that protects the drivers' area.

The bulkhead that came in my van was in three sections. There was no doorway. So I removed the center and passenger sections and, like you, kept the driver side section.

 

[Ticklebellly]

I have swivel front seats and they effectively add 30% to the living area, so would not give them up.   I like the idea of a bulkhead to help with Stealth but also want internal access to the back.   I have rigged a serious blackout curtain that fits around the Bach of the turned around front seats.

 

[John61CT]

That's why I asked the purpose.

Many ways to skin a cat, the curtain would not help for security for example.

 

[Moonfreed]

I can't speak for bigsallysmom's reason, but my own would be stealth/security for in the city once parked, but also with the freedom to remove/slide door and passenger 'side' out of view when driving or boondocking. (my van is cargo with window in sliding door...much safer for lane-changing with that visibility)

My build plans are to attempt something similar to Dgorila1's sliding door suggestion. My van Moonfreed is a Ford with the seatbelts mounted way back requiring a little bit of an 'angled' wall next to the passenger side of the vehicle. That 8-12 inch angled wall will be bolted down. The passenger side bulkhead will lock to that angled wall and the floor/ceiling and be sitting in the furthermost forward 'track' (like sliding closet door track). I'll have to figure out how to inset locks/latches into the door itself, since it will have to slide in front of the middle 'main' access door.

So the top-down layout would roughly be:
                                                                     /
XXXXXXXXXXXX------------------¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

X = drivers side pocket bulkhead (main door slides in there)
-  = main door center (slides into driver bulkhead)
¯ = passenger locking/sliding bulkhead (slides all the way over in front of driver bulkhead)
/  = angled 8-12" bolted passenger side wall

That's 'the plan', anyhow....sourcing the hardware may be interesting.

Hope it's of help, bigsallysmom.