swivel seat

[weestrom05]

Does anyone know of a swivel for the right front seat on an Aerostar?  I have searched every where I can think of.  Thanks Curt

 

[travlinman and wife]

check out http://www.discountvantruck.com/

 

[bk2valve]

Hi Curt....I am experimenting with a swivel for boat seats....I will let you know if it works. It is not a DOT approved seat base to be sure, but it is only $10 at Walmart and should serve my purposes well. <br><br>The Discountvantruck units are much too expensive for my needs so I wanted something cheaper and as useful. <br><br>Mostly my dog rides in my seat, turned backwards, but if I want to have a passenger, it would be nice to spin the seat around and they could face forward. I am not particularly worried about the strength of the swivel as the passenger would have on a seat belt and that is secured as normal....very strong and secure.<br><br>I will do a couple photos as I put it together....I do the final bolt up today.<br>Bri

 

[bpeck]

I am not particularly worried about the strength of the swivel as the passenger would have on a seat belt and that is secured as normal....very strong and secure.

<br>I don't know man... So say you get into an accident, the seat belt stays secure but all of the sudden the swivel breaks and seat that the belt holding you in is no longer attached to anything... &nbsp;No matter how strong and secure the belt is, it won't do much good holding you (or your passenger) to nothing.

 

[bk2valve]

I hear you Brian, but am not going to worry about it...The seat belt will hold a person and the seat methinks...HOWEVER, and that's a big HOWEVER....I am not planning on many passengers other than me dog and as it was, any passengers who rode with me with the seat backwards only had a lap belt as it was. <br><br>I am willing to take the risk but won't advise anyone else to.<br><br>I finished it today and am quite happy with the rigging. As usual I did not have the interest in taking pix so won't be able to put any up.<br><br>Here is a link to the plate though:<br><br>http://www.jmsonline.net/swivl-eze-seat-swivel-blk-e-coat-3d-ats-17721.htm<br><br>Your call, Brian is right in the respect of DOT approval for sure and he may be right in fact. <br><br>Many car seats, mine included only have 4, 1/4" studs holding them as it is.<br><br>As usual, YMMV....and don't try this at home, this is done by a trained professional on a closed course, blah, blah, blah...you get the point...at least I am not saying the famous last words before death..."watch this!" or as we said in Alaska, "Hold my beer!" <img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br>Bri<br><br>Edited to say...Oh I re-read your post Brian and the seat belt is attached on one side to the floor of the van and the other to the door post....

 

[weestrom05]

If one were to bolt a 6 or 7 gauge sheet oh steel to the pedistal and the seat, I would think the wally word swivel could be bolted to both and work,right? &nbsp;Curt

 

[bk2valve]

Yes Suzuki mon....it would work fine...you still do have the weak spot of the actual center rivet of the swivel. I used strap steel until I ran&nbsp; out and then used 3/16 " x 1 1/2" aluminum strap for the chair side. I used a bolted together ladder shape. It is plenty skookum. I wanted to use material I had already. <br>Good luck,<br>Bri

 

[weestrom05]

Brian, we seem to have similor lives only on opposite side of the country. Im setting up a 96 Aerostar for extended travel with the strom on a 4 by 10 trailer behind it. &nbsp;The bike has been in 22 states, Canada and Mexico now and I want to see the rest of the country before I expire. &nbsp;Curt

 

[bk2valve]

Curt, <br>It does sound like it. I think an Aerostar is a great choice of vehicle...and your project sounds good. <br><br>I really like the Strom though have not owned one. I know of a couple who had a nice dual sport sidecar built and mounted on a Vstrom 1000 and headed off to the south doing a trip to raise money for education of Latin American street kids. Last I heard they were in Columbia where he has relatives. They loved the bike but thought the sidecar could have been built better....<br><br>Excellent on the states and countries with your bike....that would be the bike to do it with.<br><br>We would love to see some photos of your rigs..esp when you have the van set up.....<br><br>Happy trails, Curt....<br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody ">Bri<br><br>

 

[weestrom05]

I have considering a hack to add to the Strom that would be big enough to put a bunk for sleeping. I have the advantage on not needing space for he dog though. Curt<br><br>

 

[bk2valve]

Excellent idea...I wanted to build the same for my rig. I may yet but will have to change bikes since mine is starting to crater...<br>I would like to follow your trail along that line...be sure to post or if you have a blog I would subscribe...<br><br>Bri

 

[Lostinspace]

Weestrom05. The Strom is a good'n. I have an 06 weestrom also. Great bike. A couple of years ago before my trip through the Blueridge I changed my rear sprocket for 1000 Strom sprocket. It's like getting another higher gear. It now loafes along at 4000 rpm at an indicated 55 mph which is really 60 mph. Still good off the line if needed.

I love my weestrom.

 

[super duty]

Bri, that sounds like a classic I haven't put together yet "Hold my beer" great famous last. Words! Lmao! Fitting for many states, not just alakska, really fits alaska womderfully.

Guy

 

[bk2valve]

Curt and Wade....I am a wee jealous of your bikes.....<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">&nbsp; <br><br>Guy, true dat!<br><br>Bri

 

[Van Tripper]

I have been wanting to have swivel/captains seats, will check this out. &nbsp;While checking out the V-strom saw the DR-200se, think I might go that route, small enough to hang on the &nbsp;back of van, but large enough to haul water and groceries. Thanks guys.<br><br>Addition: bk2valve, did you need to do any off-set to seat, clearance for door, open door to turn seat?<br><br>Thinking of mounting swivel &nbsp;to a steel plate for strength and allow an off-set when turning seat. Mount a front to back slider sideways to allow left to right adjustment when facing rear.<br><br>Just thinking out print.

 

[bk2valve]

Hi VanT,<br><br>There are some great little bikes in the 200 to 250 range....Yammies are popular around here...esp. the TW200.<br><br>I set the swivel to the rear of the pedestal for more room for legs up front. As far as anything else, it works famously. &nbsp; I did have to move the house battery from between the front seats to under the bunk...a better place by far. I now have a small bin between the front seats that is easy to move when I want to spin the seat.<br>Interesting idea with the sideway slides...curious as to how that might work....<br><br>Keep in mind that if you go the route I have, the seat has no locking mechanism to lock it from spinning. In my case I don't care. If you do care it should be easy enough to fabricate a lock.<br>Bri

 

[Van Tripper]

Thanks for the response bk, I'm going to do some major mods this spring and summer, bump the top up about &nbsp;24 inches, put seats on swivel, use a tractor pto type pin to lock swivels. Then finish insides, wanted to live in it for a while and figure out what mods I wanted to do.<br><br><br>I've been in my 2000 Chevy Express 3500 for a year now.

 

[bk2valve]

VT, I was able to buy two nice Captain's chairs with the entire pedestal including the floor plate that were in the back of a wrecked van for $40 the pair...at a junkyard in Las Cruces when I needed something for my bus conversion....They are too tall for my needs now or I would take one out and use it for the van....<br><br>Just a heads up that it is sometimes easier to find a used seat than to build the dang thing....<br>Bri

 

[Ballenxj]

Hello Brian, I finally got a minute to look through your blog. I'm jealous that you got to go to RTR and I didn't. <br>Looking forward to meeting you guys sometime. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> <br>And yeah, I'm jealous of "anyone" with a Bike. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> <br>-Bruce

 

[bk2valve]

Hi Bruce! Thanks for looking. I always appreciate visitors....<br><br>I am glad that I got there but sorry I needed to leave...especially not waiting to see my two sisters, Katie and Cyndi...I love's them gals and missed them completely. Oh well, them's the breaks...<img src="/images/boards/smilies/bawl.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br><br>I would love to meet you too Bruce and bikes are definitely good!&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br>Cheers,<br>Bri