Third seat options?

[Giggles]

So, this summer, I want to bring my elderly parents on a few road trips to get them out of the house. The problem is, I only have 2 regulation seats (the two front seats). In he back, I have a platform bed I built, an old wooden desk, and some plastic drawers.

The van came with a captain's seat. I took it out during my conversion, but I haven't sold it yet.  I guess I could put it back in the van, but I'd have to bolt it back to the floor,  and find seat belts for it. (Can you put seat belts on a captain's chair??)  

Any other ideas? Are there any portable seats (besides captan's chairs?) or benches you can put in a van that are 'regulation' (i.e. with seat belts, etc..)

Thanks in advance

 

[user 423]

There may be others but I know that some newer Toyota Siennas have seats with built-in belts. You would have to adapt the seat base so it could be bolted to the floor of your van.

My Ford van had captain's chairs that were removed and the latch part of the belts were attached to them but the retractable part of the belts were anchored high on the pillars.

It may be possible to get what you would need from a salvage yard or someone parting out a van on Craigslist such as this guy in Tucson:

https://tucson.craigslist.org/pts/d/tucson-parting-out-1992-e150-ford/7278669350.html

 

[Giggles]

Thank you!

 

[Giggles]

Ok, well I ended up finding some lap seat belts that work in trucks and vans, and with captain's chairs. I just have to bolt them to the floor, which should be easy enough, since the chair comes with a metal platform.

Problem solved!

 

[user 423]

Lap belts alone aren't very safe. Better than nothing but not much.

They probably wouldn't pass an inspection. You'd need to check with MVD.

 

[19Coachouse]

Giggles : I have the same issue with my 1992 Ford E350 Coach House. It only has 2 front seats and the previous owner took the third seat out which was behind the passenger. I have a dinette in the rear, plus a day bed. The easiest solution would be to add lap belts, but I am concerned about the safety issue. I have looked at folding "jump seats" on various websites. I have also seen a very nice folding jump seat ( you tube video - Sara and Alex James ) that bolts to the floor but I would have to re-configure my whole van which I am not in a position to do right now. Plus that seat is not cheap. SO, I too am looking for a solution which brings me to why the back seat layout is so popular. Because there are legal seatbelts for 2 or 3 more passengers! I look on Craigslist regularly for 3rd seat options that will probably have to be modified somehow. Good luck. I totally understand your dilemma.

 

[bullfrog]

This discussion seems really strange to me as in some states as long as you are seated inside the bed of a pickup truck you are legal. Older cars that were not equipped with seat belts are not required to have them in some states as well I believe. As I have stated before federal law makes it legal to transport migrant workers seated in unsecured metal folding chairs in the emergency isle of a school bus. After market custom seats and seat belts are sold and installed in commercial and manufactured vehicles everyday following reviewed installation methods. The big problem is your state's laws and your insurance company's policies which is the place to start to get information about what your options will be.

 

[user 423]

What's legal is one thing but the safety of passengers (especially elderly parents) should be the priority IMO.

 

[bullfrog]

My parents had me ride on top of the cab of the truck on the way back because a load of fresh green cow manure for the garden was over flowing the bed. My dear father said his foot slipped off the clutch petal causing me to slide off the cab and do a belly flop face first into the manure. I wouldn't have any problem wheeling him into the back of a truck and strapping him down! LOL!!!

 

[Giggles]

Lap belts alone aren't very safe.  Better than nothing but not much.

They probably wouldn't pass an inspection. You'd need to check with MVD.

 
Yeah, but the chair will only be in the van when I have both my parents along with me for a road trip. And when they're not going to be with me, I'll just take the chair out. There are just 5 bolts and a platform...very easy to take in and out.

I just want a basic lap belt in place in case I ever get stopped, or in case a cop peeks his head in the back cargo doors, which I doubt he will.

I won't have the chair in the van if I ever take it for any kind of inspection.

 

[Giggles]

My parents had me ride on top of the cab of the truck on the way back because a load of fresh green cow manure for the garden was over flowing the bed. My dear father said his foot slipped off the clutch petal causing me to slide off the cab and do a belly flop face first into the manure. I wouldn't have any problem wheeling him into the back of a truck and strapping him down! LOL!!!

Lol!!! That's hilarious. Yeah, paybacks are hell.

Funny!

 

[Giggles]

Lap belts alone aren't very safe.  Better than nothing but not much.

They probably wouldn't pass an inspection. You'd need to check with MVD.

Well, I'm only going to have the 3rd seat in the van when I have both my parents with me on a road trip. Other than that, I'll have the extra seat out of the van.

But thanks for the warning.

 

[Giggles]

Giggles : I have the same issue with my 1992 Ford E350 Coach House. It only has 2 front seats and the previous owner took the third seat out which was behind the passenger. I have a dinette in the rear, plus a day bed. The easiest solution would be to add lap belts, but I am concerned about the safety issue. I have looked at folding "jump seats" on various websites. I have also seen a very nice folding jump seat ( you tube video - Sara and Alex James ) that bolts to the floor but I would have to re-configure my whole van which I am not in a position to do right now. Plus that seat is not cheap. SO, I too am looking for a solution which brings me to why the back seat layout is so popular. Because there are legal seatbelts for 2 or  3 more passengers! I look on Craigslist regularly for 3rd seat options that will probably have to be modified somehow. Good luck. I totally understand your dilemma.

Thanks!

 

[Giggles]

Lap belts alone aren't very safe.  Better than nothing but not much.

They probably wouldn't pass an inspection. You'd need to check with MVD.

P.S.. Besides, when I was a little kid, my "seat belt" was my mom's arm stretched out in front of me if we stopped too fast. Lol.

 

[Cammalu]

Put them in the bed and handcuff them. That should be secure enough and if you get stopped and searched you won’t be in trouble for not having a seat belt. I doubt that will be on the policeman’s mind at all.

 

[Giggles]

What's legal is one thing but the safety of passengers (especially elderly parents) should be the priority IMO.

Let's put it this way. My dad is 82 and my mom is 78 and not steady on her feet. I can't leave either of them alone in the house, and they would be safer with me. And quite frankly, my van is so big, it's safer than my old small versa that would crumple like tin foil if it was hit by another car.

My mom falls all the time at home, and I cannot leave her alone without my dad. When she falls, she cannot get up. So, in reality, she is safer with both of us on a road trip, and I'll get a lap belt....which is more than she had in her 1968 Mustang when we were growing up.

 

[Giggles]

Put them in the bed and handcuff them. That should be secure enough and if you get stopped and searched you won’t be in trouble for not having a seat belt. I doubt that will be on the policeman’s mind at all.

Lol!!

 

[tradesman]

You can purchase seats with built-in shoulder belts from people that have taken them out to convert their passenger vans. I purchased a (almost new) ford transit seat with built-in shoulder belt and installed it to add a third seat. It came with the mounting tracks that bolt to the floor. This way when you don't need the extra seat it's easy to remove and you're just left with two tracks on the floor. Depending on your floor, the tracks can be recessed as well.