jammed fold out bed

[makobehl]

Does anyone have a suggestion to open a jammed latch on the lower fold-out bed of a 1990 Vanagon? Sometihng under the seat must have gotten in the way and I cannot spring the latch to lift up the seat. I don't want to damage my baby forcing it - does anyone have a suggestion for popping it open or dissembling it?

Thanks for any advice!

[JunkYarDog]

Questions for clarification

Does the seat back release and moves forward as it's supposed to?

Does the seat bottem lift as it should?

Or is it the bed will not move forward together?
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I have never owned a VW I didn't like, but there have been a few Fords and Chevy's.
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[IdahoDoug]

Also, which bed? There are several. Z beds, simple folders and narrower camper widths as well.

DougM
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Timwhy]

Push down in the center of the seat near the release and at the same time pull the release forward. It should open then?
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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


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[makobehl]

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions. So far, no luck.
The pull latch release under the bed-seat only moves a very small amount 1/8" or so - not full range.
The seat does not lift (stuck), nor does it pull out.
I tried pushing down on the center and pulling the latch, but no luck.
There is a little movement and I can pull, lift, push the seat only about a 1/4" in all directions.
The bed is standard width 1990 westy.
I am not sure what a Z bed is.
Still hoping for suggestions...

[Timwhy]

Try using a yard stick to move whatever is in the way
_________________
'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[itsasyncro]

It's unclear to me if you have ever had this seat folded out.
Not all seats lay flat.
Have you had this seat in bed mode previously?
You should be able to lift the lower half up about 8"
to have a look around

[itsasyncro]

Oops just reread complete post.

[Vanagon Nut]

In a campground, right before quiet time, a fellow Westy owner had a stuck bed. I was "across the street" enjoying a libation in another Westy when we heard the ruckus. The fellow with the stuck bed had his curtains shut but lights on bright. The motion of his silhouette standing/crouched over his bed trying to get it loose, and all the grunting and cussing, was just too funny. It was just like the laundry scene in the movie Uncle Buck. Wish there was an unmolested scene of that clip on youtube to clarify the "you had to be there" factor. Anyhoo.....

Try pushing down on the bench while using the lever. IIRC this is what we did to help the fellow Westy owner. We may also have "hammered" on the bench during the process.

Neil.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA
(VW Gas I4)

1988 Westy DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[kamzcab86]

Pull the rear mattress back (or take it out); there's a decent-sized gap between the firewall and the seat to gain access to the space under the seat (use your hand or something else to free the latch). Hopefully, there isn't too much stuff in the way.
_________________
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[trailnewt]

[makobehl]

Hi All,

I was away for a few days on a field trip with my geology students, so I just got the chance to try your suggestions.
First of all, the bed used to work fine and easily lifted and pulled out, but all of a sudden, it became jammed and the release knob would not come out and release the latch to lift the seat and pull it out to make a bed.
We tried wiggling the seat while pulling the release - it wouldn't budge.
We then tried the great suggestion to slip a yard stick in the crack beneath the seat. We tried a thin metal ruler, but we couldn't dislodge anything.
We then tried Kam's suggestion to remove the mattress in back and reach in the gap. That showed us the culprit - it was the small driver's side table that we stored under the seat. It was completely jamming the latch mechanism. It was so tight that I couldn't just move it an go back to the front to pull the release. My wife had to keep it lifted towards the rear while I pulled the latch and released the seat. It worked!!! I took it out and the latch and bed hinge mechanism works perfectly again!

Thank you, thank you, thank you - all!