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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 9:27 pm Post subject: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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So, I was surprised to find that there is not a thread on this little-known Vanagon feature, because I am sure I learned it here years ago. However, I never verified it was true or possible until last weekend.
We have a tintop without swivel seats. I've often wished we had the swivels as we spend a fair amount of time camping in ours. Somewhere I have a vague impression that you could pull the front passenger seat off the track, flip the seat backward facing and slip it back on the track.
For years, I've simply forgotten I "knew" this but finally last weekend I verified it. It works and its actually quite quick once you've done it a couple times. So here's how you do it:
Unrecline the seat so the back is in the fully upright position - as far as it will go. Shove the seat forward on its tracks as far as it will go - hit the stop. FInd the small lever low on the side that releases the stop and push the seat forward further and remove it. Then spin it around and line up the seat tracks to push it on backward. Nevermind that the seat touches the dash and is not perfectly level yet - you can get it started on the tracks and then the seat can be lowered to properly level after an inch or so. Almost as if VW p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y measured things to make this possible. Voila! you have a rearward facing seat to hang out in!
If you have the adjustable armrests like we have, you will notice something else cool. If you now have the seat too close to the dash and try to close the door, the door handle will hit the armrest if its down. But it will clear with the seat close to the dash with the armrest up (where's the fun there?), or move the seat rearward a bit and you'll find that the armrest is now fully functional up or down. And you'll also note that with the armrest up, it perfectly mimics the angle of the door handle. Again, as if the engineers designed this feature intentionally.
So there you have it - all of you have rear-facing front passenger seats for camping!
Doug _________________ 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, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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E1 Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013 Posts: 6563 Location: Westfalia, Earth
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:12 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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Very cool discovery, Doug, Thanks for sharing it!
We never once even turned ours around on the first van, but finally started with this one about two months ago. Only took about 69 months.
Remarkable feature, and we have the swivel bases. Makes the interior look much longer at camp, and what a cool place to hang out. _________________ ‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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0to60in6min Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006 Posts: 3416 Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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Quote: |
all of you have rear-facing front passenger seats for camping!
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my son did this 4 years ago when he got his tintop GL, all the time... since he's not on Samba he didn't share the tip, and I didn't neither because I though that everybody know about it.
thanks for doing it Doug... |
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shagginwagon83 Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016 Posts: 3800 Location: VA/TN
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Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:11 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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I didn't know this until a dabaron told me about him doing this. Pretty cool. The driver swivel is pretty useless. However the passenger seat facing backwards is 🔥 _________________ Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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ALIKA T3 Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009 Posts: 6360 Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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DanHoug Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2016 Posts: 4791 Location: Bemidji, MN
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:53 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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spending some time to clean the grease out of the tracks really helps too. i've got dual swivels but they were pretty much useless until i completely removed them and cleaned them thoroughly. now the swivel and fore/aft adjustments are so easy. combined with installing non-Westy seats on the Westy swivel bases has made a dramatic change in the seating comfort with longer bolsters and thicker padding. _________________ -dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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jimf909 Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014 Posts: 7472 Location: WA/ID
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 6:07 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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Good tip!
I probably had a Vanagon for 17 years before I learned how to remove the front seats. It's surprising how easy it is to R&R. Now that I've got the solar controller, fuse panel, etc. mounted behind the driver's seat I remove it whenever I need to work on it. _________________ - Jim
Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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VWeGoBeachNow Samba Member
Joined: May 12, 2010 Posts: 197 Location: CRUISING DOWN PCH IN THE OC
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:26 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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Sweet! I will have to try this out. Thanks for the tip! _________________ 88 Wolfsburg Limited Edition Vanagon GL Tin Top
Vesuve Grey underneath cheapo Vesuve Grey paint job
2.1 L
4spd |
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WestyBob Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004 Posts: 2346 Location: Portland, Oregon
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:16 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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I'm not sure about weekenders which have a longer seat base. If anyone has tried this with those then let us know. |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15144 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 10:06 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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if they can't you can always slide it in backwards from the rear if you pry up the bent down ends on the tracks. be fore warned, then a zealous passenger can slide right out when adjusting the seat
WestyBob wrote: |
I'm not sure about weekenders which have a longer seat base. If anyone has tried this with those then let us know. |
_________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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jlrftype7 Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2018 Posts: 3582 Location: Chicago
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 12:01 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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I tried this a few weeks ago after reading a post on it, and the angle my seat was allowing the tracks to mate with the base was justttttt not enough to get the seat started back in the tracks again . My issue was that even with the seat back fully upright, the dash prevented me from controlling the process with the back of the seat squashed into the dash.
I’ll have to try it again in a day or two . I have the old mustard vinyl stock seats, no arm rests either. _________________ '68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto |
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WestyBob Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004 Posts: 2346 Location: Portland, Oregon
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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djkeev wrote: |
My 86 "weekender" seats slid off with no problems.
I must say that I never enjoyed the exercise of seat removal and would resist doing it frequently.
Dave |
Mine come off easy too. I was talking about remounting backwards (clearance to the dash). |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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WestyBob Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004 Posts: 2346 Location: Portland, Oregon
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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djkeev wrote: |
Just pry up the rear stop tabs....
EZ install
Dave |
So just to be clear, you have successfully tried this with a weekender seat ? |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32625 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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SyncroHead Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2005 Posts: 1145 Location: Northern Nevada
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Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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Wow! I've had a number of Vanagons over a period of 31 years now. Taken the seats out countless times and even removed Vanagon seat rails and mounted them on another set of seats. All this and I never even though about turning one around.
Thanks for teaching an old dog new tricks!
Jim _________________ "A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"
Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org
sphet wrote: |
I have *no* idea what the previous owner carried in his Westy... angry donkeys? |
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:04 am Post subject: Re: All front passenger seats can face rearward! |
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WestyBob wrote: |
djkeev wrote: |
Just pry up the rear stop tabs....
EZ install
Dave |
So just to be clear, you have successfully tried this with a weekender seat ? |
Yup. I used to turn the passenger seat around when we were camped for a weekend.
Put a swivel under that seat and now I'll spin it at lunch time!! _________________ '84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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