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Do rear seats have value? Worth selling?
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epowell
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 11:01 pm    Post subject: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

I am trying to decide what to do about a bed in my new van... I can just get rid of everything (sell?) and build all new, or I could modify the back bench into something usable as a bed.

But I am wondering about the economics.... if I molest my bench it loses all value... but otherwise do these benches (near perfect) actually have much value? If yes I could sell and use the money to buy beautiful wood to make a wood bed.

Also, does Vanagon carpet (in excellent condition) have any value. I will be pulling out ALL the carpets, and wonder if it is worth it to sell them.
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leecat
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:11 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

I think shipping is the killer so you're stuck with local pickup - if you live in an area with lots of vans like pnw or so. Cal I think you'd do pretty well throwing them on CL. Might take a while but eventually you'd move them. I have minty super clean 7 passenger blue rear seats I'd love to sell but there are literally only about 3 vanagons within 500 miles of me, so out of luck here.

Carpet you can at least ship, look at GoWesty's kits and price accordingly on the classifieds here.

Good luck!

Edit - just have to add that I really don't think you can use Samba classifieds these days to judge real-world value, seems like a ton of parts must be made of solid gold. The exact same style bay full rear seat (right down to the colour) that I bought local for $20 last summer is in the classifieds for $1500. I mean, come on - I paid less than that for both my vans combined.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:40 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

That bench seat is perfect. I know they're not super popular, but I like the simplicity. Why not do an Adventurewagen style bed? They used the forward-folding seat and built a platform behind it that folded out over the bench.

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(Pictures borrowed from this thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=543716

This ad also has several good photos of how it works:

http://www.vwvanagoncamper.com/1990-adventure-wagen-auburn-ca/
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epowell
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:11 am    Post subject: Making long bed from (early) folding rear bench ? Reply with quote

[mods, please delete this post > I started a new thread - to be more "on topic" - thanks]


I like this AW idea a lot, but I am concerned that building it would be time consuming, and end up with a heavy construction (1.6 NA remember).

On the other hand I love the brown seat and it would be a pity to get rid of it...

I am now thinking of some ways to extend the bed by about 1 foot... and I came up with this idea... have a look at this drawing. Does it seem doable - ? Any feedback?
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

The idea is:
1) obvious first the bench folds forward
2) then you just pull out the extension sheet about 1 foot, which is attached to the back of the folding bench.
3) the extension sheet is held on each end by 2 pieces of box iron (with one side cut off - leaving it "u" shaped). The extension sheet can therefore be pulled out, and as long as about 6 inches of the sheet remain still inside the box iron holders, then the extension should hold weight.
4) the u-shaped box iron holders would be bolted to the back of the seat - and the extension sheet could have slots cut in such a way that the bolts would run thru the slots, and the slots would be just long enough to prevent the extension sheet from being pulled out too far.

I kinds like this idea because it would be MUCH more simple and light than the AW idea. And it would not eliminate so much storage space.

...would this work?




joetiger wrote:
That bench seat is perfect. I know they're not super popular, but I like the simplicity. Why not do an Adventurewagen style bed? They used the forward-folding seat and built a platform behind it that folded out over the bench.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


(Pictures borrowed from this thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=543716

This ad also has several good photos of how it works:

http://www.vwvanagoncamper.com/1990-adventure-wagen-auburn-ca/

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Last edited by epowell on Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:20 am; edited 1 time in total
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:14 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

Just make sure that extender fits in your parking space.

Laughing
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epowell
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 3:30 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
Just make sure that extender fits in your parking space.

Laughing


That's the least of my worries.... I just found out that that parking pad has been pushing over our neighbor's fence Shocked
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 4:38 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

The drawings show that it will work, but I've never seen a rear seat where the back will fold forward and be flush with the top of the engine deck. I notice from the vinyl on the seat that she is an early non luxury version and so perhaps this will work just fine for you.

What I did was put a plywood platform 4" below the window level over the engine bed with a hinged extension which came up when the seat back was folded down. There were hinged legs mounted to that extension which supported it. Then a whole separate piece of ply which rested on top of the main part was pulled forward and with steel edging and pins clipped into the forward edge of the extension. Used this in at least 4 of my various T3's moving it from the dead car into the next and spent well over a hundred nights on it. The mattress was two part folded in half and lived on top of the plywood behind the seat. The upper part of the covering was one piece so it folded out with no crack. The space under the ply was high enough so it was entirely useable and also served to hide various bits of gear from curious eyes peering into the car. Loved it and would do it again, but now no longer have a rear seat at all and so have an alternative solution which also works well. Now a tailgate, hatch tent and ply hinged to the firewall which comes up flush for extending the engine hatch platform for hauling dinghies, lumber and what all. Inflateable queen sized air mattress with 12vdc inflator. Takes up the least space and easy to toss onboard before any overnight trips.

P.S. Would love to have your brown carpet, but 10,000miles away seems a tiny problem.

Duncan
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epowell
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:03 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

DuncanS wrote:
The drawings show that it will work, but I've never seen a rear seat where the back will fold forward and be flush with the top of the engine deck. I notice from the vinyl on the seat that she is an early non luxury version and so perhaps this will work just fine for you.

What I did was put a plywood platform 4" below the window level over the engine bed with a hinged extension which came up when the seat back was folded down. There were hinged legs mounted to that extension which supported it. Then a whole separate piece of ply which rested on top of the main part was pulled forward and with steel edging and pins clipped into the forward edge of the extension. Used this in at least 4 of my various T3's moving it from the dead car into the next and spent well over a hundred nights on it. The mattress was two part folded in half and lived on top of the plywood behind the seat. The upper part of the covering was one piece so it folded out with no crack. The space under the ply was high enough so it was entirely useable and also served to hide various bits of gear from curious eyes peering into the car.


Thanks Duncan

Do you have any pics of your invention? I'd be inspired seeing them I'm sure.

I guess what strikes me first about this idea is the weight, with all of that plywood (I currently have only 50HP 1.6 D ).

But I agree with you that getting everything level likely would be the main problem with my idea. I am now not where that van is so I can't run outside and check.... but I remember it being close to level, and the PO just threw a mattress over it all and said it was a nice bed (even without extension).

In fact, in ALL of my old T2s that I used to drive... I had a permanent bed installed and it also was less than 5 feet long... in fact I really loved that bed because it was so long, and I could stretch out fully if I lay down diagonally... ...so with this current van I am tempted even to use it as a fold down bed even without an extension.

Mostly I'm concerned about weight and simplicity (quick to build).
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epowell
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:51 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

Since I don't have the van here I can't check it, but I am trying to estimate how much of a height difference there will be between the engine top and the back of the seat once folded down...
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I don't remember at all but extrapolating from this cross-section pic it seems like the gap will be about 4 inches?? Does anyone know for sure what it is?
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I seem to remember that the gap was only about 3 inches, which presents a problem because that is too shallow to use for storage if I decide to make a platform over the engine (3" high).
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epowell
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 6:19 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

DuncanS wrote:
Would love to have your brown carpet, but 10,000miles away seems a tiny problem.



No those carpets are in Vancouver. I have 2 vans: one in Czech and one in Vancouver.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:10 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

All the photos I have of the bed deployed is with small kids on it (now adults with children) which are on 35mm slides. However here is the idea.

Innerested in the brown carpets. Good shape? In Vancouver?
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Another idea is one we use on boats where pull out doubles are wanted. Alternating T section slats engage one another and pull out to provide a platform of the necessary depth. I my case, I didn't use this idea as I often carry heavy loads and worried the slats might not be up to the job. But they work great for sleeping where the mattress carries the load across small gaps.
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I don't have my rear seat in anymore as now it's just my wife and me and the seat out saves quite a bit of weight and gives a great deal more useable interior cube either when carrying crud or camping. I added a jump seat behind the PS, but it lives in the garage unless three somebodies need to all be aboard at the same time. One of the great things about the T3 or any including splits and bays is their versatility. In my opinion they are all Multivans. Car, truck, tool van, storage facility, Christmas present hiding units, touring sight seeing bus with all the windows, bread rising unit when left in the sun, motel and camper. I tell people it's everything except..................a Ferrari.

Duncan
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:38 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

Thanks Duncan for these great ideas - and inspiration.... now I need to think and chew a bit more Smile

What do you do now for a bed (and a BENCH for sitting) now that your bench is gone. I agree that those old metal benches weight a TON. For this reason alone I would consider removing it.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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The first pic shows the tailgate. Note it is double thickness with a piano hinge. The underside hinges out making a platform that extends 28" beyond the back. A BD rear hatch cover coverers the unit while sleeping. The second photo shows an early shot of the foam insulation, but you can see the seat is gone. There is now a double layer of ply like the tailgate hinged to the wood and the forward edge of the engine platform which can also hinge out for the bed if we don't want the open back. This way we get a full length bed either in or out which give a lot more interior space. This is version 2.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I never need the rear seat for sitting on in the car anymore so it's in storage. Long range plan is to whack down the center two seater and get rid of most of the weight and make it so it easily mounts at the firewall or can sit on the ground outside.

D
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

DuncanS wrote:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
The first pic shows the tailgate. Note it is double thickness with a piano hinge. The underside hinges out making a platform that extends 28" beyond the back. A BD rear hatch cover coverers the unit while sleeping. The second photo shows an early shot of the foam insulation, but you can see the seat is gone. There is now a double layer of ply like the tailgate hinged to the wood and the forward edge of the engine platform which can also hinge out for the bed if we don't want the open back. This way we get a full length bed either in or out which give a lot more interior space. This is version 2.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I never need the rear seat for sitting on in the car anymore so it's in storage. Long range plan is to whack down the center two seater and get rid of most of the weight and make it so it easily mounts at the firewall or can sit on the ground outside.

D


Amazingly original! Bravo!
I would love to see a pic of how it looks when you guys are camping.

How much does that big standard seat actually weight. Weight is really a major consideration for me with this underpowered engine - but I love that seat and we really use these interior seats all the time.....
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:59 am    Post subject: Re: Do rear seats have value? Worth selling? Reply with quote

What about the idea of getting a Weekender rear seat where the bottom moves forward and the backrest slides down so it is all level?
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This is what the seat I took out does. Weight--I'd estimate 90 lbs as I remember trying to put it in my daughter's barn attic by myself and it took rope and a huge effort to end for end it up the stairs. I STILL HAVE IT and you're welcome to it if you want to drive across country and pick it up. Grey cloth upholstery. Maybe the best thing is to find one in a pic-n-pay where the mice have trashed it and use the hardware to convert yours. Or just copy the folding hardware and make one yourself. Don't think it would be a big deal. If I were to go that route, I would also do the lounge conversion for the backrest where the seat back reverses and you can sit in the back over the toasty engine hatch, lean back and enjoy the view of the Walmart parking lot where you are camping. Seriously, though, I found this uncomfortable as all the elevation changes in the upholstery for comfortable seating made for crummy sleeping. At first used my old version 1 mattress and put it over everything, but I'd use an inflatable doing it again. We find that the cheap folding canvas chairs work well for sitting at our fold-out table and for just having them anyplace in the back where we want to sit or stick outside under the awning. The usual post prandial seating in rainy or cool weather is with the PS seat turned around and the canvas chair facing it. The jump seat never goes camping at all. As I said earlier, the dream is to convert the middle seat to ezy-in-'n-out for ground use as well. Figure I could get about half the weight out with judicious torch work. It would fasten inside with knob bolts to a serious backing plate on the rear of the firewall. Rubber flaps on the outside to seal the cold air coming through the bolt holes. A couple of flush floor sockets for the front legs and fold outs for the rear when deployed for ground use or even back longitudinally against the DS. Maybe this winter, but before that is the power window conversion project for the DS rear window between the C/D pillar. The rear gets stuffy without being able to let air in the back half of the interior.


Just to be clear and not mislead you, camping is about 3% of the use of my car (a daily driver) so take all of my thoughts accordingly.
Duncan
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