Swivel Seat Base Question - Page 3

j.whitbread · 10-27-2008, 01:35 PM

Thanks for the heads up on the thread. I didn't have any problems with the light. It went out right away. The wire is plenty long enough to allow full swivel. Other than having to work it around bit by bit in such a tight space, it's perfect.

avking · 06-07-2009, 08:39 PM

I know this is an old thread. Does this allow the seat (passenger front) to turn 180 and face the rear? We drive 16+ hours straight to Idaho a few times a year and I thought it would be cool to sit in the rear captains chair and then spin the front seat 180. With a cooler in front of the rear seat and the front seat spun around, you could lay down almost like a bed.

I don't have a full SMB conversion, just a Quigley 4x4 in a 06 E350 Chateu, so this would make that long drive a lot easier. We usually switch drivers every four hours.

I am going to make a trip to Idaho a week from today, so I will order this in the morning if it really lets the seat do a 180.

j.whitbread · 06-07-2009, 10:03 PM

That's exactly right. I swivels all the way around to point straight back. Or at any degree for that matter. Driving? Make sure the back of the seat doesn't block your view to the passenger side mirror. It really creates a lot of space.

Kaydee · 06-11-2009, 08:34 PM

J.Whitbread, I've sent you a email. Kaydee

jage · 06-12-2009, 08:35 AM

We swivel ours at about every stop that is more than a few minutes (meals, campsites, extended breaks). However there is a sticker that informs me to never occupy the seat backwards while driving:

I don't think it is the backwards so much as the airbag going off behind you, combined with the lack of or bad fit of the seatbelt (which is going to retract an instant before the airbag goes off).

Whether that is better or worse than simply laying down in the back (assuming you've got a bed), driving without a seatbelt at all or, say, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is open to interpritation. I just thought I'd mention it since we're talking about the seat swivel and driving.

BobF · 06-14-2009, 05:25 PM

John K says that "RV's are allowed to have swivel seats, non-RVs are not...". Can anyone tell me the legal definition of an RV? Is my empty '06 E350 V10 with SMB penthouse and Quadvan 4X conversion an RV or a fancy cargo van?

John Kalmbach · 06-15-2009, 01:24 AM

Bob,

While there was always debate about what actually needed to be installed in order to classify a van as a "House Car" (RV), the MSO (Manufacturer Statement of Origin) that SMB would submit stated that at least four out of six life support systems needed to be permanently installed according to ANSI standards. The six systems were;

Refrigerator or Icebox
LP Gas and/or 120VAC
Toilet
Fixed Plumbing
A/C or Furnace (while parked)
Cooking Appliance

I hope this helps.

John K.

**daveb** · 06-20-2009, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kalmbach

Bob,

While there was always debate about what actually needed to be installed in order to classify a van as a "House Car" (RV), the MSO (Manufacturer Statement of Origin) that SMB would submit stated that at least four out of six life support systems needed to be permanently installed according to ANSI standards. The six systems were;

Refrigerator or Icebox
LP Gas and/or 120VAC
Toilet
Fixed Plumbing
A/C or Furnace (while parked)
Cooking Appliance

I hope this helps.

John K.

O-NO the highly debated toilet and microwave issue could come into play. This also reflects on the insurance and I meet the 4 out of 6 but John you post "The six systems were". So has there been a change? Not to put you on the spot but this has been an uncertain issue since I bought my rig. Thanks for any updated info if you have it.
Dave.

**WVvan** · 07-15-2009, 08:52 PM

Can the driver's seat rotate a complete 180 with one of the aftermarket swivel bases?
If I remember correctly

, on my brother's old customized 89' Ford van you had to raise one of the arm rests and slide the seat forward then it would clear the steering wheel when you rotated it 180.
Curious about the newer models.

John Kalmbach · 07-16-2009, 01:31 AM

Dave, sorry for the delayed response, I just noticed your post from June. I said "were" because I'm not sure if any changes have happened in the last year and a half. If the van was built to the codes that were in effect during the build date, you should be fine. If there were any changes to the codes after your build date, it would only effect those vehicles being built then.

As for the driver seat being able to swivel 180, I remember that it is possible on the '92 and newer Ford vans, but the steering wheel interferes with the seat back causing the seat back to be so vertical that the seat is not comfortable to sit in.

John K.