[CalCam]

We have a 150 van with a 130" wheelbase and a medium roof . It came with seating for 7. The rear two passenger seats are spaced so their is really have very little legroom. I removed both seats and pulled up the floor to see what could be done.

The seat brackets for the OEM seats are one piece for both seats. They could be moved toward the rear to free up some space behind the front driver and passenger seats, but that is all. The second row passengers have better have short legs.

I opted for changing seats. I looked at captions chairs, but they are all bulky and very expensive. I felt I needed only seating for two behind the front cab seats. I wanted the seats to swivel 360 degrees and slide.

I was able to find a shop that converted vans and buses for use with wheelchairs. They know how to install L-Track/Airline Track. I was referred to the business that sold these medical vans and they had dozens of new individual bus seats they had removed from bus conversions. I bought two 19" seats for under $200 each.

I went a little overboard in installing the L-Track, because I put in 4 100" tracks. I could have installed 25" tracks and had plenty of adjustment space for the seats.

I am very happy with the result. I now have two seats that swivel and slide. I find the 19" seats are very comfortable for traveling. The fabric is commercial grade and easy to clean. I love the option of being able to quickly adjust the seats fore and aft.

By installed 100" L-Track, the seats can be moved completely to the back of the van in anyplace in-between. Two more seats could be quickly added behind the first row. There is enough space that passengers can move between the first row seats to reach the seats behind. Two seats can be rotated to face two seats further back. A table could be installed and so on.

Finally, if I really feel I want and can afford the Captains Chairs in the future I can find ones that will fit the present Tracks.

Here is one picture. I have more on Dropbox. Unfortunately this forum feels they are have too many pixels. Here is the URL for the Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5x2ioa779iuxakj/AABGmetBLTCUwML6eF6JIyT7a?dl=0

 

[ilovehotshot]

I don't see the URL for dropbox. Where did you get the converted bus seats? Thanks

 

[CalCam]

Here it is https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5x2ioa779iuxakj/AABGmetBLTCUwML6eF6JIyT7a?dl=0

 

[CalCam]

I purchased my seats from Davey Coach Sales in Sedalia, CO

 

[Andre Jones]

Looks good, did the upfitter install the track and is it approved for passengers while the vehicle is in motion?

 

[myseven]

Your van looks great. For the seat hold down to the L-Track, do you have a quick connect fitting or are they bolted into the L-track?
Any problem bolting the four 100" L-tracks thru the floor of the van? What size washers are needed on the bottom of the van
where the bolts attach?

 

[klp]

Looks great!

You have a super versatile setup there, you will not regret putting the track all the way through the rig.

There has been a ton of debate here about seat safety, I would love to see some underneath pics to see how they fastened the track to your floor.

Enjoy.

 

[CalCam]

The up fitter installed the track. Most of you are asking questions that would have to be answered by a certified engineer. I'm not a certified engineer.

I can tell you that there are many special bolts that fasten the L-track through the floor metal and are reinforced with heavy grade 2" fender washers to distribute the strain. Some L-Track comes with predrilled holes on four inch centers. The up fitter wanted L-Track with no predrilled holes. There was a reason.

There were problems to be solved in running the bolts clear through the floor. The are several places where frame members cross the vehicle. The bolt placement has to work around those. There are places where things like the gas tank get in the way. The up fitter did not have to drop the gas tanks to solve those issues.

One of the biggest problems was dealing with things like the heat ducts that run under the floor on the wagons. The up fitter worked around these problems very nicely, but finding a clear run for 100" of L-Tracks correctly spaced so the pedestals would fit took some doing.

The bolts used for fastening the pedestals to the L-Track are L TRACK DOUBLE LUG THREADED STUD FITTING, They are rated at 2000 pounds per bolt. That's 8000 pounds per seat. You will have to judge whether they meet your needs. They were the heaviest duty L-Track bolt I could find.

I'm certainly not qualified to tell you that they meet any government regulations. That would require an inspection by a certified engineer. I used an up fitter that installs a lot of L-tracks in vehicles. I trust his work.

 

[CalCam]

Regarding the question about approval. I can't answer the question without doing some research and probably an inspection by a third party certified engineer. I do have an observation. The L-Track that was used for this installation is the same L-Track that is used in commercial aircraft to mount their seating to the floor.