I've found good seats at recycling yards but I am also going to build a seat
to go between the two front seats so my honey can sit next to me. You just
have to be patient with the yards because parts go quickly. There are a lot
of us looking.

William
Vanagon site http://members.home.net/holisticdream/vanagon1989.htm
Holistic Health Center site
http://members.home.net/wholehealthfound/welcome.html

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Cardwell" <james.cardwell@RSLCOM.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2001 6:49 AM
Subject: Seat Modifications

I have recently purchases a 1983 water-cooled Vanagon, 7-passanger with all
fixed seats. My search for a Van took quite a while - and I was looking only
at the 'weekender' editions of the Vanagon. I was looking for the hardtop
since we do a lot of cannoning - often carrying two canoes on the racks -
and did not want the extra high weight of the of the camper). A rear seat
that folds down to a bed would have been ideal for over-nighting at
put-in's. The 83 - 7 passenger that I purchased was in much better shape
than any weekender that I looked at - both in body and mechanical - and
negotiated a price that was almost 1/2 of any other Van I looked at. So now
I need to convert the rear-fixed seat to a bench seat that can fold down
into a bed - idealing keeping the middle 2-seat bench in place, (my dog
really likes that spot).

Does anyone have recommendations on approaches to this task? Is it better to
search wrecking yards for a stock Vanagon rear seat/bed - or to build one
myself? If the latter - any design/material recommendations?

Thanks for any suggestions offered.

-James Cardwell
Vancouver, BC