This is the post to which Chris is referring. Yeah its crude looking
but as Chris describes it can be done to look like a factory job. Some
great pics of retrofitting shoulder harnesses, as well.

Cheers,
Phil

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0410b&L=vanagon&F=&S=&P=18802

On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 02:01:37 EST, JordanVw@aol.com <JordanVw@aol.com> wrote:
> i got this idea from another lister - please forgive me for forgetting who -
> they posted up pics and everything... good idea.    but i sort of refined
> their idea alittle more.
>
> as most of you know, if you have a passenger van, there are already
> provisions in the seatbacks for the middle and rear seats for adding headrests..you can
> take your thumb and feel the holes in the metal framing of the seatback.
> adding headrests to passenger van seats is easy..all you need is headrests and
> headrest sockets ..i have both available if anyone wants to add headrests to
> their middle/rear vanagon seats.
>
> for westy owners, its another story..
> the rear westy sofabed is made of plywood, and the seatback and seatbottom
> are simply pieces of plywood with foam glued to them and then the upholstry
> covered and stapled to them.   there are no provisons for headrests.
>
> but it can be done.   i borrowed the "hinge" idea from the other lister.
> basically you take one of the headrests off your front seat, and measure the
> diameter of the steel headrests posts, or bring the headrest to the hardware
> store with you.
> find a strap hinge, or a large door hinge..hinges that would normally be used
> to hanging gates or shed or other large doors. find one that the hinge pin is
> the same diameter as the headrest post. you need to buy 2 hinges.
>
> take the hinges home and tap out the hinge pins. you may need to cut off the
> hinge pin head to tap them out. once you have the hinges seperated, these will
> be the "brackets" that hold your headrests.
> remove the tape that covers the staples on your westy seatback, at the top
> back.  remove the stapeles, and then peel back the upholstry and foam.
> then you can use 1/2" screws and screw the hinge pieces to the inside of the
> plywood seatback at the appropriate places so they will recieve both headrest
> posts.
> replace foam, and re-staple and tape upholstry.
> you'll need to poke 2 holes in the upholstry for each headrest, but the
> brackets will be concealed in the seatback so it will look stock.
> just slide headrests out and throw them under the seat when you want to fold
> it down into a bed.
>
> chris
>