From the very beginning of Loki’s renovation-conversion to a camper van, almost 3 years ago now, I had Swivel Seats on the list as a top priority. We installed new seats in the Big Red Bus conversion we did so many years ago and it made all the difference in the living space of the vehicle.
The bus seats were amazingly uncomfortable, so we replaced them completely, base and all. However, Loki’s seats are actually still very comfortable and in decent shape, so this time we only had to replace the base to allow the seats to turn completely around.
The old bases were in good shape, but stationary. You could adjust the seat position forward and backward, but that was all. We searched the internets until we found this site, Discount Van Truck, where we eventually placed the order. The swivels we ordered took about 4-6 weeks to arrive, and weren’t cheap, so this was obviously not a quick job.
The swivels from the company are fantastic, but the lack of communication was a little annoying mainly because we are all so programmed for the Amazon order system at this point. They did answer the phone and answer any questions we had, but they didn’t offer any order updates, shipping estimate emails, etc. When I spoke with them about my order, the man (owner, I believe) told me that they make all their bases and that they were waiting on the metal to be delivered before they could make ours. Not a problem, I just would not have known this had I not called.
The installation of the new seat bases was super simple. If you want to do this, you will need a TORX bit socket set. The set runs about $20 and is the only way to remove the bolts from the floor.
We began by detaching the air bag connection and removing the bolts from the base to the floor. This allowed for removal of the seats.
Once we had the seats out, we removed the old bases. After checking the alignment of the bases with the holes in the floor of the van, we bolted the new bases to their seats. There is a difference between the passenger and the driver base, so we had to keep that right. The only issue we had at all was with one single bolt on each seat was not totally flush, it was at an angle by only a few degrees. Not a big deal and it was probably just an alignment for our particular seat bases with our particular van build.
With the new bases on the seats, we then bolted them back in place and reconnected the air bag clips. Edgar seemed to think the job was well done.
If you are working on a conversion, especially on a true van (like a Ford E-250), and you feel the need for extra living space when you are stopped and enjoying the view, consider this quick and easy modification. It makes a world of difference.
