evilb

Got away this weekend for the first time in myself converted budget 2004 4wd v6 alphie. Spent less than 1500 aud fitting ot out. Flipped the passenger seat, installed a bed at the height of the rear seat side rails (32cm of clearance underneath) which hinges up into a forward or a rearward facing sofa (hooked up to what used to be the grab rails) 200ah lithium, 2k inverter, semi flexible roof solar, microwave, fridge, toilet, induction cooker. Pretty happy so far. Van has 85,000km. Only complaint is the fuel economy. Mine is a 4 speed and I gather the 5-speed Auto would have been more economical. But the whole van including the build has cost me 11k Australian, which is 6500 pounds. The 107 kph cruise control maximum is potentially annoying on the freeway but no freeway between my house and the beach 😊 I have posted previously about rotating the passenger seat without a swivel. I think this is the best way to do it. Because every time I sit in it I think if it was four centimeters higher I wouldn't be able to in either direction. It's so easy to just undo the four 14 millimeter bolts holding in the passenger seat and flip it around. You just need to drill two rivnuts into the seat base to secure the front tabs into what is now the rear of the seat base. Maybe it takes 2 minutes but I think two minutes every time you need to flip the seat might be better than an extra inch and a half of seat height in both directions just for the convenience of a swivel. Hoping this is the first of many weekend getaways in the Alfie 😊

No. I didn't have swivel middle row seats, so can't confirm. But can definitely confirm that at 180cm/6' tall, there would have been no point turning the front seat backwards if it was three to four centimeters higher.

Certainly not planning on driving with anyone in that seat while it's facing backwards. But it's good to know that it's a possibility when you get to where you're going. I honestly think it's a better option than a rotating swivel because you don't lose any headroom. I think having tried it out I think if I had put a swivel in that was three centimeters thick it would be too tall for me to sit in comfortably anyway. And the great thing is, it doesn't cost anyone anything to try it 🙂

I just unbolt my ah10 (2003) passenger seat (4x 14mm bolts) and flip it round. Then secure it with some m6 bolts and nuts at the front (of the floor bracket). So the lugs at the front of the seat sliders drop into the threaded rear bolt holes, and then secure the rear slider holes through the hole that the front lugs normally go through (using slightly smaller bolts, because the standard bolts dont fit. I also drilled 2 holes in the rear of the floor bracket, so i can secure the vertical tabs. Takes about 3 minutes to unbolt and rebolt to change direction if i need to carry a passenger, and the seat isn't overly heavy. I'd love a proper bracket but im in Australia and the uk made bracket and postage is a bit exxy. It's a great budget solution (free 😁) and doesn't add any height to the seat in either direction, which is great because im 6 foot tall.