Fold forward 2 seat bench for RV conversion?

I am looking for plans for making a metal frame for a 2 seat fold forward bench seat for my 04 Sprinter RV conversion.
I had a welder friend make a metal platform bed that you lay on side railings. I also had railings put up higher in the van so more storage could go under the bed for the occassional special cargo needs we have. My husband is a musician and sometimes we take more gear. But I want to have a bench seat that folds over so I can lay from back to front rather than side to side. The side to side is OK for me as I am only 5ft 3 but it really is only good for a nape with my 6 foot husband.


So rather than making another section with railings I want to put a bench seat in. If it folds flat down it could be made to fit at the same height as the metal platform bed. And a cushion could be layed on the bench seat to finish off the bed.



I bought a 93 Euro van rear seat like the photo's above but it has 3 seats and I realize now I want 2 seats so I can have room to build a cabinet on the drivers side in front of the wheel well for storage that is the same height as the platform bed. Under the window on the drivers side I will also have a cabinet for the fridge, microwave and potty.


This photo shows the bed over the bench seat. But I want to take out the railing over the bench seat and make a bench seat that will act as the bottom of the bed when it is folded down.



Does anyone have any idea's? My friend that is a welder could make a bench seat but wants some plans for it. I can do the upholstery after the metal frame is made. Or does anyone suggest a good bench seat from a auto (model suggestions) that folds forward and could be adapted and made to attach to the sprinter floor in a safe way.

And what is the best way to attach the seat to the floor if we do make it? I will need to take it out once a year when we need more cargo room.

I do have 2 extra front seats for a Sprinter that I could use. I read the forum on how to make them fold forward by taking out a pin. But then how do I build a strong base that would then attach to the floor?

I want to make a fold down forward seat that looks like this but is only for 2 people. Any suggestions for how to weld or build the frame. Maybe I can use the old VW seat parts to adapt it?

An option on this page...

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3242&postcount=17

I used a vw vanagon westfalia bench. The upholstery of the '85-'91 models is grey.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8224
The bed sleeps great!

deirdradoan said:

I am looking for plans for making a metal frame for a 2 seat fold forward bench seat for my 04 Sprinter RV conversion.
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Ah, yes. The fun in camper conversion. For both our Unimog and our '56 microbus we built the furniture out of wood. That way I would fit the dimensions we needed for the bed. Now in our case we weren't concerned with the extra seats being actual seats with seat belts and the whole bit because we're just two people and no one was going to be riding in them. They were just for sitting in when parked.

Nice transporter by the way!

That's very clever having two levels for your bed. Lots of discussion here about seat-height beds vs high beds for bulky storage underneath. Good to have both options.

I'm not positive I understand your sleeping dilemma. Do you need an extra two seats or is the existing bed area compromised by some cargo loads? Do you want to keep all the gear at the rear doors to keep it out of the living area?

I do understand the value of 15"w shelf/cabinet behind the driver's seat since we use that layout. We use a 45"W x 80"L bed and in my layout. I can relocate the bed from the drivers side rear to passenger side midship If I want to. That would leave our 15"w kitchen/shelving intact and free the rear for cargo.

We had started out with the more normal 60W x 80L queen bed but narrowing the bed freed up room for a whole wall of storage. We're not skinny but we do like each other. A key to the narrower bed is that it has several inches of room on each side and that allows bedding to drop down the sides. It also gives it the feel of a wider bed when you're not against a wall.

I think I'd skip the wasted volume of an extra vw-type seat and instead make the front of your bed platform convert into a bench seat as needed. Not too hard to fix a removable back panel between your upper and lower rails.

Do you need a 45"w "tray" to slide forward alongside your kitchen? This would be a sometimes-bed in a midship location. (It could also fold out instead of sliding forward.)

We use custom seat cushions to change between shelves, benches, daybed or double bed. A 2" layer of memory foam atop unifies the cushions for sleeping.