Any Interest In Fold/Flip Rear Seat Kits?

[capev86]

ummm.....the third row is supposed to be removed and the second row becomes an extension of the cargo floor.

adapting the upholstery would be a pain, but it would be a real slick setup. i'd love to go that route with my burb, but i won't be hauling cargo as often as passengers so i'll just use the factory style seats and add the third row. another nice thing about the 60/40 is you can haul some long items and still have some options in terms of passenger capacity (trips to home depot with several buddies, etc).

[jorgensensc]

Originally Posted by capev86

ummm.....the third row is supposed to be removed and the second row becomes an extension of the cargo floor.

I am aware that the third row is supposed to be removed. I don't particularly like that set up. I don't know if you have ever been out and had to remove the third row to put something larger in, but it can be a real pain, especially if your by yourself. The problem with adapting the second row out of a square body is the way the seats fold and are made. The back of the seat bolts directly to the floor on a piano hinge, so it doesn't quite sit right if you try and use the stock seat and adapt it to fit. I agree the 60/40 is a nice idea, but if you are using stock style covers, like houndstooth for instance, you will spend a small fortune getting the seats custom upholstered to look like the stock seats. And if you try and use the stock frames they will also have to be custom made. Trust me when I say I looked into this option. Including trying to use a narrow second row with a utility bucket seat. Together they were too wide. The narrow second row seat is wider than 60% part.
The other reason I wanted to make the second row fold and flip is for easy entrance to the third row. If you just make it fold flat, getting into the third row is kind of tough since you then have to step up and over the laid flat seat back. And our seat frames were not made to be layed flat and stepped on, so it might end up damaging them longterm. Hope this clarifies my thought process.
Shawn
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[capev86]

i've grown up with suburbans (i was 3 in 1983 when we started the family tradtion).

my dad had a 72 burb with a blazer rear seat as a third row and then three factory 9 passenger burbs (84, 87 and now a 99) so i have lugged that seat up and down the cellar stairs many times. i'm out of shape and have a heart condition and i do it one handed. and are you trying to put your grandma in the third row or something? big whoop about having to climb over the seat back. usually you put the kids and younger adults back there anyway. i still say the gm arrangement from 73 up works the best for dual purpose. if i wanted a minivan i'd buy a minivan...they were designed to have stow and go seating.

*sometimes we just flip the back down and slide the third row seat forward on top of the (folded) second row when we need a little bigger cargo floor to save on pulling the seat out completely.

[leakyfawcett]

I actually love the idea of a fold-away third row seat. I love it so much, I've been debating fabricating some sort of jump-seat arrangement for the third row, like on old Monteros or on the 90's FJ80 Landcruisers.

To me, part of the utility of a "sport utility vehicle" is lost when you have to spend time managing a heavy, bulky third row seat just to have flexible people/load carrying options.

I can carry one one-handed too, but I'd rather not. And I'd rather not have it take up space in my garage when it's not in the Burb.

Just my $.02.

[jorgensensc]

Originally Posted by leakyfawcett

I actually love the idea of a fold-away third row seat. I love it so much, I've been debating fabricating some sort of jump-seat arrangement for the third row, like on old Monteros or on the 90's FJ80 Landcruisers.

To me, part of the utility of a "sport utility vehicle" is lost when you have to spend time managing a heavy, bulky third row seat just to have flexible people/load carrying options.

I can carry one one-handed too, but I'd rather not. And I'd rather not have it take up space in my garage when it's not in the Burb.

Just my $.02.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I don't want to have to remove the third row every time I need to haul something, or put the seat in if I need to haul people. I don't know when I will need to pick something up for my side business and they are usually pretty big items. I may drop the kids off at school, then go pick up the product, or install the products for a customer then pick up the kids from school. I don't have time to go by the house and pick up or drop off a seat.
I'm comPletely aware that the square body suburban seats can be used, again the problem is getting the seats to match the originals. And also there still isn't anywhere to put the third row. When I get these brackets done, the second row will fold down, then flip up against the back of the front seat, similar to newer suburbans. The third row will fold down and flip over into the space created between the now flipped up second row and the raised cargo floor. It won't be completely flat, but you should have a relatively flat cargo area for loading things. I think that there re others that would also like this feature, even though the seat can be carried one handed by people with heart conditions. I guess I just want the option for my pregnant wife ( who drives the burb on a regular basis also) to be able to top and buy furniture or whatever she wants without having to remove seats.
Shawn
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