Rotating seats for Ford E450

Glesamiz · 07-16-2020, 09:29 AM

I am a new owner of a Minnie Winnie 31K, 2015 on a 2014 Ford E450 chassis. I'm curious if anyone has converted the van seats to rotate for increased seating. I have found multiple online suppliers showing conversion bases to convert seats to rotate and am asking for any comments. I'm only interested in converting the passenger seat. I'm not sure I can visualize the logistics as the seat is quite close to the door with what looks like very tight tolerance for rotation? If you've done this conversion successfully, where did you purchase the conversion kit?

**creativepart** · 07-16-2020, 11:05 AM

Before you go too far with this idea - most Class Cs have a step up between the truck cab and the interior. So, after rotating the seat you are in essence sitting on the floor. Also, as you pointed out, side door issues and many times there are other things in the way of rotating the seat.

We used to have a SOB (some other brand) Class C 31' long and for the longest time I wanted to buy the swivel parts to rotate the chairs. Then I ran into someone that had already done this, at pretty hefty expense, and it didn't work very well for him.

GaryKowal1 · 07-16-2020, 11:06 AM

https://www.winnieowners.com/forums/...rs-356083.html

Glesamiz · 07-16-2020, 02:37 PM

Thanks Creativepart, I know the ledge will make for awkwardness and I question the close proximity of the door. I thought maybe, opening the door to swivel, might help. The hardware to allow the seat to turn, is not too costly and there's not much anchoring the current hardware. but your opinion, and other's, are what I am looking for. If feasible, it would make for a better conversation area? The current arrangement is certainly functional!

Phil G. · 07-17-2020, 05:53 PM

I sure wish some company would offer an after-market passenger seat base with adjustable height for the Ford E350/E450 chassis used in Class C motorhomes ... so that the seat could be rotated around to face the coach area and then raised up to 5 inches in height in RVs with a coach floor higher than the cab floor.

If this had been available for years, it probably would have sold in large quanties. I sure would like one!

Naonak · 07-18-2020, 12:40 PM

My 2016 has this feature. It has bolsters to sit on for each of the two front seats. We never use it...

hank857 · 07-18-2020, 02:09 PM

my 12 aspect has the seats that rotate and recline but we dont ever use. As noted there is the lip and the seat has to be pushed forward then the door opened to rotate. Not usable to watch tv etc so basically worthless. I would like to find adjustable seats as in the pickups instead so that the adjustment will fit the person and not just a general fore/aft thing. And yes a verticle adjustment would be ideal. We looked at a jayco melbourne when looking and it had fully adjustable seats, but was the only one we ever saw!

Westonbum · 07-22-2020, 10:43 PM

Just installed a swivel seat (passenger) in my 2018 Winnie Spirit 31G in my Ford E450.

Go to the site below and choose Stock #113631. I guarantee that everything will match up!

https://www.discountvantruck.com/rvs...dseatbases.htm

akeagle · 07-22-2020, 11:37 PM

We have a 2016 Minnie Winnie 27Q/E450 that came from the factory with swivel seats. Soon after taking it home we tried to turn them around to see how they worked. The passenger seat was fairly easy to turn except that it had to be slid full forward before turning and the seatback full upright. With the seat full forward the seat was practically touching the engine doghouse. The seat would turn but there was no room for one's knees and legs, so basically the seat can be turned but not with someone sitting in it.

The driver's seat was something else. It took a convoluted series of movements to make it happen: Seatback partially forward, seat slid partially forward, turn the seat about a quarter turn so the first corner cleared the doghouse, seatback slightly aft, armrest up to clear the steering wheel, turn the seat a little more so the second seat corner clears the doghouse, slide seat aft so the seatback will clear the steering wheel, then finish the turn so the whole seat faces aft. (I may have some of those movements out of sequence, but this shows how complicated it is.)

As Creativepart says, when you sit in the now aft-facing seats, the 3 1/2 to 4 inch increase in floor height requires you to have your legs either stretched nearly straight out or drawn up close with knees high. Neither position is comfortable for more than 5 minutes.

As you might imagine, that was the one and only time we swiveled the cab seats. We felt its just not worth the time, effort, and major inconvenience of doing it.

BobC · 07-23-2020, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westonbum

Just installed a swivel seat (passenger) in my 2018 Winnie Spirit 31G in my Ford E450.

Go to the site below and choose Stock #113631. I guarantee that everything will match up!

https://www.discountvantruck.com/rvs...dseatbases.htm

Great product, I installed them in my 2005 E350 Econoline van. You may need to loosen the center bolt a little so they rotate easily. Mine were a bit tight.

Steeve · 08-03-2020, 05:31 AM

Good morning. My 2018 331K model came with the seats that swivel and I love it, especially the passenger side because you can recline the back more than with the driver side. That said, this model also comes with large firm cushions that are made to fit the seats. They are about 10 inched thick and they have a strap that wraps around the back of the seat so the cushions stay in place.
If you plan to keep your coach for a while, go with the passenger seat only and get the 1 cushion.

Phil G. · 08-03-2020, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeve

Good morning. My 2018 331K model came with the seats that swivel and I love it, especially the passenger side because you can recline the back more than with the driver side. That said, this model also comes with large firm cushions that are made to fit the seats. They are about 10 inched thick and they have a strap that wraps around the back of the seat so the cushions stay in place.
If you plan to keep your coach for a while, go with the passenger seat only and get the 1 cushion.

That seat cushion would solve the problem to raise you up in a passenger seat in a motorhome built with the cab floor lower than the coach floor. However, with a 10 inch seat rise, does your neck and head still get supported by the seatback when you tilt back?