Optional in 78 and up Dodge Royal Sportsman vans. Two bench seats that convert to a bed/lounge/or dinette. I'm looking for any and all information I can find on them. All this in hopes to one day locate a pair or build something similar.
COOL ! I wish they would build something like that for my Astro !
UF, you can mod the factory bench seats to do that. Just have to re work the hinge a little bit.
It was a very cool set up. My parts van had it. They were mounted in quick release floor tracks. As you can see in the photo above, there were a few ways that you could set it up. There was also a table that mounted against the the left side panel. When the benches were facing each other, you could slide the mounting tabs into slots in the wall then fold down an arm to support the other end. These seats were very cool in design but heavy as hell!
I'd like to buy a pair for the sportsman I'm getting I think they're the best looking way to get a bed in a window van. If I got one I was thinking about stripping it down to the frame and making a "reproduction" frame with modifications like caster wheels for moving or under seat storage.
I didn't know he factory seats hinged? All the vans in junkyards here have the seats out.
I didn't know he factory seats hinged? All the vans in junkyards here have the seats out.
It's a combination of hinged & pivoting. Once the seats are latched down into the floor brackets, the bases are stationary. The front bench has three positions, upright for normal travel, flat for the bed & it pivots front to back. This allows the seat to face back to make the dinette (seats facing each other). The rear seat has only two positions, upright for normal travel & flat for the bed.
It's a cool factory set up.
I'd like to find a set too and perhaps integrate them into my project.
I'm going to post this in the Bvan forum aswell. I think it would be worthwhile to find a set and reproduce them. Making the seat frame itself isn't all that dificult but the folding/pivoting mechanizm as well as getting it the dimensions right will be hard with out an actual seat to go off of.
Anyone else looking for a set? Anyone have more pictures? When I get home I'll try and dig up all the brochure pictures I can find.
i LOVE this type of setup - i was working on a custom set last year, but i got a regular tri-section seat, then another plain fold-out...
i have thought about regular RV dinettes to put on the driver's side wall - something i might do 'someday'...
if anyone comes across some reproductions - or really good photos to replicate, that would be appreciated...
yeah, i'm a Chevy guy - but that's such an awesome design...
That is great! I wonder why the rest of the Big 3 did not copy that?
I know know there is some law now that you can't set in dinette seats while the vehicle is in motion but you could just fold the table up when you drove.
Looks like Chinook had something similar.
Ford had some passenger Econoline vans in the late 80's early 90's with the bench seats that dropped to a bed like that.
Optional in 78 and up Dodge Royal Sportsman vans. Two bench seats that convert to a bed/lounge/or dinette. I'm looking for any and all information I can find on them. All this in hopes to one day locate a pair or build something similar.
The problem with posting pictures and asking questions about semi-forgotten cool stuff like this is that just quadrupled the number of people also looking for them!
Very Cool!
Well if I can get one pair we'd all have a chance at a repop set or plans to make a custom set. i've seen how to's on making seat frames and it looks like something most handy people can make if they're patient.
I now own a set of dodge travel seats! Complete with the table and turns out the seller was a distant relative too! Pictures soon and im going to partially disasemble to get an idea of how the mechinisms work.
That's great that you were able to find a set.
For others, a lot of the new smaller capers have couches that fold similar to these seats. Not one that's directional front to back, but they are made to be a couch and the back part flips over the set part and lays flat in front of the seat part to form a bed. The only issue may be the width of them. They may be as wide as the inside of the van.
I am new to forums, but the Travel Seat (option code CYP in 1991) was available from 1978 through 1994. It had stock mounting brackets, meaning they can be installed in any Ram Wagon except a B150 or B1500 due to wheel well height of rear seat. The table is a cheap piece of wood that could be replaced with a real piece of plywood. I had a 1994 B250 and I kept the seats when I sold it hoping to buy another but they are getting very hard to find. My kids loved the seats and the lounger position was great at the highway 21 drive-in near Beaufort, SC. Yes, we still go to the drive-in!
Welcome to the site Sarge ....
I own the seats, would love to sell them . The factory table needs a new top, kinda warped. These fit into ANY Dodge Ramwagon that is not a 150,1500 shorty. The wheel wells are to high for the seat to fit. They connect into the factory floor, so they do not work in any Ram Van or conversion van. This option was available from 1978, I think until 1994. Mine are out of my '94.
SgtMopar, you still Vannin? we have a small group of Vanners in the area (Beaufort, Mt Pleasant, Johns Island, Savannah) and we regularly host them here at the house in Beaufort for a Fire and some debauchery. shoot me a message if you ever want to head down or next time you come to the Drive in,
Walter, did you ever find any? I know it been 9 years, but what the hey?
I feel like I saw some of these pop up on Facebook not long ago.
Do I’ll chime in. I bought a set in la from Baja Charlie but had a life change and he resold them. There was an awesome set with buckets on eBay maybe a month ago $400 sold. There was a post maybe a week ago on Facebook about a red set in a junkyard in SoCal