Retrofit additional seat to Vito

[samjam]

I have a Mercedes Vito Traveliner 115CDI, registration year 2007.

In case it matters it has automatic gearbox. The seats are on rails and so each row will slide forwards or backwards and they recline individually.

I've also got the command system with the fancy sat nav, and the chrome side bars.

it's a great car (it's not a VAN!) and I don't want to part with it - but I need 9 seats.

Mercedes technical in Germany have stated that the extra front passenger seat cannot be retrofitted on this model.

I've looked at getting another traveliner but most I see have the seats as a bench, don't recline separately nor slide on rails.

I went to look at a VW Transporter but the inside is too sparse, however most of the traveliner I now see are the same way.

So I've been spoilt and can't bear to lose it. But I need 9 seats.

I've looked at "jamming" a third row in but the rails don't quite go back that far. Although this owner seems to have done it: Mercedes-Benz Vito Traveliner 9 seater 2009

Anyone know how?

Are there any other solutions? Side seats in the boot? 3rd party retrofit kit?

 

[trapperjohn]

Member SPX will have the answer I'm sure. He will be along soon.

 

[zenman63]

Anything can be done so don't worry about that, it comes down to cost.

So your saying you need an extra front seat? like a twin passenger seat?

What seats do you have fitted, Pictures would be good

 

[zenman63]

That on auto trader is an extra long I think, whats is yours?

 

[samjam]

Yes, we need a twin front-passenger seat.

The current configuration is 2-3-3, I attach photos.

it is a long wheel base, not extra long.

The middle runners sadly (weirdly) don't go as far back as the outer runners

 

[zenman63]

A twin front is an easy job, I think I know of a set including all the plastic trims

 

[zenman63]

Yes Mint full set avalable.

 

[samjam]

Thanks - I'll PM

 

[samjam]

It looks like this forum doesn't support private messages.

Well... I'm interested. You can email me at [email protected](I'll edit this post once I get your message)

After such a change, i guess I would have to inform the DVLA? (And insurers). Would the passenger airbag need to be disabled? Anything else I need to know?

Thanks very much.

 

[zenman63]

Sent email

 

[samjam]

I notice the images stopped loading.
Here they are:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/d...fTmQcfVnW_eOIITB_UhfMWUAjRKVqMl4j2yluzTDHZ9b4

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/E...PcNbCiav7J3ek9XjxDHmC-mCDCwdhbUfxeZFtbGSupKzY

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/1...ndY345LrQGNCc25Iht2ks8yemwGWy7kkx6MhDpYJC_DfU

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/l...ZCLgdV9H7nNhsE2rxftAGevII0lkg3yK_SjteLCRUTnbM

 

[samjam]

Now I see how google docs works:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7f41JsOKDptTmJQS2h4RWlvZ1U

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7f41JsOKDptZkJBOUpqalJLNU0

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7f41JsOKDptTGRtN1JsUGVlWGs

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7f41JsOKDpta2dDSW9BZVVNQ2M

 

[samjam]

zenman63 was a great help to me! he located and ordered the right colour seats and hard back panels and helped me fit them (very simple really).

He also explained how the key fob has an IR remote control for the windows!

Thanks zenman!

 

[samjam]

A few notes on my experience:

1. Tell you insurer what you are planning to do before you do it (as I did) and get a quote.

2. Be sure to understand what their requirements on you are AND how they will verify this. I thought I had met the requirements but had difficulty in providing satisfactory evidence.

3. Get adequate documentation of work done. Ask what words or steps need listing on the invoice to be sufficient evidence. I had to have some work repeated because the original invoice was not specific enough on what had been done.


For me, they required the seats to be professionally fitted and this became a source of difficulty.

This could mean:
a) pay an expert
b) pay a reputable mechanic
c) get an MB dealer to do it.

I tried for (a) and then went for (b) which they finally accepted.

In my case the seat base was designed to take the standard vito dual seat. The old seat came off with 4 bolts and the double seat went on with 4 bolts in the same place. Why would it need a mechanic to do it?

Here's why:
The insurer can't know that this is all there is to it and can't easily take you word for it. Also. any fool could fit a damaged seat with 3 bolts two of which have stripped threads and think that it would do.

The insurer knows that a professional mechanic could detect various problems instinctively and would refuse to fit an unsafe seat, and would fit the seat safely.

I could also do that in this case, but the insurer can't know that I'm not the fool, and they don't have the staff to interview me and certify that I am not a fool.

So it must be a professional mechanic. I think "professional" means "one whose reputation and livelihood depend on not getting it wrong".

The next issue is, the insurer does not know the detail of the car. In a general sense, fitting an extra seat to the front might involve chassis and bodywork modifications, extra re-enforcement and strengthening. A professional engineer would know and do this safely and certify the work.

In my case no such work is needed, the new seat just bolts where the old seat was. The vehicle and seats are designed this way. The vehicle can leave the factory with the double seat or the single seat. No other modifications are required. It would have helped if I had got the mechanic to add "no additional work needed" but I was able to argue that it was professionally fitted and that if work was needed it would have been done, but it was just a simple matter of unbolting and re-bolting the seat.

Another difficulty was that I called it a bench seat (which is what I heard a Mercedes dealer call it). The insurer thought this was some other kind of seat, with lap belts, a different kind of back and so on.

After my protestations, when they googled "Mercedes Benz Bench Seat" they realised I was talking about something very standard with shoulder belts, adjustable head rests all as a single unit and that a separate additional seat was not being fitted.

One they realised this, and had a copy of the invoice from my usual mechanic at a national chain then they were happy.

I am insured, my insurer knows exactly what the change is and I expect there will be no nasty surprises in the future.

I did have to escalate a complaint to get this outcome. I am very happy with all the staff I dealt with and that they were thorough, but I realise how hard it can be to communicate a specific modification to someone who deals with thousands of models and can't easily distinguish a trivial change from a complex mechanical change.

If I were trying again I would explain that this model can have a single seat or a dual seat that fits on the same mounting and that the manufacturer supplies vehicles in either configuration. I would explain that I was exchanging the standard single seat with the standard dual seat that uses the same mounting and has shoulder seat belts and adjustable headrests and that no other mechanical modifications would be needed because the two seat options are designed to install on the standard base. I would explain that because no modifications are needed, the labour cost will be very low.

I did explain all these details at various times but by not being so concise and not understanding from the insurers perspective some misunderstandings were allowed to take place.

Finally, always be accurate in answers to the insurer, but understand that they may need help comprehending the answer.

 

[BTB 500]

Do you have to notify the DVLA of the increased seating capacity?

 

[samjam]

Do you have to notify the DVLA of the increased seating capacity?

Yes. I waited on that until the insurer accepted. I will be notifying the DVLA tomorrow.

I also contacted a Mercedes dealer near me to re-program the data card so that the on-board computer is configured for the new seat layout. This can takes a while to sort out.

 

[zenman63]

Data card will take a week.
DVLA requested a picture from me, all easy enough but that takes weeks!
I think you will still need that resistor in the yellow plug even with the datacard update.
Brown is ground so put a 3ohm in the other 2 pins.
Star will look for that resistance.

 

[Marku]

Over 8 seats makes it a PSV which makes it a different vehicle entirely and you need a special license. Didn't think you could get nine seats only 3/3/2. The front standard fitting is the bench the 2 individual are an option. The next row is 2 +1 the single although attached to the 2 will fold to allow access to the rear 2. Had a Vito with 2 front seats and changed them for the bench. No problem at all in fitting although the dealer did it.

 

[mct_cars]

Only if you passed your test after 1997.

 

[samjam]

Over 8 seats makes it a PSV which makes it a different vehicle entirely and you need a special license. Didn't think you could get nine seats only 3/3/2. The front standard fitting is the bench the 2 individual are an option. The next row is 2 +1 the single although attached to the 2 will fold to allow access to the rear 2. Had a Vito with 2 front seats and changed them for the bench. No problem at all in fitting although the dealer did it.

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/driving-passenger-carrying-vehicles-pcv-on-a-car-driving-licence

Suggests that a class B car license is sufficient:

Exempted passenger carrying vehicles

* Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the vehicles listed below:

* a passenger carrying vehicle manufactured more than 30 years before the date when it is driven and not used for hire or reward or for the carriage of more than eight passengers
a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats provided the following conditions are met:
* the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body but not for hire or reward
* the driver is aged 21
* the driver has held a car (category B) licence for at least two years
* the driver is providing the service on a voluntary basis
* the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes or 4.25 tonnes (excluding any specialist equipment for the carriage of passengers with disabilities) or 4.25 tonnes otherwise