LC200 captains chairs for middle seat

[WCDAVE]

Anyone successfully changed out 60/40 bench for captains chairs? What chairs work?

I know the 570 and the 460 both have captains chair options for the middle row...

Is the goal here to remove seating for passenger #5 and make for easier ingress/egress for passengers #6 & #7? I think the issue is that the LC is not a great people hauler once you get past pax #5. The "middle" row does not conveniently move for third row entry/exit and the rear seats are OK for kids, but there are so many better options out there as others have pointed out. The LC is designed for 5 and the third row was a marketing ploy - thanks, America. In other markets if you are serious about hauling people you get the 70 troop carrier if you must have an LC.

Having said that, I bet there are a lot of third row seats sitting in peoples garages that they'd be happy to part with. I think fabbing a bracket to use another set of third row seats in the second row position might be the ticket. The existing second row seats are too big to easily get around even if you chopped out the middle 20%. You could probably weld in the same brackets that are used for the third row seats for use in the middle row and maintain some level of fold away access. I'm pretty sure I've been in an LC70 in Tanzania that had a fold down seats like that in the middle so you could free up the floor for standing through the roof and setting up photo gear.

 

[RyanR]

Out of curiosity I just measured frame rail to top of seatback for second row and front row. The front row seats are only about 2" taller. you would have to fab up your own mounts but in terms of physically fitting in the space it seem you would have plenty of room to mount a second seat of front seats in the second row from a width and height perspective. The challenge is going to be the rear wheel arches. The seat backs on the bench are much thinner than the front seats, I think you would lose a few inches of rear leg room and its already a bit cramped back there.

 

[marketShark]

cross posted- what about GX captains chairs? Has anyone tried to modify for 200 series?

 

[bloc]

Is the goal here to remove seating for passenger #5 and make for easier ingress/egress for passengers #6 & #7? I think the issue is that the LC is not a great people hauler once you get past pax #5. The "middle" row does not conveniently move for third row entry/exit and the rear seats are OK for kids, but there are so many better options out there as others have pointed out. The LC is designed for 5 and the third row was a marketing ploy - thanks, America. In other markets if you are serious about hauling people you get the 70 troop carrier if you must have an LC.

Having said that, I bet there are a lot of third row seats sitting in peoples garages that they'd be happy to part with. I think fabbing a bracket to use another set of third row seats in the second row position might be the ticket. The existing second row seats are too big to easily get around even if you chopped out the middle 20%. You could probably weld in the same brackets that are used for the third row seats for use in the middle row and maintain some level of fold away access. I'm pretty sure I've been in an LC70 in Tanzania that had a fold down seats like that in the middle so you could free up the floor for standing through the roof and setting up photo gear.

Good luck finding a quality shop willing to take the liability of cutting/welding on a passenger vehicle floor to install alternate seating.

 

[AnyMal]

I mean you could just pull a caravan full of all your kids, maybe have to hire a baby sitter

Good luck finding a quality shop willing to take the liability of cutting/welding on a passenger vehicle floor to install alternate seating.

Yes. Even in the best hands i would never feel at ease with that kind of work, not at all with considering putting any children in them.

 

[WCDAVE]

Good luck finding a quality shop willing to take the liability of cutting/welding on a passenger vehicle floor to install alternate seating.

I mean, there are shops selling bumpers (for LCs, Jeeps, Rams and everything else on the road) that have never been crash tested and may or may not be compatible with airbags. They usually tell you something like this:

By purchasing any item sold by XXX, INC, the buyer expressly warrants that he/she is in compliance with all applicable , State, and Local laws and regulations regarding the purchase, ownership, and use of the item. It shall be the buyers responsibility to comply with all Federal, State and Local laws governing the sales of any items listed, illustrated or sold. The buyer expressly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless XXX, INC for all claims resulting directly or indirectly from the purchase, ownership, or use of the items.

I don't think liability concerns will be the driver in whether or not someone will fab this up for a customer. The taller task is finding a fab shop - reputable or otherwise - that is not already up to their ears in projects to take this on.

 

[AnyMal]

I mean, there are shops selling bumpers (for LCs, Jeeps, Rams and everything else on the road) that have never been crash tested and may or may not be compatible with airbags. They usually tell you something like this:

By purchasing any item sold by XXX, INC, the buyer expressly warrants that he/she is in compliance with all applicable , State, and Local laws and regulations regarding the purchase, ownership, and use of the item. It shall be the buyers responsibility to comply with all Federal, State and Local laws governing the sales of any items listed, illustrated or sold. The buyer expressly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless XXX, INC for all claims resulting directly or indirectly from the purchase, ownership, or use of the items.

I don't think liability concerns will be the driver in whether or not someone will fab this up for a customer. The taller task is finding a fab shop - reputable or otherwise - that is not already up to their ears in projects to take this on.

IANAL but those type of contracts, agreements and indemnity clauses usually hold no legal weight whatsoever.

 

[04UZJ100]

I mean, there are shops selling bumpers (for LCs, Jeeps, Rams and everything else on the road) that have never been crash tested and may or may not be compatible with airbags. They usually tell you something like this:

By purchasing any item sold by XXX, INC, the buyer expressly warrants that he/she is in compliance with all applicable , State, and Local laws and regulations regarding the purchase, ownership, and use of the item. It shall be the buyers responsibility to comply with all Federal, State and Local laws governing the sales of any items listed, illustrated or sold. The buyer expressly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless XXX, INC for all claims resulting directly or indirectly from the purchase, ownership, or use of the items.

I don't think liability concerns will be the driver in whether or not someone will fab this up for a customer. The taller task is finding a fab shop - reputable or otherwise - that is not already up to their ears in projects to take this on.

Bumpers are different than restraint systems.

 

[WCDAVE]

Yes. Even in the best hands i would never feel at ease with that kind of work, not at all with considering putting any children in them.

Agreed, but this thread's premise is replacing the factory seating to install captains chairs: Anyone successfully changed out 60/40 bench for captains chairs? What chairs work? I don't think the OP is operating under the premise that there is a bolt in, safety complaint, option that preserves factory safety specs. Maybe he is, in which case the answer is "no". More likely the question is what might be a workable option.

Everything you do to your vehicle - tire size, ride height, RTTs, fuel tanks, bumpers, added weight in general - all compromises safety to one degree or another. Yet here we are typing away on this forum, extolling the virtues of all of those things because in the end we are a car culture and love tinkering with our cars. If someone installed swivel captain's chairs in the second row a la old MOPARs way cool and ahead of their time front seats:

a few would question the safety, but more would say "Can you please provide a parts list?"

 

[AnyMal]

Agreed, but this thread's premise is replacing the factory seating to install captains chairs: Anyone successfully changed out 60/40 bench for captains chairs? What chairs work? I don't think the OP is operating under the premise that there is a bolt in, safety complaint, option that is preserves factory safety specs. Maybe he is, in which case the answer is "no". More likely the question is what might be a workable option.

Everything you do to your vehicle - tire size, ride height, RTTs, fuel tanks, bumpers, added weight in general - all compromises safety to one degree or another. Yet here we are typing away on this forum, extolling the virtues of all of those things because in the end we are a car culture and love tinkering with our cars. If someone installed a swivel captain's chairs in the second row a la old MOPARs way cool and ahead of their time front seats:
View attachment 2824341

a few would question the safety, but more would say "Can you please provide a parts list?"

In that regard I agree but i think people should instead modify the existing bench and not touch the factory mounts or rails.
I would rather have someone take out a portion that no one will sit in and and some fill and leather and a bolt in armrest than to do any surgery beyond that.
There is awesome quality interior shops that can make it look better than factory but it will cost you.

 

[bloc]

Bumpers are different than restraint systems.

Exactly.

Agreed, but this thread's premise is replacing the factory seating to install captains chairs: Anyone successfully changed out 60/40 bench for captains chairs? What chairs work? I don't think the OP is operating under the premise that there is a bolt in, safety complaint, option that preserves factory safety specs. Maybe he is, in which case the answer is "no". More likely the question is what might be a workable option.

Everything you do to your vehicle - tire size, ride height, RTTs, fuel tanks, bumpers, added weight in general - all compromises safety to one degree or another. Yet here we are typing away on this forum, extolling the virtues of all of those things because in the end we are a car culture and love tinkering with our cars. If someone installed swivel captain's chairs in the second row a la old MOPARs way cool and ahead of their time front seats:


a few would question the safety, but more would say "Can you please provide a parts list?"

I'd hope the people performing mods think through the safety ramifications of what they are doing. I doubt it happens every time, but there are some very smart people on this forum.

My point stands though.. finding a reputable shop willing to cut and weld the floor and seats of a modern vehicle would be a tall order. My impression is that the way the competent shops operate, performing the same work to a modern vehicle brings up larger concerns because they are vaguely aware of how integrated passenger safety systems like active belts and airbags perform. The liability of messing with this stuff often turns them off. Right off the bat removing the second row and installing third row seats would eliminate two airbags for occupied seats, plus bypassing the system designed to alert the driver the SRS isn't working as intended.

Either way this is all speculation until someone actually says they are going to do it.

 

[RyanR]

In that regard I agree but i think people should instead modify the existing bench and not touch the factory mounts or rails.
I would rather have someone take out a portion that no one will sit in and and some fill and leather and a bolt in armrest than to do any surgery beyond that.
There is awesome quality interior shops that can make it look better than factory but it will cost you.

Playing Devils Advocate: There are also a million RV's, Van Conversions, and all manner of customized vehicles out there with seats in different locations, custom rails, rail risers, seats from different vehicles, racing seats for tracked vehicles. Hell there's a ton of 80 series out there with the front seats on custom rail brackets because anyone over a 34" inseam can't comfortably drive an 80 for very long.

I agree that any modification to the factory design is almost certainly going to net a decrease in safety.

That said I wouldn't advocate this as a novice undertaking or dismiss this as being something to do without serious consideration, especially if the purpose is hauling children. I have a lot of confidence in my own engineering and fabrication skills and I wouldn't touch this simply because my kids ride there. A big part of why we ditched a ClassA motorhome when we were full time RV'ing. The seatbelts were bolted through the floor of a slide which was Styrofoam sandwiched by paper thin aluminum sheeting. I probably could have ripped the seatbelt anchors out by hand. If you simply want a pass through then 100% chop the bench have a shop clean it up. It probably won't be that costly and a good shop can make it look stock.

 

[04UZJ100]

Playing Devils Advocate: There are also a million RV's, Van Conversions, and all manner of customized vehicles out there with seats in different locations, custom rails, rail risers, seats from different vehicles, racing seats for tracked vehicles. Hell there's a ton of 80 series out there with the front seats on custom rail brackets because anyone over a 34" inseam can't comfortably drive an 80 for very long.

I agree that any modification to the factory design is almost certainly going to net a decrease in safety.

That said I wouldn't advocate this as a novice undertaking or dismiss this as being something to do without serious consideration, especially if the purpose is hauling children. I have a lot of confidence in my own engineering and fabrication skills and I wouldn't touch this simply because my kids ride there. A big part of why we ditched a ClassA motorhome when we were full time RV'ing. The seatbelts were bolted through the floor of a slide which was Styrofoam sandwiched by paper thin aluminum sheeting. I probably could have ripped the seatbelt anchors out by hand. If you simply want a pass through then 100% chop the bench have a shop clean it up. It probably won't be that costly and a good shop can make it look stock.

We are not saying it can’t be done or that it isn’t. It is 100% do at you’re own risk. That’s all.

 

[AnyMal]

Yes for sure, I just really really really value peace of mind. The ultimate luxury IMO outside of time.
Hell that’s why I bought a LC in the first place, have LT tires on and as much emergency gear as I can think of.

I’m a bit of a doomsday prepper.

 

[happy4runner]

Anyone successfully changed out 60/40 bench for captains chairs? What chairs work?

I know the 570 and the 460 both have captains chair options for the middle row...

@Jbriones Have you had any luck with the captains chairs?

I've been wondering if a drivers side section of the middle row seat can be sourced from a right hand drive LC200. In RHD markets the LC200 has the 60/40 split the opposite direction, as a 40/60 split. The mounts look the same but could be different. If it worked you could possibly source a RHD LC200 seat with matching leather!

 

[bloc]

@Jbriones Have you had any luck with the captains chairs?

I've been wondering if a drivers side section of the middle row seat can be sourced from a right hand drive LC200. In RHD markets the LC200 has the 60/40 split the opposite direction, as a 40/60 split. The mounts look the same but could be different. If it worked you could possibly source a RHD LC200 seat with matching leather!

The center/rear two seat anchor loops in the floor are asymmetric in proportion to the 60/40 portions of the seat. Plus the front mounting legs are offset different amounts, if I remember correctly (not close to my rig to check for sure)

You’d need to address these things before possibly being able to bolt that second 40-section in.

Not to mention the cost..

 

[tomolesnevich]

cross posted- what about GX captains chairs? Has anyone tried to modify for 200 series?

View attachment 2824288

Bringing this back from the dead. Anyone ever try/experiment with this?

 

[clrussell]

Back from the dead again.

As we vehicle search for a growing family, everything gets compared to our 200 and just stack up.

So we are considering captains swapping the second row, adding in the other rear seat and going on.

The only thing close is a gen 2.5 sequoia 2019 or later. Quite frankly we just don’t see dropping 40+k on something currently.

 

[krice118]

Scheel Mann for the second row. Someone did 4 of these in a 100 (front and 2nd row.)

 

[krice118]

all captains. all day. scheel mann edition.

doing a little test fitting of the rear seats until i can get some water jet cut mounts / plates

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