You are not logged in or registered. Please login or register to use the full functionality of this board...
Newell Gurus
Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Printable Version

+- Newell Gurus (https://newellgurus.com)
+-- Forum: Technical Discussions (https://newellgurus.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: Interior Things (https://newellgurus.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Thread: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette (/showthread.php?tid=413)

Pages: 1 2

Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Flick - 12-26-2012

This April will be busy with the list of "to do's" we have on our coach as it comes out of storage. I can't believe that I am going to add to the list..but here goes. We bought two new captains chairs, recovered the couch in the same material and have purchased a booth dinette in place of the two free standing lounge type chairs and the flip up table that folds into the wall.

The reason we did this was for appearance (the cloth was hideous) as well as function since the dinette gives us one more sleeping bed as well. We only have lap belts in our captains chairs and I would feel much more comfortable to have belts in the couch as well as the dinette. We are militant about belts in the car so it just feels odd and insecure to not have everyone belted in. I am looking at replacement belts and securing them thru the floor as we reinstall things after we get our floor in. The jackknife couch is about 6'. There is e webbing connecting the back of it to the seat so I think one could simply make an opening in that and run the belts up. I coud probably get then 2-3 pair of belts on the couch. They can probably be hidden well then when not needed.

The dinette is a booth. It faces the couch and the section on the side facing the couch is made so that the seat cushion comes out to store things. So I think running one pair of belts there would work.

So guys I am looking for advice and suggestions from what I have told you.

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Erniee - 12-27-2012

Todd- use some grade 8 bolts, large washers and nuts. You can fasten all that to the top of one of your bays. I have seen belts mounted on the frame of couches, also. Ernie Ekberg

Quote:This April will be busy with the list of "to do's" we have on our coach as it comes out of storage. I can't believe that I am going to add to the list..but here goes. We bought two new captains chairs, recovered the couch in the same material and have purchased a booth dinette in place of the two free standing lounge type chairs and the flip up table that folds into the wall.

The reason we did this was for appearance (the cloth was hideous) as well as function since the dinette gives us one more sleeping bed as well. We only have lap belts in our captains chairs and I would feel much more comfortable to have belts in the couch as well as the dinette. We are militant about belts in the car so it just feels odd and insecure to not have everyone belted in. I am looking at replacement belts and securing them thru the floor as we reinstall things after we get our floor in. The jackknife couch is about 6'. There is e webbing connecting the back of it to the seat so I think one could simply make an opening in that and run the belts up. I coud probably get then 2-3 pair of belts on the couch. They can probably be hidden well then when not needed.

The dinette is a booth. It faces the couch and the section on the side facing the couch is made so that the seat cushion comes out to store things. So I think running one pair of belts there would work.

So guys I am looking for advice and suggestions from what I have told you.


RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Flick - 12-27-2012

I was thinking that attaching to the frame may not be the best in case of accident. I worry that the weight of the dinette and people attached to it would surely cause it all to rip out of the floor. How thick of wood do they use on the floors Ernie? I assume I drill straight through for the bolts you mentioned. Do I do the same for the dinette or should I use lag bolts for that?

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - encantotom - 12-27-2012

hi todd,

i can only answer the question about the floor thickness for my 1990.

i have one picture below that shows the thickness at the door entrance steps, but it is a little misleading.

i will try to describe it.

picture the steel frame of the newell BEFORE they put any floor decking on. from each side (drivers, passenger) there was a steel sheet from the outside edge coming in about 3 feet.

then on top of that all the way across the newell was a sheet of 1/2" plywood. on top of that was strips of the 1/2" plywood about 2" wide and 2 pieces high that were stapled together forming a riser or firring strip that were put down on the floor like studs would be put up forming a wall.

in between those strips was 1" high density sytrofoam insulation that was cut from a sheet.

then on top of that was another layer of 1/2" plywood. in areas that needed extra strength or support it was 4 layers of 1/2" plywood. then they put sheet linoleum on top of the floor everywhere. where there were tile floors in the 90, they put it directly on top of the linoleum. when i put granite down i put an antifracture membrane that ernie recommended and it worked great.

btw, on those coaches with air grills in the floor up at the passenger or drivers seat, newell used the channel between the upper and lower sheets of 1/2" plywood as air ducts by not putting insulation in betwen the strips of wood and making sure the strips of wood channeled the air to the plenum for the dash air and heat so you could recirculate inside the coach (like max air) in your car for the dash air/heat system.

the passenger and drivers seat did not have 4 layers of plywood underneath them so when i had the seats out i had to replace some of that wood anyway so i made it a full 2" directly under the seat mounting bolts, but the bolts also went all the way through the bottom of the coach floor so you had to get underneath the newell to take the nuts off.

hope that helps. if someone has experiences with the floors in the 80's coaches, please chime in. i suspect they were they same as i doubt they changed their floor design by going from one body style to another.

later

tom

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Flick - 12-27-2012

Thanks Tom. I am sure I will figure this all out as I begin to tear out the flooring this spring but when it's cold and snowing I may as well think about it a bit. So all of this helps me get a good plan together.

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - prairieschooner - 12-27-2012

Kinda sounds like you will need to secure the furniture as well

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - encantotom - 12-27-2012

having had all the furniture out of my 90, the way the couches are secured is just with lag bolts to the floor. i ended up using bigger lag bolts to make them ore secure.

the dinette was just secured with wood screws.

only the front captains chairs were bolted to the floor

tom

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Flick - 12-27-2012

The chairs coming out simply sat on the floor. The dinette going in its place is designed to be secured to the floor and that is what I plan to do.

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - encantotom - 12-27-2012

the lounge chair across from the couch on my 2002 is not secured either. most are not.

tom

RE: Putting seatbelts in a jackknife couch and dinette - Flick - 12-27-2012

Yes I was surprised by that. However they seem extraordinarily heavy which I assume is part of the design so they don't slide everywhere while coach is in motion. So I will have those two, a captains and passenger chairs as well as the table once it is disconnected from the wall. Although we don't like the fabric they are in good shape. Tom could you see anyone wanting them for the frames or anything else? Not sure what I will do with them.