Crazy 3rd row idea...Will it work?

[Baddecision93]

Ok, not going to be attempting this till June or so but it's rainy and I'm bored so here goes nothing.

First, I am getting new (used) front and rear seats reupholstered out of my truck. I have a guy who's going to do something fairly cool but I won't say yet...gotta keep a little mystery ya know?

Anyway I got to thinking that since I'm getting the seats redone I would really like to get an additional row refinished at the same time so they would all match. And so I got to thinking about how I would add a third row. And thus my scheme was hatched.

What I want to do is put in a rear facing 3rd row (think old station wagon). I know with these the problem is your knees end up at your shoulders.
So my idea is to recess the floor pan where the rear seats foot area would be.

I'm building a swing-away tire carrier right now so I don't have a spare under there. From looking around I can't see a reason why this won't work. From inside frame rail to rail there's literally nothing there. If I completely remove the spare tire carrier I should be able to ( in theory) torch out the area between the frame rails, weld a lip of sheet to the pan I cut out, and weld that back to the remaining pan in the truck. So voila...4-6 inches of legroom. Won't even affect ground clearance .

But the big question - what am I missing? What did I not think about to ensure that this will work?

 

[Flip4ford]

I guess it will work-- but is there a handle for rear passengers to get out?

 

[Baddecision93]

I guess it will work-- but is there a handle for rear passengers to get out?

There is the current limit in the design. They will be trapped until released. In the future I think I will attempt fabbing up an inside handle.
What got me thinking about this is we frequently hauled one or two people in the cargo area of my old 2000 Mounty. Illegal and slightly unsafe, I know, but when we camped and such we didn't like taking a second vehicle. And those people always just sat patiently until I could release them lol. But it was really nice to carry 7 passengers.
At least this way they would have legit seats and seatbelts.

 

[snake70]

Was just thinking that last week, you know what they say about great minds

 

[Baddecision93]

Was just thinking that last week, you know what they say about great minds

Isn't the saying something like "Great minds think alike when it comes to cutting up perfectly good trucks"?
Something like that....

Ya, I've been looking at this since I got the truck in November. Everytime I'm under it I look at it and think of it. I am ripping the carpet out this summer (Herculinering the floor) and it will be a perfect time to do it.
I figured since I'm getting more & more committed to the idea I'd better throw it out here & have some people smarter than me tell me the weak link.
You know how it goes. There's always that one "little thing" that you forget that becomes the one really big thing.

 

[jfiato]

ive thought about it too...the one thing about the sport...i can only get 3 friends in it... im definitely interested in what you find out.

 

[Baddecision93]

ive thought about it too...the one thing about the sport...i can only get 3 friends in it... im definitely interested in what you find out.

I'm going to do a write up when this all goes down. I will know a lot more when the carpet is up.

I have the scrap steel laying in wait. I am going to get a narrow bench for the seat since it will need to fit in between the two inner plastic fenderwells. I have seen old Ranger benches that look good and the local junkyard has given me a good price quote on one. Since they are all being reupholstered at the same time they will all match too.

 

[Xeek]

I guess it will work-- but is there a handle for rear passengers to get out?

http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298835

 

[Baddecision93]

http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298835

That looks great. I wonder if anyone out here has done any using the first gen twist handle?

 

[Flip4ford]

I think my buddies parents (when i was growing up) had a magnetic chess board table in the back of their station wagon! It was part of the car not an aftermarket thing.

Not really related but I am old and my mind wanders

 

[tweakedlogic]

I've actually thought about this too. My idea was to cut the floor out of the cargo area just in front of the rear upper shock mounts. Box it back in to the bottom of the frame rails. It would be awkward for those passengers to get in and out unless you change the second row to something like captains chairs.

I won't do it though. I'd rather install a subwoofer box under the cargo area. I don't have a need to haul more than 4 people at a time anyway.

 

[rhauf]

Wont the fuel tank be in the way?

also you'll have to change the upper shock mounts.. thats no big deal tho

 

[Baddecision93]

I've actually thought about this too. My idea was to cut the floor out of the cargo area just in front of the rear upper shock mounts. Box it back in to the bottom of the frame rails. It would be awkward for those passengers to get in and out unless you change the second row to something like captains chairs.

I won't do it though. I'd rather install a subwoofer box under the cargo area. I don't have a need to haul more than 4 people at a time anyway.

I do like your idea of boxing it to the frame rails. I was thinking about doing something similar, but using part of the old spare tire carrier as a brace.
Ingress and egress would be awkward and uncomfortable but you'd be surprised at how often people did it in my Mounty and never complained. It will be a little harder in my Explorer since it sits up so much higher but still worth it. We are young and I'm the only guy with a 4x4 so camping trips, hiking trips, ski trips & general tomfoolery are all my baby when it comes to driving everyone around.

Wont the fuel tank be in the way?

also you'll have to change the upper shock mounts.. thats no big deal tho

Moving the shock mounts around isn't a big deal and I think the fuel tank is further toward the front and side of the truck.
If you think about it the location is basically where the spare tire used to be. By the time you put in a rear facing bench you are pretty far back, and close to the hatch.
You lose a boatload of cargo area, to be sure, but I'll try to make detachable latches and realistically I can put most everything I haul just up on the seat or in the minimized cargo area. Anytime I need to haul a bunch of stuff I'll just be using my trailer anyway.

 

[jfiato]

I'm going to do a write up when this all goes down. I will know a lot more when the carpet is up.

I have the scrap steel laying in wait. I am going to get a narrow bench for the seat since it will need to fit in between the two inner plastic fenderwells. I have seen old Ranger benches that look good and the local junkyard has given me a good price quote on one. Since they are all being reupholstered at the same time they will all match too.

sounds like a plan man. def let me know when you start this... i will definitely subscribe to it

 

[tweakedlogic]

I was talking about leaving the spare, which is behind the upper shock mounts. Cut away in front of the shock mounts, and have forward facing seats. I'll bet you could find a fold up second row seat and make it fit from a truck with third row. or modify the 2 door front seat bracket for the small side of the rear seat. I know I've seen some rear seats where the bottom folds up for access. I think they were minivans.

 

[Baddecision93]

I was talking about leaving the spare, which is behind the upper shock mounts. Cut away in front of the shock mounts, and have forward facing seats. I'll bet you could find a fold up second row seat and make it fit from a truck with third row. or modify the 2 door front seat bracket for the small side of the rear seat. I know I've seen some rear seats where the bottom folds up for access. I think they were minivans.

Ah, I smell what you're stepping in.

Well since I'm building a swing away tire carrier I don't need the room underneath for the spare. Which got me thinking about doing this. Still not sure where my plan lies in regards to the shock mounts but relocating the upper isn't a big deal. Worst case scenario I can just weld new mounts to the new crossmember/brace I'll put in.

I have seen those too on minivans. I just kind of liked the rearward facing idea, it's easy(ish) for people to enter and exit via the hatch. And then when I put stuff in the back I can stick it right on the seats so I really don't end up losing much cargo area at all as long as no one's riding back there.

 

[jfiato]

but the third row option is a cool idea to man.... that would be real sweet... man im seriously considering this now.... i wonder if it would work with the sport....

 

[FIND]

If you cut out your floor pan to add a dip area where your spare tire sits, it will interfere with your access to the top bolts on your shocks. You will have to devise a different mount for your shocks or relocate them.

edit: oops sorry, guess that was already mentioned.

 

[Curtis]

Is this the seat you're thinking of?
http://www.trucknvans.com/3rd-Row-Seat-Universal-38-Front-or-Rear-Facing-p/122-exbnuniv.htm
Looks like it comes with the seatbelts in place which would save you some time and fabrication

 

[Baddecision93]

Is this the seat you're thinking of?
http://www.trucknvans.com/3rd-Row-Seat-Universal-38-Front-or-Rear-Facing-p/122-exbnuniv.htm
Looks like it comes with the seatbelts in place which would save you some time and fabrication

That would be really nice but it's a little rich for my blood. I'm looking at an early Ranger bench right now. I think that will fit in nice.
If it ultimately is too wide or tall I can scavenge another bench out of some other vehicle. I'll just go get to play at the junkyard with my tape measure .
I'm getting my other seats reupholstered anyway (they need it ridiculously badly) so I'm just going to get the extra row I pick up at the JY done at the same time so they all match.