remove rear seats for storage space

[kevinpt]

i know a lot of people build systems for the cargo area or a whole raised system that takes up space in the rear with the seats folded down but i want to try something different. i want to remove the whole rear seats and use the area as storage when on the trail or camping but not take up any of the flat cargo area. if you remove the rear seat back you are left with the hinge that you can use for a mount for the top. its going to take me some time to come up with a plan on how im going to build this but i wanted to post some photos showing the space you have to work with.

 

[kevinpt]

This week or next weekend I will pull the seats and see what I can come up with

 

[JD914]

How tough was it to pull the seat backs out? I'm planning a storage/sleeping system for my '04 and would love to get some extra space.


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[kevinpt]

How tough was it to pull the seat backs out? I'm planning a storage/sleeping system for my '04 and would love to get some extra space.


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all you do is pull the back off of the seat and there are 2 bolts and your done

 

[blackoutt]

Seat bottoms are two bolts each, seat backs are two bolts each (after pulling the carpeted trim panel straight off the clips on the back). You'll also have to remove one more bolt for the seat belt in the larger of the two seat back sections.

I pull my seats out when I put my sleeping platform in since it gives me enough room to sink my cooler down into the seat well and drove the height of my platform. But yes as you've found there's quite a bit of room down there and weight offset from the larger seat back section. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to hinge a top off the seat back hinges if you can figure out how to attach to them and keep them from wobbling but it may be easier to just run a sheet a of plywood back further into the cargo area as a plate to hinge off of with a piano hinge.

 

[kevinpt]

Seat bottoms are two bolts each, seat backs are two bolts each (after pulling the carpeted trim panel straight off the clips on the back). You'll also have to remove one more bolt for the seat belt in the larger of the two seat back sections.

I pull my seats out when I put my sleeping platform in since it gives me enough room to sink my cooler down into the seat well and drove the height of my platform. But yes as you've found there's quite a bit of room down there and weight offset from the larger seat back section. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to hinge a top off the seat back hinges if you can figure out how to attach to them and keep them from wobbling but it may be easier to just run a sheet a of plywood back further into the cargo area as a plate to hinge off of with a piano hinge.

Going to run something like 1/2" plywood and have on for each side. Should not be a lot of weight and mount the floor frame to the seat mounts at the floor

 

[kevinpt]

84 lbs of seats out

cutting the scrap plywood tomorrow.

just an idea of the amount of space under it

 

[blackoutt]

84 lbs! Holy sh!t my sleeping platform actually is a weight savings over those things! The larger seat back is like wtf is in here?!? And the rest are filled with helium. The cooler for sure offsets that real quick though lol.

 

[EHNWI]

Nice! You really went for it. I have the bottom half of the back seats off in mine, but not the top. They are just folded down.

 

[mauidiver]

Nice! You really went for it. I have the bottom half of the back seats off in mine, but not the top. They are just folded down.

Any more pics? I like what yall got going on

 

[EHNWI]

Any more pics? I like what yall got going on

I have some in my build thread.

 

[kevinpt]

top is cut to shape and mounted to the 60 40 split mounts. not shown but its now cut into the two parts

 

[EHNWI]

Any updates?

 

[earthrealm]

so removed my rear seats to clean my floor carpet, now i am about to install them and they will not sit properly, closer inspection shows one of the claws is in the locked posiion, attempts to pry it open with a screw driver failed, would appreciate any tips on how to resolve this

 

[RAD4Runner]

so removed my rear seats to clean my floor carpet, now i am about to install them and they will not sit properly, closer inspection shows one of the claws is in the locked posiion, attempts to pry it open with a screw driver failed, would appreciate any tips on how to resolve this

There should be a lever / handle / strap / pull-cord to button to unlock a seat correct? Yours does not have that?
A picture from the side (at an angle that would show the parts of the mechanism) would be better.