Okay, so I am an old commercial van converter and have installed hundreds of passenger restraints...maybe thousands. It’s not illegal, but there are codes. FMVSS 208 and 210 define the standards to meet NHTSA safety criteria. The attachment should withstand a 3000 pound pull test. That said, I would upgrade the hardware to the standard 7/16-20 grade 8 bolts through the floor, using 3 square inch plate washers. The upper wall attachment probably could use some reinforcement such as a steel bar from the floor to the upper side rail, then bolt to that. I doubt the aluminum is strong enough and I know your fasteners aren’t. If you do that, everyone will be happier! Overall though, great build.
If the purpose of installing this seat belt is to avoid a citation from Deputy Barney Fife when you and your two buddies are rolling thru Mayberry, USA; it will serve its purpose perfectly. In the event of an accident anymore serious than a fender bender, I think the some of the bolts break or shear off. Personally, I'd leave it in place but would remove it before selling.
The buckle fastening point seems the weakest structurally. Steel anchored well or welded to the van is your best attachment method. You could reinforce that weakest point with a thick Steel "T" at the bottom. Adding steel to all of the attachment points would be better IMO. Bigger bolts are better too - you don't want them to act as "fuses". The seat looks great with and without the seat belt.
I think the seat belt is installed well on the 8020 which is bolted to the van, but the head area needs some cushioning esp in a crash when your head whips back and you'll hit the board. Thanks for sharing the video with us.
I agree with others comments on liability (in the USA). I believe in the skeleton of the van you will find legal threaded mounting points for seatbelts (they are in my Transit and if I recall they were also in my previous MB van). Use those with the proper bolts and you should be fine but remove if you sell van for future liability protection.
Nice job but not to code , quick braking the head goes forward then back wards. Concussion. Put a head rest to soften any quick motion blow. Nicely done though.
That install looks marginal, you realize bolts that are used for seatbelts are much bigger and grade 8 rated. Not to mention that aluminum extrusion T nut would get ripped out in a crash if not the extrusion all together. You could add crimped wire rope or limiting straps connected to anchor points behind the panels for real protection. They don’t have to be perfectly tight just close. Maybe even some anchor cables to hold the cabinet in a crash? In a bad crash the inside of the van would likely come apart anyway. There was a kid in my school who got in a car accident before he graduated. He left a car battery in the back seat not thinking about it. Unfortunately in the accident the battery hit the back of his front seat. He was paralyzed from the waist down. When i see all the van builds with no protection behind the seats thats all i think of. Your build seems well done but so many are not. What are the chances of the 250 lb water tank not going flying in an accident? Will the upper cabinets come off the walls and hit you in the back of the head? Things to consider…. Could that table swing and hit the back of the drivers seat in a crash? That would be a wheelchair event for sure.
The design and engineering for safety and comfort needs to be considered. I am interested in a build out but the Ford Transit bulletin,board brought up the issue of no cargo barrier and safety. As a result I am going to have one in my order, the other benefit is you can keep the quarters warmer with less energy if you insulate the barrier. It also means no front cabin windows with condensation.
@@pnwesterner6220 i have a Ford Transit thats mostly for work but am building as convertible for recreational use as well. Having tools behind me while i drive i knew from the start i wanted a bulkhead of some sort with a middle walk through. The full steal partitions are the safest but not so nice looking when not used for work. So I used just the metal partition wing kit from Adrian Steel combined with 3/4” finished cabinet plywood for the partition walls. You cant have swivel seats but at least i have a measure of safety. I used stainless T nuts to attach the ply partitions. The steel wing kit uses large plus nuts and the factory threaded inserts for mounting. I painted the metal to match before installing it. I’m not a “Safety Sally”, but i don’t want to spend the next half of my life in a chair because some clown cuts me off.
There should be a way to install a front facing seat belt to the back of the bench seat by bolting it to the van's metal roof/ceiling, metal sidewall, and metal floor. Bolting it to the dividing wall isn't enough the way that wall is constructed. Someone should be working on a legal solution...it has been discussed enough in various Facebook groups.
I agree with those who said that you would need to reinforce the places where it attaches to the actual van and add some cushioning similar to headrests, etc.
So many doomsayers! Easy enough to go get it checked out by the vehicle testing authorities before YOU use it on the road.... or just REMOVE it before selling it to someone else. 🙂
I'm trying to wrap my head around the notion that having a safety device on the seat, however effective or ineffective, is a greater liability than not having one. For legal purposes, only the front factory seats are DOT approved for passengers while traveling. But you are free to add all the bells and whistles you want to the rest of the furniture as long as you don't represent them as DOT approved while moving.
It's a shame of the amount of worry people have to do now, over crazy things. I considered it an 'extra' feature, not a liability. I get it, but... Come on
This is America, we are sue happy. The only way for testing authority to approve it is to do destruction test. They can't just look at the design and approve it. That is why DOT approved RV seat is so expensive. I want to added a extra seat to my van too but in an accident, I'm sure the insurance will look for anyway to revoke your claim.
I am toying with building my bed out of 80/20 Al, I have tried to calculate the weight but I am not 100% sure. My gut tells me it would be much lighter than using 2x4’s. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance
They used to build airplanes out of wood now they use aluminum, they are both light and strong. Weight comes down to engineering. 2x4 on the flat with 1/2” ply would be the same thickness as 15 series 80/20 with 1/2” ply. Will there be a leg in the center of the span? Is some spring ok? I think wood will be stiffer if full span. The cost difference is huge. 2x4 @ 16” on center is about $7x6= $42…..lengths of 80/20 are about $70x6= $420. 80/20 bolted the walls supporting 2x4 on flat seems reasonable. Then you can use corner brackets in the track to attach 2x4 from bottom. My 2 cents.
There is a super easy question by me: How can you afford all of this epic build. I am a fulltime nurse in Germany and work my arse off, but it would take arround 3 to 5 years gathering enough money to build something like this, even if i wouldn't spend a single Euro. A Van like this costs ~40K even if i go for an older one.
A decent software developer in California with a few years of experience can earn ten times your salary at the top tech companies. Also, Americans love debt. So don’t assume every van build you see was purchased in cash.
I think he spent 60-ish US dollars for the van. I wanna say 67k off the top of my head. And Im guesstimating 50k for all his additions (Seven uses top shelf components). So thats a $120k investment. But its so cool. I wish i could do that build too.
@@tittyskillet3413 120k of 800k i could earn befor i have to retire is quite a lot. And that is only the case, if i would n't spend a single penny on rent or food. I f***ing hate the german salery for nurses.
Sorry, but the next user may think it is safe. It certainly would injure a belted passenger even at 10 mph. This is why it’s illegal. Please either take it out altogether 😊or re think the anchorage points before disaster happens.
Hope you got a damn good lawyer, this is not something that any DIY're should be posting. There will be someone who will come after you no matter how many disclaimers you say and post. And even if you win in court you will loose due to the lawyer costs, time dealing with it and your reputation. Big mistake posting this video.
