pusscat Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hi, Looking to possibly get an autosleeper ford duetto (mk 6 or 7). Had a sit in the passenger seat and at 6 foot, my hair is just touching the cab ceiling. Can anyone tell me if the height can be altered in any way? Can the swivel unit be replaced with one that still swivels but adds less overall height to the seat? Any comments / solutions would be most welcome! Pusscat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 The standard ford seat when on a swivel base is too high for comfort even for my 5'10". You could replace the seats with captain seats from either ISRI or Aguti both have thinner bases probably cost £1200-1500 for a pair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 It is very unlikely that a different swivel would gain you very much but you can remove it completely and gain headroom. You might be able to source a lowered seat box if your model is available - try Googling 'lowered seat base/frame/box ford transit and look for the model and tear of yours. If buying from a dealer tell them it's a deal breaker and they might just source one or two for you? Always worth asking and if you don't ask they sure as hector won't offer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I had a Duetto for 7 years and am 6ft 1ins and never had a problem with seat height. Are you sure the seat won't go any lower? There is a safe under the passenger seat. I wonder if things would improve if it was removed so the seat will sit closer to the floor. Why don't you ask the dealer if you are buying from one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Pusscat The standard Transit Mk 6 and Mk 7 cab-seats have limited downwards adjustment - it’s been complained about since Year 2000 when the Mk 6 was introduced. I can also say with certainty that no lower ‘seat boxes’ are commercially available for those Transit models. This 2011 forum-thread covers the issue in some depth (some of the links may be outdated now) http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/Replacement-front-seats-for-mk7-Transit/23666/ Some seat-swivel mechanisms are thinner than others and (having owned a Transit Mk 6-based motorhome myself and ‘sampled’ a good few other motorhomes using Transit Mk 6 and Mk 7 chassis) it would appear that those fitted to later Mk 7’s was as thin as you’ll find. Ford offered motorhome converters the option of swivelling ‘captain’s chairs’ as shown here http://www.ford.co.uk/CommercialVehicles/TransitMotorhomesChassis/InteriorDesign so you might want to explore what swivel mechanisms were fitted to those. As lennyhb says (and as was discussed in the 2011 thread) you could replace the Ford seat with one with a thinner seat-cushion, but this would be an expensive proposition. My wife is tall and, when perched on the swivelling passenger-seat of our Transit Mk 6-based Hobby motorhome, had trouble obtaining a good view through the windscreen. (Headroom was not a problem as the coachbuilt Hobby’s cab roof was cut away.) She just reclined the seat-back until she could see out more easily and, although she was far from overjoyed with the resultant travelling position, it was much simpler than trying to source a thinner seat-swivel and/or replacement seat. As you appear only to be concerned about the height of the passenger seat (the excessive height of the driver’s seat when fitted with a swivel is much more concerning in my view), can you not do the same and recline the seat until you’ve obtained sufficient headroom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My Hymer has the swivel bases and the standard Ford seats. I found the drivers seat too high but after quite a bit of research found that to get a lower seat was difficult to say the least. The engine battery is under the drivers seat and one of the leisure batteries and the electroblock under the passenger's seat. That makes cutting the base down impossible without major repositioning work of batteries etc. Removing the swivel base is possible, you need to buy a few parts from Ford to do this. However, removing the swivel would only gain about one and a bit inches, hardly worth it. It would appear that Ford designed the height of the box to accept the 069 battery, the seat height being of secondary consideration. A case of poor design I think. I have got used to the driving position, I use a foam pad for my back and a lump of foam to form a knee rest. Some MK7 s have two batteries under the drivers seat, both are engine batteries. A "racing" seat made of glass/carbon fibre with very thin memory foam padding would gain several inches, it would also be non adjustable, uncomfortable and expensive. I have now accepted the seats are not well designed, I will add a thorough check of the seats to my extensive list before I buy anything else! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I removed the seat-swivel from my Hobby’s driver’s-seat, but this task required no extra parts. With the swivel-mechanism in place I could drive the vehicle, but definitely not comfortably and safely. Removing the seat-swivel made a big difference, though I still had to have the seat at its lowest setting. I’m 5’ 6” and I can’t imagine how shorter people drive safely Transit Mk6/Mk 7-based motorhomes fitted with standard Ford seats and swivels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 hallii - 2014-08-06 9:53 AM My Hymer has the swivel bases and the standard Ford seats. I found the drivers seat too high but after quite a bit of research found that to get a lower seat was difficult to say the least. The engine battery is under the drivers seat and one of the leisure batteries and the electroblock under the passenger's seat. That makes cutting the base down impossible without major repositioning work of batteries etc. Removing the swivel base is possible, you need to buy a few parts from Ford to do this. However, removing the swivel would only gain about one and a bit inches, hardly worth it. It would appear that Ford designed the height of the box to accept the 069 battery, the seat height being of secondary consideration. A case of poor design I think. I have got used to the driving position, I use a foam pad for my back and a lump of foam to form a knee rest. Some MK7 s have two batteries under the drivers seat, both are engine batteries. I hired a Hymer Van some years ago and the high seat gave me bad neck ache and eyeline was looking at the top rail for the Remis blinds. Later Hymer vans had the option of Captins seats I think it was the Aguti ones they made quite a difference to the seat height, Aguti use their own swivel unit which may have helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pusscat Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 Hi Guys, Many thanks for all your replies so far. It was a lunch time quick 'look-see'..from your comments I need to take some more time to have a play, adjust recline, make sure I can see out comfortably etc etc. I really like the layout of the duetto and don't think I've given it a fair enough crack of the whip! The aim it to try and get one in the autumn so it's lots of research and no doubt they'll be lots more questions 'till then Many thanks, Pusscat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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