Dual Cab rear seating

[PTC]

G'day, i bought my defender only a few weeks ago so still a lot to learn and work out on it.

Talking to people at the recent event in Victoria i was asking about storage and fuel tanks and all that. Brought up was how under the rear seats could be used for a fuel or water tank. Or even just great for items you don't use that often.

Here are 3 photos of my rear seat. And i am wondering what has been done to it. As it looks like a custom job back there which makes getting into the box under the seat a lot harder.

Have the seats been moved forward for storage between them and the fire wall. Or lifted or what. I am quite confused.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/61.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/62.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/09/63.jpg

[Fraz]

Well they arent standard, and look to be quite a lot further forward than the normal ones. They seem lower too, I can get things out of the under seat box without moving the seats in mine.

Looks like there is also some kind of board that has been installed on the rear wall, you might have lost some space there too

[Yorkshire_Jon]

I think its a 130 isn't it? It's not standard fit out.

The seat box configuration is different to a 110DC.

I recall a thread on here some time ago that talked about that very "conversion".

Sent using Forum Runner

[PTC]

Well the leg room in the back is quite shocking. I have been told this is normal in Defenders though. But if the seats are able to be moved back to an original position that would be great.

Lets hope some more people have a look at the photos and tell me what is going on back there.

As for the space behind the seats. I know for Hilux Dual Cabs. You are able to get a hanging 50L water bladder in that spot. Though those seats don't fold out like these do.

[Chops]

In the 110 dual cab, you cant access under the rear seat box, well at least, you cant in the Puma. There's nothing under the floor. The seats are raised maybe 4" from the floor, which does look like a box, but its not, but still hinge from the front.
To the best of my knowledge, only the 130 has access under the seat box.

[Summiitt]

The 130 pumas don't have the tool box under the rear seat,well its there but it has no access, the seat backs are infact bolted to the rear firewall, if you unbolt them so that you can fold the rear seats down as in the photo, they rattle. I believe you can cut the top out of the seat box as it's a hollow void, but havnt attacked mine yet. I have managed to fit a heap of stuff under and behind the rear seats and left them unbolted and they are pretty quite, no rattles.

[lokka]

What year mod is it ? looks alot different to my brothers tho the seats sit in near the same spot in his 130 and its not very comfy for full grown adult to sit in there :(

[PTC]

Its a 2003 model 130. I am 6'2 and can fit in the back alright. Well if we had 2 not 3 across the back i would be able to survive a long day trip or maybe a weekend back there.

I am heading up to Sydney this weekend to collect some rock sliders of Mulgo. I'll have a chat with him and see if he knows what is going on there.

[jddisco200tdi]

The seats look like they have come from a puma 110. The headrests and integral centre seatbelt look the same.
Under the back seats in a 110 wagon there is no seatbox that you can put stuff in.

Regards

John D - Defender 110 2.4

[ugu80]

I am heading up to Sydney this weekend to collect some rock sliders of Mulgo. I'll have a chat with him and see if he knows what is going on there.

Then you cannot go wrong. What Daniel doesn't know isn't worth knowing. If not already fitted, as a tall guy, ask him about his seat extensions.

The hollow underseat void is standard 130. There is an aluminium sheet that fits over the top. It has a lip at the rear to slide onto floor sheet metal and overlaps the edges all around. It clips in with a latch at each end which has been removed from the right hand side. With what I can see from your photo, there is a dark square patch on the left hand edge with a grey oblong something in the middle which looks like it may be the latch receiver.

I would say you have lost several cms of rear leg room over standard seats. If you want to revert to original you will have to google in some wreckers and make some phone calls.

I hope you enjoy your 130 as much as I have mine. I had two 60 series Toyotas before my 130 and thought there couldn't be anything better. I would never go back and I will never sell my 130 (can't, spent too much money on good bits and pieces, but building it to just the way I wanted was half the fun.).

[PTC]

I've considered the seat extensions. Driving the car as it is feels fine so far. I have it one click forwards from the back too. Just so whoever is behind me has some leg room. Being a scout leader and scout 4x4 i take a lot of kids out on trips. Always a full car. I might get them installed for my bigger touring trips though.

This afternoon i had a look at the car again. Sitting in the back is quite uncomfortable as the head rests are low down and pushing in my back. I tried to raise them and found that with them up the seats would not click back into place. So that confirms they have been changed over.

Is anyone with a 130 Dual Cab able to take a photo of there seats. I would like to see what they are suppose to look like.

In the future i might change them back over. I'll wait and see what Mulgo has to say first about them.

[chewy7]

Those are definitely 110 puma rear seats, as they have the extra slant on the back piece.

If you hop on carsales.com.au and have a look at puma 130's, you can see the rear seat is pretty much 90degrees, and does not have that slant.

My guess is they bought a set of 110 puma rear seats and retro-fitted them to their 130. Which is awesome, as the older defender rear seats are horrible!

[POD]

Another opinion on what may or may not have been done to your seats- The seats are the same as what's in my '08 Puma 130. With the standard setup, the seats sit very upright, uncomfortably so (doesn't worry me as I never sit in the back). Your seats appear to have been installed with the base mount moved about 4" forward, to increase the angle that the seats lean back, presumably to make them more comfortable. This has obviously been done at the cost of 4" of leg room; also I think your front seats must need tpo be all the way forward for the rear seats to fold forward? Those plates that bridge the big hole look like they have been fitted to give the rear mounting business something to be bolted to- in the standard configuration, the mounting is about where these plates are bolted down, just in front of the rear bulkhead.
In the Puma models, there is no opening in the top of the big rectangular box under the seats, it is an inaccessible void. Some have put water tanks in there, others have made an opening in the top or the end for stowing odds & ends. I'm undecided whether to do either of these things on mine, having an opening in the top is a bit pointless if you have to unbolt the seat backs to tilt forward for access.

[POD]

Another thought on those rear seats, having looked at the photos again- the mounting point at the top has been omitted; in the Puma 130 there are brackets bolted to the rear bulkhead just below the window, and the seat backs bolt to these. They are a pain as they have to be unbolted for the seats to fold forward, but presumably they are necessary for the seat-belt forces.