Rear Seating for defender

[Bluehwy]

I am looking at and wanting to very much purchase a 93 or 94 model defender and have studied what they can offer me extensively , all i need to know now is if there is a rear seating system available and if so how i go about getting it engineered to fit as i have five kids to cart about and refuse to be talked into yet another pajero...

[Michael2]

Rear seating comes in a few options.
1. You can get troop carrier type seats that are side facing. These came as a standard option on Defenders in Australia. Each seat seats 2 and is made of tubular steel with non contoured foam cushions and cloth trim. Eatlier Series Land Rovers had a vinyl seat on an angular steel frame.
2. Similar seats, but in singular seating are also available (probably ex uk)
3. Forward facing seats that fold up to the side are available with either high or low back, contoured and a variety of trims. Again ex uk. If you buy a copy of Land Rover Owner International (LRO International) they usually have quite afew adverts with prices and photos as well as the trim options. It's a UK mag, costs about $12AUD and is available only a good newsagents.

Otherwise try a web search.

The ids will love the Land Rover much more than the Pajero, it will be like a pet.

Michael2

[Bluehwy]

Thanks Michael, I'll do as you suggest and buy the magazine, The kids want the side facing seats but i gather after one long trip they will be fighting to get out of them ....

[Phoenix]

I've done a couple of medium length trips in the back of a toyota troopy with side facing seats (1 - 2 hours) and I can testafy that for trips of that length, they suck!

[Expat]

Evening All...

Installed 2 side facing passenger seats in the Defender some months ago from an outfit in Hornsby,all RTA legal btw.

They are ok comfort wise for the first few hours then as if by magic your arse starts falling asleep and its a tad on the uncomfortable side.

Another thing worth noting is that its not the best seat to be sat in if your not a very good traveller,as all you can really see is everything rushing past at a fair rate of knots...either that or severe kneck ache.

But good enough for the short trips...no problemo at all.

Cheers

[VladTepes]

I'd have to agree with these sentiments.

Travelling sideways disagrees with me - trains etc but especially in cars - leads to motion sickness. The front facing seats would, I reckon, definitely be the way to go.

Good luck with it.

Why not do an article for the next AULRO newsletter once you've got your new seats in and given them a 'run' ?

[Lucy]

What about seat belts and side facing seats? Does anyone know the rules? I have found some original seats to go in the back of my ex-mil S3 109 softy, but RTA (NSW) haven't been helpful on whether I need belts or not.

[VladTepes]

Sideways facing seats are never a very safe option in the event of, god forbid, an accident.

Having said that, if you are intending to use the seats for loved ones (or even just mates style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif ) then I couldn;t imagine why you wouldn't put them in - required or not.

If, on the other hand, the seats are just for show in an ex Mil car like yours - then - I got no idea. Sorry. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Phoenix]

Originally posted by Lucy
What about seat belts and side facing seats? Does anyone know the rules? I have found some original seats to go in the back of my ex-mil S3 109 softy, but RTA (NSW) haven't been helpful on whether I need belts or not.

Before a certain date you aren't required to fit belts if they weren't already fitted (I've been looking at this issue for ages with the seats in my S3 109). Now IMO seats were intended to be fittted, so are therefore original fittament style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

I haven't managed to get any sense from the transport dept here about the issue, but the general consensus from REMLR and others that I have spoken to is that nobody has ever been even pulled over for using the rear seats, and certainly nobody has been booked for it "but they were always like that officer" :roll:

I'd fit the, and use them without too much concern, but if I have people in the back all of the flaps on the canopy are tied down firmly (windows open) and all limbs inside the vehicle.

Hope that helps, but if you want to PM or e-mail me to discuss it more i'm more than willing to help where I can style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[CraigE]

Get forward facing seats, side facing seats suck, my old man had a troopie with side seats and trips over a couple of hundred kays ****ted us right off as kids. You may have to get them out of the UK though. Most mine sites over here have now banned side facing seats as they are believed to be unsafe and the cause of severe injuries.