That is the really time consuming part.

As you might expect, factory seats blend with the peaks and valleys of the factory floor pan.

This brings about the term "custom installation" to its true meaning.

I have a local TIG welder, and am going to create a template to match the underside of the seat. I found that I can remove the rails from the seat. I will attach the mounting bars to the seat rails, and tack them in place with my MIG. Once they are at the point where they won't shift, I can remove them and have them TIG'ed or MIG'ed professionally. I will use the stock mounting pedestal's bolt holes, and use grade 8 fasteners.

I feel like Olroy does, that overengineering is the way to avoid problems. I build everything 4x too strong, that way if I make a mistake, it is still 3x too good. I can weld, but I only use my welds for non stressed applications, or where absolute strength is not paramount.

I have some pictures, and when the project is done, I will share them with everyone.

I have been doing a little research on who installs 3 point seat belts. I called Bradd and Hall in Elkhart, IN who is one of the largest providers of RV furniture, especially Flexsteel captain chairs.

They directed me to a company called Master Tech, 574-522-6224 in Elkhart (Tim "the rv man" Klenk). It appears that Master Tech is a RV'er paradise when it comes to what they do there. They do everything they can duplicate siding and even a destroyed bumper. But they also do the three point seat belts.

Tim made a point that the studs in a Barth, especially if they are around a window or door are more than strong enough to use for a seat belt anchor. When you thing about it your seat belt will only protect you to the point that the structure of the vehicle is compromised. I don't know for sure, but I am betting that any stud in the Barth is as strong as any anchor in an automobile. Tim says that the most important consideration is the way that it is anchored. He uses some kind of 3/16 aircraft fasteners which he believes will hold you until the motorhome itself destructs.

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
I have drawings of the framework in my Barth, and I recall that somewhere behind the seats, is a double stud. Next time i go there (if I remember) I'll have to see if it would be a place to mount a shoulder belt

Roy, in your double post on a double stud, you raised an interesting point. Did you remember to check on that?

I posted this elsewhere, but am going to add a link to my post so if someone finds this thread doing a topic search...I put three point harnesses in my coach this spring.


http://barthmobile.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3631087061/m/7611058771

Re: Bill H's 7/21 post on double studs, etc. Indeed Bill, I did remember - right after you made your post.

I'm too old to be computer-savvy enough to post my response here, so I've e-mailed Bill directly with what I found. The rest of you can remain mystified until, & unless, Bill sees fit to post the info here.

I would like to continue this important discussion of fitting proper seat belts to the Barths. Do later year Barths have 3 point belts? If so what year did they put the harness in? Adapting the existing pedestal to a modern seat with integral chest belt looks like the best solution to me. If you need to Carry a third person safely I guess you must install a third pedestal and adapt yet another seat with chest belt. Does anyone make such a seat designed for that purpose? If you want to carry four or more passengers then lap belts must be attached to the jackknife sofa. Is the steelcase sofa designed for seat-belts? Are these sofas commonly attached to the floor and frame securely? I understand that these are 15,000 to 30,000 pound vehicles that aren't very likely to be stopped that quickly,but even so, my 1967 35 ft GMC buffalo 40 passenger highway bus was equipped with seat-belts.

My '94 has only lap belts.

Has anyone devised a good method of providing seat belt anchor points in the floor behind the sofa, or in the area of one of the chairs? I guess if the belly pan is exposed inside the storage bins you may locate a floor beam, otherwise span two or more floor beams with some angle and bolt through that. I would like to provide internally threaded sockets at strategic locations in the floor. This would allow attachment and removal flexibility with no projections above the floor.

I'm with "izomage." I'm getting ready to take the Stagecoach to a place here intown to have seat belts installed in the sofa. I also want to have a barrel chair with seat belts installed. Does anyone know if these belt points already exist under the sofa somewhere? I'd rather not have them do it if there is a chance they won't do it correctly because they aren't familiar with Barths. I need to have it done before Christmas since there is a possibility of it making a trip to Oklahoma City the day after.

I doubt very much that preparations were routinely made to install seat belts anywhere but the driver's & passenger's seats. Barths were designed for affluent retirees, not families. There may be a Barth out there that was special-ordered with provision for more than 2 belts, but as far as I know it hasn't turned up on Barthmobile,

If one installed a strip of husky flat bar stock fore-and-aft underneath the floor, and bolted through the floor into that, you'd have to tear up the entire floor structure to displace it; lots more g-forces than the human body can stand.

My Breakaway has seat belts installed for the sofa.
I don't know if they were installed after the fact or were factory installed.
My guess is that they were factory installed.

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
There may be a Barth out there that was special-ordered with provision for more than 2 belts, but as far as I know it hasn't turned up on Barthmobile,

So true olroy. My coach, being a commercial unit, was set up with 4 additional seatbelts in the waiting room bench seat. Plus the drivers and 2 passengers bucket seats.

The Barth was registered in NY for 7 passengers commercial application. Unless it's a school bus, that means it had to come with seatbelts for the doctors, nurses and staff.

Isn't it something how most states do not require seatbelts for the kids?

Bill, your remark about various state laws requiring seat belts got me thinking.
Since my Barth has 3 seat belts installed for the sofa, I wonder if they were not installed as a requirement when for the importation in Canada.
This Barth was bought new in the US ( Louisville )and shipped right away to Canada. Maybe the seat belts were installed directly at the factory, knowing that it was to be exported.

I suspect Olroy is right about the seat belts, he's usually right about everything else. Even so, not knowing how the plywood floor is fastened to the floor beams, or just how the plywood is joined at the edges, or even where the joints are located, I don't think I would trust bolting to the 5/8 ply floor alone. It may be wise to bolt the floor to the floor beams in the area where you plan to install the seat belt anchors. Use carriage bolts right through the floor, the beam and belly pan. Like Olroy suggests an nice scrap of 1/4" steel under the plywood should spread the load sufficiently. I think it would be very unwise to drop off the Barth at any facility and trust them to install seat belt anchor points properly. I can almost guarantee they will drill a hole in the floor and shove some kind of toggle bolt in there and then collect your money.

I plan to install attachment points directly over the aluminum floor beams, even if that is not the perfect location for the seat belt anchor, or chair mount, as the case may be. I can always bolt an 1/8" steel plate or some other structure on top of the floor and attach stuff to that. I need the welding practise anyway.

Our Regal has 3 seat belts on the Flex Steel hideabed. Attached with 3 inch washers in largest bay. ,the bolts protrude down an extra 1/2 inch so I added 5 ft strip of 1/8 inch X 2 inch flat stock with holes drilled to line up with the bolts. All who wander are not lost.