Can I move my 2nd row bench over?

urchin_grey · May 26, 2010

In my '03 Grand Caravan? It looks like I can because there are extra hook thingies on the floor but I don't know if that's just in case you want to switch out the bench for captains chairs...?

If I am by myself with both DS and my nephew, I have to unlock the van from the driver's side with both kids in tow, go back around to load the kids, and then back to my side. Then when we get out, I go around and unload the kids from the passenger's side, then go back with both kids to the other side just to lock the van. This is getting way annoying! LOL

safeinthecar · May 26, 2010

The extra hooks are probably for the 3rd row bench if you move it to the 2nd row (that's the case in the one I used to have anyway). The manual should have a section on seat configurations.

urchin_grey · May 26, 2010

Yeah, I'm looking at the manual now, but all it talks about for the 2nd row is captains chairs, which I don't have... Hrmph.

I did see the thing about putting the 3 passenger bench in the 2nd row though, that is pretty cool! I didn't know I could do that.

crunchierthanthou · May 26, 2010

Do you only have a slider on the passenger side? Can you only lock/unlock from the driver's door?

Forgive me if I'm being dense. I just don't see why you have to walk all the way around or how moving the seat over would help. Can you explain the situation a little more?

urchin_grey · May 26, 2010

crunchierthanthou said:
Do you only have a slider on the passenger side? Can you only lock/unlock from the driver's door?

Forgive me if I'm being dense. I just don't see why you have to walk all the way around or how moving the seat over would help. Can you explain the situation a little more?

Sliders on both sides, but yep, only one lock and its on the driver's door. Also, I have power locks, but the sliding door on the driver's side is broken and only works manually, so you can see how that can be a pain too.

Oh, and moving the seat over would help because then I could do all the loading/unloading from the driver's side and never have to walk back and forth. But with the way it currently is, you cannot access the 3rd row from the driver's side, only the passenger's side.

urchin_grey · May 26, 2010

Actually, the more I look at it, the more I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter which side its on. I'm positive now after looking at it that the extra tracks aren't just for the 3-passenger bench, because that still leaves a random track.

The tracks look like this:

1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4

The 2nd row bench is hooked to tracks 1 and 3.
The 3rd row bench is hooked to tracks 1 and 4.
So why would track 2 even exist if you couldn't put the 2nd row bench on 2 and 4 instead of 1 and 3? Unless of course you exchanged it for captains chairs. But even then, the tracks are all identical as far as I can tell, so I'm thinking either way is fine.

Clear as mud?

crunchierthanthou · May 26, 2010

ah, gotcha. I guess I wasn't thinking about the third row because you only mentioned two kids.

urchin_grey · May 26, 2010

crunchierthanthou said:
ah, gotcha. I guess I wasn't thinking about the third row because you only mentioned two kids.

Sorry, yeah, I usually tend to over explain so I was trying not to do that this time... LOL

But yeah, I don't *have* to have one in the 3rd row because their seats do fit fine next to each other in the 2nd row BUT it does make it a bit easier.

For one, DS is not fully ambulatory and DN is a runner.

So if its just me, I let DN crawl into the 3rd row and into his seat while I load and buckle DS in the 2nd row (and there is space for me to step inside with DS). Then I hop back there and sit next to DN's seat and buckle him. This way I do not have to lift a 35lb child (DN) into a RF'ing seat and he's "trapped" in the back and can't escape. LOL

If I put them both in the 2nd row and load them from the driver's side, I have to lift both of them into their seats (from the ground, not from inside the van) because neither one would be able to reach. Well, I'm sure DN could do it, but not after a great deal more time and sticking his dirty/muddy shoes in each seat. So yeah, totally possible scenario, just not preferable. (And yes, I am very weak. LOL)

Of course, once they are FF'ing, none of this will matter, but neither of them is close to that point yet.

libranbutterfly · May 28, 2010

I *think* the 2 seat bench is wider on one side of the track, making it not fit the other way, but if it works, I would think it would be fine. If it doesn't work, then I would recommend searching craigslist for a captains chair, and putting one captains chair on the passenger side, leaving a big space to get third row passengers in as well. This is how I have had my van set up in the past with 2-3 children and it has worked really well. Even with 4, with the right mix of seats. The major plus of this too is that if it is raining, you can close the slider and buckle everyone in while staying dry, and then sit in your seat w/out getting back out of the van.

I miss my van

swtgi1982 · May 28, 2010

urchin_grey said:
Actually, the more I look at it, the more I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter which side its on. I'm positive now after looking at it that the extra tracks aren't just for the 3-passenger bench, because that still leaves a random track.

The tracks look like this:

1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4

The 2nd row bench is hooked to tracks 1 and 3.
The 3rd row bench is hooked to tracks 1 and 4.
So why would track 2 even exist if you couldn't put the 2nd row bench on 2 and 4 instead of 1 and 3? Unless of course you exchanged it for captains chairs. But even then, the tracks are all identical as far as I can tell, so I'm thinking either way is fine.

Clear as mud?

my 01 is the same way and yes you can off set the center bench either way. either in 1 and 3 or in 2 and 4. You are correct this will work!

libranbutterfly · May 29, 2010

swtgi1982 said:
my 01 is the same way and yes you can off set the center bench either way. either in 1 and 3 or in 2 and 4. You are correct this will work!

That is good to know! Thanks!!

Beckers · May 29, 2010

Just wanted to add another "yes, it works!" We have an 02 Caravan, and I preferred the middle row shifted to the passenger side until this past school year when DD had to be able to get out on the passenger side. At the time, DS2 had to be next to a window so he wouldn't scream the entire drive, so we had to move the bench back the the driver's side.

FYI, the 3 seater bench can go in the middle row too, but the the 2 seater can NOT go in the third row. We have put the 3 seater in the middle row and left out the 2 seater for long trips so we could have cargo room.

urchin_grey · May 30, 2010

Thanks everyone, I moved it over and it works. And, AND (!), I discovered that I have TAs on the 2nd row bench as I was moving it! This whole time I thought I only had the one on the 3rd row bench because that's what I was told.

I just hadn't looked in the manual yet to double check because I haven't needed them.

I like the idea of putting the 3rd row in the middle for trips too! "Grand" Caravan or not, there still isn't a WHOLE lot of space back there.

Can I move my 2nd row bench over?

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