2003 Roadtrek 200 Popular - Front seat removal/replacement

[PJW73NH]

I have the above mentioned vehicle. I am about to embark on swapping the driver and passenger front seats on a temporary basis.

It looks pretty straightforward.

Suffice it to say, that I have back issues when driving, but not when passenging (sic). I have documented and proven that the drivers seat is NOT aligned with the steering wheel.

On the advice of a local, well respected auto upholsterer that has examined the van, I am going to temporarily swap the two front seats to see if there is any difference. For any driving more than a test, I'll have to swap the seat belt sides as well.

A quick look reveals:
1. 4 corners fastening the "swivel box" to the floor through the carpeting.
2. 4 corners fastening the seat to the "upper (swivel)" portion frame.
3. And of course, the giant swivel nut in the middle.

I've already looked at replacement seats, but I'm not "there" yet.

Thoughts, comments suggestions? Thank you.

[PJW73NH]

UPDATE: I went through the process today. PITA and some strength is needed. Between the swivel mounting base and the seat itself the full assembly was quite heavy.

The outcome thus far is:
The drivers seat is now a bit more comfortable, I took it for a 30 mile drive. Definitely more comfortable. I didn't sit in the (now) passenger seat. Time will tell.

Observations:
1. The seats need to be removed from the base units with 4 10 mm bolts. This is because the seatbelt receivers attach to the BASE not the seat. IE the bases stay in their original placement (drivers to drivers, passenger to passenger). The best way to do this is remove the seats by the base from the floor of the van and work on them outside the vehicle.

2. The armrests are NOT symmetrical on the seats. Originally, the outboard armrests are about 3/4" to 1" thinner than the inboard ones. When the seats are swapped, this reverses. This means that NOW the outboard armrests are the thick ones. Depending on where the seat is front to back, determines if the door will close without stress (it can hit the armrest depending on position), further it makes moving the front windshield curtain difficult because the armrest is tightly pressed against the B pillar in the rear position.

Currently looking for information on changing armrests... Anyone ?

There are a few electrical connections under the seats. Both seats had a 12V connection for the lumbar support motor. The drivers base had a seatbelt switch that was normally closed WITHOUT a seatbelt engaged. The passenger base did not have the seatbelt interlock switch.