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Topic: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30 (Read 399 times) previous topic - next topic
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Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Hi All,

My LD has been in the shop all summer. They took their sweet time, and now that they finally finished, they are in a hurry for me to get it out of their garage.  But they never bothered to look into replacing the lap belt with a shoulder belt. I asked again and they tell me:

"Three point seat belts are not possible. The way that they cut the back of the cab in order to build the RV house removed the bolt that a three point seat belt would have attached at the shoulder. Therefore, there is no stable place to mount that shoulder point. The only possibility is to replace the seats with seats that have an integrated three point seat belt in them."

I'd like to know if anyone on here with same or similar model has encountered this and what they did.

One reason I was not pushing them to hurry up on my LD is because I sustained a head injury last spring, and then hit my head again a few more times, so was not really up to driving a huge vehicle with which I had little experience, for an hour in heavy (San Francisco Bay Area) traffic.  I am not willing to risk driving this thing without a shoulder belt, and had been under the impression it would not be difficult to retrofit. So now what?

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #1 –
Hmmm.
I think I'd call Vince at the Mothership and as for a second opinion on this. 
I could easily be wrong (and am frequently), but it sounds like grain-o-salt time.
How's the head injury recovery coming?

Pat the dogs,
Joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
2013  31 IB   ORWAN   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #2 –
Quote from: meandthedogs  - 
"Three point seat belts are not possible. The way that they cut the back of the cab in order to build the RV house removed the bolt that a three point seat belt would have attached at the shoulder. Therefore, there is no stable place to mount that shoulder point.

I don't believe this. Our '83 FL had shoulder belts. However, if you have rotating front seat bases, so they can face the interior, shoulder belts were not installed by LD. However, the cab is independent of the coachwork, and that is where any shoulder belt securing point would be located. It may be hidden by interior trim, but that can be cut and removed as necessary. If your driver's seat DOES rotate, then you may need to have a fixed base installed for the shoulder belt to work safely.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #3 –
I have seen many 90's era G-30 LDs that had should belts.
As Steve point out, an LD with rotating captain chairs WILL NOT have shoulder belts.

I have remove the trim in back of the driver's and passenger doors to access the captive nuts that is welded into every G-30, and used them to add shoulder belts, including my old 1977 Chevy van, which did not come with shoulder belts.
Once the nuts are located, drill a hole through the trim, for the upper should belt bolts to pass through.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #4 –
Thanks, all. Indeed, mine does have the rotating captain chairs. I would gladly swap those out for shoulder belts. Though the shop says it can't be done, I think the real issue is they don't want the liability of installing shoulder belts, which I understand. 

But I need them installed one way or another because I'm not willing to increase the risk of having (another) head injury. I was in a pretty bad car accident in 2000 and I would probably not be around today, or at least not in one piece, had it not been for the shoulder belt that kept me from flying through the windshield. Even with the belt I ended up with a fractured sternum and spine.

I'm kind of fed up with this shop. I am going to pick up my LD and drive it home as carefully as possible, and hope I can find a place that can and will install a new seat with a shoulder belt.

Any suggestions for someone in /around Oakland, CA, welcome. (NOT Sturken, as that's who has been working on it for 5 months).

Lisa

1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #5 –
My '93 G30 has rotating captains' chairs - both driver & passenger - and 3-point shoulder seat belts.

It's a bit of a bear to rotate the seats, since I have to first pull the shoulder strap (spring loaded rolled within a side case) all the way out to gain some slack, then play it out as the seat rotates around to face the cabin.

However, that being said, from all appearances the belts are factory standard.In fact, before reading this thread, I had never even considered they were anything other than standard.
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #6 –
Lisa, don't buy a seat - Complete stock lap and shoulder belts should be easy to find, and simply replacing the base with a fixed base will preserve the chair you have, and that combination will give you the safest option (and most reasonable cost). Cutting the plastic trim to access the stock mounting point for the shoulder belt will be a snap for any shop that knows what they are doing...

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Getting a shoulder seat belt installed on 1991 22' MP Chevy G30
Reply #7 –
I'm going to pass this on to the shop, but I do think they are just concerned about the liability.  That, and I am not sure I have a whole lot of faith in their word at this point. I'm actually a little concerned about what I'm going to find when I go to pick up my LD after all these months.  Many of my questions and requests were ignored and had to be repeated, and even then, seems like there is  lack of communication between the person at the front of the shop and the shop owner.  The person at the front seemed all helpful but didn't follow up on anything. The shop owner didn't seem to know about any of the things I spoke to person in front about. 

All in all, not great and I hope to find a different shop for future work.
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan