The Chrysler Minivan Fan Club Forums banner

Stow and Go Seat Question

21K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  HyperFox 
#1 ·
Hi -
I am new to the forum.
Just got our third Chrysler Minivan, a 2006 DGC SE with 19,900 mi on it for $13K.

In my haste to take advantage of this great deal I failed to notice that the 2nd seat (a bench seat) does not fit in the stow and go compartments.

My question is , is it possible to buy 2nd row stow and go seats and retrofit them as long as the compartments are there? If so, where and how? The MOPAR website was no help.

Why the heck did Chrysler equip them this way - I mean why put non-stow and go seats in a stow and go body?
 
#2 ·
Welcome!

That is just how it is when you order the lesser model.
Depending on the seat belt anchors and mounts you might be able to add them from a wrecked GC SXT in the future.
I don't know if the new vans have the multiple mounts like the 2nd gens did, but I would be willing to bet that to save money they do have the other mounts.
The reason you have the compartments is so DC didn't have to make a whole different floor pan for your van. This is a cost cutting deal. It isn't all bad as the compartments are handy.
 
#10 ·
Welcome!

...I don't know if the new vans have the multiple mounts like the 2nd gens did, but I would be willing to bet that to save money they do have the other mounts....
.
Upon inspection I find that the mounts for stow and go are indeed there - you can feel the bumps under the carpet.
 
#3 ·
Why have 2nd row bench in some 2006 GC SE?

Hi -
I am new to the forum.
Just got our third Chrysler Minivan, a 2006 DGC SE with 19,900 mi on it for $13K.

In my haste to take advantage of this great deal I failed to notice that the 2nd seat (a bench seat) does not fit in the stow and go compartments.

My question is , is it possible to buy 2nd row stow and go seats and retrofit them as long as the compartments are there? If so, where and how? The MOPAR website was no help.

Why the heck did Chrysler equip them this way - I mean why put non-stow and go seats in a stow and go body?

Many people prefer the bench seat that has 2 built in child seats. My sister looked for a used 2005 GC SE that had the 2nd row bench seat with built in child seats. Makes it MUCH more convenient for her to take her 2 small grandchildren than to have to install 2 bulky child seats when the grandchildren go with her.:thumb:

A neighbor got a used 2002 GC Sport that had the 2nd row Quad seating but they had the dealer rswitch the 2nd row Quads with the 2nd row bench as soon as another used 02 GC Sport or T&C came in with the 2nd row bench with 2 built in child seats.

My wife, myself, and our 3 daughters prefer the Quad seats over the 2nd row bench.:ThumbsUp:
 
#4 ·
Why the heck did Chrysler equip them this way - I mean why put non-stow and go seats in a stow and go body?
Because they stopped making the body that doesn't have the bins for the seat stowage. So even if you don't have the stow n go 2nd row seats, you still get the handy bins.
 
#5 ·
Funny that I noticed this forum today... at work earlier today I literally discovered the same thing. We have a 4th gen Dodge Grand Caravan with stow 'n go, but its go the full out 2nd row bench that is in NO way foldable.

I thought to myself "wtf...that's dumb." I walked around to the other vans for several minutes trying to see if someone had accidentally swapped seats. I'm not sure if I'd like the stow 'n go feature because of how much it lowers the true bottom of the van. Obviously they were redesigned to compensate for the bins, but it makes the 4th gens have the rear end stick way up in the air which I don't think looks quite right... even though it is intended that way.
 
#7 ·
They still MADE the body without the bins, for the 2005 model year.

I think they stopped doing that at some point.

BTW, according to Woggy, they actually don't still make the body at all--with or without the bins (except in China). Both Windsor and St. Louis plants have finished production of the 07's, in favor of tooling up for the 08's.
 
#8 ·
Did I understand you right that the new 2008 will not have the storage bins or stow-n-go?
 
#11 ·
That stow 'n go second row is quite a complicated system, involving a conserable amount of mechanism & trim in addition to the seats themselves. I cannot imagine the asking price someone would want for a set, nor would I think they are very easy to install.

While you might be able to get them, and you might be able to make them fit... but I think it will be a big challenge to accomplish.
 
#12 ·
...While you might be able to get them, and you might be able to make them fit... but I think it will be a big challenge to accomplish.
Well I was hoping to find someone out there who had actually investigated it or done it. I too have the opinion that it might be difficult but I wanted to find out from someone who had done it or tried.
 
#14 ·
Hello everyone! I found this site via a web search and this topic is exactly what I was looking for.

I recently purchased an '06 GC and was disappointed that it does not have the 2nd row S&G seating. The dealer I purchased from (a Thrifty Car Sales) told me that they have so many requests for the S&G conversion, that they actually work with a company in Jasper, IN that will do the full conversion for about $600. That price includes the seats and everything.

I was tyring to find the name of the company online, but to no avail. I would like to see if it would be cheaper to not go through the dealer, or if the $600 is some sort of dealer discount.

If anyone is interested, PM me or post up and I will try to find out some more information.

Thanks for your time,

-Dave
 
#15 ·
My uneducated opinion/first thought is that $600 sounds extremely reasonable for a conversion (meaning procuring and installing the seats). I doubt you could buy the seats for that much yourself. I doubt you'd get a better price at the dealer.
 
#17 ·
I will definately be cautious of the company or anyone messing with my vehicle for that matter. If it sounds good or turns out to be legit, I will definately let everyone know.

I also have a slew of modifications I already have in mind to do to the GC. I will try to post write-ups if I can actually make the ideas come into being.

Thank you everyone for your time.

-Dave
 
#20 ·
Directly comparing our personally-owned 2007 (with the Stown 'N Go buckets) with the 2006 at work (which has the bench), it doesn't look like it'd be too difficult. The rear in-floor brackets appear to be the same between the bench and bucket applications. The front brackets for the bench appear to bolt into the van in the same place that the front buckets do (that long black mounting bar you see in the photo from that eBay auction).
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top