Second Row Seat Delete, Functional for Daily Duties?

[ThePartyWagon]

Hello my fellow Jeep fanatics, I'm looking for some feedback from folks who have ditched their second row seat for improved storage/sleeping arrangements.

What I'm really interested in hearing is whether or not you've had instances where you ended up needing those seats. I've got a two door Jeep Cherokee and I'm considering ditching the rear bench for a plate system, drawers, fridge slide, etc but I'm wondering if I will inevitably come across instances where I need room for more than two. Of course, this is subjective, but I'm wondering, for those of you who ditched your rear seating area, whether or not you've regretted or needed that additional seating after the fact.

I have a 7 seat van that I can rely on for trips with more than two or three but what are y'all doing when someone wants to tag a long on a 4x4 trip? The van really isn't set up for off road excursions or towing my drift boat which is what the Jeep gets used for regularly. There may be a way for me to retain the rear seats and integrate a trunk drawer system that is level with the folded seat but I'm giving up all that gained space to keep the seats functional at that point.

Anyone else find themselves in this position?

To seat delete, or not seat delete, that is the question!

Thanks!

 

[dur66@msn.com]

Hello my fellow Jeep fanatics, I'm looking for some feedback from folks who have ditched their second row seat for improved storage/sleeping arrangements.

What I'm really interested in hearing is whether or not you've had instances where you ended up needing those seats. I've got a two door Jeep Cherokee and I'm considering ditching the rear bench for a plate system, drawers, fridge slide, etc but I'm wondering if I will inevitably come across instances where I need room for more than two. Of course, this is subjective, but I'm wondering, for those of you who ditched your rear seating area, whether or not you've regretted or needed that additional seating after the fact.

I have a 7 seat van that I can rely on for trips with more than two or three but what are y'all doing when someone wants to tag a long on a 4x4 trip? The van really isn't set up for off road excursions or towing my drift boat which is what the Jeep gets used for regularly. There may be a way for me to retain the rear seats and integrate a trunk drawer system that is level with the folded seat but I'm giving up all that gained space to keep the seats functional at that point.

Anyone else find themselves in this position?

To seat delete, or not seat delete, that is the question!

Thanks!

Hi,
I have a 2016 Jeep Wrangler 2-door. I removed the rear seat the day after I brought it home from the dealership. There it sits today.

Since then I’ve been buying the Goose Gear plate system as the budget allows. I guess I did it backwards, I the the side panels installed and yesterday I ordered the bottom plate.

I have a small electrical panel in the passenger side panel with a batter cable running to a small fuse box and then to a dual battery system under the hood.

I’m hoping to have an ARB fridge slide and the basic system completed in the spring.

Then, it’s time to start exploring!
Durwin

 

[G0to60]

What I would do is look back at the last year or two and count how many times you used the back seat for passengers. Then you can judge how important it is to you. Personally, I've owned and still own several two door cars with tiny, basically non-functional rear seats and can count on one hand the times where I've regretted not having more room back there. I can't comment on back seat passengers off road since both of my rigs (JKU and allroad) are four door and we've never gone out on the trail with anyone in the back seat.

Another route you can take is just try it out for a few months with no back seat. If it doesn't work out you can always put them back in.

 

[(none)]

As others, i've owned 2 2dr JK rubicons, and both of them i came home removed the back seat and didn't put them back in until i sold them. no kids and no friends make it easy.

 

[billiebob]

had instances where you ended up needing those seats

Never, I used to think I needed those seats just in case and 40 years ago maybe. But today everyone has their own transport and everyone likes their indepandence. Unless you have little kids the odds are you'll never miss that seat.

My Wranglers have had a dog shelf in place of the seat for 25 years.

 

[Cascade Wanderer]

Bought my two-door JK new 7 years ago, removed the back seat when I got home from the dealer.

I've put it back in several times, only takes a few minutes. I'd guess that over 7 years, the back seat has been in the Jeep less than three months.

I don't normally need it, but once in a while it's come in handy. Sure cuts into cargo space when it's installed!

Guy

 

[rnArmy]

Jeep TJ. Never used the back seat, so eventually took it out (and the seatbelts). I should have done it a long time ago. Wife has a Subaru Crosstrek if we need to haul passengers. Kids are grown and gone. 99% of the time it is just me in the Jeep.

 

[moabian]

Took out the back seat in my '03 Rubicon and replaced it with a storage box that had a fridge mounted to the top. Never needed the additional seating. Took out the back seat in my '13 JKUR and had a friend build a flat floor with storage underneath. Never needed the additional seating. Took out the back seat in my new Gladiator and built a flat foor in one afternoon out of wood I already had laying around. The Goose Gear system is nice but you can build something yourself for a tiny fraction of what they charge.

'03 Rubicon:



'13 JKUR, before carpeting:



Gladiator:

 

[G jeep]

When I had my Cherokee I would regularly take out the rear seat bottom. It came out quickly and made carrying stuff easier. If I remember correctly it came out without tools.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

My kids are grown and out of the house. That’s a big factor.

My wife has a compact SUV that will seat 4. The only time we ever need a back seat is if we go out for dinner and the Jeep has never been the vehicle for that.

Sometimes I go hunting with a buddy and we’ll take my Jeep together if we’re going somewhere his Ram 2500 dually won’t fit. I never go anywhere in the Jeep where I will have a back seat passenger. There simply isn’t enough cargo space.

I pulled my back seats about 2 months ago and am really happy to have them out of the way.

The only downside is you need to think of a good way to retain cargo so that it doesn’t come slamming into the backs of the front seats.

Tomorrow I’m installing some L-Track cargo retention strips...

I’m also installing a DFG fridge slide and Dometic CFX50 later this week.

More info on this thread:

Building a Plywood Deck Plate in the Back of your JKU
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...your-JKU.211189/&share_type=t&link_source=app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wiggilez]

you could swap the XJ buckets for an MJ bench that way you'd have "room" for a 3rd person in a pinch?

and the MJ bench has the tilt forward mechanism like the 2dr XJs.

 

[1stDeuce]

The back seat is out of my TJ most of the time, but when I want to haul passengers, it's pretty easy to clip back in.

I had an '86 XJ for a while, and I almost always had the seat folded when I didn't have passengers. This made for a nice flat floor. You can remove the seat bottom for some extra space, but I didn't recall it being tool-less. It appears it was tool-less on later XJ's, so perhasp I just didn't look close enough... The seat back was bolted in, but I never removed any of it because I occasionally had to haul passengers when we went camping/exploring and extra people came along. The folded seat made a nice flat floor, and the seat bottom did a good job of keeping things tossed in the back from migrating too far forward. I had plenty of room, so no need to make more.

I think the question of what to remove is better answered by how many times you might want to make room for an extra passenger or two for a trip, not just a hitch down the trail... If you can use more space, and don't care to have people back there aside from the occasional emergency rider, then by all means yank it!!

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Update with the cargo tracks and fridge slide installed:



Dirty after a trip to the desert, but so far, really loving the extra space. I was able to carry a LOT of gear (including propane hot water shower) and still see out the back window. The cargo tracks are through-bolted to the plywood deck using M6 screws and Tee Nuts, and the deck is held to the body with a variety of fasteners including M6 screws for the rear section (into the factory rivnuts) and M12 screws and home made brackets for the front section. With the cargo loaded up and everything strapped down with ratchet straps, I was able to tackle off-road terrain without anything coming loose ors shifting around. I may some day route channels for the cargo track (and use a backplate of some sort underneath for strength) but for now having them 1/2" proud of the deck isn't really causing any issues.

 

[wjeeper]

With the wifeys minivan we tossed the 3rd row bench seat since its just the two of us right now. It felt like we were constantly taking it out to haul different things

Dint realize we would need it so often until it was gone. Like 2 or 3 times a month.

How much stuff do you really need to haul if you only have 2 passengers?