Modify bench seat headrest for storage

[Adrianlle]

Greetings from the UK. I want to create a hinged headrest on the bench seat of my 2004 Cook (yellow interior) but I cannot find the instructions here as to how to do it. I have searched but without success. Can someone give me the link please? Adrian

[Netsrac]

Hi Adrian,
have a look here:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1275&hilit=klappbare+Kopfstütze
But it’s in german - if you need help, please ask
Best regards, Carsten

[Adrianlle]

Vielen Dank. Ich werde dieses Mal Google Translate ausprobieren! Das ist hilfreich. Kann mir jemand sagen, wie die Kopfstütze befestigt ist? Es sieht aus wie Dichtstoff auf der Oberseite, wo es die Küchenarbeitsplatte verbindet, damit ich es durchschneiden und durch ein Stück Klavierscharnier ersetzen kann. Aber gibt es auch Schrauben, die es reparieren? Es fühlt sich an, aber ich kann sie nicht sehen. Das alles benötigt, weil ich Fernseher / DVD-Player installiere und irgendwo DVDs speichern muss! Adrian

[Netsrac]

Hi Adrian,

I'll take some photos of my headrest for you that you can see the details.
But I don't know how it was before - it was already modified when buying our JC.

What I wanted to ask you all the time (UK-specific question...): Do you have a right hand drive Sprinter with left hand drive interior (sliding door right)? Or both LHD? Or RHD...?

sunny regards,

Carsten

[OldWest]

Sorry, am English speaker only.

The NAFTA Westfalia version for the USA is probably sufficiently similar to the UK version.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showt ... t=Headrest

Besides the caulk between the headrest and kitchen countertop, there are bolts holding the headrest in place.

Under the drainpan, there is a side panel. You may have to remove the storage tray and surround around the 12v power switch. Then unscrew the panel and you should see some bolts holding the headrest frame in place.

In the small compartment cabinet behind the other part of the headrest nearer the sliding door, there is a panel. Unscrew that panel and you should see some more bolts.

For English reference, there is a repair manual in English for the Airstream (NAFTA) Westfalia (2004). There are differences between the NAFTA and European versions, but might he handy. There is also an Airstream Parts Catalog (can't order parts anymore but diagrams may be handy).

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showp ... stcount=12

http://sprinterwestfalia.com/category/manuals/

[OldWest]

Adrian: Please post whatever you do. Some USA Westy owners might want to copy. Thanks.

[Netsrac]

Hey guys,

the modified headrest in my JC looks like this. It doesn't seem to be difficult - the preowner of our JC was not a carpenter...
Perhaps it helps you to use that wonderful storage.

Best regards from Hamburg,

Carsten

[Adrianlle]

Thank you all. That’s fantastic and I will post once I have done the job. The amount of storage gained looks well worth the effort. Also thank you for the US repair documents. Great to have in English!!
Carsten, my Cook was imported from Germany and is Lhd. I have looked at rhd campervans and small Motorhomes but have not seen anything remotely as good as the Cook. Iam not aware of any Rhd Cooks. Driving a lhd on rhd roads is something you quickly get used to. To assist I have a good rear view camera, a side view camera( with a dashboard switch between them) and also a US bought blind spot system from Gosher. The latter shows a dashboard yellow light at me if there is a vehicle overtaking me in the blind spot and if I ignore that and move the direction indicator switch to move out, it also makes a warning beep to tell me there is something in my blind spot. I find it v useful on motorways and dual carriage ways to supplement the mirrors. Adrian

[Adrianlle]

I have now finished this modification. It took me longer than planned but I am very pleased with it. So for those who have yet to do it here is some more information and images.
1. The headrest is bolted to a long right-angled piece of metal which in turn is bolted to the underneath of the work surface. To unbolt the latter bolts I slid the seat forward and then used a flexible driver to loosen the bolts. See photo below. Once loosened I cut the silicone bead that runs along where the headrest joins the work surface. Then I eased off the headrest.

2. When the headrest is off you will see that it was supported not just by the metal bracket but also by a tongue of wood that fits into a groove on the back of the headrest. See the photo below. You will need to remove the tongue to make a flat surface for the hinge to fix to. I used a multi-tool to make a flat surface edge.

3. Next, I cut some stainless steel piano hinge the same length as the work surface and screwed that onto the flat worktop edge and then to the headrest. You will then find that to give enough room for the headrest to pivot up you will need to trim a piece of wood from the end of the headrest nearest the wall. See again the photo below -when the headrest is installed the cut out is invisible.

4. I then ran a bead of mastic along the edge where the piano hinge joins the work surface. See the photo below. However, I was not entirely happy with that as every time the hinge worked it broke the silicon which looked messy. I tried raising up the hinge so that the silicone bead was against a part of the hinge that did not move but I thought that looked ungainly. So the solution I adopted was to find a length of aluminum right angle molding and cut that to the length of the worktop edge. Then I glued it to the edge and top of the surface with silicon to stop water penetration. Then I drilled holes to correspond with the holes on the piano hinge. Then another layer of silicon on the inside surface of the hinge. Then I screwed the hinge through the holes in the aluminum into the edge of the work surface. See the photo below. I was pleased with it.

5. Next, I turned to the inside of the new storage compartment. It has bolt heads protruding into the bottom. One solution would be to lay a wooden shelf over these but I decided it would lose too much of the space. So I glued some grey stretchy carpet felt from eBay and it works well and looks good. In use, you don’t notice the bolt heads as a problem. See the photo.

6. Then I thought about retaining the headrest in place when braking hard so that the contents didn’t fly out. I fitted a roller catch but improved on that by fitting 2 small steel corner brackets at each end of the new storage compartment. These are bolted into the existing bolt holes on the underneath of the storage compartment. I then fitted neomidium magnets to the brackets and inside the headrest surface. They make for a secure headrest and it doesn’t require much pressure. See the photo.

7. Then I pondered how to keep the headrest open when opened. A gas strut would be one option but would be visible, which I wanted to avoid. Or a plastic strut like caravans use for top hinged cupboards but I didn’t like the look of these. So from eBay, I bought a stainless steel Westfalia stay the same as used in the Cook for the fridge lid and the draining surface lid. It is too long as it stands but I drilled out the rivet holding one of the securing pieces, then cut down the length of one arm, then drilled a hole and re-riveted the securing piece. Then I glued a small wooden batten -painted black- inside the compartment and screwed the stay to this and to the inside of the headrest. It works well and looks original!

8. Finally, I turned to lighting. I have installed in all my cupboards led strip worked by magnetic reed switches. So I glued an led strip to the inside of the headrest wired to a reed switch so that when the headrest is opened the light comes on. An added benefit is that it makes a good reading light when lying on the seat below.

So more of a project than I thought but well worth it.

Adrian