Hey guys - I've got my 185 in the shop getting a new panel. While it is stripped, I'm thinking about replacing the rear seats. I know some of you have gone with the Attlee Dodge foldable seats. I'm also planning to run seat rails back to the rear baggage area so that I can use the rails for attachment points for the baggage tie-down. As a result, I could go with other options for the rear seats. What are your thoughts and recommendations?


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My hangar mate installed Lakevue folding jump seats in his 180. They are pretty nice. They weigh less and cost less than the Atlee seats according to the manufacturer claims.

I'm pretty pleased with the factory jump seats. They go in and out very easily, stow easily and the seat back can be removed which offers good flexibility in loading.

I've always liked the BAS (now Lakevue) jump seats better than the Atlee Dodge seats.
I have the BAS in my C180, and like them,
but I know plenty of other people who like their Dodge seats.
Lakevue uses Cessna rails on the floor, and tubes on the sidewalls,
whereas Dodge seats use Brownline (or Brownline style) rails on the floor and on the sidewall.
There's some very nice and reasonably priced quick-detach cargo rings available for the Brownline rail.
Also some single-point Brownline pads, which you can mount here or there wherever you want.
So if lashing down your load is a big deal for you, that might be the better way to go.
I don't know exactly how they're priced these days, but I suspect Dodge & Lakevue are pretty close.

I've had Atlee Dodge and now Cessna jump seats. I hate the Cessna jump seats, loved the Atlee Dodge seats. I would install them again but there's too many other things to spend my money on first.

I'm flying in Squash's 185 right this moment and sitting in a Cessna jumpseat. Totally comfortable. I'm 6'4" 230lbs and have zero complaints.
Atlees are a bit more comfy, but for the cost to purchase and install the Atlees, I would skip it and spend that money elsewhere. I have zero experience with the Lakeviews.
Cheers

Thanks for the feedback. The good thing about foldable seats is that you have the room for cargo on one leg and still have the ability to take passengers on another leg. Just decided to go with Atlee Dodge. Thanks for the input from everyone.


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I know you decided but it's a good topic - the lakevue (BAS) seat say that you can still install install the bench seat if you wanted to. Can you do that with the Atlee Dodge seats - put the bench back in if for some reason you wanted to

Haven't had a bench seat. Just the two rear seats. They come out easily but no place to put them if you want them for the return leg.


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Have you seen Cessna jump seats? They are small and disassemble into two pieces. Stowing them somewhere is super easy. Overall system has to be lighter than atlee dodge.

Another jump seat thread from a couple months ago.
https://backcountrypilot.org/community/forum/latest/cessna-rear-seats-20301

corefile wrote:I know you decided but it's a good topic - the lakevue (BAS) seat say that you can still install install the bench seat if you wanted to. Can you do that with the Atlee Dodge seats - put the bench back in if for some reason you wanted to

I think that in either case you must remove the side rails (Dodge) or side tubes (Lakevue) to install the bench. Pretty easy job though.

akgreg wrote: I'm flying in Squash's 185 right this moment and sitting in a Cessna jumpseat. Totally comfortable. I'm 6'4" 230lbs and have zero complaints.....

I had a single Cessna middle-row jump seat installed in my old C170,
and from what I recall it was mounted a lot closer to the front seats than are my current BAS jumpseats.
OK for a kid but for an adult not so much.
But at 6'4" if you're comfortable sitting in one, maybe I'm mistaken.

After I posted, I found the older thread. Apparently, search doesn't work very well in Tapatalk. The Cessna jump seats are pretty easy to take in and out, but it works best if you have round-trips that are either rear seats or not rear seats. If you have legs with and legs without pax, then the foldable seats seem better suited to the mission. I decided on the FAD seats largely because the rails seem as though they would allow more flexibility in positioning the seat-rail baggage tie-downs. I'm also planning to go with the longer seat rails for the same reason . . . Better baggage tie-down options. Will post some pics as the project goes on. (First, I need to go read the instructions on posting photos!)


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I don't believe you can use longer seat rails with the FAD seats. They are in a V shape configuration that intersect on the floor over a bulkhead behind the rear windows.





If you're flying a wide body 182 I think the FAD seat rails might be parallel or at least further apart and you could possibly extend them. This wouldn't be in accordance with the STC though and technically you'd need some sort of approval.

I suspect you are correct, though the rails haven't come yet. I'm planning to use the rails to secure baggage, not to slide the seats all the way back.


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The FAD seat rails are great for tying down cargo, I miss that option on my 180.

Wow that's going to be nice when you're finished!

RobW56 - Thanks for the great photos. Now that I moved to a real computer (instead of TapaTalk on my iPad), I can see the photos that you posted. Very nice!