Which Swivel Seat is Best for Van Life? A Comparison Guide.
Choosing the right swivel seat for your DIY camper van conversion is one of the easier designs decisions that you will have to make, and by the end of this guide, you will be equipped to make that decision confidently. There are two camper van swivel seat brands that we recommend:
- Alpine Mechanisms [for Sprinter, Transit, or ProMaster]
- Scopema Swivel Seats [for Sprinter, Transit, Promaster, Chevy Astro, Chevy Express, Mercedes Metris]
But, what about other options?
When reading other guides, you might hear about additional options for camper van swivel seats such as DiscountVanTruck or SwivelsRUs. While these are definitely cheaper options, there are major downsides that do not make them suitable for van life: too much added height, too heavy, rattling, weak construction, or difficulty of swiveling.
We only recommend products we would use in our own camper van buildouts. Take this with a grain of salt depending on your personal situation.
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Camper Van Swivel Seat Considerations
Choosing the proper swivel seat for your van life comes down to a balance of two factors:
- Added height from the swivel seat base
- Price
📐 Added Height
Added height is only an issue if your feet no longer touch the floor when driving, or as passenger. For reference, I am 5′ 6″ and my feet just touch the ground with our Scopema Swivel Seats. Of course, you can add some sort of shim to the ground if needed, but that is not ideal for the driver’s seat. It is dangerous to not reach the driving pedals sufficiently.
However, for Eric who is 6′ 1″, the height added by the swivel seat base really does not matter at all.
Alpine Mechanisms: 1/2″ (1.27 cm) – shown below
Scopema: 7/8″ (2.22 cm)
Why Do Swivel Seats Add Height?
All swivel seats will add height to your factory seats. This is because in order to physically swivel as seat, you add a swiveling base between the factory seat, and factory seat base (see photo below). Both Alpine Mechanisms and Scopema are considered low profile compared to other options on the market (some add over 2″!).
Alpine Mechanisms has the lowest profile we have ever see- this is a huge selling point if you have shorter legs!
💰 Price
Price is the next most important factor when deciding which swivel seat is right for your camper van. This is especially true if you are going to install two of them. Below are the current prices as of writing this guide:
Alpine Mechanism: $600-650 + Shipping ($40-$75)
Scopema: $400 + Shipping ($50) [additional 5% off with code EWVL5]
Alpine Mechanisms Swivel Seats Additional Considerations
The Alpine Mechanism Swivel Seats are new(er) to the van life world, but are absolutely going to become more popular due to their ultra-low profile and innovative design. Their design is universal & reversible; however, they recommend designating which one you are ordering so that you receive proper manuals and additional accessories.
Below are a few other chassis specific considerations:
Ford Transit
- The Alpine Mechanism Ford Transit seat swivels do not work with suspension/electric seats. You could add additional 3/8″ spacers to help clear the drive motor assembly, but that would negate the benefit of “ultra low profile”
- If your drivers seat has an e-brake, be sure to include it in the notes so that you receive the correct relocation hardware.
Mercedes Sprinter
- For electric seats in 2019+ Mercedes Sprinter, the seats must be moved forward using electric motor to gain access to all the hardware for installation.
- If your drivers seat has an e-brake, be sure to include it in the notes so that you receive the correct relocation hardware.
Ram Promaster
- The Alpine Mechanism Ram ProMaster Swivel Seat only works for 2014+ models.
Scopema Swivel Seats Additional Information
Scopema Swivel Seats are generally the most common swivel seat you will see as a van lifer. Their price point is reasonable for the reliable construction and ease of install. Below are a few additional chassis specific considerations.
Ford Transit
- If your driver side has a hand brake, you will need to purchase (and use…) the handbrake relocation kit.
- If your chassis came with 10-way power seats, install of the Ford Transit Scopema Swivel Seat will be a bit more complicated, but possible!
- You will need to trim the switch panels and protect the cables (see thread).
Mercedes Sprinter
- If you have a hand brake, you will need to purchase (and use…) the handbrake lowering kit.
Ram Promaster
- Added height of the Scopema Ram Promaster Swivel Seat actually comes out to about 1.2″ as you have to add spacers to avoid interference with seat beat buckles. However, there is a manual workaround discussed in various threads to bring this down to about 1″.
- Does not work with Air Ride Promaster seats
How Many Swivel Seats Do You Need In Your Camper Van?
Swivel Seats are one of the few things we consider “easy DIY van building wins” because they:
- Take less than an hour to install
- Require only basic tools
- Open up your van layout immensely
- Provide immediate benefit
Because of the clear bang for their buck, we recommend at least one swivel seat in your camper van. And, if your layout allows, go for two. We cannot make more clear how much swivel seats completely open up your layout. In fact, we planned our van layout around the ability to have two.
A note on Factory Swivel Seats
If you are opting to do a custom buildout of a new van for your camper van conversion- you will have to the option to add “Factory Swivel Seats”. Generally, these are a good option as the seat will likely be lowered to account for the added height and of course, “factory” options in general are considered safer than after market options. However, there are a few considerations specific to each chassis that we will share below:
- Ford Transit Trail: Comes with factory swivels (no opt out option) More details in our Ford Transit Trail Order Guide.
- Ford Transit Cargo Van: The price is steep for the factory swivel seats from Ford at $1395 total. The biggest complaint we hear about these is that you have to open the door to swivel the seats.
- Mercedes Sprinter: The factory swivels from Mercedes are only $595 for both driver and passenger which is cheaper than after market swivels. We have not found much information on quality or height increase. If you are reading this and have factory swivels from Mercedes – please share your experience in the comments section!
- Ram ProMaster: According to the 2023 order guide, factory swivel seats are $695 each. However, we do not seem them as options on the 2024 order guide. Van lifers have reported that the factory swivel seats are comfortable and we have not found any other major complaints about te ProMaster swivels.
The Right Camper Van Swivel Seat for You
We genuinely believe you cannot go wrong with either of the swivel seats we have discussed in this guide. Personally, we have 2 Scopema Swivel Seats. The deciding factor for us was cost. However, if I (Colby) was a little bit shorter, I am 5′ 6″, we would look closer at Alpine Mechanisms as it is really uncomfortable to drive if my feet don’t touch the ground. But, with Scopema they just reach.
Thanks for being here! Happy building!
Eric + Colby
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Comments 4
Hi there, curious if you have any suggestions on another option to the Limitless Swivel Seat Base for $2295? Wondering if there is something similar on the market (that I can’t find, lol)? Thank you, Alicia
Author
Hello! We haven’t heard of anything else to swivel that specific seat except for doing it yourself (this thread talks about some options). Sorry about that!
Great info ! Thanks for that.
We have really enjoyed our Sprinter but are seriously contemplating selling it and getting a 148 transit non-extended – I won’t bore you with the reasons why ! With the Sprinter, we simply went with the factory swivels, and they have been absolutely perfect. I’m just wondering why you did not consider the factory swivels in the Transit van ? We are looking at a 2024 model.
Thx
Author
Hello! I believe we priced it out to be cheaper to do the aftermarket swivels. If I remember correctly the factory ones were about $1,300. Additionally, we have read varying reviews on the smoothness of the factory swiveling. However, we are getting the factory swivels in our new Transit Trail in a few months so we can update this with information!