Tutorial: How to Safely Remove Middle Stow-N-Go Seats from a Dodge Grand Caravan

I couldn't find a good quality video on KZbin about how to remove the middle Stow-N-Go seats from a Dodge Grand Caravan, so I made one myself. Here I show you all the necessary steps to do it safely. Enjoy!

[@AllenHeartbreak]

If everybody on the tube gave as clear instructions as u the world woukd be a better place 😂😂😂😂 good job mate

[@jeniferfollis4495]

YOU are a life saver!!! I have been trying to figure this out and was at the point of paying someone to do it! I can't thank you enough for being so thorough and reminding us those seats are heavy!!! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

My pleasure! Glad it helped you :)

[@mpeagler415]

I just today came across this most excellent tutorial. Thank you for being thorough and I like how you repeatedly go over a step. I feel confident enough that I'll be able to not only remove the seats but put them back to factory.

My pleasure!

[@rosyortega3512]

Hello, could you make a video on how to take off the 3rd road seats?

[@alisinwanderland]

I have been hunting for a good video on this for quite some time. THANK YOU for making on that contains all the steps and explains them well! - Alis

You're welcome! I also couldn't find any good ones on youtube, so I figured I'd fill that void 😛

[@heatherskulan1729]

Excellent tutorial. I appreciate all the explanations for how to do this safely. Clear, concise, and complete.

[@lesleecothran1608]

Excellent video! I was able to remove seats myself. I will add that, on my 2019 caravan, the middle 15mm bolts require a deep ratchet thing Now, would love video on how to remove back seats....

[@AllenHeartbreak]

I kept my back seats in and laid them down fully just incase I wanted to make my sleeping space smaller for more room to add things!!

[@imjody]

Thanks. :) I just got myself a 2009 Dodge Caravan for $1,500 three months ago, and lately I've been wondering how I can lose some weight in the thing because it eats up gas a lot quicker than my prior car; 2009 Nissan Altima. I'm happy to hear that the seats are really heavy, too, because I have no need for all 4 of the extra seats in the back, so I might simply remove all of them. That's a LOT of weight loss, and since I do UberEats part time as well, every bit helps! 😁 Thank you kindly. PS. I did buy the van with the intentions of possibly living in it if things get sour with my finances and can no longer afford to pay rent in the apartment building I currently reside in.

Yeah they save a lot of weight. Good luck!

[@frankfarago2825]

I owned a 1994 Caravan, SWB Short Wheelbase. Okay, so for starters, the engine was a 2.4-liter or 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, FWD. It got very good gas mileage. Not the 3.6-liter, 6-cyl Pentastar fuel guzzler of the 2010s. Also, since it was thre SWB varient, it only had one single bench seat behind the front buckets. It was heavy, but being a man, I could move it out of the car inside of 20-25 seconds on my own. That opened up the minivan for hauling and cozy sleeping for two people. This Stow 'N Go is plain crazy. Nor would I want to buy a MINI van with a huge 6-cylinder engine. That leaves the Ford Transit Connect, those babies have the 4-cyl engines. The Italian jobs (Fiat-Chryslers) ahve the gas-guzzler powerplants.

[@funnyvid23_]

How are you doing now? Hope everything is great!

[@PatrickPrice-ny2ie]

​@ I took all my rear seats out so that I could LIVE in my 2019 Dodge Caravan. Where the seats once were I put my solar batteries etc... in its place. Other floor compartments for water storage containers etc...

[@RBNWRO]

@@PatrickPrice-ny2iehey I just bought the same vehicle to do the exact same thing, any advice? any tips regarding electrical would especially be great!

[@AlpineActivist]

Finally. I’ve been trying to find a tutorial for this. So glad your video popped up on my search. I have the exact same model and year that I use for dirtbagging when I climb away from home so thanks bro! It’s gonna be so nice to have more storage.

[@cindysolomon-klebba4297]

Completely worked! Had them out in a matter of minutes. Thanks for posting this!

Great to hear!

[@deetrvl4life875]

Thank you for persisting and showing how to avoid the injury you sustained! Ouch, that musta hurt! ;)

I still have a scar from it :P

[@ytwatcher2021]

@ where did you get that piece in the middle from or Salk I say where can you get it from??

[@leecamandona5573]

GREAT!! 2 people would have been easier but I did it(girl). Heavy. Passenger side came out easier? Removing middle piece is a must, just make sure you do it careful as to not break and remember how it goes back in place as soon as you remove it. Tons of storage now for camping. Before putting all bolts back is a good opportunity to vacuum under trim and whatnot to get all the crud out. I used a toothbrush for all the tight areas. THANKS!!!!!

[@elysser]

Cannot thank you enough for this video. I was able to remove/reinstall my seats for a road trip with relatively low hassle. You are a godsend!!

My pleasure! Safe travels :)

[@hannatoland2143]

I look forward to my son visiting to help with this project. I really appreciate your detailed guidance and your eye towards safety.

[@megodzillaudeadable]

Great how-to, I did not bust up my shin and now have more storage space!

[@juliava605]

You mentioned the spring loaded mechanisms. This makes me nervous about having the ability to put the seats back in should I want to sell the van at some point. Can you please tell me if it is difficult to put the seats back in once they have been removed? Thank you! And by the way, this is the best seat removal video in existence. Very well done. Thank you.

[@carspotternews1782]

Really a great video no extra nonsense I can totally understand your vocabulary. And the sped up replay at the end was clutch. Subscribed great video

[@ESan-ix8gj]

Thank you for your video. Very helpful. The only thing I had to do differently was using a cheater bar "pipe" because nuts/bolts were super tight.

[@frankfarago2825]

Never would I do all this crazy stuff in a million years. I owned a 1994 SWB Caravan. There was nothing "Grand" about it, most fortuantely. The poweplant was a 4-cylinder gas-miser. Not a 3600 cc 6-cylinder gas-guzzler. It only had one bench seat that could be removed entirely by one person inside of 20-25 seconds. This Stown 'N Go with the "Grand" Caravans is a nightmare.

[@JSimpsondotca]

Awesome. Memorized and bookmarked. Thank you for this.

[@gwendalineahlfield501]

Thank you for this. We've been struggling to get ours out. We came across your vid and it seems like the simplest way. So thank you. ☺

You are so welcome!

[@wasserball]

Good job! Saved a lot of unnecessary weight when you are using the van for camping.

[@philippepoissant9650]

excellent idea ! i think i will change my mind and go for a mini van like this one with stow away seats and maybe even modify it myself like you did. thank you for sharing your knowledge, it is generous of you.

[@jannmacdougall1448]

this was great I might need someone to help since I am older and smaller but knowledge is power

[@legojenn]

Thanks. I just got a Grand Caravan for camping in the summer, and trips to RONA or IKEA-type stores in the winter. In my car, I rip out the seats and a lot of trim to clean out accumulated human and canine grossness. This will help with cleaning the van.

[@X31-k9b]

Good video,and thank you for remembering that there are some people who are either too elderly or have health issues and they have to be careful because the seats are heavy and have parts on it that's if you're not careful ,gonna get hurt. It was nice to see a person who's. Making videos who treat all there viewers with respect. Some of the other video makers act like it's funny people got injured or sick. Like anyone wants to end up anywhere less than 100percent. Thank you

[@gogogojeff]

Thank you for the video, you weren't kidding about the seat being heavy - more so awkward to lift when in the van.

[@hrhosmer]

Thank you so much. I just bought a 2019 GT and the dealer refused to remove the middle seats due to liability concerns over the “plastic” covers to the stow n go. They haven’t changed the design since 2008 and 2020 is their last year. I asked for a 2021 and they said no can do. No 2020’s in the county so I bought the 2019. I’m just giddy over my acquisition. I’ll find someone willing to remove these seats and show them your video before they embark. Thanx again. I think the caravan will become a collectible like the vw

[@lesleecothran1608]

Wow, just posted ? about 2019. Dealership said the whole cover would have to be removed. Said there were "electronic" issues... messing with air bags, etc. I think they were just giving me a song and dance.

[@rhiannaontheroad5364]

Thank you so much, just took mine out, piece of cake with the instructions!

Glad it helped!

[@tobysarsi6864]

Thank you for this great video and the edit where you inserted the middle-panel removal was very thoughtful.

Glad it was helpful!

[@tobysarsi6864]

@ I had to replace both my stow n go seats with good used leather ones from a junkyard. Your video prevented potential injury by showing the “neutral” or vertical position of the seat, for that final removal of the center retaining nut. Other videos on KZbin, on this procedure, are not as succinct and direct as yours.

[@emasoleil]

I was wondering if yours had any electronics to deal with? Mine is a 2017 and has heated seats. I would love to remove, but wonder if it is possible to replace and have function again especially due to the features they have. Any feed back is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Ema

Unfortunately i dont know anything about that. Sorry!

[@jollyhollym]

Good question! I wondered this as well!

[@danvargas1948]

totally used this to see how to take me seats out.. Thanks for filming this!

[@vicki2266]

For all you out there like me, don’t forget the power of a study moment arm for loosening tough bolts. I use a hollow metal bar that fits nicely over my ratchet.

[@ghqservicesmiddlegeorgiadr9986]

Thank you, Your video was a great help to me today.

[@SamSite33]

DOPE😖😖 I was just ripping plastic like a hulk , thanks dude

[@calijirsa8011]

Good vid. Thanks esp for sped up version at the end

[@monkeyboii909]

I didn’t know the seat could fold in like that 😂😩 thanks this video helped a lot 🙏🏼😂

[@AnnieDiscepoli]

Thank you for this! About how long did it take to remove each seat? It looks complicated, but I have a buddy that's handy with tools and I'm trying to gauge time commitment before I ask him for help.

If its your first time, maybe 10-15mins per seat

[@melaniecuriel4336]

Best tutorial of all! Quick question: How did you deal with the metal brackets which are welded into the floor that are there to secure the seats in their original position?

[@bobmilleit1976]

Put a mat or carpet down or avoid it. Unless you plant to never install the seats again you can grind it off.

[@freelance81]

Thank you. That worked beautifully.

[@chungchungfromTN]

Thanks so so so much for helping me out! You're good. Have a great day.

[@user-kt6lg3yu9j]

Man thank you for this, so detailed. Love love love the details.

[@didgegirl6]

Excellent tutorial! Thank you for posting this. It's super helpful.

[@LookitsMimic2301]

Thank you for this tutorial!!

[@dreamhunter272]

Good info thanks for doing the video on it! Love your van.

[@810lux]

THANK YOU!!

[@lorimichelle320]

Thanks for clear and precise directions.

[@VantasticPacifica]

Very helpful.

[@kellywinfield8574]

I enjoy watching your videos...stay safe ...enjoy !!!

[@rosinaduran4471]

Thank you !!!! Very helpful !!!

[@Greg-sy6mq]

Thank you for the tutorial. I have a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and the headrest behind the driver’s seat won't go down, so I can stow my seat or remove the seat. Do you know how to manually let headrest down? Thanks.

[@petuniaromania6294]

I would like to take out the small rear seat, any videos on how to do that? I was thinking to turn the rear cargo hold into a shower area.

[@Iismrgreen]

great tutorial

[@amisgohome]

excellent video

[@bradwendling]

This was perfect to help me remove my seats! Thank you

[@WheelinMT406]

I'd assume this would work on my 2013? Probably the same ish process to remove the rear bench

[@gregmackay4369]

Another awesome video! thanks Nick!

[@MissCarAndHerJoe]

This tutorial is perfect! Thanks so much!

[@rogerpetersson8481]

Excellent ! Thanks! It's exactly what I needed to know!

[@ZUKME]

Great vid thanks!

[@earthschild2396]

Thank you for this tutorial. 😉 Now I am ready to hit the road. 🏕

Have fun and be safe !

[@amberfall1776]

What year is this van... ? I didn't know that the seats will go all the way into the floor for storage

[@francismarcoux8944]

I bought the cheap 20 000 $ caravan model no stowaway seats. I m thinking of installing used ones 8 years later. I Wonder if the holes are present for installation.

[@lisazacharias6119]

What year is your van? I have a 2017 and want to do van life. I need these seats out! Thanks for the tutorial.

Ours is 2010!

[@JakeWalksAmerica]

How to remove the rear stow and go seats? I'm guessing those seats are the ones that got your shins lol because I can see the springs..

[@henrijakubowicz1421]

VERY VERY VERY well explained and shown on the video. Merci beaucoup.

De rien!

[@richardsmoker2603]

Very good video, thanks for posting

[@joannsjourneys5904]

Really great video by the way!!

[@Dave_Did_it]

Is it possible to move the third row bench into the second row?

[@nritti_]

Hi. What is that tool called you used to remove the nuts?

[@rootedraccoonhomestead]

Super helpful. Will be doing this with my 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan this weekend. Thanks for sharing!

Glad it was helpful!

[@ananhabeeb9319]

Does it work the same with a 2006 3.8L Chrysler (T&C Voyager)?

[@aplusmerchant2281]

How do you do it if the stow and go seats are broken and won’t fold forward?

[@rhondalyn100]

Thanks for the useful info!

[@ImmaSayKOOHWIP]

couple of things. those are sockets, not ratchets, and that's a flat head screwdriver, not a flat blade screwdriver.

[@candorbanter]

Any idea how to get the 3rd row out? I have a 2020 Grand Caravan. Thank you.

In my 2010 it's even simpler than the middle seats. Just remove a plastic cover then undo 2 bolts. Not sure if it's different in a 2020 though

[@Tys.creative.designs]

How do you remove it if the seat doesn't want to fold down

[@takubrenda593]

Nice explanation. Once the seat is removed, can the hatch support you weight without damage?

Yeah, I haven't had any problems with it

[@joannsjourneys5904]

I am curious why it was necessary to remove the two bolts under the square panel, since it didn't seem like you removed the trim part anyway. Is it still a necessary step to remove those 2 bolts?

Yeah the trim has to be loosened, but not removed, to be able to take the seat out.

[@buyerenogurlfwendo2106]

Does this work on the 2015 model?

[@trocman1954]

C'est bien merci

[@yunglucid2477]

You need a 5/8” socket not 9/16” but great video regardless.

[@myrlene6286]

@Nick and Maela thank you so much for the video it really helped us turn the bench seat option to the bucket seat option. But by any chance do you know what the assembly part is called or better yet have the part number for it at time 3.17? We didn't have that part when we switched over to the bucket seats. Thank you for your help.

I don't, sorry :(

[@myrlene6286]

@ by any chance do you still have that part?

[@myrlene6286]

@ Darn ok. Thank you.

[@uber2tuber]

So to clarify please, when exactly did you remove the middle flat plate? ty ...

It should be done as the first step!

[@ThesmartestTem]

Is it normal for the middle bench seat to shift when the car makes turns?

I don't think so... they bolts holding them down should be snug

[@blank7921]

What size water tank is that in the stow and go section? 5 gallon?

Yes 5 gallon

[@haleybrickner9799]

Is putting them back in just as easy?

Pretty much. Just the same steps buy in reverse. Only tricky thing is lining up the bolt holes while also lifting the plastic covering

[@nickymarks3294]

Can you switch the 3rd row seats to the second row ?

Don't think so, they have completely different mechanisms

[@koolkody8]

Can you remove the rear seat!!???

[@AlpineActivist]

I’d like to know that too.

[@sophiegonthier7153]

But thanks you It work perfectly

[@KPrayfortheworld]

Thank you

[@Misty8103]

Thanks

[@GaiaNeh1013]

Is there any room inside for the seat to be tucked away in?

There is, but since I transformed my van into a small RV, I needed that space for storage !

[@GaiaNeh1013]

@ ooh nice! I asked because I want to sell the seats but want to store them somewhere until then. Do people buy seats like that?

@@GaiaNeh1013 i'm not sure! It's worth a try

[@joseville]

What year van is this? And do you know if the removal prices is the same for the rear seats? Thanks!

This is a 2010. And the rear seats are pretty much the same process, but even easier! They dont have any springs or anything.

[@joseville]

@ Thanks for the prompt response!!! I have a 2013. The challenging part for me is that I don't have access to the back side of the rear seats because there's already a kitchenette installed behind the rear seats blocking access. I might have to remove the kitchenette just to have access to the back side of the rear seats, so I remove can remove them, but currently poking around to see if I can avoid that.

[@TransVangal]

Handsome guy

[@sophiegonthier7153]

And what about the back seat?

I've been meaning to make that video, but it's honestly pretty much the same as middle seats, but even easier. You just remove the plastic cover, unscrew 2 bolts then pull the seats right out. There's no extra clip, or springs to watch out for.

[@Obscamping]

Anyone know if this will work for a 2006 grand caravan?

I think it will. I don't think there is much difference between them

[@lesleecothran1608]

Do you know how to do this in a 2019??

Not sure, sorry. But i imagine the mechanisms are pretty similar

[@adalmartinez2340]

Doing This to take weight off and save on gas

[@MrCretemaniam]

Great video , but those are sockets , not ratchets . The ratchet is the thing you turn them with .

Thanks, I couldn't remember the word in the moment and was too lazy to look it up haha