chris_columbia

I took mine out, and the center consul. Replaced it with a double seat, from a Ford transit(rear) so now I have 3 seats in front. I used a resistor recommended in some other nissan forum, maybe 370Z. It was really easy. Might be too late though, if you already started the van without the resistor. Might require the resistor and a factory reset at this point.

I had the same question. I have the V6 with a HD badge so definitely not a V6 vs V8 thing. Maybe they just called the 2500 an HD earlier on, and dropped it later. Mine is a 2013.

I just did this, aka, Promaster style. Search: "Double passenger seat". Contact me if you need more detail than shown in my writeup.

So my mpg just jumped from 18's to high 19's. Two things have happened that might account for this: 1. Warmer spring temps mean the engine doesn't run rich for as long getting up to operational temperature 2. I changed one rear O2 sensor trying to resolve P0420 code(low cat efficiency). Though, it's supposed to be a passive sensor and I didn't think it would have any engine effect? Didn't resolve code, either. I've done no repairs, or mods to otherwise explain. In any case, I'm quite happy. This is about 80% highway with about 5 cold starts between each fill up, so now I'm starting to believe these people who are able to get above 20 on the highway with only one startup on a warm engine. Last 3 fill ups: 19.7, 19.6, 19.7 mpg.

Didn't see anyone hauling sheep yet, so figured I'd add a picture. Temporary plywood barrier attached to floor track and threaded holes on side walls, to limit sheep movement during acceleration and braking.

Picture attached of adaption. It's pretty crude, but since it likely will not be wanted by next owner, might end up in trash in a few years. Anyway, these vans are all about function.

1" X 1" 1/8" thick wall, square tubes running front to rear with 15 degree angle washers for the front mount points. 2" x 2" 1/8" thick angle iron side-to-side with Ford tracks running front to back on top of that. I'll take a picture this week and post.

Wow. You have a lot of corrosion for a 2013. A lot of road salt in WV? Lot of miles?

I though exactly the same thing the first time I saw that dead space above the front passengers. Attached are pictures of my "attic". If Nissan had made the cubbie area above the windshield flat, would have been much easier. Instead I had to run a board between a flat divider bar and a curved cubbie. My intention is to put a few power tools and supplies up there instead of having them rolling around the floor.

I remember them testing a dark blue one. They seemed to like it. Though, I trust the plumber in the Home Depot parking lot more for long term opinion on reliability, since I was looking for 6-7 year old NV. For a depreciating asset like a van, reliability is my number one requirement.

I admit that I've made my van less safe. I started with 6 airbags(side curtains, seats, dash) for 2 people and now have 5 airbags for 3 people. The center passenger really doesn't have airbag protection. We all make choices in life...

High roof v6 getting 18.7, 18.9, 18.7 mpg calculated at the pump last 3 fill ups, mostly highway. Mostly empty too.

I replied to the 2015 thread just because I had such a hard time getting real MPG numbers when looking to buy used. Maybe someone else will see it and learn something. I see so few people explain what model/engine/driving style, when they post mpg. Some people say the v6 and v8 get nearly the same mpg, but looks to me like some v8 people are getting really bad fuel economy. For me v6 has plenty of power, and I own two ferrari's so I'm not a stranger to power. But, its a van and I drive it like one. Only advantage I see to the v8 is it does seem super durable. All the high mileage ones are v8. I see the v8's with 300, 400, 500K miles on them! Of course the passenger version only comes in v8, so that's limiting. Oh, and filled up again today: 18.7mpg with mostly highway. So that's 18.7, 18.9 and 18.7mpg for last 3 fill ups. Pretty consistent even with slightly different drives. Oh, and whether is nice, so not running a/c much. I'm sure that might bring it down a touch once it's hotter out.

It does sit about 3 inches higher. I'm 6'2" and it feels OK for me. Kids like because it actually gives them a better view. There are lots of other ways to mount and other double seats available. I wasn't picky and just wanted something in there fast. My point is mostly to show that you can fit 3 people if that's important to you. The seat is not adjustable, but one neat feature is that it has pull straps on the back that detach it from the seat track in a few seconds if you need the extra cargo space, which I do sometimes for long loads.

No "in process" pics. Basic instructions are: 1. Use a 10mm wrench with extension to get to the bolt on either side of the steering wheel that holds the airbag on. 2 bolts. 2. Pull airbag off, and disconnect the yellow and orange airbag connectors. You have to pull the black tab up first using a small screwdriver than the connector detaches. 3. Disconnect the CC and radio harness if equipped. 4. remove steering wheel nut. I think it was 19mm. You'll need a long handle extension or "breaker bar". 5. Use a steering wheel removal tool to pull steering wheel off splines. 6. Install in reverse order.

So, I really like the ProMaster double passenger seat option, but didn't want a ProMaster because I wanted a reliable van:) So what to do: Buy Ford Transit double rear seat, because they're super inexpensive. They come in two widths, 32" and 36". The 32" is really narrow for adults, but would leave a small 4" gap between the seats that maybe a skinny person could squeeze through? In any case, I bought the 36" because there is just enough space to fit it and it's more comfortable for adults or two kids who fight if they are touching each other. I'm not quite finished with painting or all little details, but attached is a functional seat, as I am using it now. You'll also need to fake the passenger seat airbag. I bought the needed connector out of some other Nissan passenger car at the junkyard for ~$5 so I wouldn't have to cut wires. Soldered the resistor to the new connector, plugged into seat harness, and no airbag light. Like the ProMaster double seat, the Ford seat is not adjustable in anyway.

Not sure if anyone has done this before(I couldn't find a thread mentioning it), but I really like leather steering wheels, and it just so happens that the NV3500 passenger van commonly has one, but the cargo models don't. They are 100% interchangeable. You just reuse the airbag, as it fits perfectly in the leather wheel. Pulling the steering wheel off the splines was a pain and required a lot of force on the steering wheel removal tool(or plate with three screws, which I used). Picture of my new wheel attached! $128 factory new on ebay.

Here's my data calculated from last two fillups done at the same pump at the same gas station. High roof V6 2013 NV2500 with 75k miles. 18.7mpg 20%city/80% highway. 18.9mpg 10%city/90%highway. I drive 60mph on highway, with CC set. I just bought used last month. Was worried based on what I read before purchase about mpg, but I'm quite happy with fuel economy.