Your Guide to Stow-and-Go Minivan Seats

Stow-and-go seats are a convenience for minivan owners. You have the option of either extra seats or extra space depending on the situation. This feature no doubt makes the vehicle more versatile, but which minivans have them, and how do they work?

What Brands Have Stow-and-Go Seats?

The original Stow ‘n Go system was installed in Chrysler minivans in 2004. Since then, the company has installed the space-saving seats in their other minivan models such as the Pacifica and Voyager. Other companies have followed suit with their own versions of the system, including Toyota and Kia.

The Stow ‘n Go system, which is now commonly found in models of the Chrysler Voyager, have seats that fold down neatly into the floor. Dodge also uses this system for their Caravan line. Kia slides its seats to the side and Toyota has their own system of storing the seats under the floor using a different system.

How To Use Stow-and-Go Seats

Stow ‘n Go minivan seats are easy to use, and learning the process is quick and painless. This process might differ depending on the model of your minivan and the different mechanisms from different companies. These instructions are specifically for the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan, but other stow-and-go systems should function similarly.

The steps also vary a bit depending on if you’re trying to stow the middle or back row of seats.

Middle Row

Keep in mind that the middle row of seats will be easier to stow if your two front seats are up, not leaned back. This gives you more space to work.

Here are the steps for stowing the middle row:

1. There’s a hatch in front of each middle seat that you have to open before anything else.
2. Next, pull the folding lever on the seat and it’ll start folding into place on its own.
3. The system takes over for the most part when it comes to positioning the cushions, but you might have to guide the seat into the hatch.
4. Close up the hatch once the minivan seats fold flat and you’re good to go.

To pull the middle seats back up, follow these steps:

1. Unlock and pull back the floor hatch to reveal the seat.
2. There’ll be a strap on the back of the seat that you can pull to bring it out again.
3. Position the seat and make sure it latches into place.
4. Unfold the seat back and headrest accordingly.
5. Close and lock the hatch up.

Back Row

Stowing the back row is a little more complicated, but still rather straightforward.

For stowing the back row of seats, here are the steps:

1. Take note of the different straps on the back of the seats. They’ll have numbers on them.
2. Pull the tab labeled with a “1.” This will fold the headrest.
3. Pulling the tab labeled “2” will fold the seat.
4. Tab “3” unlatches the seat from the frame when you pull it.
5. The strap labeled “4” will allow you to swing the seats into the gap in the minivan’s cargo area, leaving a flat floor behind. Make sure the “4” strap sticks out of the floor and isn’t tucked in with the seat.

If you want to return you minivan back seat back into position, follow these steps:

1. Pull the “4” strap that’s sticking out of the floor of your minivan’s cargo area. This will let you swing the seat back up into position.
2. Unlock the seat back by pulling the number “2” strap. Simultaneously pull the number “4” strap to get the seat back into place.
3. Lift up the headrest to complete the seat assembly.

Advantages of Stow-and-Go Seats

The versatility of stow-and-go minivan seats is what makes them such a fantastic feature. Whether you’re hauling the kids to soccer practice or picking up new furniture from the store, it’s easy to customize the van’s space for your needs.