Stupid question, why did I have to edit my post to replace all the Capital letters that had changed to lower case overnight?

@Nasher I would put the lower seat in the garage or somewhere else as not to rip the leather accidentally. The seat base comes out the same for all trim levels, except for the executive seats of course.

All the electronics under the seat are exposed once the seat base is out.

This isn’t an ideal solution. I would get a different vehicle if regularly carrying large dogs regularly.

The Defender seems like the best JLR replacement for the D4. Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

Thanks Bora20

I do actually like the Defender looks wise, but my need is not simply for carrying dogs, and the Load space is not big enough.
The rear side opening tailgate also doesn't fit my need, it will be in the way, as would the rear mounted spare wheel.

Also, I have to say that value for money wise a used L405 looks like a far better option than an incredibly expense for what it is Defender.

Oh, and I can't get the craving for a V8TD out of my system.

I wonder if anyone close to me in Clanfield, Hants, would be prepared to let me pop round and have a look at how the rear seat squab comes out etc?

The D5 is actually quite large inside, albeit not as boxy as before. This is definitely the better family vehicle size. With three kids, the FFRR does not do the job as well as the D4 did. We don’t travel together often or far. We have a small dog that fits on my wife’s lap. Anything later and a last year D4 or early D5 would be back in the driveway. Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

Thanks Bora, if only I could buy a brand new D4, but I'd be competing for it against many others.

Unfortunately mine leads a hard life doing all sorts of things and will eventually need to be replaced.

How does removing the L405 rear seat base work with the electronics?
Is the wiring for the heating elements and adjusting buttons easily disconnected?

I would need to keep the squab in the car, as I need to swap frequently between 5 seats and 2 seats plus a flat load bed.

It's strange that apart from your post I have not come across anyone else suggesting it as an option, has anyone else tried this?

The more I think about it, I should be buying up several low mileage D4 HSE LUXs and putting them in storage to keep me going for the next twenty years.

If I remember correctly there is a harness to disconnect. Super simple. The remainder of the electronics, modules, and wires protected under the seat are then exposed though.

For the money of a FFRR, I am sure you could buy another D4 and completely rebuild/replace what you need to have it last a long time.


Most FFRR drivers don’t use them as workhorses. A couple of dogs in the back every now and then for the school run. Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

Nasher wrote:

Thanks Bora, if only I could buy a brand new D4, but I'd be competing for it against many others.

Unfortunately mine leads a hard life doing all sorts of things and will eventually need to be replaced.

How does removing the L405 rear seat base work with the electronics?
Is the wiring for the heating elements and adjusting buttons easily disconnected?

I would need to keep the squab in the car, as I need to swap frequently between 5 seats and 2 seats plus a flat load bed.

It's strange that apart from your post I have not come across anyone else suggesting it as an option, has anyone else tried this?

The more I think about it, I should be buying up several low mileage D4 HSE LUXs and putting them in storage to keep me going for the next twenty years.

Nasher, your barking up the wrong tree my friend... You cannot simply remove and replace the rear seats at will. I removed the rear seats and subsequently replaced the seats on the "dog build" and yes we made it a near flat load area for the dogs BUT!!! The seat swabs, frames & wiring needed unbolting/removing then all of the component parts needed storing. The job with care! Took a good full day to strip and another to reassemble.

You can remove the lower base portion in minutes though. Everything else could stay to make it “flat” when folded. Definitely not ideal though. 👍 Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

How? The lower base swabs removed just leaves sharp edges steelwork everywhere! And the seats do not fold flat in any way shape or form sir…

Oh I know. I don’t think it is a good idea, I just know the seat backs can go “almost” flat. 👍 Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

If you removed the base swabs and then folded the seatbacks I think you would damage the leather on the putruding metalwork...

It just doesn't/would'nt work...

Thanks chaps

I have managed to find an image online of an L405 with the rear seats stripped out, and am under no illusion that you could just fold the seat backs down on to what is underneath the squab.
At the very least it looks like a thick blanket would be needed for protection, but more likely some shaped pads of high density foam to create a lower seat squab.

I think I need at some point to try and arrange a bit of an extended test drive of an L405 and spend a bit of time investigating.

And, no offence Bora20, I'd want to see for myself as some peoples impression of flat is not the same as others.
The sales guy at Guy Salmon Portsmouth put the seats down in the back of an L322 for me a few years ago and insisted they were completely flat when obviously they were not.

Here are some images I took of the “dog car” when we finished the strip out…

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

No offence taken. If you want a completely flat floor, the L405 is not it.

Perhaps this works? They are made in my city 🙂
https://www.clydesdalevans.com/ Dan. 🇨🇦 2013 L405 5.0 SCV8

A small update on this.

As part of my ongoing musings about what to replace my D4 with when the time comes I've managed to get a casual look around 4 different L405s, enough to be able to put the back seats down.

All 4 were post 2017 Vogue SE or Autobiography spec.

Unbelievably all 4 finished up at different angles, and I have to say one of them was really very close to being horizontal, but with a step up from the boot floor to the back of the rear seats.

The first one was up at quite an angle, but at that point I didn't realise that if you released the button after the seat back finished moving and pressed it again the backs would fold a little further down.