Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Reupholster or replace? (Read 1243 times) previous topic - next topic

Reupholster or replace?

Noticing some foam breakdown on sofa, cracks on copilot's seat and would like less seatback thickness in dinette. Looked at a few replacement options, so many options!! Any suggestions would be appreciated. Jim.
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #1 –
A good upholstery shop can take care of everything.

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #2 –
I would recommend reupholster, especially for the front seats if they are Flexsteel.  Flexsteel no longer makes RV furniture, so if you were to switch to another brand, you'd likely be looking for adapters if you wanted to use the original mounting holes.

Avoid bonded leather - it's basically chopped bits of leather glued laminated to a base fabric with adhesive and it prone to peeling and flaking.  The now-11 year old Ultraleather Brisa in our coach still looks almost like new.  Brisa has microperforations that make it more breathable than the pleathers of old.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #3 –
We are very happy with our Villa Avitar captains and co-pilot seats. They both are powered with lumbar and heat also. They also have integrated seat belts. We did have to drill a couple new holes to mount. They were not inexpensive, but are well made and very comfortable.
Keith and Dawn Hudson #18766
Current- 1999 U295 DFGE 40ft. - Build #5405
Coach Name: 4BUS4US
Previous- 2008 Nimbus CE338: 40th Anniversary Edition- Build #6486. 
Toad: 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk

 "I know something about a lot of things..a lot about something's..and everything about nothing "

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #4 –
As others commented to not replace.  Every piece of original built in RV furniture is very difficult find items that fit exactly the same.  Much different than home furniture.

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #5 –
We went with MOT remodeling and are very happy. They took everything down to metal and rebuilt our sofa and chair. It is a major improvement in comfort, which was the goal.



1993 U300 40ft GV SE
Build # 4344

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #6 –
I second MOT reupholstery. We reimagined the look and they made it happen.
Alan & Gerri Ortiz
1996 U295 36 ft.
"Rocinante"
Hartwell, Georgia
1999 Subaru Forester
Build No. 4957 Motorcader 17399

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #7 –
I do like the idea of MOT because they know our coaches, although I have seen some of their service work, not impressed. Jim. 
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #8 –
Alan
Are yours flexsteel or villa front chairs? I have been "reimagining"the front chairs, coach and recliner as well. Mine are all villa. Priced the set at coach supply at about 13000 US with a kyra recliner done in ultra leather. Investigating having them reupholstered though
Peter    Alberta Canada
'98 U320 40'  Build 5359 M11 450 HP, Aqua hot, Blu Ox

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Bigoil76 –
We are very happy with our Villa Avitar captains and co-pilot seats. They both are powered with lumbar and heat also. They also have integrated seat belts. We did have to drill a couple new holes to mount. They were not inexpensive, but are well made and very comfortable.
Keith, I did check out the Villas, They look nice. I like the larger queen for the wife. Seems the fury person likes to ride on her lap. 
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #10 –
We used Infinity upholstery just down the road from Xtreme in Nac, five years ago. They have lots of the old Foretravel fabrics if you need to "patch" something. Mitch the owner used to run Foretravels upholstery department.
They were great to work with and we are still very happy with the work they did, it was way less expensive than replacing everything. We were lucky enough to find used Villa brand driver and passenger seats in Foretravels trash pile with all the whistles,  totally worn out and the completely redid the padding and recovered them as well as replacing the seatbelts was $1,500 each verses villa at $7000 a seat new! (Above our RV budget)
The quality of the Foretravel furniture is so much better than most of what is sold for RV's today.
Just changing the fabric colors really updated our 1999 coach.
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #11 –
Foretravel has a trash pile? I'm a dumpster diver- right up my alley

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #12 –
Peter they were/are the original Flexsteel chairs and jackknife sofa. We had the freestanding armrests made to match the couch and they made a "wedge" loose so that my bride could curl up on the sofa and watch TV with back support.
Alan & Gerri Ortiz
1996 U295 36 ft.
"Rocinante"
Hartwell, Georgia
1999 Subaru Forester
Build No. 4957 Motorcader 17399

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #13 –
Quote from: "Irish" –
We used Infinity upholstery just down the road from Xtreme in Nac, five years ago.

Is that a different recliner?  It doesn't look like the one we have, nor does it look like a Stressless/Ekornes.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #14 –
I really like Scott's J style couch that flows into the dinette swivel table. If I'm going to the trouble and expense I should really look into switching mine to that style. I have been waiting to spot one that someone has switched out or is thinking of switching. Any suggestions? The remodel stuff done by MOT looks really good. Jim.
Jim and Dona
2002 U295 36'
Lily, blue healer. Our fury person
Manx mid travel Ecotec turbo
2022 Bronco badlands Sasquatch
Trail 90 and 110cc

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #15 –
Quote from: erniee –
Foretravel has a trash pile? I'm a dumpster diver- right up my alley

When we were there in May and I stopped into the new remodel area to ask about furniture, I was told they got rid of most if not all of the stored take-offs because Lyle Reed decided it took up too much space.

The new remodel area is in the building that used to house Wayne Musser's chassis shop. 
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #16 –
Quote from: fourdayoff –
I really like Scott's J style couch that flows into the dinette swivel table. If I'm going to the trouble and expense I should really look into switching mine to that style. I have been waiting to spot one that someone has switched out or is thinking of switching. Any suggestions? The remodel stuff done by MOT looks really good. Jim.

We were at MOT a couple of weeks ago. Keith Davis ran the remodel shop and has moved on. Trina in upholstery is a wizard. She has gone out on her own. The service manager told us they are not doing extensive remodeling at this time.
1993 U300 40ft GV SE
Build # 4344
 

Re: Reupholster or replace?

Reply #17 –
Michelle observant! The original recliner was, dated, big and clunky, so it went to an old lady in our village who always wanted a plaid recliner!
We found that leather recliner on line at a store in Houston and had it shipped. Since we do not have slides we wanted to maximize our space.
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!