seat comfort

[shirles]

I suppose old age eventually affects us all but I find my back suffers more these days when travelling in our fiat Ducato campervan. Is there any product out there that can limit the jarring on my back?

[Derek Uzzell]

Presumably your motorhome is still the Ducato-based panel-van conversion by TranztecRV that you’ve mentioned in the past? And that you’ve suitably adjusted the tyre pressures as you did with your previous Auto-Trail Delaware?

 

There are various products marketed aimed at taxi/delivery/truck drvers (example here)

 

https://purple.com/seatcushions/best-seat-cushions-drivers

 

but it’s anybody’s guess if any of these would improve matters for you when travelling on New Zealand’s rougher roads.

 

There is also the possibility of replacing the existing seats with more ‘ergonomic’ versions (mentioned here)

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Comfortable-Captains-Chair-for-Fiat-Ducato-Adria-A-Class/46948/

 

or re-upholstering/reshaping the present seats using different foam.

 

Unfortunately, my personal experience of vehicle seats is that some that look like they might be wonderfully comfortable turn out not to be and vice versa, and that advancing age definiteky doesn’t help matters.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nicepix]

The Sprinter seats are very comfortable and supportive. but my little van has less than comfy seats. I find that a small inflatable cushion of the type sold in airport shops helps me no end. I hardly inflate it. Just a little and then the cushion is placed in the small of my back. Works a treat.

[Geeco]

In our travels around the "west Island" I have regularly seen sheep skin covers on front seats. They could possibly help. Your comments are interesting as I have found the Ducato seats to be very comfortable on a long trip sector (400-500klms) in fact my back prefers the Ducato seat to both our Euro sourced cars. Cheers,

[shirles]

Thanks for the input, I suppose it all came about because we recently spent 5 weeks in a campervan we hired in Perth. We wanted to see a bit more of WA and the van we hired was based on a sprinter and the ride was softer than our Ducato. But I must point out that generally the roads in WA are far superior than NZ ones and our first trip out in our van when we returned to NZ was around the east Cape on the north island and that's what caused me problems with my back. The Gisborne area is renowned for it 's poor roads so I should have known better. Perhaps I should try a sprinter in NZ.

[Keithl]

shirles - 2019-11-13 9:01 AM

 

Thanks for the input, I suppose it all came about because we recently spent 5 weeks in a campervan we hired in Perth. We wanted to see a bit more of WA and the van we hired was based on a sprinter and the ride was softer than our Ducato. But I must point out that generally the roads in WA are far superior than NZ ones and our first trip out in our van when we returned to NZ was around the east Cape on the north island and that's what caused me problems with my back. The Gisborne area is renowned for it 's poor roads so I should have known better. Perhaps I should try a sprinter in NZ.

 

And for even more comfort make sure the Sprinter has suspension seats! Our 2004 Sprinter has standard factory fit ISRI suspension seats and they are awesome!!! We really miss them when we get back into our everyday cars.

 

Keith.