cream leather/leatherette?

[Lizzie]

We need to refurb our front seats so thinking now of doing all the seating. I would be interested to hear any thoughts on choosing leather or fake leather to do this. Anyone foresee any problems/issues we haven't thought of? Was thinking it would be easier to spot dirt and keep clean with the dog.

[laimeduck]

We have cream leather in our Benimar - comfortable & cool and with regular treatment with leather cleaner, easy to keep clean- but very slippery. Tend to slide down the seat when relaxing in the evening! 

[PJay]

Unless you have real 100% leather , which would be VERY expensive, don't do it.

We had some leather chairs, (which turned out to be only partly real leather) and they peeled at the head rests, and on the corner of the arms, due to grease etc from heads and hands . Also with dog , could get damaged from claws. Our van seat covers have lasted well for 10 years, and the only problem is fading due to sun. Go for good quality fabric in a lightish colour.and have it treated if need be.Leather can also be sticky when hot

[StuartO]

I would also advise caution with leather (or more likely faux leather) with a dog involved.  We have had two lots of leather upholstered furniture with (different) dogs and neither were successful - the more recent one, in a light colour, being particularly unsatisfactory.

 

The leather (or more likely faux leather) gets scratched by the dog's claws and these cracks get soiled and difficult to clean - and even more difficult to restore.  Genuine, good quality leather might fare better and resist the scratching and surface wear but I would think it unlikely you will get that.  You would have to be endlessly cleaning and creaming - so far more trouble than worth. 

 

Leather (especially faux leather) is for clean and careful people, not dogs.  Decent quality textile upholstery will fare far better.

 

[Guest pelmetman]

StuartO - 2016-04-17 7:58 AMI would also advise caution with leather (or more likely faux leather) with a dog involved.  We have had two lots of leather upholstered furniture with (different) dogs and neither were successful - the more recent one, in a light colour, being particularly unsatisfactory.

 

The leather (or more likely faux leather) gets scratched by the dog's claws and these cracks get soiled and difficult to clean - and even more difficult to restore.  Genuine, good quality leather might fare better and resist the scratching and surface wear but I would think it unlikely you will get that.  You would have to be endlessly cleaning and creaming - so far more trouble than worth. 

 

Leather (especially faux leather) is for clean and careful people, not dogs.  Decent quality textile upholstery will fare far better.

Sorry Stuart, but being in the trade ;-) ........I think you'll find the latest range of faux leathers are far more resilient than real hide, although its fair to say that leatherette wont age as well as genuine leather, speaking personally...... although I like the look of a aging leather armchair in the right environment, I'm not convinced a motorhome is the right environment ;-) ..........but there again I wouldn't have leather or leatherette in my camper :D ........

[lennyhb]

Our last Hymer had part leatherette it was the material with a microfibre backing, it wore well very easy to clean.

[Lizzie]

Thanks for comments. I think we will re-think and look again at cloth. The irritating thing is that the covers on our seats are fine but it is because rhe front seats are needing re-padded that we need then to recover them. And then started thinking that it would be better to have everything matching. We tried a seat cushion thing but that did not help with the comfort - you can feel hard lump of seat on the base and 1600 miles from Surrey to highlands and back, our bums are testament to fact that something must be done before we head to europe this summer!

[Guest pelmetman]

Lizzie - 2016-04-17 4:41 PM

 

Thanks for comments. I think we will re-think and look again at cloth. The irritating thing is that the covers on our seats are fine but it is because rhe front seats are needing re-padded that we need then to recover them. And then started thinking that it would be better to have everything matching. We tried a seat cushion thing but that did not help with the comfort - you can feel hard lump of seat on the base and 1600 miles from Surrey to highlands and back, our bums are testament to fact that something must be done before we head to europe this summer!

 

If the covers are fine, just have the foam replaced ;-) .......That's what I did last year to our dinette cushions, and our fabric is 26 years old :D .......

 

 

[Lizzie]

The company said they cannot replace the foam in the front seats without re-covering. tbh the front seats are a little worn in terms of fabric but without the discomfort factor, we would not bother re-covering. It is a 12 year old van and our first motor home so a little wear on the fabric is not unduly bothersome. Perhaps another company would be different???

[Guest pelmetman]

Lizzie - 2016-04-17 6:01 PM

Perhaps another company would be different???

 

Yep :D ......

 

Just to add, if I were you I'd take the camper to your nearest vehicle trimmers for a quote ;-) .....

 

 

[Cliffy]

 

 

We had the whole of our van upholstery refurbished last year. The cab seats we had done in REAL cream leather with fabric panels in the centre. It cost an extra £75 over the all fabric cost. They are very serviceable and do not get hot, which was one of our fears (We spent 6 weeks in Spain and the South of France last year with the temperature hovering around 35 Degs}

 

Premier Furnishing- Reluxe at Ilkeston did in one day at a very reasonable cost. We were highly delighted with the service and workmanship and would definitely recommend them.

 

https://www.facebook.com/ReluxeFurnishingsbyPremier

Contact Casey Fletcher.

 

 

[goldi]

Morning folks,

 

We have two leather suites and one armchair in our house, we have also changed from fabric to leather in our van, we also have a jack russel that bounces about and goes wherever he wants which is why we have leather because it is easy to keep clean and can be seen to be clean as most of the furniture is a pale colour.

 

We had it done in one day down near Derby.

 

 

 

norm

[PJay]

Cliffy - 2016-04-18 12:18 AM

 

 

 

We had the whole of our van upholstery refurbished last year. The cab seats we had done in REAL cream leather with fabric panels in the centre. It cost an extra £75 over the all fabric cost. They are very serviceable and do not get hot, which was one of our fears (We spent 6 weeks in Spain and the South of France last year with the temperature hovering around 35 Degs}

 

Premier Furnishing- Reluxe at Ilkeston did in one day at a very reasonable cost. We were highly delighted with the service and workmanship and would definitely recommend them.

 

https://www.facebook.com/ReluxeFurnishingsbyPremier

Contact Casey Fletcher.

 

 

 

You say "reasonable" cost? How much was the total cost, please?

I did get a quote a couple of years ago, and thought it not worth the money, as we will not be keeping van for much longer. I can agree that that Reluxe are very good, as they did the original covers on our van, and they have lasted very well (10 years) Just faded , due to Spainish sun!! We had a couple of issues with the seating, and they sorted them out , very promptly , and efficiently

 

PJay

[Cliffy]

 

Sorry for the time it has taken to reply.

 

The cost was from memory £1575 for two settees, (beds) two window pelmets, cab curtain pelmets, two wall head rests and 4 cushions and six tie backs, all in two different fabrics. Two Cab seats and single arm rests in cream leather and material, (The only filling they replaced was the two side rests from the settees}.

 

We have been very pleased.

 

Hope this helps

 

[PJay]

Thanks for reply The quote I had was more than that, but it was for Settee , two dinette plus backs, two cab seats plus matching trim on over cab bed. But as said we will not be keeping van much longer, so best let new buyer have a cjoice of colours if, want to renew

PJay

[Bulletguy]

 

Each to their own i suppose but leather would be the last thing i'd want to sit on in a vehicle, unless driving short distances and i most certainly wouldn't want to sleep on it either! I go back to a time when leather upholstery in vehicles was standard.....every vehicle had leather. It wasn't a luxury or optional extra. Now it's the absolute opposite. But then i also remember a time when if you had a white bathroom suite you were poor or lived in a council house. White baths 'n bogs were for the peasants. Now people pay extra to have a white suite.

 

Funny old world.

[Basil]

Bump

[david lloyd]

We have had two PVC's with full leather seating and several with part leather (IH) with opposite results. The part leather covering has always proved hard wearing and fairly easy to clean. It was always a variation of beige and never showed too much dirt from the two dogs but was cleaned with leather cleaner frequently. The first fully upholstered in leather was a lovely pearlescent green exterior with a sort of RAF blue all leather interior. It was great. Cool in summer, hard wearing and so easy to wipe down with the dogs on board. The last one we had recovered (also by Reluxe) and chose a beautiful cream leather with chocolate brown piped lines to separate the upper part of the cushion - it looked absolutely fabulous but, was a bit of a disaster. This time the leather was more textured and dirt got into the tiny crevices making it look constantly grubby. A full clean with leather feeder/cleaner would restore it but first day out in it again would take it back. Even without the dogs it would have continued to look grubby as ordinary everyday use meant our own clothes gradually ground in dust etc. Wearing jeans proved particularly bad as the blue dye seemed to wear off onto the main seating/cab seats.

 

In hindsight, we would have had full leather for all the positives it offers but not choose cream or very light colours in our circumstances. The van has gone to another home now (sorry whoever you are) and the Chausson has all fabric which may one day need to be replaced and much thought would have to go into such a decision.

 

Davud

[StuartO]

I suppose an important variable in this is what type of dog you have, therefore what type of dog behaviour and perhaps also the anatomy of its claws.

 

Our Dalmation is boisterous and sticks out its claws as it pulls and jumps,so we got scratches on the leather from them, which then attract the dirt and cannot be creamed or polished out.

 

We have leather in the car but the dog is confined to the boot, which of course isn't leather lined but the black fabric attracts short, white dog hairs very easily and they are difficult to remove.  The dog roams free in the MH (unless we're driving) and sheds loads of hairs on to fabric and carpet but fortunately they hoover up easily.