Helen from the Shire Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I need to make a decision about having one or two arm rests on the swivel cab seats of our Fiat Ducato conversion. As standard, it comes with one arm on the side away from the doors when seats are facing the windscreen. I imagine we would drive with them in the up position but lower them when they face the habitation area. I would like advice about the pros and cons of two arms, before committing- we are ex caravanners and new to motorhomes. Thank you in anticipation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Hi Helen, and welcome to the forum, where there are often many different answers to a problem! Armrests - I hate 'em - others love 'em! On every van I have ever had I have removed the arm rests becaue they were never used, got in way whilst driving, and severely retricted the get though access gap between the front seats. Some seats have the brackets and bolt holes already in the seat frames and if not it can be quite a major operation to strip the seat and fit arm rests. Also an outer arm rest may well render the seat swivel unusable, one way to tell is to switch the seats, not a five minute job in itself, and see if the seat still swivels with an arm rest on the outside of the seat? Good luck, you may need it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Hi I love them and would go for two. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Tracker - 2019-01-21 12:56 PM Hi Helen, and welcome to the forum, where there are often many different answers to a problem! Armrests - I hate 'em - others love 'em! On every van I have ever had I have removed the arm rests becaue they were never used, got in way whilst driving, and severely retricted the get though access gap between the front seats. Some seats have the brackets and bolt holes already in the seat frames and if not it can be quite a major operation to strip the seat and fit arm rests. Also an outer arm rest may well render the seat swivel unusable, one way to tell is to switch the seats, not a five minute job in itself, and see if the seat still swivels with an arm rest on the outside of the seat? Good luck, you may need it!! Never use ours, moving or stationary. IMO a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Make driving very relaxing, essential for me on an A class, one was good enough with the original cab and the moulded arm rest on the cab door alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Maybe others with more knowledge might know better, but many Fiats (such as ours) come with two armrests, Citroens only come with the one armrest, from the ones I have seen the difference is that the Citroens have adjustable lumbar support. I'm not that worried over the armrests so would much rather have the adjustable lumbar support. p.s. When driving I always fold them up, when lounging I rarely use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldi Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Good afternoon, I have two on each seat which I consider essential for long journeys so much so that I declined a citroen for the reason of only one per seat. I believe the help with posture and reduce pressure on the spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Ours got in the way when moving from driving seat to habitation area, and never used when driving - so took them off. :-| I seem to recall that when my hands were in the recommended ' ten to two ' position on the steering wheel, my elbows wouldn't reach the arm rests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveandlisa Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Hi Helen and welcome to the forum, The last couple of Mo/Ho`s I have had I removed just the drivers right hand one. My reason for this was that with the arm down I had difficulty applying and releasing the handbrake and when it was up I kept banging my elbow on it :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Don’t know how easy or not this would be for you but would it be possible to visit a dealership or two and have a look at motorhomes with two armrests? Personally I like an armrest on the door side of the seat. I would agree that armrests on the inside side of the seats can restrict access to and from the rear. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I don't undertsand how any driver can maintain full control of the vehicle whilst resting an arm on an armrest ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 alan k - 2019-01-21 2:28 PM Make driving very relaxing, essential for me on an A class, one was good enough with the original cab and the moulded arm rest on the cab door alan we also have a Compactline and I love the armrests, great when gliding serenely along the autoroute... OTOH, my OH doesn't use hers, so chalk and cheese....id go for two, but that's just me....and Alan above.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I do not use mine when driving, they get in the way when swivelling the seat [when stationary], they narrow the gangway, and mess up the seatbelt as it is fixed to the seat. My wife, as passenger, will sometimes use hers. When parked up, both of us will occasionally use both arm rests. Helen seems to have the right idea. If she is using armrest when parked up, two makes more sense (or none). It might be a bit lob sided otherwise. Best to have a play in the cab if she can get to the dealers in time. Welcome to the forum and from caravanning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Tracker - 2019-01-21 12:56 PM ...On every van I have ever had I have removed the arm rests becaue they were never used, got in way whilst driving, and severely retricted the get though access gap between the front seats.... That’s been my policy too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artheytrate Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 We have a Fiat Ducato based camper with twin armrests and wouldn’t be without them. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I have one armrest on the left side and I like to rest my left arm with my hand on the lower part of the wheel whilst holding the wheel properly with my right hand for better control. I would not like to use two armrests and in my car which has a central armrest and a good rest on the door I don’t use the door one as a I feel that having at least one good grip of the wheel is safer. I only use the armrest on the motorway anyway and much prefer to have both hands on the wheel as it is safer. Two arms rest might be good when on site but I don’t use the front seats much on site as the rear U lounge seats are much more comfortable for lounging. The arms rests are hard and not really very comfortable in any case for on site lounging. I find that there is a problem with the central armrest if you raise it vertically as a I have twice lent on it when going to the rear of the van and displaced the mechanism at the hinge end requiring a dismantle to put back together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawki Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I have one arm rest on the left and I wouldn’t be without it on a long motorway run with cruise control on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The ‘logical’ solution for Helen is to specify seats with two armrests. She has said that, as standard, the seats will come with a single armrest and, in conjunction with the top of the cab-door plastic moulding, this could provide support while the motorhome is being driven. But when the vehicle is static and the cab-seats have been rotated to face the habitation area, a single armrest won’t be much good. As Tracker has touched on, there’s also the matter - if the standard single-armrest seats were opted for - of how practicable it would be to retrofit a 2nd armrest to those seats. (And, even when this can be done, obtaining extra armrests and (perhaps) having them trimmed to match the seats’ upholstery would likely be costly.) If twin-armest seats are opted for, if the armrests are found to be beneficial/useful they can be retained, but if not they can be removed: if single-armrest seats are chosen and this decision is regretted subsequently, adding a 2nd armrest to each seat is unlikely to be a simple, cheap procedure. Having said that, if Helen did go for twin-armrest seats, presumably this would cost more than staying with the standard single-armrest seats - so that’s something else that might influence her decision. This early-2018 MHFun thread discussed additional armrests for Fiat Ducato seats https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/fiat-additional-armrests.167647/ and it’s worth noting the July 2018 posting by “Waveski” about what Regal Furnishers needed to do to add a 2nd armrest to each of his 2017 Vantage motorhome’s seats. (It might have been interesting to know how much this modification cost.) As mentioned on this link https://www.fiatcamper.com/en/product/on-board when the Ducato ‘X290’ range was introduced in mid-2014, for vehicles destined to become ‘campers’ Fiat made available "Captain chairs" that have twin armrests, a seat swivel, and are provided ’naked’ so that motorhome manufacturers can upholster the seats in any material they choose (leather, crocodile skin, etc.) or just fit seat-covers. My Rapido’s Captain Chairs have covers and it’s worth stating the obvious that unbolting armrests will leave a pair of very visible unattractive ragged holes in the cover (or upholstery) of each seat-back’s sides - so I’ve disguised the holes with some DIY black plastic ‘plates’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen from the Shire Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Thank you everyone for taking the time to give your advice - I have taken several points on board. I will: check photos of the many camper vans already sampled. Make sure my hand position stays at 10 to 2, or at the least quarter to 3! ( slightly appalled at the idea of resting arms whilst driving ) As the inner arm is standard, keep my weight down so I can fit through the gap, a few sneaky pounds crept on over Christmas,or know that I can remove it if necessary. Wait to hear from the converter what the cost implication will be of fitting the second one, if not too much, go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Derek Uzzell - 2019-01-22 8:45 AM My Rapido’s Captain Chairs have covers and it’s worth stating the obvious that unbolting armrests will leave a pair of very visible unattractive ragged holes in the cover (or upholstery) of each seat - so I’ve disguised the holes with some DIY black plastic ‘plates’. My take on this was to use bzp washers under the bolt heads to cover the upholstery holes and paint the bolt heads (before fitting, and sometimes the washers too) to match the upholstery colour and that always seemed to look OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 The passenger seat in our 2003 Elddis Autoquest 200 has been converted to a captain's chair by the addition of a seat swivel. It has a single armrest on the inward-facing side of the seat. We looked into adding a second armrest, but realised this would hit the door when the seat was swivelled, preventing the seat turning through 180 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Technically, I believe it’s the presence of a pair of armrests that qualifies a motor-vehicle seat as being a “Captain’s Chair” and its ability (or not) to swivel is irrelevant. There’s a definition here https://www.hunker.com/12619891/what-is-the-difference-between-bucket-seats-captains-chair-seats (For what it’s worth, I’ve attached a photo showing one of the four ‘bolt-hole covers’ I DIYed after I had removed my Rapido’s armrests. I think the black plastic came either from an old toolbox or a large garden-container.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I would vote for 2 arm rests. When driving i fold both up, but love to use them when the seats are swivelled feels very comfortable. Incidentally the mounting for one of mine wasnt welded properly, and the arm broke off. I removed the seat cover, drilled the frame and refitted it with 2 stainless steel bolts in place of the spot welds .Yes, I do use both of mine. The seat frames appear to have the 2 arm recievers already fitted to ALL seats, which makes sense really considering both R/H and L/H drive requirements. So adding one should just mean purchasing an extra folding armrest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I have read the various comments on this thread with interest. When we collected our then new MH four years ago one of the areas I found excellent was the seating. Our Autotrail has two adjustable arm rests and on the long drives we found the position of resting both arms on the armrests in a kind of bus driver position ideal. Yes you do need to lift the RHS armrest to use the handbrake but no big deal. In fact I find this driving position safe (sorry Rich) and very comfortable. Around four or so times a year I drive Sydney - Melbourne (approx 900klms) in one day. Sometimes in my MH and sometimes in my car. I end the journey with less aches in the MH than I do in the car. So my vote is for two armrests. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Rayjsj - 2019-01-22 11:04 PM I would vote for 2 arm rests. When driving i fold both up, but love to use them when the seats are swivelled feels very comfortable. Incidentally the mounting for one of mine wasnt welded properly, and the arm broke off. I removed the seat cover, drilled the frame and refitted it with 2 stainless steel bolts in place of the spot welds .Yes, I do use both of mine. The seat frames appear to have the 2 arm recievers already fitted to ALL seats, which makes sense really considering both R/H and L/H drive requirements. So adding one should just mean purchasing an extra folding armrest. My understanding (seemingly supported by comments in the MHFun link I provided above) is that for UK-marketed Fiat Ducato panel-vans the standard cab-seats have a single armrest and adjustable lumbar-support. On the other hand, the "Captain’s Chairs” that Fiat began to offer in 2014 for Ducato X290 models have two armrests, a swivel mechanism, no adjustable lumbar-support and a modified design. Fiat described their Captains Chairs as follows: ...Among their main characteristics are: built-in headrest, wider backrest, greater containment, double armrest and an even more comfortable seat. They come on a pivoting plate, type-approved by Fiat, for excellent stability and reliability. They can turn 180°. Once turned, they can slide forward to move closer to the dinette. The Ducato X290-based panel-van-conversion (PVC) models produced by major motorhome manufacturers (eg. Rapido) definitely can have Fiat Captains Chairs, so presumably those manufacturers can specify that seat when they order the base-vehicles from Fiat - but I’m not sure what the present position is for smaller UK converters. Helen may wish to explore with the company building her PVC whether they would be providing ‘genuine’ Fiat Captain Chairs or just adding a 2nd armrest to the standard single-armrest ‘van’ seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.