Usual Seat Wear

[MrT]

My Thor 2017 29M Windsport driver and passenger seats are starting to show signs of wear. The imitation leather is peeling off. The motorhome has very low mileage and not abused. Is anyone having similar problems? Not sure what to do to fix this. Thinking maybe seat covers, but then they don’t always look so good.

[Miramar Owner]

Originally Posted by MrT

My Thor 2017 29M Windsport driver and passenger seats are starting to show signs of wear. The imitation leather is peeling off. The motorhome has very low mileage and not abused. Is anyone having similar problems? Not sure what to do to fix this. Thinking maybe seat covers, but then they don’t always look so good.

Discussions about this are numerous on the forum. Search peeling upholstery. It's a common problem.

[Lt Keefer]

I got a couple of seat covers from Amazon. Sure they look hokie, but better than the peeling crap Thor sources for their interiors. What they think is a selling point, 'ultra leather', is a joke. They would be better off putting some sort of fabric in their coaches.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by MrT

My Thor 2017 29M Windsport driver and passenger seats are starting to show signs of wear. The imitation leather is peeling off. The motorhome has very low mileage and not abused. Is anyone having similar problems? Not sure what to do to fix this. Thinking maybe seat covers, but then they don’t always look so good.

Everyone has this problem

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

Everyone has this problem

Yes, everyone has or will have to deal with it.

[chunker21]

It's bonded leather and is truly pure junk. It's not repairable only coverable or replaceable. This crap was widely used mid last decade especially by the lower end RV manufacturers. Ultra leather that was mentioned above is not leather but a synthetic product like vinyl and such and varies widely in quality. Good ultra leather costs more than real leather and can actually be better that some real leather which also varies in quality and durability.

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by MrT

My Thor 2017 29M Windsport driver and passenger seats are starting to show signs of wear. The imitation leather is peeling off. The motorhome has very low mileage and not abused. Is anyone having similar problems? Not sure what to do to fix this. Thinking maybe seat covers, but then they don’t always look so good.

All brands of Coaches were affected by the bad batches of Ultra Leather that was installed. Over several years it has impacted entry level all the way to large class A's.

Very few were recalled or replaced by vendors, most just either replace furniture or the covers. There are direct replacement covers out there.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

Everyone has this problem

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Yes, everyone has or will have to deal with it.

How may years before you should expect to see? The OP has 2017 so does that mean it will occur at year 5?

I hadn't seen any signs of deterioration yet ( I have 2019).

I do recall a brand new Windsport where the curtains were flaking the white backing just by a simple touch. The dealer promised to replace, but those were new OEM curtains and they did not make it 9 months in the sun.

Glad to see this thread, because it reminds me to treat mine again with leather conditioner.

[lwmcguir]

Across the RV forums for the past 7-8 years the upholstery flaking discussion has been pretty consistent.

It seems to have dropped off dramatically the past few years though compared to the peak a few years back

The really odd thing is that it appears to have been by batch and perhaps affected by environment and care also

Luckily, we seem to have dodge that bullet, at least so far with 2016 dated Ultra Leather

[16ACE27]

I have a 2016. Mine showed up on the cab seats in late 2019 and I replaced them in 2020. I had already replaced the OEM "couch" with recliners so I can't comment on that, but it had the same covering so I am sure it would have flaked at the same time. The word on the street is that it was a bad batch of material that went on seats in many RV manufacturer's products. The fact that the OP's fabric lasted until the end of 2022 means it was either very lightly used or he just got lucky.

[dkoldman]

I am going to go with the bad batch of material theory? I am a tad under 30k miles on a 2019. I went outside and snapped these this morning. I do treat my seats, sofa & dashboard with a Leather Conditioner; but I do that for all my cars.

I will say I do read a lot about the peeling so I know it exist, but I don't recall anyone showing a picture of the peeling to know what to expect and when I may expect it?

But for me; my seats still look as if they were new.

[Tom N3EQF]

Photo attached that shows what my 2015 Windsport fabric looked like a few years ago. This happens to be an armrest but both captain seats and the dinette sofa all shared the same problem appearing after about 3 years. I've replaced all the furniture with new from Shop4Seats (totally happy so far).

[MLP]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

I am going to go with the bad batch of material theory? I am a tad under 30k miles on a 2019. I went outside and snapped these this morning. I do treat my seats, sofa & dashboard with a Leather Conditioner; but I do that for all my cars.

I will say I do read a lot about the peeling so I know it exist, but I don't recall anyone showing a picture of the peeling to know what to expect and when I may expect it?

But for me; my seats still look as if they were new.

Cannot post a picture of pealing seats since I just dropped off my rig for a large slide Swintek slide system replacement. That being said, it will start slowly with hairline cracks and within a year or two you will know. Next project is to tackle the couch, euro chair, and dinette seats. Pealing is an understatement, but the slide is first. May have to wait a year for the replacement. So far the cab seats are fine.

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

I am going to go with the bad batch of material theory? I am a tad under 30k miles on a 2019. I went outside and snapped these this morning. I do treat my seats, sofa & dashboard with a Leather Conditioner; but I do that for all my cars.

I will say I do read a lot about the peeling so I know it exist, but I don't recall anyone showing a picture of the peeling to know what to expect and when I may expect it?

But for me; my seats still look as if they were new.

I learned early on with the boat vinyl and issues if not treated religiously that leather, ultra-leather, and all vinyl products do in fact require treatment, even though often the manufacture may state otherwise.

Sometimes i use leather treatment and others just 303 protectant or 303 for leather. But they as all my seats do get treated a minimum of twice per year and usually every 3-4 months.

And mine all look better than the photo, that is the seat that gets the most usage and wear and tear. Puppy rode on it for 5 years as well.

As with much RV related issues the quality control and repair/replacement system is lacking.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Tom N3EQF

Photo attached that shows what my 2015 Windsport fabric looked like a few years ago. This happens to be an armrest but both captain seats and the dinette sofa all shared the same problem appearing after about 3 years. I've replaced all the furniture with new from Shop4Seats (totally happy so far).

Attachment 40207

Thanks

No wonder look at how thin that is I have never seen anything like that. I would be pissed, and likely lose it; if mine did anything like that. I get it now.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by lwmcguir

I learned early on with the boat vinyl and issues if not treated religiously that leather, ultra-leather, and all vinyl products do in fact require treatment, even though often the manufacture may state otherwise.

Sometimes i use leather treatment and others just 303 protectant or 303 for leather. But they as all my seats do get treated a minimum of twice per year and usually every 3-4 months.

And mine all look better than the photo, that is the seat that gets the most usage and wear and tear. Puppy rode on it for 5 years as well.

As with much RV related issues the quality control and repair/replacement system is lacking.

I use on my boat too But I use mink oil on the motorcycle. Not sure why

I use the Lexol Leather Conditioner, but based on what I saw in that picture, it would not help to resolve that problem reported by OP.

But if they have new furniture, you have to use stuff like this or similar. It is like a good wax, it is not optional. You have to put on dashboard too.

https://www.amazon.com/Lexol-1008-Oz...22568107&psc=1

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

I am going to go with the bad batch of material theory? I am a tad under 30k miles on a 2019. I went outside and snapped these this morning. I do treat my seats, sofa & dashboard with a Leather Conditioner; but I do that for all my cars.

I will say I do read a lot about the peeling so I know it exist, but I don't recall anyone showing a picture of the peeling to know what to expect and when I may expect it?

But for me; my seats still look as if they were new.

It's not a batch but the type material that is the problem. Lower end manufacturers and better builders on their lower end RVs used the BONDED leather. The term ultra leather keeps getting bantered around here. Ultraleather is a trademark name for a synthetic nylon material on a rayon backing. Completely different from bonded leather which is recycled and remnant real leather that is ground fine, cooked, formed into very thin sheets and glued to a fabric backing. Read about it but read correctly. BONDED LEATHER, not ultra/pleather/naugahyde/???

When you do read about bonded leather do so before eating.

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by chunker21

It's not a batch but the type material that is the problem. Lower end manufacturers and better builders on their lower end RVs used the BONDED leather. The term ultra leather keeps getting bantered around here. Ultraleather is a trademark name for a synthetic nylon material on a rayon backing. Completely different from bonded leather which is recycled and remnant real leather that is ground fine, cooked, formed into very thin sheets and glued to a fabric backing. Read about it but read correctly. BONDED LEATHER, not ultra/pleather/naugahyde/???

When you do read about bonded leather do so before eating.

Certainly, no expert on all this except for bonded leather doesn't enter our homes as it doesn't last, and the Tuscany spec sheet says Ultra Leather

Never read any of the others spec sheets discussed here so I have nothing else to add

[TripleGGG]

Here's my two front captains chairs for those who haven't seen the peeling.

I actually bought the coach this way knowing I would be recovering. It was a great bargaining tool. Had them recovered. The couch and dinette had not started yet but I put in electric recliners and took out the dinette for regular chairs.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by TripleGGG

Here's my two front captains chairs for those who haven't seen the peeling.

I actually bought the coach this way knowing I would be recovering. It was a great bargaining tool. Had them recovered. The couch and dinette had not started yet but I put in electric recliners and took out the dinette for regular chairs. Attachment 40208Attachment 40209

Ask and ye shall receive. I guess you guys can't make this stuff up.... unless you are all real good with photoshop.