Upholstery Selection

[Alf S.]

Hi: Marv... Boy are you gonna love the 5.0. Congrats!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[SherryNPaul]

The latest trend in boat cushions here is Ultra leather (expensive, nice feel pleather, poly, not vinyl) on top and side, with a breathable, mesh type fabric on bottom. Not reversible.
UltraLeather (the real deal) retails in excess of $40 a yard.
I personally would not use it on berth seats designed for sleeping.... but that's me. It's also very expensive to just be hidden 90% or 100% of the time.
A good source may be newtoto.com They carry high end fabrics, discontinued colors and patterns. I've only purchased from them once, but was happy with what I received, and their pricing.

Sherry

[SherryNPaul]

I saw the reference to Crypton fabrics above. Newtoto carries those, as does winterbeachmodern.com, and a few others. Check for fabric content (the Crypton refers to coating.) You probably don't want much in natural fiber content if you don't take your cushions inside when not using the trailer. Many Crypton fabrics are 100% synthetic, some recycled, too.
I really like Crypton for stain-resistance.
Sherry

[Marv]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Marv... Boy are you gonna love the 5.0.

Thanks, we hardly wait. We are almost half-way through the six-month wait.

Oh, OP, sorry for the highjack

[Peter_Crowl]

Carol - thanks for the in depth step by step. There's a lot that somebody who doesn't sew - like me - doesn't think of when looking at these projects. I have a friend who sews and he'll do my cushions...he's also the friend in the Fiberglass fabrication business so how's that for luck !!!... but I think I'll save his good will for some other project where I can't buy a set of covers.

P.

[David A. L.]

Having replaced the cushions on many boats I've worked on and been associated with over the past 30 odd years I would suggest looking into automotive seat cover fabrics. They are so much more durable than home upholstery fabrics.

Check into some of the smaller shops whose customer base is often the people many tend to shy away from...low riders, jump-up cars with loud obnoxious sound systems. These "shops" are often a single guy or gal working out of their garage. Check out the bulletin board for business cards at the local automotive shop (often the only advertising they have besides word of mouth as they are flying under the radar). The prices for the job complete are often less expensive than buying the fabric alone if you have to pay retail for the stuff. And the quality and workmanship is often amazing at really affordable prices. Often you will have to supply the foam if the job requires refoaming the cushions (try Perfectfit etc).

Hope this helps,
David A. L.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by SherryNPaul

The latest trend in boat cushions here is Ultra leather (expensive, nice feel pleather, poly, not vinyl) on top and side, with a breathable, mesh type fabric on bottom. Not reversible.
UltraLeather (the real deal) retails in excess of $40 a yard.

Sherry

There are a number of fabrics out there that look a lot like Ultra Suede but where not as expensive as the real thing. Many of them are very washable and claim to wear really well. They would be easier to sew with as the edges would not need finishing as a weave fabric does. Actually liked the look but could not find any in my reasonable price range in a colour I liked.

[melissab]

Thanks Jen! I dont need any fabric now but just making notes for future needs.

Originally Posted by jen b

Melissa, it's relatively soft. If you are thinking of plastic-like patio furniture cushions, it is certainly not like that. I would say it has a canvas-like feel. It's got a pretty sturdy feel but also would not be unpleasant to sit on.

If you would like, I could mail you a sample.

[Peter_Crowl]

$20 worth of foam

[Alf S.]

Hi: Peter Crowl... I hope you have a good electric carving knife to Boler shape all that foam. I washed mine in the downstairs bathtub with powdered dishwasher soap. It's low sudsing and contains some bleach. Roll the foams out in some old bath towels to squeeze excess rinse water, and let 'em dry on a raised rack for a few days.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie. p.s. Here's a pic. of my old n new covers.

[Peter_Crowl]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Peter Crowl... I hope you have a good electric carving knife to Boler shape all that foam. I washed mine in the downstairs bathtub with powdered dishwasher soap. It's low sudsing and contains some bleach. Roll the foams out in some old bath towels to squeeze excess rinse water, and let 'em dry on a raised rack for a few days.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie. p.s. Here's a pic. of my old n new covers.

Thanks Alf!
Good tips about cleaning the foam - and your cushions look great.
As far as I can tell I only need to redo one piece of foam - the couch backrest. Of course that may change when I get into it. I bought all that - and I have another lot like it - mainly to redo the Amerigo.

We're fortunate to have a good RV salvage dealer here and they have a lot of cushions. They get $25-45 each.
These were at a general salvage yard. I thought at $20 for the lot I couldn't pass them up considering I can sell what I don't use.