Motorhome cab seats lead a double life that no other vehicle seat is asked to. On the road they are driving seats; on site they swivel round and become the two best armchairs in the lounge. That means they clock up wear from both jobs (driving miles plus every evening of the holiday), and because most coachbuilt and A-class motorhomes are kept for many years, the cab seats are very often the first part of an otherwise well-preserved interior to look tired. Retrimming them is far cheaper than replacing them and, done properly, lifts the whole front of the vehicle. This page covers the motorhome-specific detail; the broader service is described on our campervan upholstery hub.
What motorhome cab seats actually are
Most UK motorhomes are coachbuilt on Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer or Citroën Relay bases, with Ford Transit and Mercedes underneath others, and the cab seats are usually captain-style: individual seats with twin adjustable armrests, deep squabs and swivel bases. A-class motorhomes add their own manufacturer-specific frames. We retrim:
- Driver and passenger captain seats: bases, backs and headrests, patterned from your original covers for an exact fit
- Twin armrests, re-covered individually or as part of the full seat
- Swivel-base seats, with the trim finished so nothing fouls the rotation or the seatbelt path
- Integrated headrests and lumbar sections on A-class and premium coachbuilt seats
Because base-vehicle generations and motorhome converters vary so much, we pattern from your actual seats rather than assuming a standard shape: a Ducato-based seat from one converter rarely matches another's.
How they wear
The pattern is distinctive. Armrest tops go first (leaned on at the wheel, gripped on entry, used as lounge armrests every evening), polishing smooth, then cracking or fraying. Facing fabric fades unevenly under the enormous motorhome windscreen, often to a different colour from the habitation upholstery it once matched. Bolsters scuff at the swivel edge where you slide round rather than stand up, and after fifteen or twenty seasons the base foam softens so the seats sit lower than the design intended. All of it is recoverable in a retrim.
What a retrim involves
The seats usually come off their swivel bases easily, so many owners remove them and bring or send just the seats to our workshop at Unit 6 Carrock Road, Wirral: no need to move the motorhome at all. We strip the original covers, pattern replacements from them, rebuild softened foam, and sew and fit the new covers by hand under lead trimmer Craig, who has 15 years' experience. If the vehicle can't come to us and the seats can't come out, our nationwide onsite fitting covers it. Colours, materials and stitching (including matching or complementing your habitation scheme) can be worked through our design service before anything is cut.
Choosing materials
Motorhome owners split three ways. Fabric keeps the soft, warm character of a traditional habitation interior and is easiest to tie into existing lounge upholstery. Leatherette is the low-maintenance choice: wipe-clean after wet-weather touring, resistant to sun fade, and smart against modern interiors. Genuine leather suits premium A-class interiors and wears in handsomely over long ownership. Mixing (leatherette wear faces with fabric centres that echo the lounge) is a popular compromise.
Ask about these at quote stage
- Heated seat pads, fitted invisibly beneath the new covers, a genuine comfort upgrade for early and late-season touring
- Sports-foam rebuilds, restoring the height and support that decades of double duty take out of motorhome seat bases
Motorhome cab seat FAQs
Yes: matching your existing scheme is exactly the kind of brief we work to. We work from photos or a sample of your habitation fabric and select or colour-match materials so retrimmed cab seats tie into the lounge scheme, or we can deliberately contrast them if you're refreshing the whole interior.
Can you match my motorhome's habitation upholstery?
Usually not. Most motorhome cab seats release from their swivel bases and can be removed and brought or sent to our Wirral workshop, which avoids moving a large vehicle. If the motorhome can't come and the seats can't easily come out, we offer nationwide onsite fitting.
Do I need to bring the whole motorhome to you?
Yes. Armrests are usually the first casualty on motorhome cab seats and can be re-covered on their own, colour-matched to the existing trim. If the facings are also fading, it's worth pricing the full seat at the same time, and we'll quote both ways.
The armrests are worn but the seats are fine, can you do just those?
Get a quote for your motorhome cab seats
Tell us the make and model of your motorhome, send a few photos of the seats and armrests, and Craig will come back with options and a written quote.
Request a quote