Visit our Popular Forums

sallye · 09-05-2018, 01:07 PM

We have a 2014 FC 20" that we bought new and have used since 2014. The dining area has short walls behind the cushions and those walls are padded and upholstered with the same fabric as the cushions. That upholstery goes around a curved portion and extends under the seats.

I have to say - this is dumb. Why couldn't they just have made those areas with wood like the cabinets?! Ok, I got that off my chest.

The upholstery on these short walls is wearing faster than the cushions and It's obvious that I'm going to have to take it all up, including under the seats, and replace it at some point in the next 2 years or so. I'm planning on replacing some of it with real leather, which I happen to have already. I have the sewing, upholstery, and wood working skills to do this, and a sewing machine that can handle leather.

But I don't have enough leather for the whole job and would prefer to have wood in places like under the seats anyway. So my questions are:

1) What exactly is under that fabric? I know it's wood and assume it's plywood, but is it in good enough shape that I could veneer parts of it?

2) Is there any down side to using real leather? It's used in cars so I'm assuming there isn't.

3) I'm thinking I'll have to remove the two boxes that makes up the seats of the dining area, both to get at the spots I need to and to move it into the house where I have more room to work. How bad a job is that? Will they come out in one piece, or will it be a real job to dissemble and reassemble them and to put them back into place?

4) Is there any difficulty that I'm overlooking?

Thanks,
Sally

Rovin Raven · 10-02-2018, 06:32 PM

I have a 2010 FC 20-foot and have textured off-white fabric that looks very dirty, and was wondering the same thing as you If I tear off the upholstery, can I just sand and paint the wood? I wish there was someone who would tell us what is underneath.

sallye · 10-02-2018, 09:23 PM

I can sort of feel what's under the fabric, but from what I can feel, it's not nice wood. There is a sort of spacer block that I feel, and nobody uses nice wood inside a piece like that. One I take the fabric off, I'm pretty well committed to doing something.

But you made me start to think about doing a veneer over the wood instead of covering it with leather. It would take more than just that, and I'd have to figure out how to finish the top and edges. That curved part would be the real problem, but I guess I could just do a corner that was well rounded off.

I took a small piece of the leather and left it on the floor to see what the dogs would do with it, and they chewed it up. Since we leave them in the trailer while we go exploring, I'm wondering if a leather covering would just be asking for trouble.

Rovin Raven · 10-03-2018, 05:27 AM

Another option I am thinking of is having the local automotive upholsterer cover it in ultra leather, which is easier to clean. I would have the cushions upholstered in sunbrella fabric in a contrasting color (deep blue cushions, cream ultra leather?). We haven’t left our new dog in the Airstream alone yet. But she is not yet 2, so anything is possible. Our old dog, who passed away at 16, never chewed anything.

sallye · 10-03-2018, 08:04 AM

Having an auto upholstery company do it would be easier for sure. Do you have to take your AS to them, or pull the pieces out and take them in? I don't even know if we have such a place here.

I need to redo the cushion covers too and don't really like sitting on ultra leather, especially in the summer, so I'll use fabric there. I'd also like to relocate those Velcro strips so they are by the zippers and the bottom cushions can be used on either side, which would help with wear.

Will you redo the cushions? If so, will you replace the foam inside also?

Rovin Raven · 10-04-2018, 03:53 AM

We have several auto upholsterers here. They have portable equipment so you don’t have to remove the seats. I am going to the one with the best reputation and have already called them. They reupholster vintage cars mostly, but are happy to do my Airstream. You have to drive it there for an estimate and then take it back for the work, so I am waiting until camping season is over next month. There isn’t much to do since I will have my regular upholsterer do the contrasting cushions, so it should take just one day. But if it takes more than one day, if they are not storing it inside, I will bring it home and then redeliver it to keep it safe. For the built in seats, I am going to choose ultraleather that matches the “hampers” at the head and foot of the bed. Deep Blue Sunbrella fabric for the cushions. I won’t be replacing the foam on my cushions because they still feel great. Hopefully my choice of sunbrella fabric will decrease wear. But, it only costs me about $150 total to reupholster the cushions, so no big deal if I have to do that every few years.

sallye · 10-04-2018, 08:13 AM

That sounds lovely. I won't be doing this for about 2 years. I have a local upholstery place that can do the cushions for me, it's the rest that has me worried.

Would it be possible for you to tell me what's under that fabric at the head and the foot of the little bed? I don't know if you will see it after the fabric is off, but if you can I'd sure appreciate it. I'm leaning toward a wood finish for those areas and want to know what I'm in for.

brick1 · 10-04-2018, 08:39 AM

This is one of the reasons we picked an international serenity...
brick

sallye · 10-04-2018, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brick1

This is one of the reasons we picked an international serenity...
brick

I'm not understanding - what is the reason? How is the international serenity different?

We live in the Northeast, and there are almost no dealers here. In fact, the one we bought from isn't a dealer any more. There were limited choices. A place in New Hampshire had one we wanted and I made them an offer, but they never responded to it.

Rovin Raven · 10-04-2018, 04:49 PM

I didn’t mean we would be removing the hamper fabric, just matching it. I will post photos when finished sometime this late fall or winter.

sallye · 10-04-2018, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rovin Raven

I didn’t mean we would be removing the hamper fabric, just matching it. I will post photos when finished sometime this late fall or winter.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. By "little bed" I meant the one in the dining area. (Not that the big bed is very big!) I'm wondering what's under that fabric that's on the wood behind the cushions, since that's what I need to replace.

tzaak · 10-04-2018, 06:57 PM

Check the forum Flying Cloud 20 footers. I think TC Wheels reupholstered his unit.

A W Warn · 10-04-2018, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzaak

Check the forum Flying Cloud 20 footers. I think TC Wheels reupholstered his unit.

Is this the one?
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...ml#post1930473

sallye · 10-04-2018, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzaak

Check the forum Flying Cloud 20 footers. I think TC Wheels reupholstered his unit.

You know, I almost never go to the 20 foot forum because I can never find it. Even when I search for it, I don't find it. Can you give me a hint as to where it is?

Thanks in advance!

centennialman · 10-05-2018, 06:49 AM

Sallye.....here is how you find us:

Click on:

1. Forums
2. Trailers
3. Flying Cloud
4. 2016-Current Flying Cloud
5. 20 Footers

You will need to do some scrolling as you get into each section....we are there waiting for you