Drivers seat question June 10, 2017, 05:40:58 am Sorry about posting such weird questions but being in Michigan we don't have opportunity to look at too many LD. I sat in a newer 31 IB LD drivers seat and it seemed the seat did not go back very far. It wasn't hitting anything just was limited by the track. I am 6'2" with longer legs. With the seat all the way back my legs were not as extended as I would like. I did not notice that in other brands I tried. Is there any limitation on this model? Does the 27MB have same issue? Also seemed unusually difficult to climb into the seat. Thanks for any comments you have. Ron Sarzynski
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #1 – June 10, 2017, 09:23:15 am Ron,I am 6'5" with a 36" inseam in a '88 MB. The Mid bath has a fold up board. It is pretty easy to get into the seats from the coach with the board folded up. Board down, it is harder. In 2000 the MB coach was lengthened to give the MB driver 2.5 " more room the move the seat furthur back, and the spare tire in in a cargo bay.
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #2 – June 10, 2017, 10:29:15 am If the model you tried had a dinette behind the seat, that may prevent any mods. If it is the unsecured barrel chair, perhaps the seat could be remounted on its pedestal.Steve
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #3 – June 10, 2017, 11:16:47 am Ron,I am also 6'5" with a 36 " inseam and I feel cramped in the seat of our 27MB. It definitely is not as comfortable as our F350, but it is what it is. All of the E450 cabs are uncomfortable and cramped. I swore I wouldn't buy one. The 24 is even worse with the head behind the driver's seat. Getting from the front seat back into the coach, even with the board up in the cab-over is awkward and difficult with my long legs and petite size 13's. My young bride has no problem.With regard to driver seat comfort, we liked the F series truck based motorhomes much more than the E450 platform and even the Sprinter chassis are more roomy and comfortable. However, we liked everything else about the Lazy Daze better so my comfort at the wheel was deemed secondary.I think we made a good choice. When I get uncomfortable, we stop and I get out and stretch.Good luck with your choice.Harold 1 Likes
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #4 – June 10, 2017, 11:57:32 am Our 92 MB is on an E350, one of the most cramped configurations there is. I am 5-10 and find it just OK. While the coach is a good drive, the cab is not. We try to limit road time to 4 or 5 hours, about 250 miles, and that's working for us. The fellow we bought the Lazy Daze from is 6-4 and was cramped behind the wheel. When we need to make high mileage days, like we just did on a trip south, we take our converted ProMaster van, it is as good for driving those 600 mile days as the F350 we traded.
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #5 – June 10, 2017, 04:29:24 pm I'm 5'10" and find the room at the driver seat ok, kinda tight to get into the coach from the driver seat but doable. But the seat is not the most comfortable design for me. Has anyone changed out the seat to a different one? I love the seats in our 2011 Tahoe. Wonder if it is possible to change out the seat to one of these or another one?
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #6 – June 10, 2017, 04:53:45 pm RonAre you sure you gave that seat a fair evaluation?There are other controls beside forward and back!There is Lumbar, two buttons to raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion.There is two buttons to raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion.There is a four way control which will move the seat higher or lower and in addition also to move the seat forward and back.I'm 71" tall and when my seat is adjusted the way I like it there is plenty of additional adjustment for others.
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #7 – June 10, 2017, 05:18:37 pm At 5'11", the driver's seat in our 23.5' FL is just adequate, with seat all the way back. More legroom would be better.The complaint I and many others have is with the seat itself. The front lip of the seats sit too high and cuts off the circulation in the back of the legs, even with the electric seat adjusted. My wife's feet barely reach the floor, on the passenger side, requiring a floor spacer and a seat insert. Floor mats- Husky | FlickrI use a memory foam cushion, on the driver's seat, to raise the center of the seat, offsetting the tall front lip.FYI, the shape of the seats is specified by Ford. Combined with the dash's anti-submarining plates, it prevents the occupants from sliding under the dash, in case of an accident. Ford provides the seat's foam blanks with each cutaway, ready for covering. Some have had the seats disassembled to trim and lower the front lips.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #8 – June 10, 2017, 05:26:51 pm Larry said, "FYI, the shape of the seats is specified by Ford. Combined with the dash's anti-submarining plates, it prevents the occupants from sliding under the dash, in case of an accident."Once again, another reason why I appreciate the knowledge & experience on this site...I've read of some horrendous accidents (people under the dash, seat belts that pushed organs into the chest cavity as the passenger slid down, etc.)--I'll never be an engineer/DR/lawyer/Indian Chief, but I can play an awesome game of Trivial Pursuit with all the stuff in my mental attic. Lynne
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #9 – June 10, 2017, 05:40:04 pm Quote from: Larry Wade - June 10, 2017, 05:18:37 pmFYI, the shape of the seats is specified by Ford. Combined with the dash's anti-submarining plates, it prevents the occupants from sliding under the dash, in case of an accident. Along the lines of what Larry says, I would not change out front seats to non-OEM approved given safety concerns. When we had our '99, we used this to help make the driver more comfortable (I'm pretty sure we learned about it on the old Yahoo group) Tushcush
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #10 – June 10, 2017, 05:56:46 pm In our FJ40 with its 1978 seats and the Lazy Daze, Cyndy and I each sit on a Roho Airhawk truck seat. These things are amazingly comfortable ( I use the motorcycle version on my little dirt bike with its wooden plank-hard seat as well) and have lasted for many years. Made for long haul truckers, commercial airline pilots, and wheelchair occupants, as well.AIRHAWK Truck Seat Cushion | AirhawkThe E450 cab is still pretty uncomfortable...Harold
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #11 – July 06, 2017, 08:25:50 pm The one thing we didn't think to check when we were deciding to buy our E450 MB was how comfortable/uncomfortable the passenger seat would be for my 6'3" husband. He has found it to be very uncomfortable, both because he can't tilt the seat back farther back and because the footwell is so much smaller & shorter than he finds comfortable. We tend to drive several hours at a stretch (no pun intended) and he's pretty miserable by the end of the day.We've talked about modifying the back panel of the benchseat on the passenger side, maybe with some sort of slide configuration so he can tilt the passenger seat back while traveling and so we can still sit on both sides of the table for meals. Has anyone done anything like this?Susie
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #12 – July 07, 2017, 10:44:24 am Quote from: sdever2000 - July 06, 2017, 08:25:50 pmThe one thing we didn't think to check when we were deciding to buy our E450 MB was how comfortable/uncomfortable the passenger seat would be for my 6'3" husband. He has found it to be very uncomfortable, both because he can't tilt the seat back farther back and because the footwell is so much smaller & shorter than he finds comfortable. We tend to drive several hours at a stretch (no pun intended) and he's pretty miserable by the end of the day.SuzieThere isn't much that can done to increase the rearward travel of the passenger seat. The back if the dinette is in the way plus the seat bolts into a well reinforced area. It would require a lot of work to properly move the rear rearward, if the dinette was not in the wayHow about having your husband drive? It's the best suggestion I can offer.Larry
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #13 – July 07, 2017, 11:34:43 am I agree that the LD's seats are not comfortable, and the passenger side foot well is small and not "square" to the seat, at least in earlier LDs with the larger, "intrudes into the cab" doghouse. I've adjusted the driver's seat and seat back every which way and stuffed a pillow behind my back, and it's still a PITA (literally). Larry said: "The front lip of the seats sit too high and cuts off the circulation in the back of the legs, even with the electric seat adjusted." Bingo! Even stopping to stretch and walk around every couple hours doesn't alleviate the accumulated discomfort. I'm going to try a "TushCush", per Michelle's suggestion!
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #14 – July 08, 2017, 02:56:10 pm Well, it used to be that my husband preferred not to drive & I did. Now health problems mean that he can not drive... so he's stuck w the passenger side. We were talking about possibly having our friendly cabinetmaker take a look at converting the dinette seat back to be removable/replaceable so that the passenger seat back can tilt more to the rear & bench seat can still be used when needed. Honestly, we haven't looked closely at it so don't know if that's even in the realm of possibility. As for the driver's seat, I find it quite comfortable as long as I wedge an old tshirt under my right thigh where the foam has collapsed a bit. Maybe that's because I'm taller than you, Joan. 😊Susie
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #15 – July 09, 2017, 04:19:32 pm Susie said, "...wedge an old tshirt under my right thigh where the foam has collapsed a bit..."Thx for the idea--I'm only 5', but my driver's seat has the same problem--I wonder if POs used it as a step stool to the cabinet/entertainment center (I've got a folding step stool for that purpose). I've never been in the passenger's seat--just the 4-Legged alarm & a couple of passengers not much taller than I am...guess there might be a few benefits to being vertically challenged. Lynne
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #16 – July 09, 2017, 04:32:18 pm The discomfort of the LD seat is not a matter of height, mine or the seat's, IMO; it's the pitch of the seat bottom. The seat rises significantly from the back to the front and the front edge cuts into the back of one's legs. Tilting the seat front down and "forward" does little to correct this; the underlying problem is the configuration of the seat itself. (Pretty much the same reason as why I detest "Adirondack" chairs!) Using a wedge-shaped cushion apparently has improved the comfort for some, so that's worth a try. I do suggest stopping every couple hours when driving, getting out, stretching, and walking around; DVT is a real downer! 2 Likes
Re: Drivers seat question Reply #17 – July 09, 2017, 04:39:27 pm Quote from: JCT - July 09, 2017, 04:32:18 pmThe discomfort of the LD seat is not a matter of height, mine or the seat's, IMO; it's the pitch of the seat bottom. The seat rises significantly from the back to the front and the front edge cuts into the back of one's legs. Tilting the seat front down and "forward" does little to correct this; the underlying problem is the configuration of the seat itself. I do suggest stopping every couple hours when driving, getting out, stretching, and walking around; DVT is a real downer!Without adding a wedge cushion, after driving a few hours, I feel crippled when first exiting the cab, the back of my legs ache from the pressure of the seat's front edge. I try to get out at every rest stop and walking the perimeter of the facility to keep the blood circulating and to stay alert.Larry 2 Likes
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