2008 Dispatch Van seat repair?

[Tarquin]

The drivers seat bolster has worn from regular sliding in and out of the cab. I should have patched it when it started but didn't so there's a 4" hole and the foam is breaking down.

I've shown it to a vehicle upholsterer but he won't touch it, primarily he says, because the material is actually glued to the foam when it's manufactured, and that I need a completely new seat, or maybe just the whole pad?

I see from threads posted a few years ago that some models had new seat pads as a replacement part. Does anybody know if this was the case with the 2008 Dispatch, or have any bright ideas about a repair?

[Dormouse]

I used the right hand edge fabric from the passenger seat plus the foam edge when I changed to a different swivelling front passenger seat. Easy to stitch in the required panel and the materials were a match. You obviously have to dismantle both seat bases and seat fabrics and remove them if you are going to machine stitch them but, if you are prepared to hand stitch the repair panel, then the driver's seat could be done in situ. Tricky but it depends on your skills.

So, if you can find a matching passenger's seat, you can use the good seat base materials to repair the driver's one.

[Tarquin]

Cheers, but way beyond my ability.......

I have since found the shaped foam for the bottom pad being sold online but not the material cover...

[Dormouse]

Yes, you can get the seat foams. It is the fabric you will struggle with. Some people use fitted Motorhome seat covers to hide repairs to the seat base with non matching fabric. Proper fitted ones are not cheap though. A local upholsterer charges upwards of £600 to re-upholster motorhome seats - half leather from £800, full leather from £960. The from bit is due to the seat foam requirements.

PS that is per seat