Comfortable seats in habitation

wildebus said:
The Froli Adjustable Headrest that Charlie.linked to could also work well if fitted upside down and vertically to the back of a seat (just a thought there)

I wish I could find more info on how it works - it does look just what I was looking for.
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upside down.... there's a clever thought and its not too expensive either......
 
davep10000 said:
Delicagirl,
Just added pictures of my 2 Delicas to my profile!!
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thanks Davep - so you have 2 delicas??? lucky man..... i struggle with technology and dont have time at the moment to photo and try to download internal pics of my van but its a little bit different to yours.

i have two double seats on either side of my dining table, and at right angles to them is one double seat immediately to the right of the step up into the hab unit. if i take the table out the two seats' 4 cushions get rearranged for a mattress - but its not flat so not terribly comfy - hence i sleep uptop. i also have a spare giant upholstered unit the size of the full length of the hab from the rear of cab through to the bathroom which "infills" the whole of the interior to make a bed capable of fitting probably 4-5 japanese and/or 3 drunken UK layabouts !!

I also have a gas fire at floor level opposite the bathroom door, and above that is a cupboard which was shelving but have made it into a wardrobe. The japanese used it to house a TV - and the side panel of the cupboard had a removable panel to allow viewing of the screen. i dont have a TV. it would be great to meet up at some stage with vans... there are so few of us around !!!!

excited now...... !!!!
 
There seem to be an infinite number of combinations in these little japanese conversions!
Our double seat facing the table reclines so is fairly comfy (It also turns over to face forward when travelling - there are seat belts for all 6 seats).

Our L300 is even smaller than yours - only 4.7m long, and 1.9m wide, but has everything in it we need.

Like you, we tend to use the over cab bed, as its plenty big enough for two.

There are plenty of Delicas up here in Scotland (mainly the newer L400) - I was parked up (by chance) with 2 others a few weekends ago.

If you are ever in SW Scotland let us know, and we can recommend some great wild camps (small vehicles only!!).

If you need any technical advice on Delicas, let me know.

Dave.
 
davep10000 said:
There seem to be an infinite number of combinations in these little japanese conversions!
Our double seat facing the table reclines so is fairly comfy (It also turns over to face forward when travelling - there are seat belts for all 6 seats).

Our L300 is even smaller than yours - only 4.7m long, and 1.9m wide, but has everything in it we need.

Like you, we tend to use the over cab bed, as its plenty big enough for two.

There are plenty of Delicas up here in Scotland (mainly the newer L400) - I was parked up (by chance) with 2 others a few weekends ago.

If you are ever in SW Scotland let us know, and we can recommend some great wild camps (small vehicles only!!).

If you need any technical advice on Delicas, let me know.

Dave.
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Hi i think mine is a L500 on a JB500 base - does that make sense? it was made in 1993. i hadn't realised other similar models were smaller.... mine is 2.85 tall; 2.18 wide and 4.93 long. How do you heat yours ? Do you have a toilet? i put a 100 solar panel onto mine and will be adding another one soon. i also have 2 leisure batteries and there is room for a third if i need it.

i met a great family in Blackford near Dunblane. He loved my van and had a delica 7 seater - but wanted a MOHO but not too sure if his partner did. He gave me some parts for mine. i was last in Scotland 2 years ago - at that time i was an Uni part time and so had to return to Somerset, but i got my degree last year, so the world is now my lobster as they say. PM me your contact details and i can keep in touch by phone as i dont find wifi very easy when away....
 
delicagirl said:
How do you heat yours ? Do you have a toilet? ....
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Its got a webasto Diesel heater, and also a rear heater and separate rear aircon unit run from the engine.
Water heating is from a heat exchanger.
The loo is a movable portaloo in the shower room. All very compact, but everything we need, and more.

Dave.
 
Chainsaw Charlie said:
The retro fit adjustable tilt bed base ?
Froli RETROFIT HEADREST, Froli Sleep System, Caravan equipment, Motorhome equipment, campervan cInterior Equipment for cab, campervan, caravan, Arm Rests, Dash Board Kit, Bed Bases, Bunk Equipment, Cab Equipment, Carpets Mats, Curtains, Rail & Runners, External Blinds, Froli Sleep System, Froli Sleep System, Internal Blinds, Internal Storage, Seat Swivels, Tables Legs, Window Stays,
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Just a little update .... bought a pair of these from grasshopper following Charlies posting and arrived yesterday.

The mechanism works EXACTLY as I was hoping :cool1: :banana:

Lift up and back raises a little. Repeat 5 more times. Lift once more and back drops virtually flat again.
It would have been REALLY good if it raised more each time, but that's getting a bit picky. Just what I was after for myself on the bed.


As far as a back support goes on a seat, I would think they might do the job there as well if you needed an adjustable back, but cushions probably better?
 
delicagirl said:
Has anyone else had a go at this type of internal chair re-design - or do i just need another £50k+ for a new van :lol-053::lol-053::lol-053:?
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You could, but odds are it would be little better.
Not read the entire thread, so apologies if this has been posted already.
It's not just the seat backs, you also need to look at the base, these are often flat which is not good.
As for cutting foam, as posted earlier, a electric craving knife works well.
 
delicagirl said:
Hi - my Delica has very "upright-vertical-horizontal" deep foam seating either side of my dining table/lounge (when table is removed). It is not fabulously comfortable for lounging in because of the upright back. ~i have a satisfactory method of putting my feet up, which helps for reading in the evening, but, the Vertical back...... mmm ... i have devised all sorts of angular supportive bits n bobs to try to "angleise" my back support.... a sausage type long cushion at bum level / a pilates blue rubber ball at mid back level / a variety of cushions at the back and at the side of my thighs for arm-supports... but i have not quite cracked the final design for real comfort.

Lockers are underneath all the seating and so there's a flat hard board under the foam to protect the batteries/water tank etc etc.

i have more space upwards from the seats if that helps those clever designers who hang round here to come up with a new angle on this...... (sorry re pun just could not resist!)

Has anyone else had a go at this type of internal chair re-design - or do i just need another £50k+ for a new van :lol-053::lol-053::lol-053:?
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It's not clear whether you placed the sausage-type long cushion in front of or behind your seat back. On a yacht that I used to own, the seat back was angled by means of a wooden strip (part of the original design) running lengthways behind the bottom of the seat back. Would this sort of system be any good? You could experiment initially with something easily removable to see what sort of angle is required for comfort.
 
Dowel said:
Have you had a search for ergonomics of seating or of sofas, chairs etc, whatever comes closest to your needs?

These might be of interest:

The Geometry of Comfort
The Geometry of Futon Comfort

Sitting and Chair Design
Ergonomics of sitting

Our Top 3 Sofa Back Supports
Our Top 3 Sofa Back Supports - Helping You Sit In Comfort

Sorry there are lots of inches in the first which you will be too young to remember but hope some of it might be useful or entertaining

:)
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These were really interesting articles.... especially ""A reclined position is important for both comfort and health. Herman Miller, the company that designed the Aeron chair, has conducted extensive research in the area of seating comfort. They found that most people, regardless of gender, height and weight, prefer sitting in a reclined position. In one study, “All sitters chose substantially reclined postures, with backrest angles averaging 25 degrees from the vertical".

This "angleness" of a seat was the reason i concluded that my habitation seating was not too comfortable. Many thanks
 
All photographs of any improvement will be gratefully received Collette!:eek::eek:
 
when you think about you have got the wrong van for your needs. The Rear U shaped lounge styles are good but normally have to do bed up every night and after years of doing this you get fed up, and nowhere for bedding etc. So lots of van now have rear french bed - great, but they all have these ridiculous upright seats which are awful. Only Autotrails and Bessecar do the side facing loungers - the perfect solution. Bed in Back with a good practical solution for living area. If you are not carrying pax, then this is the only way you are going to be anywhere near comfortable. Sell you mine for £50,001 problem solved.
 
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Midage i sleep above the cab so dont have to make up a bed each night - phew - can i put a £5 deposit on your kind offer and pay youat £8.32.5p per month please ? :fun:
 
i have been given such a wide array of brilliant ideas... thanks to all who have contributed and researched on my behalf... one idea led me to another and then someone else came up with a different angle... and so i learny new ways of looking at comfort and my van's configuration....

i have two bench seats opposite each other (facing towards the cab and the rear kitchen). My huge table fills in the gap when i am writing and need my "office table ". This area can also accommodate a double bed for if i have Ahem... guests. :have fun:

Installing one-off "house chairs " was an interesting new idea would be very difficult as underneath all my benches i have storage/batteries/electrics/gas ... none of which can be easily re-sited to accommodate a chair. Anchorage would be an added difficulty.

So looking at all the ergonomic and back support products triggered another idea for back support when considering my van's layout.


In the house i have a new bedsettee. When in settee mode there are two very large and high-backed, professionally buttoned, well upholstered and shaped cushions which are zipped onto the rear frame. These are incredibly comfy to sit on/lean on.

So i have taken one into the van, and placed it at the back of my deepest bench seat. Having spent an hour in there reading today it was really comfy. I think this may be just the ticket !! i will report further progress when i have used it a few times and discovered if "in the wild" it works as well as on my drive.

it's hard to think laterally about adapting things from my home (which will not be used when i am away vanning) to camp with - as we are all so used to buying "purpose-made-highly-overpriced-Campervan-Stuff !!!

If this works in the long term... It will have been a great free addition to my facilities. i will of course then need to find a match for the pink material which abounds in my mobile lovenest so that i can cover the settee cushion to match....

thanks everyone
 
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Brilliant! If it works and you want to match you just need a loose cover or even a throw ha ha
 
delicagirl said:
thanks james... sadly my van cant use the cab seats... even if it could the cab is FREEZING - tis a mitsubishi truck.... so my curtains and insulation between cab-hab is really thick...
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I never use the Hab' seats unless to eat at the table, we use the driving seats, more comfortable and we do not get a sore neck watching the TV over our shoulders, on the bulkhead for the loo area. We could take the hab' seat out move the table and get a much better sitting area. MMMM! there's an idea now
 
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