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RV 7 interior comfort

joew

Well Known Member
Folks,
In an effort not to create bad vibes. In your opinion, which seats are best (biggest bang for the buck). Those who use their RVs for travel, do you wish you did anything differently. If you have a head rest, do you find it useful or in the way?

I've looked at Cleaveland, Flightline and Classic. I'm leaning toward the Aviator seats. I can't swing their full interior, but can probably get their nice seats plus their starter interior package.

Just wondering what your opinions are since you guys are actually flying.

Then there is the leather, fake leather or cloth debate. Again, opinion and pros/cons.

Just looking for help in making a decision based on others direct experience.

Thanks in advance,

Joe
 
I'm sure things have changed over the years but I did a hybrid.

I got the full cloth interior package (minus seats) from Abby at Flightline and had her send extra fabric. The seats and stick boots came from Luke at Classic. I wanted the faux leather with cloth inserts that matched the interior.

BTW.. This was back in 2004-2005
 
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How was the comfort on a long XC. Is the faux leather holding up? Anything you wish you did differently?
 
I have FlightLine Interior's full package in leather with the comfort foam upgrade. A recent XC from Savannah, GA (KLHW) to San Antonio, TX (1T8) took about 8 hours with a stop near New Orleans (KAPS). Fifteen Kt headwinds didn't help. I was quite comfortable but after about 4 hours, I was wishing for a bit softer seat, mostly because there is little room to move around in a -7. I have some head room available and am considering another thinner cushion on top of the existing seat for days like these.

The following day, my brother and I flew from 1T8 to Clarion, PA (KAXQ), which took another 8 hours with a stop after 3.8 near Memphis, TN (KNQA) and another stop after 2 hours in Indiana (0I8) with a final 2 hour leg to the destination. Again, very comfortable but I would not have liked two straight days of two 4 hr legs. We had 20-30 Kt tail winds on this leg, which helped.

I plan to add the Anti-Splat "Almost -14 Mod" to get more leg room for myself and taller passengers. I am 5' 8" and set my rudder pedals up for me but taller folks are a bit squeezed space.

When in the Army as a Blackhawk crew-chief in the 160th, we flew lots of 4 hour flights on nothing but a thin piece of material strapped over an aluminium frame. I'm spoiled now. :D
 
I have the Classic Aviator seats and interior in my 9A and I do lots of cross country. The seats are great and well worth the money. If you can afford it buy the best seats you can and I think the Aviators are the best. The interior was surprising in how much it improved my comfort level in the airplane. Carpet is a no-brainer since its relatively inexpensive and acts as a sound dampener. The biggest improvement was the side panels next to the seats...they make a HUGE difference in comfort because they insulate the side wall from the seating area. Less heat in the summer and less cold in the winter. Baggage interior(except carpet) and fwd floor side panels are good on the eyes but don't add much to the comfort level.

Head rest...no use to the pilot but my sleeping passenger uses it frequently. It does make it harder to reach into the baggage area so if you get head rests be sure and get the Supertrack mod (assuming you have a slider).
 
Joe,

My 7A had the std vans seat foam covered in cloth. I thought that was comfortable "enough" for about 800 hrs. Then, I built a -7 and put the classic aero aviator seats in it covered in the faux leather. Big difference to me. Good wear resistance on the faux leather. The fabric showed signs of stitch stretching at some of the seams. Rotate your cushions if you fly solo a lot. The foam difference and lumbar adjustment was noticeable for sure. The price is also a BIG difference. Did not try the head rest option.

Another thing to consider for total comfort is how your knees contact other things in the cockpit in your most comfortable seated position. The boost pump dog house / fuel selector housing, extended switch panels, left side spar cap, etc. can be the little things that drive you crazy after and hour or so. Anything you can do to change the geometry of areas your knees will contact to a more pleasant feel is time well spent. A padded, robust armrest (not the vans flimsy structure) areas are nice also in the Ohio winters.

When its really cold OAT and your knee sits on the left side vertical spar cap for a while and goes numb, you'll wish it was insulated and padded. The same for the selector area digging into your right knee when you are kicked back cruising.

Hope it helps,

Jeff
 
The Faux Leather held up very well as did Flightlines interior. I sold the plane after flying it for almost 11 years and 1100 hours. The Aero Classic guys did a great job on my seats using their faux leather (black) and the fabric I supplied from Abby. I also had them install the seat warmers which my wife absolutely loved here in MI.

Gary
 
I went with the Oregon Aero Memory foam, not flying yet but I have done some hangar flying.

This was based on lots of research I did at time on threads here, and the Oregon Aero foam always had good reviews.

Most vendors make great stuff. I would spend all I could on seats and cut back on the others panels to start, easy to add them later.
 
Not all every body is the same - that might lead you one direction or the other. I selected Oregon Aero seats (Abby unholstered them) and Classic Aero interior. Just remember you are building your plane, so get your seat. Not just a standard.

I have lower back trouble when sitting in car seats etc, and built a buck, sat in it for hours at a time to test it. Oregon Aero modified the seat foam (I just paid shipping) per a discussion and a detailed request. I am expecting great things!

You might get some loaners from the suppliers and do a test of your own.
 
RV6A Tipper: I cut about 2.5 inches off the top of the seat backs to minimize interference over the horizontal rail. Makes loading/un-loading MUCH easier. Have never missed what I cut off. Had the seat cushions cut down and resown also.
 
Thank you everyone for the quick responses. Always great info. It is my plane and every body is truly different. I'm just trying to get pros and cons. I'm only going to get older (hopefully), and my wife already has some back issues, so comfort is important.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond
 
Late last year, I did the new seat/sheepskin upgrade from Cleveland over the faux leather from another purveyor that came with the bird...figger'ed if that was good enough for the day job (airline gig) and I liked what I sat on there...it would work in the RV.

Between that and the upgraded foam the Cleveland folks use, the wife and I are enjoying our new membership in the Happy Bottom Riding Club!

Dos pulgares arriba!
 
I love my Oregon Aero foam seats. I've done many a long flight and never have any comfort issues. I have flown in other RV's and the standard foam is horrible.
I had Abby at Flightline cover mine in Ultraleather, which is a synthetic. Super looking and very durable.
 
I've flown right seat in Raymo's RV7A, and like it. I think 1.5 is the longest time aloft, so that really doesnt qualify. He has Abby's Flightline seats.
I'm not sure what I want, but have talked with Abby a few times.
Maybe someone has some RV7 seat at OSH I can sit in to see the differences.

Tom
 
Some input and ideas

I have the vans foam covered by Oregon Aero as part of their package which includes the padded armrests, very good people to work with. The seats are OK for a couple of hours but then it gets a little uncomfortable. I have a -7 and am 6' 3" and even with the rudder pedals as far forward as I could and the seat as far back my legs get a bit cramped. As mentioned earlier the fuel selector cover box digs into the side of the knee on the right and the vertical fuselage member digs into the knee on the left :eek: In addition the throttle and mixture cables prevent you from moving your legs over to the passenger side. Net result is that it is not easy to move around a lot when things get a bit cramped up.

One of my flying buddies did the RV-14 mod on his -7 and loves it but finds that it does make it harder to get in and out.

My next trick (Oshkosh) is to use a foam cushion on the seat to see if that helps relieve pressure, I just used them on a trip from Tulsa to Santa Fe in my Boxster where I did about 2500 miles in 4 days and they worked like a champ, they were foam kneel pads I found on Amazon.

Based on my experience I would go for some kind of fairly thick memory foam and pad the various protrusions in the cockpit to prevent leg bruising.

This discomfort is of course all offset by the sheer pleasure of flying the RV:D
Figs
 
+1

I have the Classic Aviator seats and interior in my 9A and I do lots of cross country. The seats are great and well worth the money. If you can afford it buy the best seats you can and I think the Aviators are the best. The interior was surprising in how much it improved my comfort level in the airplane. Carpet is a no-brainer since its relatively inexpensive and acts as a sound dampener. The biggest improvement was the side panels next to the seats...they make a HUGE difference in comfort because they insulate the side wall from the seating area. Less heat in the summer and less cold in the winter. Baggage interior(except carpet) and fwd floor side panels are good on the eyes but don't add much to the comfort level.

Head rest...no use to the pilot but my sleeping passenger uses it frequently. It does make it harder to reach into the baggage area so if you get head rests be sure and get the Supertrack mod (assuming you have a slider).

Agree with everything above and would add that not only do the side panels add insulation and aesthetics...lots of good pockets provided on the Classic Aero system.

I am quite happy with the sportsman seats w/o head rest, as stated, the pilot won't use the headrest anyway, and my sweetie uses a small pillow. The advantage to no head rest is entry and egress (slider) where I have handles on the roll bar you can hold yourself getting 1st foot in then sit on the cross bar/top of seat back, swing you second leg in and then slide down into the seat. My 83 yr old Mom can do this process quit easy and though sort of possible when I tried it on seats with headrest...much better with out. YMMV

Also have tipup/slider mod which I am very happy with.
 
Not to drift the thread too much.. Does anyone have experience with RV seats with a tailbone (coccyx) cutout on the aft edge of the seat cushion?

I bunged my tailbone when I was in 6th grade when someone thought it was funny to pull the chair out from under me when sitting down, and it's never been the same since. Flying commercial, I find that the lack of ability to move around in the seat makes get pretty uncomfortable after about 4 hrs. Airline seats seem to conspire to put the pressure exactly on the wrong spot.

A cutout seems like a great idea .. any in-flight experiences?
 
Not to drift the thread too much.. Does anyone have experience with RV seats with a tailbone (coccyx) cutout on the aft edge of the seat cushion?

I bunged my tailbone when I was in 6th grade when someone thought it was funny to pull the chair out from under me when sitting down, and it's never been the same since. Flying commercial, I find that the lack of ability to move around in the seat makes get pretty uncomfortable after about 4 hrs. Airline seats seem to conspire to put the pressure exactly on the wrong spot.

A cutout seems like a great idea .. any in-flight experiences?

I've felt your pain. Lived about two years with a coccyx injury and as you say, airline seats were the worst. Perhaps you have sought out treatment for this but if not there is chiropractic adjustments that can fix this, some rather precarious from the inside:eek: some as simple as rolling on a tennis ball. nonetheless, eventually I was able to Slip things back in place and come to think of it have been pain free in that area for 5 or 6 years. That pain and fatigue was the worse for a long time. Hopefully you can get that fixed. I do think a cutout in the seat would help though. I used to sit on one of those neck sleepy things turned backwards on the airlines, helped the coccyx but less comfortable elsewhere.
 
I have Classic Aero and they are average... better than an old cessna however:(

Hi Antonio,

Your comment really caught me off guard. Feedback on our Aviator seats has been overwhelmingly positive over the years. Some customers have even wished that we made seats for their other aircraft or automobiles.

The goal of our Aviator seats is not to be average, but to offer the most comfortable seating option available. Please help us understand what the issue is that you are experiencing, and how we can address it. We've made dozens of changes to improve our seats over the last 14 years. Your input may help us make the next improvement, and provide you with the comfort you would expect from Aviator seats.

Best regards,
 
Hi Antonio,

Your comment really caught me off guard. Feedback on our Aviator seats has been overwhelmingly positive over the years. Some customers have even wished that we made seats for their other aircraft or automobiles.

The goal of our Aviator seats is not to be average, but to offer the most comfortable seating option available. Please help us understand what the issue is that you are experiencing, and how we can address it. We've made dozens of changes to improve our seats over the last 14 years. Your input may help us make the next improvement, and provide you with the comfort you would expect from Aviator seats.

Best regards,

I have classic aero interior in my -7, it looks amazing and is extremely comfortable on the long hauls. The added lumbar support is a very nice option! I'm just about to pull the trigger on the baggage compartment panels to finish my interior off. I've been working with Jeremiah and he's extremely helpful and attentive. Keep up the great work Classic Aero!
 
Classic Aero

I had the stock seats with Abby's covering for approximately 400 hours. During some refurbishing, I decided to go with the Classic aero seats and interior. There is absolutely no comparison!!! Most of my flying is cross country so comfort is paramount. After flying with the Classic Aero, I wish I had done it from the get go. The full interior fits perfectly. I also had the seat bolster for pilot and passenger. Only marginal fatigue factor from 3.5 to 4 hours in the seat. With the stock seats I had a hard time getting comfortable.

On my new 7 I went with Classic Aero again. I worked with Jeremiah and Luke. I needed a couple of custom made pieces. They worked with me on getting this right.

Please understand that this is not a knock on Abby's work. Her covering was perfect and with better seat material this may be a way to go as a lower cost interior. I think the key with any of the interiors is the quality of the seat material.

I like the work ethic and customer service Classic Aero provided. You won't be disappointed.
 
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