hog_hauler
Expert Expediter
I'm in the process of buying a new truck and am having trouble deciding on leather or cloth interiors. Any comments on the subject would be appreciated.
leather or cloth interior
- Thread starter hog_hauler
- Start date
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Unless you like sticking to the seat with your sweat, go with cloth.
TeamDrivers2
Expert Expediter
I just had new seats installed 2 weeks ago while running up 95.
Picked them up at Suburban Auto Seat in Lodi,N.J. The salesman gave us directions to an installer directly down the street from the store and we were back on the road within 45 mins.
Our biggest debate was /leather -vs- cloth
Once i sat in a SEARS ELITE 80 SERIES wrapped in leather, it was a done deal. Very expensive !!! But lets face it, its the place we spend more time than our mattress. The leather will wear better,last longer,cleans easier,and OOOH what a feeling & smells nice too
I'd never consider going back to cloth, never.
Picked them up at Suburban Auto Seat in Lodi,N.J. The salesman gave us directions to an installer directly down the street from the store and we were back on the road within 45 mins.
Our biggest debate was /leather -vs- cloth
Once i sat in a SEARS ELITE 80 SERIES wrapped in leather, it was a done deal. Very expensive !!! But lets face it, its the place we spend more time than our mattress. The leather will wear better,last longer,cleans easier,and OOOH what a feeling & smells nice too
I'd never consider going back to cloth, never.
TheGoodGuy
Expert Expediter
First thing we upgraded after we purchased our FL70 was the driver's seat. It was a new soft glove leather Bostrum wide ride. This seat had been removed from a new Peterbilt 379(too big for the little lady that had ordered the truck).
Not only did we get a great deal on the seat, but it was as comfortable as my leather recliner at home. What a premo ride, I do miss it.
Best investment I made in that truck. Hmmmmmmmm now if i can just get one to fit in our Sprinter......
God Bless America
Not only did we get a great deal on the seat, but it was as comfortable as my leather recliner at home. What a premo ride, I do miss it.
Best investment I made in that truck. Hmmmmmmmm now if i can just get one to fit in our Sprinter......
God Bless America
romoore245
Expert Expediter
We changed out one of our cloth seats with a non cloth one. We did sweat a lot, from the material, but after fifty thousands miles the seat still sits as if it were installed yesterday. Seems the cloth lets the foam break down faster. If we decide to spring for leather or not next time is to be seen, but never cloth.
The truck we're driving now is a few years old. It has leather seats. The seats were not maintained. The leather is now cracked and ugly on the surface. While the truck is in otherwise good shape, the seats make it look much older and beat up than it is. Leather seats require more upkeep than cloth. As others mentioned, leather seats are less comfortable too. Having used both cloth and leather seats, cloth is our preference.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
Great debate….. my preference is actually leather. There is nothing like a properly treated, smooth soft leather to sit on. Heated seats are really the best.
Just to pass on some knowledge that I picked up through the years.
Dirt, sweat, wear all are a problem with cloth and leather seats.
The thing is that sweat can break down the foam under the cloth. Dirt can be steam cleaned but wear can not always be fixed (ripped seems, etc..). it is comfortable in the most of the times but they don’t make too many heated cloth seats now a days.
Leather on the other hand can be cleaned easier and is a lot tougher than cloth, but the weak point is the seams. I have seen some really poor jobs where the seams split due to the lack of knowledge on how to use leather. Depending on how the hide is processed and dyed, keeping it from cracking can be easily done. Cracking is not only caused by lack of moisture but also sweat which contains salt. There are leather feeds, most work but the best is Connolly leather food which expensive but really worth it. Now these guys Connolly have been around since 1858 and their hides are used in Roll-Royce, Ferraris, and other high cost autos. Others who own ride horses, there is a big difference in leather and treating your seat like a saddle shortens the life of the hide.
Just to pass on some knowledge that I picked up through the years.
Dirt, sweat, wear all are a problem with cloth and leather seats.
The thing is that sweat can break down the foam under the cloth. Dirt can be steam cleaned but wear can not always be fixed (ripped seems, etc..). it is comfortable in the most of the times but they don’t make too many heated cloth seats now a days.
Leather on the other hand can be cleaned easier and is a lot tougher than cloth, but the weak point is the seams. I have seen some really poor jobs where the seams split due to the lack of knowledge on how to use leather. Depending on how the hide is processed and dyed, keeping it from cracking can be easily done. Cracking is not only caused by lack of moisture but also sweat which contains salt. There are leather feeds, most work but the best is Connolly leather food which expensive but really worth it. Now these guys Connolly have been around since 1858 and their hides are used in Roll-Royce, Ferraris, and other high cost autos. Others who own ride horses, there is a big difference in leather and treating your seat like a saddle shortens the life of the hide.
TheGoodGuy
Expert Expediter
Its all just personal preference.....
God Bless America
God Bless America
Preciate the info on maintaining leather - I just replaced the driver's cloth seat with a nice leather one, after I broke the armrest. I didn't know that seat leather isn't the same as saddle leather - but then, I also didn't know that the seats are male or female - mine has a skirt on! Which I've come to like for kicking annoying stuff like my shoes & purse under
Leather is supposed to maintain a fairly constant temp, when we lived up north we got heated seats in our Camry and they felt great on a sore back .
Now we are in Florida and have a Lexus with A/C in the seats but the leather is always cool when we get in the car....maybe that guy was talking about pleather..that sticky vinyl leather stuff.
Ricardo Monthalbon used to be on those Chrysler Cordoba commercials advertising "rich corinthian leather" whats a corinthian? is that like an Artesian?
Sweating on a cloth seat? Ewwww, where does the sweat go? sweat doesnt soak into leather.
dukesadog
Now we are in Florida and have a Lexus with A/C in the seats but the leather is always cool when we get in the car....maybe that guy was talking about pleather..that sticky vinyl leather stuff.
Ricardo Monthalbon used to be on those Chrysler Cordoba commercials advertising "rich corinthian leather" whats a corinthian? is that like an Artesian?
Sweating on a cloth seat? Ewwww, where does the sweat go? sweat doesnt soak into leather.
dukesadog
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
Found some stuff on Corinthian leather.
answers.com on the Chrysler Cordoba: ("Corinthian leather" was a meaningless term invented for the purpose, but the term has come to mean leather with a vinyl surface treatment that requires little care)
cnn.com says Neil Diamond has a Corinthian leather voice. Does that mean it's a fraud? He made up his voice just to sell albums?
Apparently, Spud, from spudstravels.com says that the Corinthians made fine leather bucket seats, that ended up being exported greatly in use for the '78 Cordoba. I think Spud just made that up to sound intellegent. I mean... a place that's noted for making luxury bucket seats? As opposed to ottomans?
Chewbacca's fur was made from rich Corinthian leather. Just kidding. I made that one up. It was actually Mohair, I think. Though many believed it to be Curlyhair. Personally, I think he would've looked better in Shemphair. :7
answers.com on the Chrysler Cordoba: ("Corinthian leather" was a meaningless term invented for the purpose, but the term has come to mean leather with a vinyl surface treatment that requires little care)
cnn.com says Neil Diamond has a Corinthian leather voice. Does that mean it's a fraud? He made up his voice just to sell albums?
Apparently, Spud, from spudstravels.com says that the Corinthians made fine leather bucket seats, that ended up being exported greatly in use for the '78 Cordoba. I think Spud just made that up to sound intellegent. I mean... a place that's noted for making luxury bucket seats? As opposed to ottomans?
Chewbacca's fur was made from rich Corinthian leather. Just kidding. I made that one up. It was actually Mohair, I think. Though many believed it to be Curlyhair. Personally, I think he would've looked better in Shemphair. :7
You gotta give mad respect to the lowly ottoman. Somehow it ended up with its own empire.