I've got new seat covers for my 79 Westy in the original plaid pattern. They are from the German Camper Company and well made. I've also got new padding. I'm having trouble getting the bottom covers on. Early seats are different so Jimbo the Westy Man's guide on JK doesn't work for me. You have to compress the springs somehow and fold the edge of the cover over into a channel which is visible in the last picture above . There is a cardboard strip sewn along the edge of the vinyl which keeps it in place. Although you might think cardboard is a pretty cheap idea, the old original covers have it too. With new covers and padding it's all too tight. Even with two people I can't hold the springs compressed long enough to tuck all the cover in, and I risk tearing the vinyl and also the cardboard strip. So is there a special technique for this?
I had my son 'smash'- compres ours down when I redid ours,just slowly work my way around,since they're vinyl you might want to let them sit in the sun to warm up a bit so the stretch a little (more pliable)
I ended up standing on mine in order to compress it enough to feed the cardboard bits in. Found that moving my weight around to compress the bit i was working on more helped a lot. Good luck - was a hard job bit looks great when done. Nick.
Thanks for the encouragement, but still no sucess. I've even invented a spring press in the hope of tucking the cover in but it's a good couple of inches out at the back. It's the correct size BTW but it has a thin layer of foam under the fabric which the original doesn't. Is it best to start at the front or the back? Starting at the front I get 3/4 of the way to the back, but then can't manage any more. Beginning at the back it comes out again as I advance forward.
All I can suggest is keep trying. I remember it was a total sod of a job and did take ages with lots of sweating and swearing. Think I did the back first. The balancing on it and shifting my weight around was what got me there in the end - shifting balance slightly so that the back was kept slightly tight while the front was compressed. Depressingly I need to do mine again - they have come out now that i've started using the van and jumping in and out of the seats. Think the carboard on mine wasn't quite as thick as the originals and so this time am going to jam something else in there to stop them comjng out again.
BTW - with the felt and foam I used the padding was much thicker than the original and so i'm sure you will get them on with your foam. My blog entry from fitting them is here in case it's any help: http://peasoupcampervan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/front-seats.html You can see in the pics how thick my foam is!
