Ok im trying to narrow down my seat options and need some experienced input.
Im limiting myself to Villa with integrated seatbelt or ISRI with integrated seatbelt.
Villa has a lot of options $$$$$ but its like driving a lazyboy down the road.
ISRI 6832-870 is a bus drivers seat with some options $$$ and it looks more like a professional euro seat.
ISRI has heat and cooling... Villa has heat.
How important is footrests? full recline?
How important is Air Ride?
My back is looking for the smoothest ride.
My bus is air shift automatic / air throttle.
I want the integrated seat belts and swivels. One driver and three passenger.
Its going to be expensive so I dont want to make a bad decision... Any feedback is appreciated!
I had a Viila for years they are a nice seat but not the most comfortable for driving.the seat bottom part is to long IMO
Look at shop4seats.com I too,am looking at replacing the upper part of my Air Ride seat and these folks seem to be pretty reasonable.
We replaced our front seats with new takeouts from an RV dealer in Junction City, Oregon several years back. Got a great deal on power seats with everything but the base, which we didn't need anyway. I do like the idea of a foot rest on the drivers seat though. Or a full recline position for the driver like a Lazy Boy. Long trips would be a breeeeeeze. :o
Whichever seat you get, make sure you sit in for a while to see how it fits your body before you buy it. The proportions of the bottoms and backs can vary a lot, and you might be sitting in it for years. The choice of upholstery is an important consideration. Some like leather, some like vinyl or fabric. Which ever you choose, consider how they will feel after sitting on it for hours. There should be adequate ventilation of body moisture. I venture that it is the most important seat in the coach. ;)
I found a Bostrom seat on craigslist. The BackCycler ( continuously inflates and deflates the lumbar region ) really helps on long trips.
I will most definitely choose the cooled seat option on the next seat.
First do you have enough room for a large drivers seat? When I changed the drivers seat in my Eagle and the MCI it was a major project to carve out enough room to put the large base into the area.
I had 4 different driver's seats in the Eagle and so far 2 in the MCI. By far the best driver's seat is the Isri. That is what I ended up with in the Eagle. If I find a Isri at the right price the MCI will have one in it. A large seat like the Villa isn't good as a drivers seat because it doesn't fit good. They are too big and the seat is too long.
JMO
Jack
Should have said that the wife loves her seats to go with all electric movements and foot rest.
I have a Bostrum Air Ride Talledaga...and I love it.
It adjusts for any position/body type...the "seat" section has an adjustable end for longer or shorter legs and up/down angles; adjustable lumbar support; heat and cool; up, down and swivel. You can control the firmness of the ride, etc. One of the best, if not the best, purchases dad ever made.
But my favorite feature is that it allows me to position myself so I'm at a proper angle to the wheel and pedals. Dad was 6'5"...I am 5'9". And with the length of time spent in that spot, I also believe it's the most important seat on the bus.
Most of those great looking RV driver's chairs are just that-great looking. Try to find a truck seat. My favorite is the standard driver's seat that is now installed in Freightliner Cascadias. Lots of adjustments and can extend the seat bottom for better leg support. If I can fit the seat in my truck, I'll use that. Otherwise will just keep my Bostroms. Good Luck, TomC
x2 Tom's comment.
A proper seat, intended for a bus or truck.
In being witness to many retrofits, the old school seats take up significantly less space, and the driving positions were designed around that.
And, I find many of these modern chairs do not go low enough for short drivers, or the old school "sit on the floor" types. The top travel height of these chairs is ridiculously high, why we can't have all that travel down where humans can use it...?
I prefer to be lower, and rarely inflate the suspension on a modern chair, and I wish I could use it more.
I have seen suitable low chair suspension in a Peterbilt truck, but have researched no further.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Thanks everyone!
Is an air ride seat noticeably smoother than a non air ride seat in an air ride bus?
Quote from: Darkspeed on July 15, 2017, 03:02:15 PM
Thanks everyone!
Is an air ride seat noticeably smoother than a non air ride seat in an air ride bus?
YES
Ok I guess it is ISRI!
Anyone know of the best place to order from?
The euro version bus driver model actually comes with a swivel..
Just an FYI:
At the transit property I worked at, the USSC Group seats had the lowest back injury workman's comp claims, whereas the Recaros had the most. We didn't have any Isri seats in the newer fleet, but the oldest Flxs (77's) had non-air ride Nationals - another seat we didn't have any work comp claims from.
Here's a link to the USSC Group for you to consider:
http://www.usscgroup.com/division/ussc-group-operator-seating/ (http://www.usscgroup.com/division/ussc-group-operator-seating/)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Quote from: daddysgirl on July 15, 2017, 09:29:39 AM
I have a Bostrum Air Ride Talledaga...and I love it.
It adjusts for any position/body type...the "seat" section has an adjustable end for longer or shorter legs and up/down angles; adjustable lumbar support; heat and cool; up, down and swivel. You can control the firmness of the ride, etc. One of the best, if not the best, purchases dad ever made.
But my favorite feature is that it allows me to position myself so I'm at a proper angle to the wheel and pedals. Dad was 6'5"...I am 5'9". And with the length of time spent in that spot, I also believe it's the most important seat on the bus.
I had a Talledaga in my semi, loved it at first then, not so much. The ride was great. I'm not all that big but I found the seat bottom too narrow and my thighs would ache after 4 or 5 hours. I have a Bostrom wide ride in the bus. It's basically the same as a Talledaga but the seat bottom is wider between the side bolsters. Makes all the difference in the world.
I read in a RV'ers rag the most average seat time in RV is 5 hours or less a day of driving,it is not like you are a over the road tour bus driver or a trucker
That is a good point - get the seat that suits your needs, not someone else's.
I wish I had enough vacation to be able to have only 5 hours in the seat. As it is now, we usually plan our trips around 8 to 10 hours drive time. This allows more time at the destination. ;D
The right seat makes all the difference in how well I feel at the end of the day.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170716/2632d546ac11a68f38870e7d7be7c648.jpg)
I keep toying with the idea of a new seat and found one on craigslist but the guy would not take a photo of it from the side. I never bothered going to see it.
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We had an air ride seat I borrowed for a month. Absolutely LOVED it. Will be buying one soon. You can't have a soft enough ride in my opinion. Set the pressure just right and it will absorb the ups and downs without bouncing you up and down
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Quote from: Scott & Heather on July 16, 2017, 08:53:30 PM
We had an air ride seat I borrowed for a month. Absolutely LOVED it. Will be buying one soon. You can't have a soft enough ride in my opinion. Set the pressure just right and it will absorb the ups and downs without bouncing you up and down
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I think you're over rating air seats. I have one at work on my normal work bus. I drive others occasionally. I notice no difference in the ride.
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I was thinking there was a noticeable difference. Im going to see if I can find an ISRI seat to sit in.
I was talking to a trucker friend and he said that a lot of the good quality seats on the market are rebranded ISRI seats.
Apparently the Minimizer seat is a ISRI seat in disguise. > http://www.minimizer.com/product-category/in-the-truck/seats/ (http://www.minimizer.com/product-category/in-the-truck/seats/)
I was also going to look at http://knoedler.com/ (http://knoedler.com/) but there were a number of quality complaints online and they did not have integrated seatbelt.
Because these are integrated seat belt i will need to fabricate some sort of structural subframe in the floor for them to safely connect to.
All 23 trucks we have here are Freightliner Cascadia's and Coronado's and all have the Isri. None of my guys complain of soreness in their backs or thighs, even after 8-12 hours of seat time every day.
I myself will most certainly be using a pair of Isri's.
Ryan.
I just finished driving a 10 day charter in a Prevost with an Isri air seat. Infinitely adjustable everywhere. Not too big. Great seat. I should look for one for my 5C conversion.
JC
Oh, and it is a good thing that bus (2016 H3-45), has an air seat: it rides rough with the solid front axle that Prevost has gone back to. The new MCI J4500 rides a lot nicer with the independent front suspension.
JC
Wish they had these in the US.
https://isri.nl/en/category/bus-and-trucks/6860-875-nts-2/
I had 2 new villa seats in the m c i and they were way to soft with crappy support so I ended up re stuffing them with firmer foam and all was good . the seats in the featherlite are villa as well but they have just enough support for long drives
( 10-16 hrs a day ) when on the road ( sit have to work for a living )
when not driving they are nice to sit in , we turn the passenger seat to face the driver seat so it is a lot easer to get in and out when parked , as for the driver seat it never worked to turn it around in either coach so we move it as far forward as we can
this works for us
dave
Quote from: Darkspeed on July 19, 2017, 08:43:32 AM
Wish they had these in the US.
https://isri.nl/en/category/bus-and-trucks/6860-875-nts-2/
You can get a Isri seat in this country, all you need is about $1600.00 and up to get one. I think the are the best seat you can have. I have a new Peterbilt seat in my MCI, but as soon as I find a good used Isri it will be replaced.
Jack
I can get the ISRI 6832-870 I just have not found any ISRI 6860-875-NTS2's
They may not be approved for the US... unless i could smuggle them in
Quote from: Darkspeed on July 19, 2017, 08:43:32 AM
Wish they had these in the US.
https://isri.nl/en/category/bus-and-trucks/6860-875-nts-2/
Have you seen the very similar seat in the newer Prevost? Shoulder belt integral to the seat back, same as that picture?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Quote from: buswarrior on July 19, 2017, 05:12:23 PM
Have you seen the very similar seat in the newer Prevost? Shoulder belt integral to the seat back, same as that picture?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
yes they are a custom upholstery ISRI 6832-870