Opinions on Drivers cockpit seating geometry. Leg room for long trips?

[Lostranger]

My Gillig H2000LF has both tilting column and a Recaro seat which adjusts in about any imaginable way. I find myself making minor tweaks often while driving. Last week I was in a scrap yard in Atlanta which had several transits awaiting the crusher. All had setups similar to mine. You might look into adapting both items from a late model transit.

Jim H

[luvrbus]

Tom, I went through several brands of bus and truck seats with air rides,I finally had Villia build me a non air ride seat with all the goodies and installed a telescoping and tilt wheel and adjusted the angle on the throttle and brake pedal to fit me that worked for me.

I don't care much for a air ride seat in a bus for me they were hard to get in and out of with the drivers section dropped on a Eagle JMO

[RJ]

Tom -

The least invasive seating position is basically a combination of right angles.  By doing so, you decrease the impact on your lower back, which then reduces the risk of lower back injury/pain - which none of us want to put up with.

Ideally you should sit in such a way that a straight vertical line exists between your ear, shoulder and hip.  Hip to knee should be at a right angle to that, parallel with the coach floor when your foot is resting on it.  Your lower leg should be at another vertical right angle, but realistically, most bus seat/steering wheel combinations preclude that.  However, studies have shown that if you can keep your lower leg to about a 15^o or less forward angle from vertical, using your knee as the pivot point, that's still within the acceptable range for maximum comfort and minimum long-term problems.

I am not fond of air ride seats in a coach, since the ride's so comfortable anyway.  The constantly changing angles between hip, knee and foot is aggravating and invasive.  It's no wonder transit drivers go out on workman's comp claims for lower back injuries from putting eight hours a day in these things.  Even worse if you have a manual gearbox!

IBME that the best ergonomic OEM seating was in GMC highway models, MCIs, Crown & Gillig skoolies.  The worst were Eagles, Prevosts and Gillig Phantom transits.  Flxibles & GMC transits were somewhere in-between.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[muldoonman]

My 91 Prevost has a lever you push and pull down for tilt. not much help but a little. Have electric seats and that helps also.

[dbldragon]

 I have not done many miles in my bus yet (91mci102a3) but it is a ok fit for now . Has tilt and tel.column .I also have bad knees and have raised the stock seat as high as it will go . I'm also on the small side (5 9 165) so cramped doesn't usually become a issue for me . I am a upholsterer by trade so tweaking a seat is done to most of my vehicles.

[akroyaleagle]

We still have the same seats I bought from Camping World 18 years ago.
They are upholstered and recline, slide fore and aft and swivel.
They never get hot or cold and are absolutely comfortable.
I have spent some looong days in those seats.
I bought new leather seats but took them out after one short trip.
Momma wanted hers back, they sit side by side and match. She went back and sat on the sofa.
I didn't like them either.

I installed tilt telescoping steering wheel a couple of years ago. Scuttlebutt had it that it would be more difficult to steer with the smaller wheel. Balderdash! It drives the same and I fit better behind it.

Most of us are the only one that ever sits in the driver seat. Get one you like! The next owner, if any, can replace it if it doesn't suit them.

I too, think an air seat is unnecessary in a coach. I like them in trucks but they do nothing to make the ride better in a coach and like Clifford said, It would be harder to get in them as they stow at the max heighth.