Upholstery cracked and peeling - fake leather

[Luke Moseley]

Originally Posted by dennis4

Does anyone out there have faux leather upholstery cracking & peeling?
My 2016 ForestRiver Wildwood sofa bed is falling apart. The faux leather is also used as trim around the back of the dinette. It is also cracking & peeling. Have not used any harsh chemicals on surface. Have not exposed it to excessive sunlight.
Called the dealership where it was purchased. Service guy called the warranty company to see if it was still covered or if there had been a recall. Was told they had several complaints about the same problem, but no recall has been issued.
What should I do?

Our 2014 Lexington had a similar issue. The driver and passenger captain chairs we covered with Carhartt canvas seat covers. They look great. The seat cushions in the dinette we had recovered by a local boat cover shop. The material is far superior to what came from FR. The jack knife sofa we replaced with recliners that are far more comfortable.

[Carl Coleman]

The sofa & any area with the vinyl is peeling & cracking. Last year our trailer sat for one year without being used after a sudden death in family and was so alarmed to find in early summer how bad our sofa was. I assume it is just best to have it recovered?

[Malojeer]

Most rv manufacturers are using bonded leather on their furniture.
I was in the vinyl and leather repair business for 12 years. Bonded leather is the worst material ever and will not last more than a couple of years at the most under optimum conditions. When I have a choice of material I opt for cloth coverings as they will outlast bonded leather many times over

[Carl Coleman]

MALOJEER - thank you. I am in the process of getting estimates.

[J William Bishop]

I came across this thread searching for a source for Forest River fabrics (and color Identifications)... I have a job in the shop now that consists of 2 reclining chairs a sofa and four cushions from the dinette in a forest river unit - 5 years old and peeling. The exact replacement fabric (my cost 9.95 a yard) is just as likely to peel so I found similar pattern/color in marine vinyl (my cost 14.95 a yard).


The above posts are quite accurate - time is the enemy of bonded faux leather regardless of how you care for it. The RV industry uses this material for both cost and weight. The weight difference is not that bad - I weighed a yard of marine grade and a yard of RV and saw only a couple ounces difference. Maybe two lbs for the entire 10 yd job. Katskin faux leather by the yard is about 26 a yard to me but has a REAL subtle feel, I dont think it will peel - same material used in OEM Chrysler products BUT look at almost 35 a yard retail cost.



The client decided rather than match the peeling cushions to the unpeeled trim and frame covers - to just pony up the extra for me to retrim with my material. Cost?


Well he priced the replacement furniture and for that price I can recover his interior TWICE lol. I got him for 1300.00 labor (30% jobber discount) and 10 yds @20 compared to just over 4000 for replacement. got him another 200 for the trim and will use scrap off from his purchased yardage. SO out the door with tax at just under 2K.



This is the second Forest River unit brought to me this summer (other job was an upgrade to REAL leather on the sofa and chair seat surfaces and automotive match vinyl everywhere else) - both with same original material and both 5 years old or younger. The common denominators are 1. heat during storage and 2. body oils.


Whatever the cause I HIGHLY recommend getting with a local craftsman and recovering with better material rather than buying replacement which will have the same issue repeat. I have boats that I've done that get extreme amounts of UV, sweat, body oils, tan lotion and rain and in service more than 10 years. No reason to stay with same material!


Hope you find my input helpful!


John
J William Stitchcraft
Corsicana TX