my seats are killing my back

i have standard seats currently... both singles

they are on the full height seat base with sportscraft swivels.

i regularly drive for 3+ hours and the seats are murdering my back....

in particular i think the front of the seat is too high.

going to try removing the swivel for next weeks drive to see if the lower seat height is more comfortable, if it is then i will just buy the lower height seat bases (designed for the suspension seats)

here is a suspension seat i have seen on ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seat-Merc...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a83fbeaa3 scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the adjustment options on these bad boys

what im wondering is if the additional adjustments that these seats get can be retrofitted to my current seats (i think lumbar and the ability to raise lower the front of the seat)

Any help GREATLY appreciated...

Db

What year is your van? My 02 and 13 seats look like they have/had the same adjustments less the suspension knob. Both Sprinters I owned have the height adjustment and the seat cushion adjusts to support your hamstring at the front. I thought I had standard seats. If you don't have this adjustment. There may be another option other than suspension so you can keep your swivels. Both models seats are very comfortable to me on continuos long trips or 3+ hours drive time but in and out all day.

mine is a 2008 - has the height adjustment of the bottom part of the seat - ratchet handle & then the knob to adjust the angle of the backrest - that is all...

suspension seats appear to have another handle which i guess adjusts the height of the front of the bottom of the seat.

Danny,

We have a 2012 3500 with Mercedes swivel seats that the RV converter has recovered in Ultra Leather and I have similar problems. I think the seats were designed for tall people and I am only 5'8". My biggest problem is that the seat is too high and my thighs start to ache after a time. Are you saying that the swivel can be removed to lower the seat?

I took mine out the first month I owned the van. The Mercedesseats are THE WORST. I installed RV captain chairs with memory foam ( same thing they use for astronauts ).
With the original seats I would need to stop every dew hours and relieve my legs and backs. With the new seats I can go till I need fuel.

3mbusa are they the OEM swivels, which would mean you have the reduced height seat box? Mine are aftermarket swivels I put in when I converted the van.

Kendall Any links to the rv seats you had fitted? I'm in the UK and we don't have much choice for aftermarket rv seats. Importing would most likely hurt my wallet as much as my back is sore!

Cheers

Db

Db,

I was led to believe that these are MB swivel seats that were covered in Ultra Leather by the after-market RV upfitter to match the other upholstery in they used in the van.

3mbusa said:

Db,

I was led to believe that these are MB swivel seats that were covered in Ultra Leather by the after-market RV upfitter to match the other upholstery in they used in the van.

Click to expand...

thanks 3mbusa; i am trying to establish whether the issue im having with the seats is caused by the nearly 2" increase in height due to swivel. if so an easy and (relatively) cheap option to me is to get some reduced height seat bases. see here:

I am like you not the tallest person on earth - 5"10

http://www.ourexcellentadventures.com/2008/10/23/lowering-the-navigators-seat/

Pretty please could you tell me if you have the taller or shorter seat box in the above link. it would be v much appreciated.

Thanks

Db

Db,

The van is in storage, however I should be moving it to a new location shortly and I will certainly take a look at the seat base. I have a couple of questions.

Are the similar bases available for the driver's side (left)? Also were they ordered directly from the MB dealer? And most importantly do you know the height of either of the bases so that I can measure and determine which ones I have?

This sounds like a good possibility; I sure would like to lower my seat some. I will have to measure the amount of up and down travel that I now have available because I am sure a 3 in. drop would be way too much; but maybe it can be decreased with the available adjustment in the seat? Thanks for the lead.

Just a point!
Maybe its you!~
Have you seen a chiropractor of late !
Don't laugh or sneer!

Now I know here in the US the medical profession thinks that all this is quackery even my daughter Lauren W MD has measured responses BUT
I once had a serious "RTA" accident in Egypt doing damage to my neck and spine. Back in the UK a very senior orthopedic surgeon recognized that my spine was out of whack. Having had some serious manipulation in Liverpool under sedation I was returned as new to long distance travelling in an old Landrover without lumbar discomfort in my case.

As he put it unless your nerve endings are passing out to your vital organs without obstruction especially the sacral area and pinching of nerves will result with you cannot function properly and pain/discomfort will always be the result!
Worth considering!?
Dennis

Dennis,

I don't have a back problem it is the back of my thighs because my feet just barely reach the floor -- what part of the seat is too high do you not understand?

Dennis, valid point.

3m don't take it the wrong way he's only trying to help.

I'm young fit and healthy. I'm not sure I want to see a chiropractor with the complaint- my back hurts when I drive for long distances in my van only...

I suspect the seats not my back. I also suspect the bulk of the problem is caused by the extra height the swivels give that I just don't need, in particular the front of the seat, that and the complete lack of lumbar support!

What I'm trying to find out in this thread is the least expensive option to get a seat that satisfies me!

Replacing the seat with an aftermarket solution would be a waste of cash if it transpires that the seat height is just too tall for me. Likewise if I change the base to a shorter one and still have problems with the seat then I'm still no better off!

Should have removed the sports craft swivel while I was at home over the weekend, just didn't get around to it! And now I'm back on the road I don't have the correct tools with me.

It appears the additional adjustments the suspension seats get is the ability to adjust the height of the front of the seat and add lumbar, others on here have said the suspension seats are brill, because of the huge range of adjustment.

So my question again has anyone retrofitted any adjustments to the seats?

I would rather exhaust the forum than start throwing large amounts of cash at the problem. Cash that quite frankly I would rather blow on other stuff.

Thanks

Dan

I have captains chairs and for some reason they are so uncomfortable that 3 hours is now a long drive. I have played with the seat a lot as it has all the adjustments and plenty of cushioning .I think it is actually the steering wheel position that is the problem.

Db,

I went out to move the van today and it would appear that I have the shorter bases. I am still curious as to if I can remove the swivel to lower the driver's seat. With the RV layout we have the driver seat can only turn half way around to face the right side of the van -- not a great use of the swivel option so it might be worth it to lose that capability?

3mbusa said:

Db,

I went out to move the van today and it would appear that I have the shorter bases. I am still curious as to if I can remove the swivel to lower the driver's seat. With the RV layout we have the driver seat can only turn half way around to face the right side of the van -- not a great use of the swivel option so it might be worth it to lose that capability?

Click to expand...

3m I've never seen the factory swivels if I'm honest not even a pic, but if you have the swivel plate on top of the base then it most likely can be removed and take the height down an inch or so.

Take a pic of you can and I will try and advise!

Dan

Dan:

I have the factory swivel seats that came with the reduced-height seat base. The base is 5 3/4 inches high at the front. I'm pretty sure this is the same base that comes with the suspension seats... I have the standard seats.

Hope this helps you. JJ

i thought i would update this thread to help others, i have tried various seat bases that my local MB parts store have ordered for me (they have been excellent) sadly none of the reduced height seat bases fit the sportscraft swivel without modification. its the handbrake bracket that the swivel fouls.

(the MB swivel is much taller than the sportscraft version)

back to the drawing board. i may get my original full height bases modified by an inch or so.

Db

Danny,

You do know that the handbrake lever folds back down out of the way of the swiveling seat when set by pushing it straight down?

To update this thread I was down at my local scrap yard and I spotted a Saab 9-3. I used to have a Saab so I know how good the seats were & they were leather.... Bonus!

Anyway I parted with a few English pounds (not many) and took them home. They mounted easily onto the sports craft swivels.....Drill holes and bolt. (although they won't fit a standard seat box without a swivel, without some form of additional fabrication)

These seats have a multitude of adjustments, in particular you can raise / lower the height/ angle of the of the seat base. (the bit your bum is on) this is an infinite improvement over the basic cargo seats.

Bonza!

kendall69 said:

I took mine out the first month I owned the van. The Mercedesseats are THE WORST. I installed RV captain chairs with memory foam ( same thing they use for astronauts ).
With the original seats I would need to stop every dew hours and relieve my legs and backs. With the new seats I can go till I need fuel.

Click to expand...

What seats did you use to replace the stock ones with.