Lumber supports - are yours rubbish?

Jeff_Brown

Jeff_Brown

Messages
18
Location
Beaconsfield
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 199
Hi All

I've just been told by a main dealer that the front seat lumber supports on the 6.1 are much less noticeable because they "are more padded".

Having owned multiple VW T5 vans. which had a very obvious lumber supports when fully adjusted, I find that hard to believe.

I have a 2019 6.1 and when fully up or down on the dial there is hardly any difference at all.

Are they just being lazy because I am asking for this under warranty?

Or is there an adjustment I can make myself?

Any advice appreciated!

Jeff
 
Hi All

I've just been told by a main dealer that the front seat lumber supports on the 6.1 are much less noticeable because they "are more padded".

Having owned multiple VW T5 vans. which had a very obvious lumber supports when fully adjusted, I find that hard to believe.

I have a 2019 6.1 and when fully up or down on the dial there is hardly any difference at all.

Are they just being lazy because I am asking for this under warranty?

Or is there an adjustment I can make myself?

Any advice appreciated!

Jeff
I concur. Mine feels like it does nothing at all, at either extreme of winding.
 
Hi All

I've just been told by a main dealer that the front seat lumber supports on the 6.1 are much less noticeable because they "are more padded".

Having owned multiple VW T5 vans. which had a very obvious lumber supports when fully adjusted, I find that hard to believe.

I have a 2019 6.1 and when fully up or down on the dial there is hardly any difference at all.

Are they just being lazy because I am asking for this under warranty?

Or is there an adjustment I can make myself?

Any advice appreciated!

Jeff
Lumbar support has been a non working option ever since the t5. Many people have tried to fix, but unsuccessfully. Some have changed to range rover seats but then they will not rotate. Don't think the workshop can do anything.
 
When I had my 2020 Ocean seats recovered the upholsterer reattached the lumbar support. He said that they are badly designed and fail easily.
 
Now i understand why I don't notice much difference whichever way I turn the knob...
 
I had my 2018 T6 seats recovered in leather with Gti side bolsters, and has made a massive difference in comfort/ support.
 
We have the 6.1 and ours fine. I don't like a support that feels like it's shoving my back forward too much so maybe that helps!
 
Hi All

I've just been told by a main dealer that the front seat lumber supports on the 6.1 are much less noticeable because they "are more padded".

Having owned multiple VW T5 vans. which had a very obvious lumber supports when fully adjusted, I find that hard to believe.

I have a 2019 6.1 and when fully up or down on the dial there is hardly any difference at all.

Are they just being lazy because I am asking for this under warranty?

Or is there an adjustment I can make myself?

Any advice appreciated!

Jeff
I thought mine was a volume control for the radio !
I rotated the knob to both extremes whilst stationary thinking I was missing the subtle support being gently arranged into the small of my back whilst driving. Anyway I couldn’t tell either way
 
Hi All

I've just been told by a main dealer that the front seat lumber supports on the 6.1 are much less noticeable because they "are more padded".

Having owned multiple VW T5 vans. which had a very obvious lumber supports when fully adjusted, I find that hard to believe.

I have a 2019 6.1 and when fully up or down on the dial there is hardly any difference at all.

Are they just being lazy because I am asking for this under warranty?

Or is there an adjustment I can make myself?

Any advice appreciated!

Jeff
The 6.1 seats are the worst seats I’ve ever sat in.
I use a 2” thick 14” square memory foam pad to stop my knees being higher than my backside.
And a 1” thick 12” squares hard’ish foam free from from some upholster’er in Quarry Bonk, against my lower back.
Now the seat is comfortable and I no longer get nerve spasm’s in my feet from sitting like I’m having a poo on a French hole in the ground.
When I get them recovered in 4 years, I’ll get the seats bolstered in and around me.
 
Agree with all the above.

I could drive for hours in my T5 and still not feel fatigued.

The T6.1 is a different story. I've never had back problems till this year. Now covered 5k miles and need regular physio!

The lumbar dial does do something on mine, but it appears to push into somewhere around the coccyx instead of the concave bit of the back where all other cars claiming to have lumbar support actually manage to target.

I always planned to get them recovered in full leather and I'm hoping that a good upholsterer will be able to improve things. Keen to hear any success stories...
 
I always planned to get them recovered in full leather and I'm hoping that a good upholsterer will be able to improve things. Keen to hear any success stories...
Not sure that would make a big enough difference. I think if it's that bad I would be looking at replacing with seats from an Audi. Others have made the switch in a Transporter.
 
I've seen on other threads that people have had luck with retrimming as a) a good upholsterer can add foam in the right places and b) the leather itself provides more support than the cloth.

Surely seats from an Audi wouldn't rotate?
 
Agree with all the above.

I could drive for hours in my T5 and still not feel fatigued.

The T6.1 is a different story. I've never had back problems till this year. Now covered 5k miles and need regular physio!

The lumbar dial does do something on mine, but it appears to push into somewhere around the coccyx instead of the concave bit of the back where all other cars claiming to have lumbar support actually manage to target.

I always planned to get them recovered in full leather and I'm hoping that a good upholsterer will be able to improve things. Keen to hear any success stories...
One of the reasons I had to sell mine :(
No seat height adjustment and lumbar
Why would you have lumbar adjustment pushing on your coccyx. It was ridiculous.
 
I've seen on other threads that people have had luck with retrimming as a) a good upholsterer can add foam in the right places and b) the leather itself provides more support than the cloth.

Surely seats from an Audi wouldn't rotate?
So long as you use the Calis rails and base it will rotate.
 
So long as you use the Calis rails and base it will rotate.
I looked long and hard into this.
Rang a few good converters and they didn’t want to know.
It’s a real faff. No real way of wiring up the airbag in the side of the seat of Audi / Skoda.
Would have to buy another swivel from a guy from Facebook.
Then the seat bolt holes into the rail, are not the same.
It was too much even for me, and I’m an engineer.
They would always be a compromise.
And I wasn’t prepared to risk it in an accident or a warranty issue.
So that’s a no from me :(
But if you’re out of warranty and want to take a risk, it’s a free world. ;)
 
One of the reasons I had to sell mine :(
No seat height adjustment and lumbar
Why would you have lumbar adjustment pushing on your coccyx. It was ridiculous.
Oh no!

Did you try reupholstering or seat swapping?

(I can quite understand if not as it's fairly outrageous that a van costing this much has seats this terrible)
 
Oh no!

Did you try reupholstering or seat swapping?

(I can quite understand if not as it's fairly outrageous that a van costing this much has seats this terrible)
Ignore the question about seat swapping; just saw your answer above

But did you investigate reupholstering?
 
Oh no!

Did you try reupholstering or seat swapping?

(I can quite understand if not as it's fairly outrageous that a van costing this much has seats this terrible)
Sold the Ocean 4Motion. Gutted.
But saving for the T7 Ocean.
The MV seat is height adjustable and has really good lumbar support in the small of the back.
Which is great !
So fingers crossed !
 
Ignore the question about seat swapping; just saw your answer above

But did you investigate reupholstering?
I had a guy lined up who is moving from Portsmouth to Shropshire who can adjust and add foam and reupholster.
I can send you his number if your near Shropshire ?
 
Try the modified front seats from Seatsurgeons, you might be pleasantly surprised, not cheap but better than selling the van
 

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