Community Forums

SSweet · 11-08-2015, 09:26 PM

My husband is 6'4 ( long legs) and is having a hard time getting comfortable driving more than a couple hours in our 2015 Coachmen Leprechaun (Ford cab). The slide is right behind the seat where he can't tilt the back by having the seat pushed all the way back to accommodate his legs. The seat cuts really short under his thighs as well causing his legs to cramp. Sitting on a firm pillow has helped, but not great. Has anyone found solutions to similar issues? Maybe changing the seat for more power options and a longer seat base?

robillard · 11-09-2015, 04:35 AM

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution, but I can surely commiserate... One of the Ford-based class Cs we rented in the past had a silly pointless bulkhead behind the seat that restricted it from going back far enough to make me comfortable. There was plenty of space behind the bulkhead, and it could have easily been removed, and I've no idea why it was there (not structural, and not part of the chassis), but it made the driving experience pretty much unacceptable.

Manufacturers -- even for RVs -- really don't take the needs of the tall into consideration. Most vehicles when I sit in them at the lowest seat position, I cannot see traffic lights, because I'm usually staring at the top of the windshield...

Murf2u · 11-09-2015, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robillard

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution, but I can surely commiserate... One of the Ford-based class Cs we rented in the past had a silly pointless bulkhead behind the seat that restricted it from going back far enough to make me comfortable. There was plenty of space behind the bulkhead, and it could have easily been removed, and I've no idea why it was there (not structural, and not part of the chassis), but it made the driving experience pretty much unacceptable.

Manufacturers -- even for RVs -- really don't take the needs of the tall into consideration. Most vehicles when I sit in them at the lowest seat position, I cannot see traffic lights, because I'm usually staring at the top of the windshield...

I think you'll find that bulkhead is very much a structural item. It stiffens the cab (no back wall) and body (no front wall) from racking (twisting).

robillard · 11-10-2015, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murf2u

I think you'll find that bulkhead is very much a structural item. It stiffens the cab (no back wall) and body (no front wall) from racking (twisting).

Interesting, I had no idea, thanks! I guess some of the other class C RVs I've rented in the past must have had this bulkhead farther back, thus not restricting the driver's seat from going back far enough, so I never noticed.

Beabop · 11-10-2015, 07:02 PM

Our Winnebago has the dinette behind the drivers seat, the dinette back has a hinge to to allow the seat to move back further. I'm short so have the opposite problem.

Robert L · 11-13-2015, 04:14 AM

I hope you find a solution. When shopping for a 2015 Leprechaun, we look at both Ford and Chevy cabs, The Chevy was the way to go for us, added a few inches of driver leg room and a smaller doghouse, plus more legroom (width) for the passenger.

Rode better too

Good luck

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSweet

My husband is 6'4 ( long legs) and is having a hard time getting comfortable driving more than a couple hours in our 2015 Coachmen Leprechaun (Ford cab). The slide is right behind the seat where he can't tilt the back by having the seat pushed all the way back to accommodate his legs. The seat cuts really short under his thighs as well causing his legs to cramp. Sitting on a firm pillow has helped, but not great. Has anyone found solutions to similar issues? Maybe changing the seat for more power options and a longer seat base?

OlYeller · 11-17-2015, 10:53 AM

I'm 6'1" and when we were looking at RVs this was a big issue for us in a lot of Ford Chassis Class C's. We selected the Winnebago Aspect 26A which didn't have a bulkhead behind the driver's seat. It was on an E450 chassis and I find the legroom quite comfortable. I also realize that none of this helps you with your issue.

I have read where some have added square steel tubing under the seat raising it an inch or two which may help adjust the seating position. More drastic approaches involve cutting into what is behind the seat and gaining a few inches of seat travel. If it is structural I wonder how Winnie got around removing it completely like they did on ours.

ARC · 11-20-2015, 11:52 PM

I feel your husband's pain. Our C also has the slide right behind the driver and you can't recline or slide the seat back much, and I'm barely 6 feet tall. What I do is drive barefoot so I can slide the seat forward some so I can recline the back as much as it will allow.

I hate to say this but if he is 6'4" you probably bought the wrong MH.

SSweet · 11-21-2015, 07:33 AM

Thanks for the responses. I see we're not alone with this issue.

kayserc · 11-23-2015, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSweet

My husband is 6'4 ( long legs) and is having a hard time getting comfortable driving more than a couple hours in our 2015 Coachmen Leprechaun (Ford cab). The slide is right behind the seat where he can't tilt the back by having the seat pushed all the way back to accommodate his legs. The seat cuts really short under his thighs as well causing his legs to cramp. Sitting on a firm pillow has helped, but not great. Has anyone found solutions to similar issues? Maybe changing the seat for more power options and a longer seat base?

Oh boy! This one hits home! I am looking to downsize to a 24' Class C or even a B but the Ford front ends all seem to have insufficient leg room. I am 6'3" but was very surprised when I test drove several Itasca Navions with the Mercedez front end. ALL had the most leg room of ANY class C I have driven or owned (I owned two class C's with E450 front ends). I recommend you test drive the Navion OR Winnebago View. Same MH just different nameplate. Good Luck!!

Tiny Dog · 11-23-2015, 03:28 PM

I raised my seat about an inch and a half by putting spacers under the seat brackets. This not only supported my legs better but also improved the view out the windshield,

Mr_D · 11-23-2015, 03:38 PM

We had a '97 Type C Ford rig. Seats were terrible, had a shop replace them with FlexSteel ones and what a great improvement! The Ford seats had no support for the thighs and we had to use our leg muscles to stay in the seat.

robillard · 11-23-2015, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayserc

Oh boy! This one hits home! I am looking to downsize to a 24' Class C or even a B but the Ford front ends all seem to have insufficient leg room. I am 6'3" but was very surprised when I test drove several Itasca Navions with the Mercedez front end. ALL had the most leg room of ANY class C I have driven or owned (I owned two class C's with E450 front ends). I recommend you test drive the Navion OR Winnebago View. Same MH just different nameplate. Good Luck!!

Funny you should mention this, as we found the same thing. I'm 6'3", and hated most of the Fords, but even found the Chevys uncomfortable. We ended up getting a View, and I love the drivers seat. Lots of legroom, and I can see out of the windshield just fine. So I quite agree with kayserc here.

SSweet · 11-26-2015, 08:15 PM

We'll definitely look into the spacers suggestion and we're currently researching changing out the seat. We really like our RV (except for this issue), but did go to a sales lot and tried the Mercedes cab. It was better, but not the floor plan of that particular one (at least for us). We've also read reviews for the Phoenix Cruiser which had specifically addressed this very issue. They have "wings" that spread out from the body behind the seat before the slide. It gives the driver unlimited room for seat adjustments. I haven't found anything negative about the quality of these. We are heading to the Super RV show in Tampa in January and looking forward to checking this line out.
Thank you everyone for the advice and support.