Community Forums

emcee · 03-24-2021, 12:50 PM

Many of us have experienced the disappointment of peeling or flaking fake leather (pleather) fabrics. There are many threads about this on this forum. Various theories have been offered as to the cause. I recently installed new seating in my motorhome and since it appeared to be covered with this same type of fabric, I wanted to know if there was any way to prevent this failure in the future. This particular fabric had some info imprinted on the back which allowed me to determine the exact product and manufacturer. I contacted them and learned (what others have already stated on this forum) that the fabric is not defective, it is failing because the wrong (less durable) fabric has been specified for this (recreational vehicle) application. Here is the correspondence:

Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2021 6:48 PM
To: info@fabserv.com
Subject: Preventative maintenance for Halo fabric
Hello,

We just received furniture for our RV that is covered with fabric called "Austin Grey" with "Halo Fabric Services" printed on it. The fabric on our previous furniture was flaking off after only a couple of years. Is there any maintenance, maybe some type of fabric preservative (Aerospace 303 protectant?), that can be applied which will help avoid the flaking issue in the future?

From: Don Wade <dwade@fabserv.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 8:17 AM
Subject: RE: Preventative maintenance for Halo fabric

Halo is a polyurethane coated fabric. Polyurethane is a biodegradable plastic. There is no protectant that can prevent hydrolysis which is the process of biodegrading. In fact, protectants will adversely change the surface properties and are not recommended.
PU coated fabrics are made with various levels of hydrolysis resistance built into their formula. Austin is a mid-level formula product while the vast majority of PU sold into the RV market is residential grade which has the least resistance to hydrolysis.

Austin has been on the market since 2007 and has performed remarkably well with very few warranty claims for hydrolysis even over such a long period of time. If you have any problems with our product, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

Please find our recommended cleaning instructions included in this email as an attachment.

Thanks and best regards,
Don

Don Wade
VP Design and Development

103 Hinsdale Farms Rd.
Bristol, IN 46507 USA
574.848.5100

shootist · 03-24-2021, 04:23 PM

Ultraleather is a polycarbonate polyurethane surface. Doesn't flake but it does cost 65 a yard too.

chunker · 03-24-2021, 06:35 PM

What you had was likely bonded leather. Pure junk, look it up.

hohenwald48 · 03-25-2021, 07:49 AM

Don Wade, like every other manufacturer involved with the whole peeling upholstery debacle that found it's way into the RV market over the last several years, wants to blame the whole issue on someone else.

Everybody claims "our product is top quality so it's not our fault". Yet, the upholstery continues to fall apart.

I think I'm going to go back to purple velvet seat covers.

Winemaker2 · 03-25-2021, 08:10 AM

Emcee
To me it is refreshing to have a manuf at admit that their product is a mid level product. That says at least they are honest and not claiming theirs is "top of the line" as some would... at least to the consumer.
Thanks for posting

Teamfoxy · 03-26-2021, 08:05 AM

Bottom line is to go to Lazy Boy and buy furniture made from real leather. It comes apart enough to get through RV doors and lasts.

Pete1985 · 03-26-2021, 09:43 AM

Lazy days sucks I had it in my house and the dye wore off I got a love seat for my RV and that peeled and that stuff is not cheep.

egwilly · 03-26-2021, 11:33 AM

In my opinion, all furniture made for RV use sucks.

I replace it when it starts to flake with real furniture for homes.

Kick to the curb, someone will take it, and spend $$$ recovering it.