# RV Upholstery Serving Tustin: Recover, Rebuild or Replace > Whether to recover or replace RV seating depends on the frame and the foam, not the fabric. A sound frame is worth recovering; a failed recline mechanism usually is not. Furniture replacement covering theater seats, sofas and dinettes runs $750 to $8,500 at OCRV Center in Yorba Linda near Tustin. Source: https://ocrv.biz/rv-upholstery/ Business: OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. (949) 799-3387. Serving Tustin, California. Ballpark range: $750 to $8,500. Posted rates at https://ocrv.biz/prices/ ## Should you recover the seat or replace it? Inspect three things in this order and the answer becomes obvious. - **The frame.** Wood frames that have loosened at the joints can be reglued and refastened. A cracked frame member or a rusted steel base is a replacement. - **The mechanism.** On theater seats and recliners, a failed powered actuator or a worn manual push back mechanism is often the deciding factor. Mechanisms are frequently model specific and no longer available, and a beautifully recovered seat that will not recline is not a success. - **The foam.** Foam compresses permanently and does not recover. It is replaceable and inexpensive relative to labor, so foam alone never justifies replacing furniture. Recovering wins when the frame and mechanism are sound, because the labor is comparable and the result fits the space exactly, which matters in a vehicle where nothing is a standard size. Replacement wins when the mechanism has failed or the layout is changing. Furniture replacement runs $750 to $8,500 and 4 to 25 labor hours, from the [posted rate card](/prices/). ## What materials actually survive in an RV? The interior of a parked coach in Southern California reaches temperatures a house never sees, with direct sun through large windows. That rules out several materials that work fine indoors. - **Marine grade vinyl.** The default for good reason: ultraviolet inhibitors, mildew resistance, and it cleans without special products. Modern versions no longer feel like the vinyl people remember from older coaches. - **Solution dyed performance fabric.** Colour goes through the fibre rather than sitting on it, so fading is dramatically slower. The right answer where a fabric look is wanted. - **Full grain leather.** Works, requires conditioning, and dries out faster in an RV than in a house. - **Bonded leather.** Avoid. It is a polyurethane layer over a backing, and in a hot coach it peels in sheets. A large share of the seating we are asked to recover is failed bonded leather from the factory. Foam choice matters as much as covering. Higher density foam costs a little more and holds shape years longer, which is the difference between a seat that still supports you and one that has flattened at the front edge. ## What upholstery work comes up beyond seating? Four things, and the last one surprises people. **Dinette cushions.** These do double duty as a bed on many floor plans, so they need firmer foam than a seat cushion and a covering that tolerates being slept on. Replacing them is one of the highest value changes per dollar in an RV interior. **Cabover and bunk mattresses.** Usually a low quality factory foam slab in an odd size. Recutting to a proper foam in the same dimensions transforms how the vehicle sleeps. **Captain chairs.** Driver and passenger seats on pedestals with swivel and slide bases. Recovering these is more involved than a lounge chair because the bases and, on some coaches, seat belt anchorages are integrated. **Headliner and wall panel fabric.** The sagging ceiling in an older coach is adhesive failure, not fabric failure. The panel comes down, the old foam backing is removed completely, and new material is bonded to the board. Headliner and wall panel repair or replacement runs $500 to $5,500 and 3 to 22 labor hours. ## How does upholstery fit into a larger interior project? Last, always. Soft goods go in after cabinetry, flooring and countertops are complete, because everything before them generates dust, requires floor protection and involves tools moving through the space. New upholstery installed early gets covered, scuffed or worked around. That sequencing is worth planning even on a small job. If flooring is on your list for next season, do the upholstery after it rather than before. If you are considering a wider refresh, the scoping and budgeting guidance is on [RV remodel](/rv-remodel/), and the trade detail is on the [interior remodeling service page](/services/interior-remodeling/). To scope upholstery work, photographs of each piece plus a note on what has failed is enough to start. Include a shot of any mechanism underneath a recliner, since availability of that part often determines the recommendation. Send them through the [quote request form](/contact/). ## Questions ### Can you match the existing fabric in my coach? Sometimes exactly, more often closely, and occasionally the better answer is to change all the pieces in that area rather than chase a discontinued pattern. Factory RV fabrics turn over quickly and are rarely available years later. Bringing a cushion in lets us match against the actual faded material rather than against a sample book. ### Why did my leather seating peel after a few years? Almost certainly because it was bonded leather rather than hide. Bonded leather is a thin polyurethane surface over a fabric backing, and the heat inside a parked RV breaks that surface down until it flakes off in sheets. Recovering in marine vinyl or a performance fabric is the durable fix. ### Is it worth replacing the foam if the covers still look fine? Yes, and it is one of the least expensive improvements available. Foam compresses permanently with use and does not recover, so a seat that looks new can still be uncomfortable. Existing covers can often be reused over new foam, which keeps the cost to labor and materials rather than a full recover. ## Related - [Interior Remodeling and Repair](https://ocrv.biz/services/interior-remodeling/) - [Upholstery Repair and Replacement](https://ocrv.biz/services/interior-remodeling/upholstery-repair-replacement/) - [RV Remodel](https://ocrv.biz/rv-remodel/) - [Interior Services](https://ocrv.biz/services/interior/) - [Prices and Posted Rates](https://ocrv.biz/prices/) - [RVs and Motorhomes](https://ocrv.biz/vehicles/rvs-motorhomes/)