[BlackBox]

I have an 07 R that I will be taking on a 1000 mile trip next month. In the event that I have to fold the rear seats down, I'm wondering if there is an effective way to prevent damage to the leather. I know my Nordkap leather is extremely soft, so I'm worried that there will be creases and other damage to the leather if I put a lot of weight on the seats for that period of time. Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks!

 

[MancUnited1]

Re: Protecting R Leather (BlackBox)

Someone had a similar question not too long ago, but it was in relation to transporting their dogs. Several members talked about using old fitted sheets with some foam/old blankets underneathe to add cushioning.

I did a 600 mile trip about a month ago and didn't put anything down to protect my seats. I just made sure to put all the softer things at the bottom. I came out with no scratches or damage. In hindsight though, I probably should have put something down just to be safe.

 

[BeerEngineer]

Re: Protecting R Leather (MancUnited1)

Having just moved, I would say just throw a towel on there. The pressure seems to be no problem, but rubbing is.

 

[JRL]

Re: Protecting R Leather (MancUnited1)

If you drop the rear headrests and leave them down for a long time, wagon or car, they will leave creases on the rear seat backs.
I always used to run with them down (better rear vision), but after they left some nasty creases in one wagon I put them back at the end of every day

 

[chinaonnitrous1]

use soft felt that will not cause a traction surface.

That way when the seats shift around, while folded down, the leather is free to move.

 

[24Hours]

Re: Protecting R Leather (JRL)

Jim,
I do the same things with the booster seats! Kids ride in the car and when we stop... they go back down into place, or else the rear panel gets an indent across it. Gives me an excuse to apply more Lexol in the evening.

 

[kenschel]

Re: Protecting R Leather (24Hours)

my car just turned four and I use the built-in boosters all the time and generally leave them up except for a reason--and I don't think I've ever noticed a crease

...maybe my nordkap is not as soft as others, I dunno

 

[TGO]

i quickly noticed i should leave the rear headrests up when i got my car. I really don't notice decreased rear vision, but maybe i'm just used to driving big vecihles with little to no rear window to see out of.

anyway, i left my rear seats folded down while i had the rear deck area removed from the car to find/fix a rattle and the damn seat belt buckle left a gray stain on the leather! i'm so pissed!

 

[-Pascal]

I always leave the rear headrests up (cant be bothered to reach back there to fiddle with them in the VR) but I would be worried of having the seatbacks folded down for extended periods. It's not so much the mileage but how long they sit there, I definitely wouldn't do it for more than a day at a time.

In one of my previous GTI's I had made a blank-in panel that I used to replace the rear seats for road trips. That way when I needed the extra room I would spend 5 minutes to take the whole seats out and setup the panel instead.

This is very easy to make. Styrofoam board, Masonite, spray glue and gray speaker carpet; it's a 20$ project if you have a quiet afternoon to work on it.