Back pain Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Hi can't believe others haven't had this issue but I have been driving a 2015 connect Limited 1.6 duratorq for several years now and have never been able to get the seat comfortable. It has height, tilt, lumbar and steering wheel adjustment but no matter what I do it feels crap. The only thing that slightly improves it is lowering the seat right down but then I feel like I'm sitting on the floor peeking out the window! It's a solid built van but the seating position is rubbish also feels like a mile between you and the windscreen. Has anyone had similar experiences? Was thinking about getting something of Amazon to try on the seat to make it more comfortable. Thanks for any input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 I've been using an extra seat cushion/pad thing since a month after I bought my own 2015 Transit Connect in June '15. I had taken a road trip about 1100-1200 miles (1770-1930 km) a few weeks after buying the van and as soon as I got back home, I immediately went looking for that seat cushion, which I already owned. My driving prior to that was just to work, about 100 miles round-trip each day, so the long-term discomfort hadn't made itself known yet, lol. Even with the cushion, it's not the most comfortable vehicle I've had, but it's at least a lot better than without the cushion. My van is a base XL cargo model, so the only adjustments is sliding the seat forward/backward and recline angle. Shopping on Amazon, you can pick from myriad different types of cushions and add-ons, even a massaging one to loosen up your back as you drive. That windshield is definitely far away, for sure. Makes cleaning it kind of a pain, I should maybe get one of those microfiber deals that has a long handle on it, haha. Best pic I have showing the seat cushion. This one is just the bottom part, nothing on the back. I had tried another cushion I have that is basically two of these together, butt/back, but the back part was way too short in height to be comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back pain Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 Thanks Jrm223 for very thorough and decent answer sounds like a nice van you have there. Yeah in my situation it's not a case of miles but more a matter of metres before I'm fidgeting and about going crazy. As I said I have all the adjustments going on it height, recline, lumbar etc..but non of them achieve a comfortable seat! Haha yeah and got no chance of taping a sat nav on the windscreen whilst driving, unless you have 2 metre arms! The seat cushion you own sounds interesting but does it do anything for your back or is it solely for arse comfort? As you say there is a fair bit on Amazon. Tempted to take my work boot to it to soften it up and relieve some stress at same time ? but don't think my boss will be too happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtn Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 Weird. I have zero complaints about the seat. It's not as comfy as the one in the new Berlingo but any drive up to 3 hours is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back pain Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 1 hour ago, mrtn said: Weird. I have zero complaints about the seat. It's not as comfy as the one in the new Berlingo but any drive up to 3 hours is great. Got to say I'm not a fussy person either. Not expecting it to feel like a wing back Chesterfield! Figure lots of things change depending on the model and trim etc so could be various different seats maybe I got unlucky. Read somewhere not much research and development went into some of the seats. Funny you mention the Berlingo. Had one as a courtesy van for a week once and although it was very tinny and springy compared to connects feel and handling, I have to say the seat was great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 My cushion is only for the bottom. As mentioned, I have one that also has a section for the back, but it's the same dimensions as the arse section & thus too short in height to be comfortable - my shoulders had nothing behind them but air. I used to be reclined way back in order to be comfortable for my bad back (some people called it sleeping position, lol, it was maybe half-dozen clicks above fully reclined, no partition BTW), but for the past year or so I've been sitting nearly straight up and it's actually fine enough for me. When I visit family a few times a year, I drive 1000 miles in a day (15-17 hours, really) and just need to stretch occasionally and crack my back once in awhile. I'd kind of like to replace the seat with something better, but the sensors & seat air bag really complicate things in that regard, limiting me to only OEM Transit Connect seats for compatibility sake. The bigger problem that I have is a bad right knee & ankle, so I had added one of these little pads from Amazon to the center console (obviously left-hand drive in US and I added it sometime after taking the pic I shared yesterday) to rest my knee against while I'm driving. Since my seat doesn't raise & tilt and all that fancy stuff, I can't get enough support under my leg to keep the weight off my knee while driving, so having the pad to lean against helps take the pressure off of it. I might need to try just some spacers under the front mounts of the seat to give the base a bit of a lean back, thus putting more support under my legs near my knees. But my daily drive to work is only 11.5 miles one-way, so it's not high-priority as the main benefit would be achieved only on long drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back pain Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Bloody hell sounds like you've been in the wars mate! Lol fair enough though. I'd happily give up all the fancy adjustments to have a comfortable seat! Going to maybe try something to make it softer I reckon. Hope the knee heals up soon?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G B L Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 On 8/19/2020 at 9:18 AM, jrm223 said: I've been using an extra seat cushion/pad thing since a month after I bought my own My solution also. It has made the difference. jrm223 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 On 8/20/2020 at 3:03 PM, Back pain said: Bloody hell sounds like you've been in the wars mate! Lol fair enough though. I'd happily give up all the fancy adjustments to have a comfortable seat! Going to maybe try something to make it softer I reckon. Hope the knee heals up soon?? Hyper-mobile patella, lol. I've blown out my right knee like 6 times and my left knee once. Hurts like a sumbitch and I fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes when it happens! I appreciate the sentiment, though, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtn Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 1 hour ago, jrm223 said: I've blown out my right knee like 6 times and my left knee once. Overdid it with sports, war or just genetic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 On 8/24/2020 at 10:43 AM, mrtn said: Overdid it with sports, war or just genetic? Genetic, I suppose. Never did sports outside of PE class and I was only 16 the first time it went, so I never even tried for military, lol. But I graduated high school 3 months after 9/11, so guess where I would have gone had I enlisted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackGrimshaw Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 My wife says she "hates" my 2016 LWB because the passenger seat is so uncomfortable.We both have had hip issues,she has had a hip replacement and I have had a metal rod inserted through my hip joint to repair a broken femur. We called this type of seat a " bucket seat " in the 60's.The raised sides would keep your butt from sliding around as you made fast corners in your Mustang or MG,something that's not really needed in a TC. On longer trips,the TC seat becomes uncomfortable because you are forced to sit in one position with the seat sides applying pressure on the hips.(neither of us is exceptionally wide). I have purchased memory foam bathmats from a big box store which,when folded in half,adds about 2 in (uncompressed) to the center of the seat which does help,but does not solve,the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLB Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 I find the seats much more comfortable aftering raising them a couple of inches. Changes the leg angle and then the height adjustment can make a nice difference without having your chest in the steering wheel. Search for 2" seat raise, 10 minute job. VERY happy. While the seat was unbolted I also figured out I'd only been using 1/2 the range of lumber support. That lever moves a wide arc! Between the 2 I'm very much more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 2015 XLT LWB, manual seats This is the first seat I've ever had where it was almost impossible to find a position which did not hurt my back. After the first test ride, I thought it might not be possible. Fortunately found one angle which was OK during the second test ride. Ended up buying it, am using it as a delivery driver, and can now make slight adjustments to the angle. Setting the seat high seems to have helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFL Posted September 5, 2022 Share Posted September 5, 2022 Hi all, I just came back from a 26 hour drive with a Ford Transit 2016 model. As we were 2 drivers, the other person needed to sleep before taking his turn behind the wheel. However the passenger seat is so uncomfortable that it was very hard to get any rest - especially if you have back problems already. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make it more comfortable to enable a good rest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil0110 Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 It's very hard to replace a recliner in a car because it should fit all rules of safety, I can only advise to buy a chair pad https://www.reclinerland.com/best-massage-chair-pad/ smth like that, it will support a head, neck and back. All of them has a massage effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 On 9/5/2022 at 7:31 AM, MattFL said: Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make it more comfortable to enable a good rest? Custom upholstery. A good shop will be able to build a more comfortable seat. Different types of foam. Different cover. They could build in heat pads. Vibrating massagers. The frame could be built to offer a different recilne angle. The only construction is adding the airbag sensor to the bottom - if you want to retain that function. You can do whatever you want. Really. People have flipped the seats around to face backward. It's up to you to decide if you want to have a "legal" and/or safe passenger seat. I would first try some pillows and seat pads. Any outlandish "pimp my ride" or "overhaulin'" type of build is possible. But you may not be able to rely on the seat belt or airbag system for safety once the passenger area is reconfigured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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