Carver Owners Forum

There's not a lot of buzz on here about the excellent Riviera 28 from the Classic 80's era, and opinions about its design are divided, For us, the setup is perfect, despite aging arthritic knees. Over this winter season we need to figure out our usage of the fwd and aft cabins. The fwd cabin has the advantage of a head for those midnight needs, a large flat screen TV, and a spacious "bed." Simple enough to go to IKEA to replace the aft mattresses. But the 38 yr old cushions up front are numerous, and after 38 years do (forgivably) tend to flatten to the plywood base when lain upon - hard on these old bones. The question: has anyone addressed the issue of plumping or otherwise upgrading the seat cushions in the fwd cabin of the Riviera? (I think the backrest cusions can still function as is) Frustratingly, due to the dual nature of the fwd cabin, it is not simply a matter of finding/constructing a V-cushion . . . or is it??? (hmmmm)
Advice?

If that front berth is a v-berth with multiple cushions making up something resembling a bed, it’s then simply a matter of having an upholstery or canvas shop make you new cushions with new foam and probably new fabric.

Foam isn’t cheap, I’m making my own for a sort of similar situation and the materials are coming in right around $600.
Good foam is important. Google up sailrite to see foam pricing and fabric. If you are handy, making new cushions isn’t hard at all.

I agree....just a matter of deciding how thick the cushions should be for you, how dense the foam and visit a fabric place that does foam/cushions/upholstery etc. The foam and good sunbrella fabric is pricey but in this case you get what you pay for.

I suspect I'll find other, more urgent targets for my cash flow for my first season with the Riviera!

Food for thought. As a temporary fix, you could get some less pricey materials and do some of that work yourself. It would just be a matter of length of service. Cheaper materials may only give you a season or 2, but at least satisfy your desire for a better look. Then, focus on upgrade to more durable materials after your other, more immediate needs are satisfied. I recovered some seats in my express using a fabric/vinyl covering and a staple gun. Was not hard, just like wrapping a gift. er

Is it just the foam that's the issue, or are the cushion covers in need of replacement?

If the covers are OK, then you could just get some foam to replace the 'guts' and buy yourself several years where you can prioritize the expense elsewhere. It would not be that hard for any local sewing shop to cut open the existing covers, stuff the new foam in and re-sew the covers.

You can also put a foam mattress topper on it and then add oversized sheets and make it look like a bed all the time. That's what our initial fix was so we didn't have to look at the mauve flower patterned fabric. This winter I'm remaking them in navy and new foam.

km1125 wrote:Source of the post Is it just the foam that's the issue, or are the cushion covers in need of replacement?

Surprisingly, the maroon velveteen covers are pretty good. So this idea is worth exploring, and would allow us to look only at addressing the seat cushions, leaving the back support cushions alone.

chpsk8 wrote:Source of the post You can also put a foam mattress topper on it and then add oversized sheets and make it look like a bed all the time.

Not ready to go to that extreme yet. We do like the loungy nature of the fwd cabin. Maybe next year.

SunsetSteve wrote:Source of the post
Surprisingly, the maroon velveteen covers are pretty good. So this idea is worth exploring, and would allow us to look only at addressing the seat cushions, leaving the back support cushions alone.

I had an 83 3607 and when I first got it I also had "maroon velveteen" cushions all around the dinette. Bet it was the same fabric. I probably still have some pictures with it. They were in good shape and we probably kept them for 10 years or so before we replaced them.