About 75% of upholstery calls we run are sun-faded fabric - dinette cushions on the south-facing window, captains chairs in the cab area, jackknife sofas under the slide-out window, all bleached past their useful life by 6-8 years of UV exposure. The other 25% are tear, abrasion, and pet damage that has progressed past the point a patch will hold.
RV upholstery lives a much harder life than household furniture: UV exposure rivals an outdoor patio set, humidity swings stress the fabric weave, and the substrate flexes with every mile. Things that last 30 years on a living-room sofa wear out in 6-10 years on a coach. We carry Sunbrella sample books, common foam grades, marine-grade thread, and most fastener hardware on every truck so single-piece reupholstery jobs typically finish in one visit.
Signs your RV upholstery needs reupholstery
Four patterns cover almost every upholstery call we run. If your rig is doing one of these, the diagnosis is usually quick:
1. Fabric is sun-faded or chalking
UV exposure has bleached the dye and broken the fibers down. Patches won't blend; full recover is the right call. Sunbrella resists fading 5+ years longer than standard upholstery.
2. Foam is compressed or lumpy
Cushion has lost loft and you sit on a flat foam pancake. Foam replacement with high-density Polyfoam restores shape and adds $85-$185 per cushion to a recover job.
3. Tears, holes, or claw damage
Past the point of patching - structural fabric failure or pet damage. Full recover with Crypton (stain and pet-resistant) or Sunbrella runs $385-$1,450 per piece.
4. Mildew smell that won't wash out
Foam has absorbed humidity and developed mildew that fabric cleaning can't reach. Full foam-and-fabric replacement is the only fix - cushion shells alone won't solve it.
What we rebuild - mobile RV upholstery service
What's included in a mobile upholstery call
Every call starts with a sample-book session at your rig - we bring 200+ Sunbrella patterns and solids plus Crypton stain-resistant options so you choose fabric in the actual lighting of your coach interior, not under shop fluorescents. From there it's measure, foam check, and a flat-rate quote in writing.
For reupholstery, the standard sequence is: remove existing fabric, inspect foam for compression and moisture damage, replace foam if needed, cut and sew new fabric panels, fit and staple to the substrate, install zippers where applicable, and reinstall the cushion or piece in the rig. We finish with a labeled fabric sample of the install plus care instructions for the specific fabric chosen.
RV upholstery pricing
Flat-rate, written quote at your site before any work starts. No hourly creep, no diagnostic surcharge, no after-the-fact "oh by the way."
| Service | Materials / Brand | On-Site Time | Flat-Rate Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinette cushion reupholstery (per cushion) | Sunbrella + foam recover | 4-6 hours | $385 - $685 |
| Full dinette set (2-4 cushions) | Sunbrella + foam recover | 1 day | $985 - $2,150 |
| Jackknife sofa rebuild | Sunbrella + foam upgrade | 1 day | $785 - $1,450 |
| Captains chair refresh (per chair) | Crypton or Sunbrella | 4-6 hours | $585 - $985 |
| Theater seat recover (per seat) | Sunbrella or Revolution PF | 4-6 hours | $485 - $885 |
| Sleeper sofa rebuild (mechanical) | Sunbrella + frame check | 1-2 days | $1,450 - $2,650 |
| Foam replacement (per cushion) | High-density Polyfoam | add 30 min/cushion | add $85 - $185 |
| Headboard recover | Sunbrella + foam pad | 3-4 hours | $385 - $685 |
| Full coach interior reupholstery | All seating + dinette | 2-3 days | $2,950 - $5,850 |
| Custom throw pillows (per pair) | Sunbrella + insert | 2 hours | $165 - $285 |
Recover vs replace foam
If your existing foam still has springback when you press it, recovering with new fabric is the cheaper, faster call. If the foam is flat, lumpy, mildewed, or stained, replace it with high-density Polyfoam during the recover - the fabric outlasts the foam by years, and you don't want to recover bad foam and have to redo the whole piece in a year. We tell you which way to go after pressing on the cushions during the walk-through.
Brands and materials we install
We carry stock for the upholstery brands that hold up best in RV conditions.
- Sunbrella - marine-grade upholstery fabric, UV-stable, 5-year fade warranty, 200+ patterns and solids
- Crypton - stain-resistant Performance Fabric for pet households and high-spill zones
- Revolution Performance Fabrics - residential-feel, bleach-cleanable, mid-tier price point
- High-density Polyfoam - 1.8-2.5 lb density for cushions, 8-10 year service life in RV use
- Marine-grade thread - UV-resistant polyester thread that doesn't break down at the seams
- YKK marine-grade zippers - corrosion-resistant for cushion shells
Warranty - what's covered after we recover your seating
A1 backs every reupholstery job with a 90-day workmanship warranty - if a seam pulled, a zipper failed, or fabric came loose because of how we installed it, we make it right at no charge. Sunbrella carries a 5-year fade warranty against UV breakdown. High-density Polyfoam carries an 8-10 year service-life expectation.
We register the install in your name so the manufacturer coverage transfers if you sell the rig. Our warranty covers seam failure, loose staples, and any fabric or foam issue traceable to install error. It does not cover impact damage, pet damage, or stains beyond the cleanability of the fabric chosen - we tell you upfront which fabrics handle which abuse so you choose with eyes open.