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SJ-Chris's avatar
SJ-Chris
Explorer II
Jan 21, 2018

Need help fixing captain chair arm rest (or replacement)

The passenger side left arm rest on my 2006 Four Winds Chateau 31P is broken. This is the arm rest that the front passenger can rest their left arm on or they can swivel it ~90 degrees up so that it's out of the way.

The arm rest metal post that gets inserted into the seatback has broken off at its base (but I still have it). Perhaps it could be welded back on, but the metal bracket inside the arm rest is difficult to get at and it might require removing all the arm rest material and maybe even dismantling it further. Attached are a couple of photos.

Has anyone had any experience fixing/replacing a captain chair arm rest? I looked under and around both captains chairs and I cannot see any tags or markings as to who made these chairs, so I cannot contact the manufacturer of the chairs. I will attached a photo of the chairs later in case any of you pros can identify them by sight!

I would love to find a place that sells replacement arm rests and just swap in a new one (or perhaps get two so they at least match). Does anyone know of any place that sells arm rests like these? I've googled up and down and called several places but cannot find any.

Thanks for your help!

https://imgur.com/2g7FJqE
https://imgur.com/2kZObCS
Class C

7 Replies

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  • SJ-Chris's avatar
    SJ-Chris
    Explorer II
    Jan 29, 2018
    After weeks of searching I finally found the right person locally to assist me. The guy specializes in RV and van chairs and remodels. He told me that my chair was made by a company called "Johnson Safety" and that they are out of business. I tried googling them but couldn't find anything. Has anyone heard of them?

    The good news is that the guy can repair my arm rest by taking it apart and welding it. I looked closer at the other arm rest and noticed it was also damaged (the wood interior of the arm rest had been badly damaged). He is going to rebuild that one for me. He's giving me a very fair price and I'll be happy to have 2 fixed, matching arm rests once again!

    Thanks for your assistance all.

    -Chris
  • klutchdust's avatar
    klutchdust
    Explorer II
    Jan 22, 2018
    I was thinking more along the lines of the chairs being for passenger or driver. Those arm rests are used for relaxing the arms when driving. What Ron shows are different and with that in mind welding is your only answer.I didn't give it a thought about using the arm rests to exit the chair. Actually i would be concerned with putting a lot of weight on a swiveling piece like that anyway.
    Keep us posted.
  • ron_dittmer's avatar
    ron_dittmer
    Explorer III
    Jan 21, 2018
    I can't speak for your specific captain seat, but with my seats pictured below, the arm rests flip up and down as yours do. To remove an arm rest, I need to apply a lot of force inward while rotating the armrest beyond the top-stop continuing rotation backward. When the arm rest is 180 degrees from the normal down position, it detaches.

    Your arm rest being broken, maybe you can remove the piece inside with my post in-mind.


    Now I read deeper and think I misunderstood you. You simply need to reattach the metal post back inside the armrest. I would definitely remove the armrest cover, break it down to 100% steel and get that pin welded back on. There is a massive amount of force on an arm rest when someone uses it to push off from to get out of the seat. Anything short of a good weld it is futile.

    The vinyl cover is usually zippered on, and from your picture I can see the zipper. Unzip it and peel it off. The foam inside might just drop away leaving you with the steel frame. The welding process is extremely hot. Be sure you have ONLY steel on such a small metal frame when welding. Hard plastic and padding could deform, maybe melt and drip off, or even burn off.
  • klutchdust's avatar
    klutchdust
    Explorer II
    Jan 21, 2018
    Yes, I could see the photos now. Does the metal bracket slides over the knob? I can't see it in the photo, I would consider some J-b weld. It dries hard as metal and I have used it in some interesting places and it sure is strong. Does the metal bracket swivel on the other piece, can you see if it was originally tack welded and that broke. If the fabric could be removed a weld would be best. Closer up photos would help. Also have you spoke to an auto upholsterer. They may offer some advice. They surely have encountered this before.
  • klutchdust's avatar
    klutchdust
    Explorer II
    Jan 21, 2018
    Your photos didn't come up. Being a welder/fabricator i know heat will be an issue with the surrounding fabric Some photos would help.

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