Repair Sagging Jayco J-Steel Sofa Seat

We've had an occasional single guest on the jacknife, but this repair was just to get it OK to sit on again, or lay out on it in couch mode to watch TV. The repair meets that need.

Jack knife sofas make an awful bed. If you want to sleep overnight on it, buy an air mattress that fits its dimensions (when opened as a bed) and put it on top of the sofa.

When laid out as a bed the gap between the seat back and the seat cushion becomes very uncomfortable. Been there. Done that.

Well, I worked it and we're out in the RV again, sofa dramatically improved! Here's what I saw and did:

1. The frame is square steel tubing, with a rod spaced inside it to attach the fabric to.

2. Then there's a flat "spring" made up of wires with springs on one end and clips on the other, supporting the cushions. The wires pass through plastic perpendicular runners. One runner was broken, and the rods supporting the springs were bent at the ends, which made the first 4-5 wires too loose to provide support.

I straightened these rods and secured them to the tubing frame, using cable clips on one edge and zip ties on the other. And, used cable clamps to join the broken ends of the the plastic runner together. Put a thin piece of flexible plastic on top of the wires to add support at the center of the spring.

3. The foam cushions were crushed at the center of this two-cushion sofa.

I added two layers of foam cut from a mattress topper to the front and center area where the two cushions met.

About then, the Hog Ring Kit (Pliers and 3/4" Rings) arrived from Amazon. Ringed it all back together and it's much, much better. That said:

1. I think re-springing with HD Zip Ties would work. I'm not sure 60" would reach. Might need to use two 48" ties per "spring."

2. Might not have needed two layers of foam. Not taking it back apart just yet, thinking that foam may compress some.

3. Imperfect but much better.

We're back home. I plan to unbolt the thing and get a look. THANKS!!!

I have the full size fold out bed made the same way and over the years it became more uncomfortable to sleep on. After trying a number of things the best solution that I have found was to install new springs that attach to the frame, HD zip ties from frame to webbing, foam spacers and thin ply wood shts underneath foam on either side of the bar that hits you in the back, and a foam topper. It is now much better but still not the same as a full size mattress.

The cushion strings probably need to be replaced. I've helped the BIL do it on conventional furniture. It really makes a world of difference. A foam upgrade helps, too.

Huntindog wrote:
I used some rachet straps. It worked pretty good.

I like this one! I repaired the lumbar in a Ford Explorer with ZIP Ties, but I'm not sure they'd handle the weight of being sat on instead of just leaned against.

Bumpy, I agree with you. The prev owners of our first Class C slept on the jacknife but we couldn't stand it, climbed into the overhead instead.

I think from the way this seat looks, I can unbolt the seat and get a better look. Then I can take just that piece to a shop if I have to.

Take your RV over to an upholstery shop and get an opinion.

making a jack knife sofa comfortable will take divine intervention.
bumpy