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• Exmoor Trim XS Fold-up Seat Review

As part of our on-going upgrades to the FunRover Landy, Winton, we've been looking into additional seating. As our Defender is a hard-top vehicle, it comes with no seats in the load-area as standard. The typical 3 front seat set-up is perfectly suited to workmen types who usually have no more than 2 passengers, with only the occasional 3rd occupant. However, as our vehicle has a cubby box up front, we've lost our third seat. So we needed an extra seat and an Exmoor Trim Rear Fold-up seat was duly ordered.

Exmoor offer a huge range of products for all Land Rovers, including seat covers, re-trim kits, complete seats, sections of seats, seat belts, hoods, rad-muffs and so much more. They offer most products in a range of colors and fabrics, allowing you to customize and tweak your new seat to match your vehicle's original interior or to create a bespoke, new look.

The Seat

Our review sample arrived around a week and a half after arranging the order. Some of the higher-end, premium trim options are made to order and this includes the XS 1/2 leather option we chose. The folding mechanism is beautifully simple, the lower base simply pivots down, slides back and then locks into a groove on the seat frame. On the right hand side of the seat, there's a small bolt with a twist grip handle. Once tightened down, the seat is sturdy and very comfortable. This design is highly robust, yet very effective.

We placed our order for this review unit via Exmoor Trim distributor, Trakkers and the service received was excellent! Immediately upon placing our order, a representative from the company contacted us via email to let us know that the XS Trim option has to be made to order and it would take around a week and half to arrive. We dealt with Trakkers on the phone and they were always polite, prompt and very helpful. It's nice to be dealing with a company that cares about you and your order - very refreshing! We cannot recommend them enough and will be using them exclusively for all of our planned future Exmoor orders. Check them out online here.

Closed Position

The seat itself looks amazing! The coating applied to the frame is very durable and from our tests, resistant to scratching and scuffs that are so easily picked up from coat zips, keys and tools e.t.c.

Included in the kit is a strap with a clip on the end, that simply screws down to the van side panels. Once in place this can be used to hold the seat base in it's upward position. There's a small loop on the underside of the seat base to enable this.

When folded up, the seat looks neat and tidy and protrudes only 4cm over the edge of the load bed, so lost storage space is minimal.

Fitting

Fitting is straight-forward

Fitting the Inward Facing fold-up is entirely achievable by any competent home mechanic or DIY enthusiast. All you need are some basic tools, such as:

• A ring spanner and socket
• Drill and metal drill-bit
• Sharpie Marker
• Tape Measure

As our Landy has been ply-lined in the back, the dimensions are typically out by 10mm (thickness of the ply). However, the included bolts in the kit we're long enough so that with a bit of encouragement the seats have been mounted securely.

Because Birmabright aluminum isn't renowned for it's strength, Exmoor include 4 spreader plates that affix to the bolts in the wheel arch. This helps even the load in the event of an accident and prevents the seats from tearing through the tub. The seat base is very sturdy (and weighs a reasonable amount) and simply sits over the 'lip' of your rear tub. Two bolts go through the base on the vertical wall of the tub, and two through the floor of the wheel arch - once bolted down the seat is very solid. It doesn't squeak or rattle, a testament to the build quality and tolerances.

The only 'minor' issue we have is the included instructions for the retractable lap seat belt. This is the recommended seatbelt type for use with the fold-up and we ordered one of Exmoor's own, but instructions were a little vague to say the least. The issue here was deciding on the orientation of seatbelt brackets. Still, you can work it out quite simply or just phone Exmoor for help. Not a deal-breaker by any means and the only issue we came across whilst fitting.

In a standard 90 you should be able to fit two of these seats side by side, or a total of 4 in the rear load area, making these ideal replacements for aging standard Land Rover fold-ups or for those looking to create their perfect set-up.

Quality

The quality of this seat is excellent! From the materials used, to the craftsmanship that has gone into creating the seat itself - everything exudes quality. The leather used is superb and should prove very durable. The foam within the chair is firm and also feels as though it will endure 5 or even 10 years of daily use. Running down the centre of the XS chair is a paneled section of mesh-like fabric. This allows your body to 'breathe' and feels very comfortable, but like all components of this chair looks perfect, with no knicks, knots or defects. The stitching too adds to the quality look of the chair, with no visible blemishes or quirks that can arise from hand-made products.

It's safe to say the standard of service, materials and assembly Exmoor employ is second to none and these seats really do finish off any Land Rover. The luxury feel is enough to make your friends and family think you've stolen these from a Range Rover! Exmoor most certainly have, as they put it, "A Passion for Quality".

Safety

Safety is always of paramount concern when adding seats to a vehicle and these seats are no exception. The unique, high-backed, sculptured design holds it's occupant in place firmly and offers up a lot more cushioning in the event of an accident. The retractable lap-belts fitted also offer up further protection by holding the passenger in place securely - we feel more confident, that in the event of an accident, any passengers are much safer sitting in these chairs than standard Land Rover fold-ups.

Test

So it's a high quality chair. But, how does it stand up to daily use? We installed the seat about 2 months over 3 years ago now and since then it hasn't had an easy life. As part of our test, we've really tried to exaggerate the loads the seat will face.

First up, we've carried some rather 'festively plump' passengers on it. The seat holds-up perfectly, as you'd expect, even when driving off-road and hitting some of the larger pot-holes and ruts. We've tested it with taller passengers too, and they've found it to be equally comfortable both on and off-road. The seat offers lots of support (without been too firm) and is very comfortable - even for a fully grown adult on a 200+ mile extended round trip.

Folding the seat-up also increases load area close to it's original size. We've carried 2 large BF GoodRich 265 / 70 R17 wheels and a person in the back. We've even had a cement mixer in the back and the seat just simply folds up out of harms way.

One clumsy person dropped some coleslaw and Mc Flurry on the seat (this isn't a new flavour) and it just wipes clean. The seat smells as fresh as it did in the box, which is great, as some Land Rover interiors tend to really reek of oil (or dog).

Conclusion

All-in-all, this is a rugged & practical seat, suited for day to day use. The seat is comfortable, affordable and well made. Exmoor Trim should be the only consideration when upgrading any seats in your Land Rover.

Prices start from £114.52 (excl. VAT) for the Black Vinyl Trim option. We tested an XS 1/2 Leather 'Black Rack' seat, which is £159.32 (excl. VAT). Compared to the standard fold-up seats Exmoor offer, you simply cannot argue about spending just a little bit more, but getting a lot more in terms of safety, style and comfort.

For more information, visit Trakkers or Exmoor Trim. LRO readers are currently able to get a 5% discount on Exmoor products.

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