Special Forces style seat covers.

[911joeblow]

Guys we are gauging interest in special forces style seat covers for high back seats. These are not a direct copy at all and will likely be less for clips and such and more for more civilian type accessories. They will have open pockets, zippered ones and velcro openings on the backs and on the sides and front. They are complete covers on all sides so they really protect the seats and can save worn out seats too if you are trying to hide something.

We made a few of these up a few years back and liked them but they were pricey to do in low numbers. We made CARC tan ones but might be able to find some Olive or even Camo material. We used a cotton canvas material (sunbrella) so they were durable, washable and somewhat stain resistant. We found it was really nice having places to put things like glasses, wallets, flashlights, handguns, clips, boxes of ammo, tools etc... If there is enough interest we can do these in some numbers to keep the cost down. We are thinking we can get them down to around $30-$50 a piece?

Thoughts?

 

[ken]

I could use one for a bench seat. Any plan to make those?

 

[n8roro]

Do you have any pictures? Black would be a good color I think.

 

[911joeblow]

I could use one for a bench seat. Any plan to make those?

I dont think so. Just not enough of a market out there that I can see.

 

[911joeblow]

Do you have any pictures? Black would be a good color I think.

I have a single cover I saved from the old ones but the new ones will be tighter fitting. I will see if I can find it and an high back seat to put it on

 

[infidel got me]

Priced right---

 

[juanprado]

Would this also work for the commander and high back HMMWV seats?

 

[Tinstar]

I dont think so. Just not enough of a market out there that I can see.

So the thousands of M1008/1028 trucks in private hands and hundreds on this website aren’t worth the trouble?

Got it

 

[911joeblow]

Would this also work for the commander and high back HMMWV seats?

We made them for an aftermarket seat we had bought in bulk for a bunch of our local guys and us a few years ago which was a bit larger than the commander/high back seats. So it was a little too large but still worked on the commander seats. The next batch will be smaller to fit a little tighter. We are thinking about patterning off the commander with a little room to accommodate other seats too. They should still fit MRAP and other aftermarket type seats as well. I will have pics of the old cover on a commander in a few seconds...

 

[911joeblow]

OK so this is a commander high back HMMWV seat with the larger old style cover we had made. I threw a bunch of stuff into the pockets to give some idea of how we chose those pockets at the time. The lower rear pocket fits the official military maintenance binder as shown. The upper fits a winch control, or a full size pistol, or jumper cables etc. The lower front fits a compact pistol and the side bags fit several clips, the side front pockets also have elastic and hold on to a can of soda perfectly. The seat back sides are great for clips, boxes of ammo, flashlights, knives, tools, etc. There are elastic cords at the top rear that can be tightened as well as at the bottom rear, and another strap that goes under the seat to tension the base. We left a little room in the cover to allow it to fold forward, we make a kit that has push release pins on the seat frame to make the seat able to fold forward. We will start selling those again too. Anyway here are the pics I just took in no particular order....

 

[Tinstar]

Looks like an old jacket hanging on the seat.

 

[n8roro]

Ha ha that's not too far off. I like the storage idea and it would look better with a tighter fit. I would be interested in a back seat cover as well if I got the fronts done. The back would not need pockets though.

Best of luck with your business venture!

 

[911joeblow]

So the thousands of M1008/1028 trucks in private hands and hundreds on this website aren’t worth the trouble?

Got it

I am not trying to offend anybody but I can barely justify making these to fit the 280,000 HMMWVs out there and bench seats on the CUCVs were about 5% as many as that. If I can see a market to sell 50+ in the next year I will invest the $2K to tool up, but outside of that I will be sitting on them for too long to justify it. Again I would love to do everything but it is just not practical from a business standpoint.

 

[911joeblow]

Looks like an old jacket hanging on the seat.

Not arguing on that. These need to be tighter for the commander seat. That being said they will never be tight fitting as they need to be able to be slid off and thrown into the wash after a day in the mud too.

 

[911joeblow]

Ha ha that's not too far off. I like the storage idea and it would look better with a tighter fit. I would be interested in a back seat cover as well if I got the fronts done. The back would not need pockets though.

Best of luck with your business venture!

I might be able to justify making a version without any pockets or perhaps just front and side pockets for the rear seats. That being said though the upper rear pocket would still be accessible just not the lower.

 

[Sharecropper]

Hey Joe, just so you will know, I plan to have my own covers sewn so they will be designed/produced the way I want/need them. I have had 2 major back surgeries and both hips replaced, and the cold just kills me, so I want pockets sewn on the inside of the seat and back panels to hold heated seat elements (which I already have). I'm not a big fan of all the pockets and gadget holes, just want a cover to hold and position the heat elements.

Being in the manufacturing/marketing business for 48 years, I understand the need for financial justification of introducung a product to market. In my opinion it will be difficult for you to produce a profitable seat cover to compete with Smiity and all the other brands that are currently out there. Heck , just before Christmas I received a catalog from Cabela's with several pages of seat covers. Granted, your covers may be light years ahead of those mass-produced outfits regarding quality, however the general public will, most of the time, choose to purchase a product from a well-known retailer such as Cabela's.

Just my 2 cents. Don't mean to offend, just wanted to express my opinion because you asked.

 

[911joeblow]

Hey Joe, just so you will know, I plan to have my own covers sewn so they will be designed/produced the way I want/need them. I have had 2 major back surgeries and both hips replaced, and the cold just kills me, so I want pockets sewn on the inside of the seat and back panels to hold heated seat elements (which I already have). I'm not a big fan of all the pockets and gadget holes, just want a cover to hold and position the heat elements.

Being in the manufacturing/marketing business for 48 years, I understand the need for financial justification of introducung a product to market. In my opinion it will be difficult for you to produce a profitable seat cover to compete with Smiity and all the other brands that are currently out there. Heck , just before Christmas I received a catalog from Cabela's with several pages of seat covers. Granted, your covers may be light years ahead of those mass-produced outfits regarding quality, however the general public will, most of the time, choose to purchase a product from a well-known retailer such as Cabela's.

Just my 2 cents. Don't mean to offend, just wanted to express my opinion because you asked.

Yep, there are plenty of generic seat covers that kinda work and that is what this is fighting against is el-cheepo generic vs higher end and more money. All of this for a small market too

I might just have a few made up at higher cost and those that really want them will pay the extra few bucks. I just hate the idea of investing a few thousand and having to sit on them.

 

[Tinstar]

I am not trying to offend anybody but I can barely justify making these to fit the 280,000 HMMWVs out there and bench seats on the CUCVs were about 5% as many as that. If I can see a market to sell 50+ in the next year I will invest the $2K to tool up, but outside of that I will be sitting on them for too long to justify it. Again I would love to do everything but it is just not practical from a business standpoint.

Totally understand the cost issue.
The old jacket comment wasn’t derogatory. Just my observation and opinion.

I’m sure you know that there are other seat accessory manufacturers out there that already make a cover that actually fits and are not just pockets hanging on a seat.
Made of true mil-spec Cordura fabric and is basically a tactical vest for your seat back. You can even spec out what you want. Mag carriers, first aid bag, radio pouch, etc.
Not cheap, but extremely well made and versatile and very cool.

Tweak your product a bit and listen to feedback.
Have a good price point and options and you’ll do well.

 

[Sharecropper]

"I’m sure you know that there are other seat accessory manufacturers out there. You can even spec out what you want." [/QUOTE]

Hey Mister Tinstar - Do you think any of those other manufacturers would consider sewing hidden pockets on the inside to hold heating elements? I don't mind paying for a custom quality product. Last time I checked, there was plenty of my daughter's inheritance left.

 

[porkysplace]

"I’m sure you know that there are other seat accessory manufacturers out there. You can even spec out what you want."

Hey Mister Tinstar - Do you think any of those other manufacturers would consider sewing hidden pockets on the inside to hold heating elements? I don't mind paying for a custom quality product. Last time I checked, there was plenty of my daughter's inheritance left.[/QUOTE]

There should be some auto upholstery shops in Lexington that could do it.