# Hymer B524 - Removing Captain's Chair Armrest Covers



## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

My wife wants to make some armrest covers for the Captain's Chairs in our 2000 Hymer so I said "No Problem - I'll remove the existing fitted armrest covers (which I can see have zips in so must be removable) and you can use those as a pattern". I must learn to speak after doing the research - not before  
I can see that the cover must come off but can't see how to get the black plastic adjustable bits off so that I can undo the zip and remove it. There are two allen headed screws securing the adjuster to the arm. I can remove one but the other is hidden by the rotatable adjuster and no matter where the adjuster is (fully in or out) I can't get the screwdriver to the screw. I think the round adjuster knob must come off somehow but don't want to risk breaking it by trying to lever it off.
I'm sure someone out there has the solution. Help please?


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## merctoby (Jan 18, 2007)

*arm rests find out ?*

did you find out refuel! you and the missus , how did you sort the zip and arm rest . problem . the wife want,s to do the same as you and the zip does seem a bit iffy did you sort it after , 
we would like to know how you did it if ever be glad of the info . all the best have fun . :roll:


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Sorry Merctoby - never did get a satisfactory answer to the question. In the end I retrieved my old Vax vacuum cleaner from the workshop, changed it to it's carpet cleaning mode and fitted the smallest cleaning head in the box. After "carpet cleaning" the arm rests they came up really well. :? 
Perhaps now this has been "booted" to the top again, someone will come up with an answer. In the meantime we are reduced to my wife promising to make some loose covers to "velcro" over the armrests 8O 

Do let us know if you manage to come up with a better solution.


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## merctoby (Jan 18, 2007)

*answer to your arm rest -ah!*

hello refuel ,
hey got the answer ! believe me not . it,sa simple really . took mine off today . got fed up waiting the answer . i went the hard way round ?. i did screw it anti clock-wise all the just before it come,sa away it get,sa really tight to turn but it,sa oe.ka. But go the easy way round it,sa easy when it is all apart you can see can,ta you  .when the whole rod assembly come,sa out this is when you work it out ,THE TURN KNOB IS SPLINED IN so the answer is some thing like a ball joint slitter this is a fork you know what i mean this may be to big so . what you need is the fork to be say 8-10 mm. apart this will fit behind the knob and the gap should slide either side of the arm rest rod . so i would say the bar needs to be say 8-10 mm thick and about 8" -10" long and then cut or slice length wise then slide behind the knob hold the bottom firm in one hand and tap with a hammer up as close to the arm rest as poss should then slide off dead easy . by the way the zip is not that simple ?their is no clasp to zip up or down zip puller come,sa off when made not so bulky then nothing to hide .the missus say,sa . this is simple and she is not a seamstress ?we do not have an industrial sewing machine neither .by the way was in ebb the other day looking for faux leather real cheap £70.00 for 20 metre,sa x 2metre,s hope this help,s 
good luck have fun , it,s simple really !!   :wink: my missus is on a roll now .
help with any thing let me know if you need i am a mechanical fitter petrol and diesel , may be you are the same .

catch you later good luck refuel and the missus . :BIG:


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

*Re: answer to your arm rest -ah!*

Is this a foreign language - 'cause I definitely didn't follow this at all

Hymer sell covers for them which we saw at Bad Waldsee - maybe that would be easier all around, they did them in a blue or white and they were removable. Much better unless you really know what you are doing.

Carol


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Hi Merctoby

Many thanks for the answer - I think I get your drift (excuse the pun 8O ). 

What you're saying - if I understand you correctly - is to screw the knob out as far as it will go, then put a strong metal tuning fork type thingy behind the knob and give it an "outwards" whack (or two) with a hammer. The knob should then slide off it's splined shaft thus giving access to the zipped armrest cover. 8) 

I'll give it a go this weekend if I get the time. So glad you found the answer and have clicked your thank you box. You definitely deserve it.


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Following merctoby's advice I had a go at removing the black adjuster knob on the armrest today. Used a small "pinchbar" with the forked end under and behind the adjusting knob. Three relatively sharp taps on the bend of the pinchbar with a 2 pound hammer and off came the knob  

I then undid the two screws holding the plastic protector to the armrest and - lo and behold - complete access to the armrest cover. Or nearly :?

Once the plastic is removed I could then see what merctoby was trying to tell me about the zip. ie: there is no clasp on it so it can't be undone (I couldn't see how anyway). Why Hymer used a zip without a clasp to secure the cover totally escapes me 8O Also the end of the cloth cover is stapled to the woodwork with about five heavy duty staples. 

So even after access to the cover it is still no easy task to get it off for cleaning.

In the end we decided to go half way and make some covers which would fit over the top of the existing and secure them partly with velcro and partly with the plastic protector (which fits around the adjusting knob. :roll:

In retrospect I think Carol (see last but one post before this one) probably has the right idea. That is buy some loose covers from Bad Waldsee  

Incidentally Carol, any idea where we can see these without going all the way to Germany?


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