I had a 2006 KR and loved the Leather on those seats. I've since owned a 2011 and a 2015 Lariats. The leather is not the same and the driver seat has looked like crap by 100,000 miles. Same goes for the steering wheel. A lot of wear on the spokes of the wheel. I guess it's just the way I hold the wheel when I drive.

My new truck is a Platinum, I'm hoping the leather seats are better than my previous two Lariat trucks. And the Platinum steering wheel seems to have metal on the spokes so maybe I won't rub the finish off as fast.

So what have other done to protect these two areas? I realize that a lot of folks don't get in and out of their trucks as often I do. It's basically my office all day. So I'm in and out of the truck easily 8-10-12 times per day. Heck, even hooking up the GN hitch, I'm sometimes in and out 3 or 4 times to just get the hitch lined up. Hopefully, the new bed camera will reduce that.

I'd really hate to lose the heat or cooling in the seat by adding a bulky cover. And I do want something that looks tasteful.

Maybe I should just consider it a consumable and plan to replace the driver's seat at 100,000 miles It looks could be done for $500 ( at least on the Lariat). And pulling the steering wheel is not difficult, So it could be replaced when it starts to look bad.

 

I was thinking about creating a post about this. I only have abou 1600 miles on my truck and the leather on the seats have creases that I don’t like from getting in and out. I’d like to know what others are doing. I’ve been looking into leather conditioners to see if that will add some longevity to the leather. I haven’t finalized my search yet.

 

You could consider recovering the seats with a set of Katzkin Seat Covers when your original set show's to much wear.

 

Definitely a good leather wipe and more frequent application will help the drivers seat and steering wheel last the best it can. I have found McGuires to work well. On my 2005, I did all the leather twice a year, but the drivers seat and steering wheel monthly. Keeping it crack free and conditioned definately helps it last longer. I find that if I use a few wipes and rpwipe down all the solid leather and do the perforated seats and back last you don't plug the holes up that allow the cooling to work.

If your finding that your hands or cloths are dirty, I would use a damp microfiber cloth and wipe down before conditioning to remove the dirt and oils. I do try not to have really dirty hands with grease and oil on the steering wheel but sometimes it's unavoidable.

Other than that with heavy use, yeah, might have to swap out seat leather and steering wheel at some point, but this will help them last the best, and you will still have your heating and cooling.

 

Being that I spend a lot of time with horses. I have a lot of leather conditioners around. I do wipe down my seats on a regular basis.

But wearing jeans and sliding over the edge of the seat is what is causing the problem. The edge of the seat just wears out.

On mt 2015, I looked into replacing the seat cover. But most of the companies that make seat replacements, Were not making seats yet for the 2011 and newer trucks. said there wasn't enough demand to justify setting up the patterns/computer programs to automate the process.

 

I just replaced my drivers seat cushion in my 2007. World of difference. The cloth wasn't worn much so it looks pretty good. I did find OEM covers on ebay for about 150 bucks but chose not to do it. If they'd been worn bad or ripped I'd done it in a heartbeat.

I say, just use it. It's not that hard later to rebuild that driver's seat bottom and really not that expensive. A one time deal later (maybe 300 bucks) is better than worrying about it for several years every time you get in and out of your truck.

Keeping leather clean and conditioned will help a bunch too.

 

 

I have the cloth interior with your mindset! I use the interior handle to "lift" myself as much as possible in and out of the truck. When the time comes for cover replacement I'll get some new ones. The steering wheel on mine gets used where the spokes contact the wheel, I use my finger to turn more than I should! I will replace it also when the time comes.

 

That is exactly where mine previous two trucks have worn. Right where the lower spokes connect to the ring.

I pulled the steering wheel on my 2015 truck last summer to replace the Steering Wheel Position Sensor that went bad. Pretty easy job to pop it off and replace.

Your suggestion are probably right. Just wear it out and replace. I don't really want to cover it and lose my heated steering wheel or AC/Heated seats.

 

I'm weird when it comes to keeping my steering wheel clean and looking new. I drive a majority of the time with my left palm down on top of the wheel. I rarely touch the leather wrapped portion. When it's time to turn, I'll slide my hand to the end of the spoke and use a couple fingers to turn the wheel either way.

My 2006 Lariat at 105k miles, my 2009 KR at 91k and my 2012 KR at 70k miles looked brand new when i got rid of them.

I clean the seats once a month and use a good exit strategy. Seats have always looked great. I'm one of those weirdos who can't handle normal wear and tear. I keep a beach towel on the driver's seat when working/hauling hay in the summer with it.

 

Good leather conditioner and exiting the seat properly.

I've had multiple sports cars with large side bolsters and how you exit the vehicle will drastically reduce the wear on leather.

If you get out of truck by sliding down the left side bolster then you're going to ruin the leather.

I grab the "oh $h^t" handle and lift my butt off the seat while i'm exiting the truck. My wife does also because she knows how ocd I am about my vehicles. My brother in law weighs 250lbs and he slides down the seat, smashing the sides of his seats every time he exits his truck. His leather looks like crap after 3 years.

 

I know in the past that I've seen replacement seat bottoms, console arm rests and steering wheel wraps for sale on ebay. I specifically remember seeing replacement KR leather being sold. Something to keep in mind for the future.

 

Steering wheels are cheap to replace if you don't mind an XL, XLT wheel. I think my last one was $200 plus 1 hour. I grip mine at 3&9, and don't slide around on it too much. They don't last forever though.

Don't slide off your seats. Stand on the door sill and lift yourself off the seat and drop. Easier done with some sort of running board. I like the Westin HDX the best currently.

 

There are companies like the Seatshop.com that sell replacement seat covers that come very close to matching the Factory seats for a few hundred bucks. You can replace either the leather only or leather and foam. The problem is they are not making seat covers for the newer trucks. (2009 and older) When I talked to them, they said the demand wasn't high enough to justify making seats for the newer trucks.

And Yes I know, I slide off the seat. When you are in and out of the truck 20 times a day, It becomes too easy.

UGA33, I usually hold my wheel in the 4 and 8 position, So the opening of those gaps are where I rub the finish off. My new Platinum has more metal that I come in contact with. So maybe it will not show the wear the Lariat steering wheels did.

 

I’ve always used Bickmore. It’s no-gloss, won’t alter the color, and protects against water. I’ve used it on handmade boots, Saddleback bags, and King Ranch seats - it’s the only leather conditioner I’d recommend.