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Have just finished a course of physiotherapy for lower back/sciatic pain and my advise would be consult your doc. The physio is all about strengthening your trunks core muscle groups by excersice techniques.

I seem to suffer whenever away in the van? But now, i hope it's a thing of the past.

We usually make up the beds (2 bunks) before watching TV.  Immediately behind the bunks are working surfaces on both sides, so we put the night pillows on end against the 'sidewalls' of the furniture, with a day cushion on end at the bottom.  This gives fairly good support and we don't have a problem, in spite of being in our 70's.

But we have come across vans where the layout seems to have been very much ignored when it comes to accommodating every factor for living in the van.  When choosing a van, I think a lot depends on luck.  You cannot preconceive every requirement, and I don't recall consciously thinking about the needs for sitting and watching TV.  Eek! We must have just been lucky!

Bertie.

There is one manufacturer which provides a fixed bed at one end & proper seating at the other.  Vanmaster offer a ‘dedicated lounge’ option on all their fixed bed models.  They can do it as they build vans individually to your spec, not identical vans on a production line.  I can’t see any of the large manufacturers doing it, just try asking for a cupboard instead of a 3 drawer unit & they’ll have a fit!

The plus side to this is very comfortable seating, but the down side is 2 less berths (& the cost of a hand built van).

One advantage of having an older van was deciding to change the parellel seating into an L shape, and building a small corner cupboard to sit the t.v. on. 

 I have chronic back problems and sit in the corner of the L shape with a pillow behind me.  I do have to keep getting up and moving around in order to ease the pain, which is what I have to do at home. When away in the van in this country again try to move around a bit more, perhaps you were sat in one position for too long, (just a thought).  I agree with you the awning chairs are far better.

We have the seating which has the cabinet in the middle, we do the same as Jerry+Tina, we just lounge along the full length of the settee, my husband takes one side and I take the other, sit up with comfy bed pillow behind back, and legs up along the settee

I had a similar problem, so invested in a memory foam V-pillow from Dunhelm, not cheap at neary £30 each, but they do give good support for the neck, head and shoulders, and even beter with a conventional cushion stuffed into the gap of the V, they sure did cure my back pain.

Julia