Replaced Table and Chairs with U-Shaped Dinette
We converted the factory dinette in our old Sunnybrook to a table and chairs setup and it seemed so much more convenient, we ordered our current Terry with table and chairs. Now after a few years we changed our minds again....
This floorplan is different, and the chairs that came with the trailer were just too big. It was crowded to seat four adults at the table, and now that we are traveling without the kids, we are just as likely to watch TV or surf the net in the evenings instead of building a campfire.
Plus, having additional sleeping space and storage would be a plus.
We finally got the water leak and rot behind us (see that project here) and dove in to get this mod done.
So we found these cushions on fleabay from an RV salvage place:
The cushions fit perfectly in the spot, I just needed to build the benches. I started by ripping some 2x4's into 2x2's and building the frame:
We originally decided on a round table with one leg. We are both tall, and the problem with dinettes is getting your feet/legs past the stupid table legs. Having one leg in the middle solved that:
The round table was a blank that I got at Lowe's, 1" think (5/4 board) and 36" round. The leg is a Sequoia Marine table base that has a very low profile when detached.
I made a separate folding insert that stores under the bench so you can make the dinette into a sleeper:
Here it is getting stained to match the cabinets:
Then I cut and hinged the table so that you can walk to the rear of the coach with the slide closed:
So, we went out for our maiden voyage within 2 days of me finishing this mod and we were absolutely.....disappointed! The 1" thick table was heavy...so heavy that it overpowered the Sequoia table support. After having read great reviews on this pricey product, I found out that it's junk. The "low profile" floor mount is also "low support"...heavy breathing would make the table move. We couldn't put any drinks on it because they would slide off.
Also having a separate piece to make the dinette was a pain, because we had to have someplace to put the round table when it made into a sleeper. Plus the rounded edges of the bases meant the insert would fold up if you sat too close to the edge.
So, back to the drawing board. Decided to stay with one leg, but got rid of the Sequoia and went with a standard RV insert model with 2 bases. We also got rid of the round table, and I built one with the pre-glued wide boards you find at Lowe's (I didn't have time to do my own gluing on this project.)
The square table is only 34 1/2" wide, so we gain a little access instead of the 36" round table. The panels are only 3/4" thick and I used a 1x2 skirt to give the assembly some stiffness. Stronger yet lighter than the round table.
Also hinged it to fold in:
And when it drops down to a sleeper, I sized the table so that the leaf touches the floor and eliminates the propensity to tip over that the last one had:
All in all, very happy with the mod now and looking forward to our next trip!
This floorplan is different, and the chairs that came with the trailer were just too big. It was crowded to seat four adults at the table, and now that we are traveling without the kids, we are just as likely to watch TV or surf the net in the evenings instead of building a campfire.
Plus, having additional sleeping space and storage would be a plus.
We finally got the water leak and rot behind us (see that project here) and dove in to get this mod done.
So we found these cushions on fleabay from an RV salvage place:
The cushions fit perfectly in the spot, I just needed to build the benches. I started by ripping some 2x4's into 2x2's and building the frame:
We originally decided on a round table with one leg. We are both tall, and the problem with dinettes is getting your feet/legs past the stupid table legs. Having one leg in the middle solved that:
The round table was a blank that I got at Lowe's, 1" think (5/4 board) and 36" round. The leg is a Sequoia Marine table base that has a very low profile when detached.
I made a separate folding insert that stores under the bench so you can make the dinette into a sleeper:
Here it is getting stained to match the cabinets:
Then I cut and hinged the table so that you can walk to the rear of the coach with the slide closed:
So, we went out for our maiden voyage within 2 days of me finishing this mod and we were absolutely.....disappointed! The 1" thick table was heavy...so heavy that it overpowered the Sequoia table support. After having read great reviews on this pricey product, I found out that it's junk. The "low profile" floor mount is also "low support"...heavy breathing would make the table move. We couldn't put any drinks on it because they would slide off.
Also having a separate piece to make the dinette was a pain, because we had to have someplace to put the round table when it made into a sleeper. Plus the rounded edges of the bases meant the insert would fold up if you sat too close to the edge.
So, back to the drawing board. Decided to stay with one leg, but got rid of the Sequoia and went with a standard RV insert model with 2 bases. We also got rid of the round table, and I built one with the pre-glued wide boards you find at Lowe's (I didn't have time to do my own gluing on this project.)
The square table is only 34 1/2" wide, so we gain a little access instead of the 36" round table. The panels are only 3/4" thick and I used a 1x2 skirt to give the assembly some stiffness. Stronger yet lighter than the round table.
Also hinged it to fold in:
And when it drops down to a sleeper, I sized the table so that the leaf touches the floor and eliminates the propensity to tip over that the last one had:
All in all, very happy with the mod now and looking forward to our next trip!
