Why remove dinette booth and replace with table and chairs

[loriwhitmore]

I noticed RVers frequently choose to replace the dinette booth with table and chairs.

What is the advantage of doing this? I hate to lose the storage under the bench seat, plus it is handy as a guest bed, if needed.

Our dinette booth does need updating. Planning to buy new upholstered cushions. Need to update the dinette trim as well.

[CharlesinGA]

I don't want anything loose, such as chairs, and don't want to have to secure or bungee them each time I move. I would like firmer cushions, just need to get some real dense foam for the bottoms. I use the dinette all the time. The motorhome had a dinette and sofa, I rarely used the sofa except to pile stuff on.

Charles

[JHinman]

We had table and chairs in a rig for the last 10 years, but the trailer we have coming will have a booth. We had to secure the table and chairs with bungee cords before traveling, and that was a pain in the neck. We forgot that once, and paid for it with a dent in the refrigerator door from a chair bouncing around.

Geometry of the seat versus table can be an issue, but that only has to be fixed once.

[Sjm9911]

I have a dinette and dont sit there as im 6'6" and i have 0 room. I would do table in chairs if i had a choice. Not worth the modification now. I sit on the couch and can still eat at the table.lol.

[frankwp]

We don't have a traditional dinette, but rather a couch that is the full length of the slide, 12'. There are 2 small tables that can be set up when needed. This serves us much better than a dinette & couch, or a table & chairs & couch. We typically have between 2 & 8 people camping, usually 7 or 8, so this gives us lots of open floor space & lots of table space when not eating outside.

Everyone's needs are different, but after 11 years with this fifth wheel, and the setup seems just about perfect for us. I did have new seat cushions made for the couch though because the originals were just awful.

And grand kids are always welcome.

[Vintage465]

I could go for the two chairs and little stand between them just for the nicety of a regular chair to sit in. Wifey won't even consider it. So I won't consider it.

[GMH]

I find the dinette benches more comfy than the chairs at home. The Table was very wobbly though, so I made new stainless steel bases for it and welded the posts in. It is rock solid now...well almost.

[gmckenzie]

Ours came with a table and chairs. I was reluctant about not having a dinette for the first trip. Realized pretty quickly I preferred this to a dinette. We learned to only take 2 chairs so we don't feel crowded while eating.

But there are only 2 of us, we don't need extra eating room, don't need extra sleeping room and are good for the storage (except we need a clothes closet).

So, personal preference, but I'm glad we have what we do.

[colliehauler]

I took out the dinette in my trailer and put in table and chairs. Table became a catch all that wasn't used so took that out as well. Went with a home full size sofa and two recliners that are actually comfortable. Found some very good tv trays at Wallyworld that fold out of the way when not needed.

[ferndaleflyer]

2 things I don't want to see--a fixed table and bench or 2 couches. Neither makes any sense to me as we aren't throwing a party, except for the 2 of us.

[jkwilson]

valhalla360 wrote:
Since the chairs are crammed into the same space, moving the chairs around...doesn't really happen or at best is awkward.

The storage is the biggest issue (we never used it for sleeping anyway).

We are actually planning to switch the current rig back to dinnet seats.

The chairs aren’t crammed into the same space unless you have walls on both sides. I can turn two of my chairs 180 degrees without moving them back, and can push the table away from them and gain a lot of space.

[sgfrye]

had both, prefer table and chairs. never like dinette booth in our first TT. uncomfortable for wife and i. i eventually took dinette table out, turned one of the benches parallel to wall and basically made a L-shaped sofa that my wife loved to lounge on when i stretched out on the living room sofa. to each his own ..

[BurbMan]

Depends on what suits you...the dinette in our Sunnybrook was awful, so we took out the benches and replaced with free standing chairs. Gave us a lot of flexibility to move the chairs around. We liked it so much, we kicked ourselves for not doing it sooner and couldn't understand why anyone would have a booth dinette again. We were so convinced that table and chairs was they way to go that that we ordered the new Terry with a table and chairs....and hated it so much we took them out and installed a U-shaped dinette. Go figure.

[Mickeyfan0805]

I've actually been muddling around with this one myself. We despise our U-shaped dinette. The cushions don't stay on the bench well, now that the kids are older it really only seats 3 instead of our 5, etc. The open space and flexibility of our table and chairs would be a real advantage. For us, however, it's not only interior but exterior storage that would be lost. Our hoses, power cables and levelers are all stored under that bench. I simply can't afford to lose that space, so we're staying with what we've got.

That said, in a larger 5th wheel with more available storage, I'd opt for the table and chairs over the bench in a heartbeat!

[Dick_B]

Since there are only two of us we took one of the chairs out for more wine storage. The chairs can be turned to view the TV or other reason.