I hate dinettes

[byhamr]

Have owned, borrowed, rented, and walked all types of rv. That does not make me an expert but it does leave me with some perspective and the more matured I become in my rv age, the more confirmed I am that the rv industry in order to see more explosive growth needs to bring to a rapid end the addition of the proverbial dinette to any and every type of rv. Please just stop! My reasons are several but basically revolve around the simple fact that sitting one for more than five minutes is absolute torture. In fact I wish we could all ship our dinette to Guantanamo. Make a terrorist sit in one for more than 5 minutes and he/she will tell u everything they know. Painful I say and also purposeless. Indoor tables are not needed for meals. Even in our homes very few Americans eat at tables. And if we do while camping, it is the outside picnic table. So why does the rv industry force us to go backwards by 20 years and give us sore backs at the same time? Maybe it is to play games which again I say are so much more enjoyable outside. So please rv industry leaders stop with the dinette. Give us another couch or comfortable chairs or even more bunks for the neighbor's kids. I saw one ad recently for a moderately priced 38' class 8 that slept 8.i had to ask how. The answer was a picture of a dinette area removed to be replaced by floor to ceiling 3 bunks. Genius thought I. Whew... Thanks for listening. I feel so much better having gotten that of my chest.

[Lwiddis]

“In fact I wish we could all ship our dinette to Guantanamo. Make a terrorist sit in one for more than 5 minutes and he/she will tell u everything they know.“

The Geneva Convention rules prevent implementing your cruel idea.

[Matt_Colie]

I guess the designs were better once.

We have a very vintage (soon to qualify as antique) small A. The interior was carefully designed when it was built. We have a dinette and it has served us well. In the time when I used it as a shop for the living I made doing things for keep boat racers, that dinette served me well as center for the consultations with owners, as shop bench for the work on electronic instruments and a place to lay out my computer and papers as was required.

Now that the coach has been converted back to casual use, we use the dinette all the time. It is used during food preparation as it is across from the galley, and then to also partake of said meal and have a face to face discussion.

But then again, this coach was designed by thinking people some of whom were famous interior designers and it was all done near 50 years ago but it still is good today. All those that have remodeled these coaches gave up some function to do it.

Matt

[jfkmk]

JimK-NY wrote:
I was raised with the idea of eating while sitting at a table. I even find that restaurants provide the same accommodations. I am not sure how you eat without using a table. Do you balance your plate on your stomach? What about a glasses, silverware and soup or salad plates? Or do you just stand up and eat with your hands instead of silverware?
.

Not at all! Our 192RBS came with a fold up table which we quickly ditched for an easier to manage folding table from Wally world. We put it in front of the couch to eat when we est inside. We bought 2 folding chairs so we can play cards (facing each other) or 4 can use it to eat. Everything folds and stores quickly and easily and is more comfortable than any dinette I've seen.

[wanderingaimles]

Before you remove your dinette, try a couple of trips without using the storage provided by the dinette seat bases. When you consider the loss of storage you may want to reconsider the dinette.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Our previous Class C had a comfy dinette, IMO. But the table took up a lot of space in a no-slideout RV. I built a little 2' x 2' "cafe table" to replace the big table and it made the RV feel roomier, yet still gave space for a laptop (or a meal!)

[BarabooBob]

We have a smaller TT at 17'. If my wife and I sit in the TT due to weather or bugs, we eat our meals and play board games at the dinette. Yes the cushions suck but we are getting them replaced soon. We like the dinette. Most of the time, we are outside enjoying nature and friends.

[JimK-NY]

I was raised with the idea of eating while sitting at a table. I even find that restaurants provide the same accommodations. I am not sure how you eat without using a table. Do you balance your plate on your stomach? What about a glasses, silverware and soup or salad plates? Or do you just stand up and eat with your hands instead of silverware?

Anyway I have never had any issues sitting at a table. When camping I end the day sitting at the dinette reading, working on my laptop or just resting.

[JoeH]

We had a choice when we ordered our coach... free standing table and chairs or dinette.... we got the dinette as that is what we like. It's comfortable, serves it's purpose and gives us extra storage under the seats.

[HadEnough]

Absolutely a waste of space. They need convertible tables that vanish and comfortable Captain's chairs or couches instead.

Worst thing about my TC is absolutely the dinette taking up valuable space and making it so there is nowhere comfortable to sit.

Abolish dinettes now!!

[colliehauler]

I have removed the dinette in two RV'S. Both had a dinette and jack knife sofa in a super slide, I took out both. I put in a comfortable leather sofa and recliner in there place. I use tv trays that adjust to height when I need to eat inside. This works well for me but others have there own needs.

[Atlee]

I fixed the problem of the squishy foam used by the manufacturer. I took the foam from one of the cushion bottoms down to the local foam store. I asked for and got the best foam they had, and had them cut two to fix the cover.

Made such a huge difference. Unfortunately, the sofa foam is another story. It's a much more complicated foam cut, and haven't tackled it yet.

Back to the dinette for a moment. I left the original foam in the back rest cushions. They are fine with no more pressure than they get.

[opnspaces]

I have and use a dinette. But I will concede that the foam on the cushions is sub par and smashes down to almost nothing.

[pnichols]

byhamr wrote:
Have owned, borrowed, rented, and walked all types of rv. That does not make me an expert but it does leave me with some perspective and the more matured I become in my rv age, the more confirmed I am that the rv industry in order to see more explosive growth needs to bring to a rapid end the addition of the proverbial dinette to any and every type of rv. Please just stop! My reasons are several but basically revolve around the simple fact that sitting one for more than five minutes is absolute torture. In fact I wish we could all ship our dinette to Guantanamo. Make a terrorist sit in one for more than 5 minutes and he/she will tell u everything they know. Painful I say and also purposeless. Indoor tables are not needed for meals. Even in our homes very few Americans eat at tables. And if we do while camping, it is the outside picnic table. So why does the rv industry force us to go backwards by 20 years and give us sore backs at the same time? Maybe it is to play games which again I say are so much more enjoyable outside. So please rv industry leaders stop with the dinette. Give us another couch or comfortable chairs or even more bunks for the neighbor's kids. I saw one ad recently for a moderately priced 38' class 8 that slept 8.i had to ask how. The answer was a picture of a dinette area removed to be replaced by floor to ceiling 3 bunks. Genius thought I. Whew... Thanks for listening. I feel so much better having gotten that of my chest.

I don't agree at all with "getting rid of the dinette". Maybe having BOTH a dinette and some other type seating in addition would be OK, while still keeping a dinette would be the best.

Dinettes can be made more comfortable by upgrading/changing the foam type or stiffness in the bottoms and backs - like we did and our friends did in our Class C motorhomes.

Without a dinette - how are you going to play cards or board games with your friends when camping? Without a dinette - how are you going to spread out a laptop, some maps, and some writing paper for plotting new routes or conducting other business in the the RV? Without a dinette - what work surface inside the RV are you going to use to work on your fishing gear and do small item fixit jobs (during lousy outside weather)? Without a dinette - how are you going to eat together intimately with friends during lousy outside weather? Without a dinette - how are you going to brush your small pet during lousy outside weather?

With have both a dinette and a lounge chair in our 24 foot Class C and having both is great. I use the dinette and the DW uses the lounge chair when not doing any of the activities above ... a great versatile combination.

[newman_fulltime]

Wait there's a class 8 now !!!!who knew :S

And always remember the TV industry is about cheap

[time2roll]

Don't eat at a table? Do you stand or use a tray on the sofa?
At a restaurant I see the booths fill up first. Maybe you need better foam in your seat cushions.

Otherwise I am sure most are fairly easy to remove.