camper seating

[bcbouy]

the wife and i were riding out a storm in the camper last weekend and after a few hours we were getting really uncomfortable with the bench seating arrangement.i've been rolling around in my head the possible idea of mounting some captains chairs or something along that line.maybe on some boat seat swivel mounts or something.i have the lagun swing away table leg so i should have some room to play with.has anyone done this to a non slide camper before and do you have some pics?

[bcbouy]

i've been watching kijiji and cl for some rv chairs like captains or recliners.my bench seats are really narrow and almost perpendicular so its impossible to sit for more than a quick meal (good thing we don't sit inside to eat or cook).if i cut out a u shape from 3/4 ply a little bigger than the bench and screw it down i should be able to make something fit.i need to find the right chairs,then i can recover them at a later time to match the interior. i saw the tc mag pics,most are in big campers,mines only 8.5.the office chairs may be a good temp fix.

[Photomike]

My biggest complaint with my truck camper, or just about any RV, is the horrible seats. I am 100% sure that the person or persons that design RV seats never actually sit in them. I can sit in my office chairs for 8 to 10 hours and I can stand up and my back is fine and my butt is fine. 10 or 15 minutes sitting in my truck camper and my butt is sore and within an hour or two my back will be sore. You'd think for the amount that they charge for an RV that they can do a lot more research on comfortable seats. I did see a class B motor home the other day where they had removed the seating in it and replaced it with a couple office chairs, was a great idea except for the fact that you had to make sure that the chairs are anchored when driving.

I'm going to be following this post closely as it is something that I would like to do with my own truck camper. Because of the layout of my truck camper is impossible for me to remove the bench seats that are in it and replace them with a recliner so I need another idea.

[pjay9]

BCbouy, before you go to massive remodel, analyze the actual annoyance that you were feeling. Were the cushions to soft and not supporting you? It is a cheap easy fix, great DIY...see if that does it then if not go for the gusto!

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/22395713/gotomsg/22396870.cfm#22396870

I have considered making a new table top that is not so wide and maybe a bit shorter, but it has never been that much of an annoyance to make me do it. Only time I wish it to be a bit smaller is trying to get into the dinette when slide is in.

Good luck to you!

[tonymull]

Truck Camper Magazine has a mods section and buried in there somewhere are several seating ideas. I think there's some in the mod section of this site too. Going to firmer 6" cushions made an incredible difference, but it was not very cheap. I was amazed at the difference....and the price 😉

[bcbouy]

those foot rests are giving me ideas.i have a cupboard under the rear bench, butting up against the shower wall,but i may be able to fab up some fold away ones mounted to the side wall bench on either side of the table leg.i talked to the wife about my ideas over dinner and she was receptive to the plan.keeping in mind the camper is brand new,and we've only used it 3 times.

[Buzzcut1]

We drop the dinette into bed mode, pull the pillows of the cabover bed for use as a back rest and have a short legged tv tray for drinks. Makes it nice and cozy to snuggle up and watch a movie or play backgammon

[bcbouy]

tried the search,not much to help me.i have the pillow with the armrests,doesn't do much good in my particular camper configuration.shower/toilet on one side and large cavity with cupboard overhang on the bed side,and the benches are really narrow.i really want to keep the table,and am ok with carpeting over the benches.

[tonymull]

bobndot wrote:
In our non slide we made the table smaller allowing more elbow room which helped a lot. We extended the footrests on both sides.
I think lack of enough headroom is the issue on the non slide models. You would have to build a platform at the cushion level, then add the pedestal and seat. The only other option would be to remove a cabinet and install a base at floor level but you loose the storage. Not an option in most TC's.
It would be tight if at all to build on top off the cabinets or platform . That outer cushion against the window has to sit above the bedrail.
In my unit ,that sheet of 1/4" ply stores under the cushion. Its actually very comfy, like a lounge chair. Its inexpensive and tucks out of the way . I wanted to also keep the resale value to be used as an OEM dinette/bed.

Wow! We even have the same pillows! 😉

[tonymull]

We have a u shaped dinette in our camper. We didn't pay a lot for it so I didn't mind upgrading the cushions. Ordered new foam online and had them covered at a local upholstery shop. We went from the usual 4" to 6" and got very firm ones. Sits so much better! I also did away with the big table and replaced it with a round one since we just need a place to sit drinks and almost never eat in the camper. I also keep the "bridge" used to convert to a bed under the seat cushion and pull it out for a foot rest. Pretty easy. The Foam Factory is a good source for foam and will save you a couple hundred over letting a shop supply their own. We added a couple of bed rest pillows, the things with arms and it is very comfortable for reading and watching TV on rainy evenings, and there's still room for the pups.

[bobndot]

In our non slide we made the table smaller allowing more elbow room which helped a lot. We extended the footrests on both sides.
I think lack of enough headroom is the issue on the non slide models. You would have to build a platform at the cushion level, then add the pedestal and seat. The only other option would be to remove a cabinet and install a base at floor level but you loose the storage. Not an option in most TC's.
It would be tight if at all to build on top off the cabinets or platform . That outer cushion against the window has to sit above the bedrail.
In my unit ,that sheet of 1/4" ply stores under the cushion. Its actually very comfy, like a lounge chair. Its inexpensive and tucks out of the way . I wanted to also keep the resale value to be used as an OEM dinette/bed.

[Gripnriprod]

There are a few mods that have included chairs and couches. Use the search engine for those topics.

[jimh406]

Not a great picture and not with matching fabric for our throw pillows, but this one shows you the little quarter table I added to provide more open space and yet somewhere to put a coffee cup, etc. It rests on the table bracket of the dinette table instead of the dinette and leaves the floor open.

It makes it easier to sit and not have to deal with the full size table.