Removing the dinette booth 30' trailer

[bat119]

Has anybody done this?
I've been suggesting for 6 years we swap the booth for chairs nobody has ever slept there and under the benches is stuff that's rarely needed if ever.
I'm going with new chairs and using the existing table, I was wondering if the chairs need securing while traveling and how they are tied down.

[tool]

What would you gain by doing this?

[bat119]

Space for one being able to reach the cabinets over the dinette, sit in a chair for meals instead of a cramped box. 90% of the time we eat outside the table gets used mostly for playing cards and games. Most new trailers have a choice of chairs or the dinette.

[calgarygringo]

Make sure you check under the benches before going too far. I was going to do that to mine and found a few things underneath I would have to move on the plumbing side and decided I would just leave it rather than rearrange stuff.

[Fish along]

Originally Posted by bat119

Space for one being able to reach the cabinets over the dinette, sit in a chair for meals instead of a cramped box. 90% of the time we eat outside the table gets used mostly for playing cards and games. Most new trailers have a choice of chairs or the dinette.

I'm not sure this would work but couldn't you use a chair or chairs that have one leg (Old style) with the base that's screwed into the floor ,then they could be left in place while traveling or removed and stowed somewhere. It doesn't matter what the problem is I'm sure something can be done.

[tool]

If you removed the booth, maybe you could arrange some sort of folding table or hinge the table to the wall so you could arrange the chairs for more space or a different seating configuration when the table wasn't being used?

[sewerrat]

I had removed the dinette in our trailer to replace the floor. The whole thing was screwed down to the floor and walls with long screws, if you are going to remove the thing you will end up with ugly screw holes in the walls and floors.

[Freedom55]

Things that are not securely tied down do not travel well in a trailer. I've had the turntable from the microwave fly out and smash because I did not store it properly before embarking.

Try sitting in there while the Mrs. tows you to the edge of town. What a ride- don't get caught!

[JB_AOL]

Most of those chair and table options, have the table bolted down still, and the chairs are usually secured to the table with a strap during transport.

As mentioned, make sure there is nothing underneath that needs relocating, and it all depends how you finish it. It might look like **** (ie, holes in the wall/floor, faded flooring, etc.)

[bat119]

I removed the bench's last night, screw holes aren't that obvious I dabbed some almond chalking on the floor that covered them nicely there's a few holes on the walls I'll patch up later. The existing table is the free standing type with two legs should work out for me and the Mrs. with two chairs and I have some folding chairs for guests.
It went better than most of my RV reno's nothing was changed so if I sell the unit I can easily reinstall the bench's. Removing the bench's really opened up the trailer and two moveable comfy chairs is much better than the box for sitting.

Come on summer!

[gtr]

Good on you. Hope the changes work well for you.

[Gary K]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

Things that are not securely tied down do not travel well in a trailer. I've had the turntable from the microwave fly out and smash because I did not store it properly before embarking.

Try sitting in there while the Mrs. tows you to the edge of town. What a ride- don't get caught!

the table in my microwave has seen about 35000 miles, and it just sits in there.

[Jack Hardin]

My RV has the four chairs. The table is mounted on a center post, but the table top can slide 7 inches forward or back and lock into place. With the chairs are in place, just run a bungee cord around the 4 legs closest to the table support post. The bungee should be short enough that there is a bit of tension when you hook the ends together. Chairs are a lot more comfortable and versatile than the booth style. The chairs that came with it have a seat that lifts open for storage, 3" deep and length and width of the chair seat.

[Jays toyz]

I pulled out the kitchen booth and couch out of my 32'. Table was too small for 4 people and we never used the bed. The couch faced the door, was bagged and was never used as a bed either. Replaced booth with kitchen table and chairs and bought 2 swivel recliners. Far better function for us now.

[bat119]

Originally Posted by Jays toyz

I pulled out the kitchen booth and couch out of my 32'. Table was too small for 4 people and we never used the bed. The couch faced the door, was bagged and was never used as a bed either. Replaced booth with kitchen table and chairs and bought 2 swivel recliners. Far better function for us now.

I don't why I didn't do this years ago, next up the jackknife is getting swapped for recliners

[Jays toyz]

I also replaced my crappy Jensen TV with 50” one that uses 1/5 the power, added 4 6v batteris, a 3000watt inverter and 400watts of solar. Off grid comfort with power for days! Water is my weak link now.

[bat119]

My first upgrades were a ceramic toilet and a 40" TV tried to give the Jensen away ended up giving to the restore.
Another handy item was a macerator sewage pump to dump anywhere there's a toilet/outhouse pumps through a 3/4" hose.

[Arty]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

Things that are not securely tied down do not travel well in a trailer. I've had the turntable from the microwave fly out and smash [...]

Do you have shock absorbers on the trailer? Didn't think so.

Shocks will calm down a trailer just like any other vehicle. Cheap-azz manufacturers don't put them on as nobody rides back there usually, so people don't realize how much a trailer bounces around.

Desert/arctic fox have been putting them on some models, at least. Problem is, they have to be tuned to the typical weight of the trailer; neither too stiff or too soft, just like the rest of the suspension.

[Jays toyz]

My loose table is neatly pinned up against the wall by the bunk house slide. Did Vancouver island and back. No problem. (Except the difficulty of moving, parking and fuelling a big rig on the island)

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

Things that are not securely tied down do not travel well in a trailer. I've had the turntable from the microwave fly out and smash because I did not store it properly before embarking.

Try sitting in there while the Mrs. tows you to the edge of town. What a ride- don't get caught!

I have free standing table and chairs in mine, plus I drove from grande prairie to calgary with my coffee maker on the counter and it was still there when I got home.

[Freedom55]

Originally Posted by Arty

Do you have shock absorbers on the trailer? Didn't think so.

Shocks will calm down a trailer just like any other vehicle. Cheap-azz manufacturers don't put them on as nobody rides back there usually, so people don't realize how much a trailer bounces around.

Desert/arctic fox have been putting them on some models, at least. Problem is, they have to be tuned to the typical weight of the trailer; neither too stiff or too soft, just like the rest of the suspension.

I've got to say I've never heard of shock absorbers on a travel trailer. I stand corrected. But I have been around the block in back and I won't be doing that again.

[Arty]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

I've got to say I've never heard of shock absorbers on a travel trailer. [...]

Most people haven't either. But airstream has been putting shocks on theirs since the 1950's, and northwood manuf (Desert Fox toyhaulers) has been putting shocks on theirs for awhile.

A spring suspension system is essentially a harmonic oscillator. When you put energy into it (i.e. into the springs after hitting a pothole), it keeps moving back and forth forever, or until that energy bleeds out of it. The shocks (dampers) are there in all vehicles to take the harmonic energy out of the suspension system quicker, so it rides quieter. When it rides quieter you have better vehicle control and more ride comfort.

Problem is, most people regard trailers as no more than some fancy bale wagon. They don't know or care about what's going on back there, after all it's only a bunch of straw bales, right? But unloaded, something that's stiffly sprung starts bouncing around like crazy. Poorly loaded with a rear bias, and you get catastrophic sway buildups (same principle, different system) which could flip over both the trailer and tow vehicle. With both problems, i.e. lightly loaded and badly load-distributed, you've got a nightmare on wheels just waiting to blindside you.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Freedom55

I've got to say I've never heard of shock absorbers on a travel trailer. I stand corrected. But I have been around the block in back and I won't be doing that again.

I have a trailblazer and it has shocks as well