If you went ahead and purchased an RV with a booth dinette because you anticipated it getting the family closer and providing a little more seating when it comes time for everyone to hunker down for a yummy meal together, but now find that your rosy image of family togetherness was just flat out a wish, you might be wondering how you can make use of your dinette by improving its functionality as a space. The good news is that you aren’t tied into sticking with the booth dinette and you don’t have to sell you RV to get a freestanding one. With just a little elbow grease and forethought you can actually remove your booth dinette and add a freestanding dinette.
If you’ve considered every pro and con of removing your booth dinette and replacing it with a freestanding dinette, have determined you don’t have any electrical or plumbing parts that could be damaged during the mod process, and are ready to dive in (don’t worry, you can always reinstall your booth dinette if you change your mind), then keep reading. If you’re unsure, starting making a pros and cons list for booth dinettes and freestanding dinettes.
Tools Needed:
- Drill with a variety of bits (in case an anchor is particularly hard to remove)
- Screwdrivers (a variety of types and sizes to fit whatever sized screws you encounter)
- Plastic or rubber plugs to fill anchor holes (optional)
Begin by exploring how your dinette is attached to the RV. Usually a bench or seating frame is attached to the floor, however, at times you might find parts of it anchored to the wall. If this is the case you can simply remove the anchors and plug the hole with a rubber or plastic stopper. It is not recommended that you fill these holes with wood filler or putty in case you ever want to put the booth back in. This helps prevent you from having to drill more holes.
Before removing the booth dinette, you should first gently remove any storage drawers and the table post. Everything should come apart easily, however, you may have to further disassemble the pieces to get them out of the RV (unless you have a toy hauler, in which case you can take them through the garage).
Once your space is clear you can now install your new freestanding dinette. This can be a dinette made for RVs (these often come with pre-drilled holes for security purposes) or one you select from a furniture store. Should you decide to purchase a table and chairs from a furniture, make sure you’re conscious of the weight you will be adding. Whatever you choose you need to ensure you secure it. That might mean securing it with bungee cords while driving, or using nuts and bolts to secure the legs into the floor. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to use this new space for a dinette. It can be turned into a computer nook/home office, an additional sleeping area, or even a storage space.
Have you ever tried this mod? How did you make use of your dinette’s space? Share with us on Facebook.
