Changing dinette into a sofa

[RhondaMyers.com]

We were going to buy a larger rv, but once we removed the dinette and built in a sofa we decided to keep our Thor 22fe.
The cost was under $500 and it only took a few days of work. The flat black paint keeps the cushion from sliding.
We also have more storage.
I used a king 4in. Topper doubled over for the base cushion and wedge cushions for the back. It is very comfortable.

[KNMIB]

Was your fuse box under your dinette seats?

[RhondaMyers.com]

We didn't move anything under the seats, we just cut the drawer shorter and reused the same front. I don't think the fuses are under the seats, but we have hatches so we can get under the seats if we need to.

[Chance]

Did you find dinette uncomfortable to sit on, or was upgrade mainly to open up living area space?

It's hard to see on picture but center of RV does look much more open and spacious.

[RhondaMyers.com]

We could not relax and sit back when we stopped. The dinette is designed for small tiny people, not the full size people.
I will post new images when I get a chance, of the open space.
Now we have space to add our new chairs. We are ordered new seats from Shop4seats.com. We are getting heated leather seats with massagers, recliners and swivels. I was getting the leg support, but they said they couldn't make it fit over the 3" hump.
We added sound deadening to everything under the front, and it makes a huge difference. We will move the passenger seat more toward the center when we put it in.

[RhondaMyers.com]

Photo of floorspace.

[Chance]

That is spacious, and shows that it's not always necessary to have a slide to make an aisle wide enough for two average people to pass each other. It's plenty for us anyway; but then we are use to camping inside a much narrower van -- anything is spacious by comparison.

I'd like the same concept as yours except using a narrow dinette.


I rotated picture for you to make it easier to see. Thanks for posting.

[Laco]

In our former DP we had the dinette which both my wife and I loved having, however we also had two full size sofa's. When we downsized to the current coach, we went back and forth with the dinette vs sofa, and decided the sofa was the way to go, which after using, we have no regrets for going that way.

[Chance]

One of each would be nice, but not likely to fit in smaller motorhomes unless we give up on having a dedicated bed/bedroom. That worked out for us when we were much younger, but now would prefer a real permanent bed or two (if Twin/King).

A couple of manufacturers (think Pleasureway is one but not sure) have come up with a narrow 2-person dinette that can also be arranged like a couch.

[KNMIB]

Originally Posted by RhondaMyers.com

We could not relax and sit back when we stopped. The dinette is designed for small tiny people, not the full size people.
I will post new images when I get a chance, of the open space.
Now we have space to add our new chairs. We are ordered new seats from Shop4seats.com. We are getting heated leather seats with massagers, recliners and swivels. I was getting the leg support, but they said they couldn't make it fit over the 3" hump.
We added sound deadening to everything under the front, and it makes a huge difference. We will move the passenger seat more toward the center when we put it in.

I am confused are you going to install the chairs where your couch(ex table) was?

[RhondaMyers.com]

No chairs. We just have a sleeping sitting couch with a tray for eating.

[Laco]

In ours the chairs are the rotated cab chairs. Works for the two of us.

[pjciii]

Hi Rhonda

we also have a 22fe and that is exactly what i was thinking about doing. did you have to patch any vinyl on the floor? i also think that the dinette is restrictive and wasted space in a small motorhome..could you please post the first photo in individual pictures so i can blow it up to look at it closer. i think it makes a lot more sense to make that mod rather than get a new motorhome. also, how much did you reduce the cabinet behind the drivers seat by. it only looks like 4 to 6 inches.

patrick

[Chance]

Originally Posted by RhondaMyers.com

.....cut..... Now we have space to add our new chairs. We are ordered new seats from Shop4seats.com. We are getting heated leather seats with massagers, recliners and swivels. I was getting the leg support, but they said they couldn't make it fit over the 3" hump.
.....cut.....

Is the 3" hump you refer to the difference in elevation between the cab floor and the rest of the coach floor? It sounds like you are replacing the driver and passenger seats. Is that correct?

I assume the leg support option would be too low to allow chairs to swivel back without hitting the coach floor.

[RhondaMyers.com]

Correct, but my husband is welding a platform that will bolt into the floor and allow the passenger seat to move over toward the center and raise it higher.

[RhondaMyers.com]

We are replacing the driver and passenger seats. We plan on spending a lot of time on the road.

[RhondaMyers.com]

Originally Posted by pjciii

Hi Rhonda

we also have a 22fe and that is exactly what i was thinking about doing. did you have to patch any vinyl on the floor? i also think that the dinette is restrictive and wasted space in a small motorhome..could you please post the first photo in individual pictures so i can blow it up to look at it closer. i think it makes a lot more sense to make that mod rather than get a new motorhome. also, how much did you reduce the cabinet behind the drivers seat by. it only looks like 4 to 6 inches.

patrick

We cut it 6 in.shorter with out moving anything in the base. We cut the drawer shorter and changed the slide hardware.
My husband can drive more comfortably now that his seat back can recline. The dinette blocked his seat back too much.

Originally Posted by Chance

Is the 3" hump you refer to the difference in elevation between the cab floor and the rest of the coach floor? It sounds like you are replacing the driver and passenger seats. Is that correct?

I assume the leg support option would be too low to allow chairs to swivel back without hitting the coach floor.

[RhondaMyers.com]

New captain chairs with one swivel. By making a 1/4 steel plate my husband was able to move the new chairs all the way back to the step up and over to the center enough to swivel my seat and to make his more comfortable. Looking forward to a Disney trip in March with family.

[RhondaMyers.com]

We made a sofa where the dinette was and we are replacing our driver and passenger seats with better seats.

[RhondaMyers.com]