Couch drawer secured

[Nursx2]

I used these strong but very fragile magnets to hold the couch drawer closed while driving. Used two on each side and they hold very well. Purchased them on eBay from China for $5.00.

[JamieGeek]

Cool idea! Those must be Neodymium magnets. Here is more than you'd ever want to know about them:
Neodymium magnet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Like I didn't know GM developed them!)

[jacksharp]

WOW... I did not even know the drawer under the couch on our couch opened We have the 34F so maybe it does not, but I will take a closer look. I did discover that if you take the screws out under the cushions on each side of the table, there is extra storage there. I had asked my salesman if there was storage there and he said no. Thanks for the great info.. now on to see if ours slides out

[Beacher]

Also, under the dinette cushions are black fabric covered boards screwed into place. Those screws can be removed for additional storage.

[jacksharp]

Thanks again.. I figured that one out, and the little woman has the area filled up already. Pretty light stuff though. Love this forum. Great people and ideas...

Take care my friend..

[jacksharp]

Observation... After pulling and pulling with no drawer under the couch coming out, I figured I better look a bit closer. Well I did discover the couch will make into a bed, (with very little support) but no way to pull a drawer out. There is some room if we pull the cushions up to store a few things under the couch, but that is it. One would want to be careful as our water lines and some power junction boxes are under there as well.

[Nursx2]

Must be a different couch! I too have the couch that pulls out to a bed (air mattress), which I had to modify BTW because the legs would not touch the floor when opened. THOR!

[jacksharp]

They ran out of the good couches in our coach, but than again, the legs do... touch the floor

[FW28z]

I converted the forward under seat void in my dinette to storage as it too was simply screwed down. Don't know why Thor didn't provide storage space in that area as it seems a waste of space.

I first thought it might be due to weight concerns as the dinette is located on the slide out... but I noticed that newer coaches of my same model do have a storage drawer in the dinette. So it is probably more cutting corners than anything else. Or perhaps the weight concern was alleviated in later years.

One thing I was concerned with though is if I removed the screws holding the top down, it could become a hazard when driving down the road if I had to quickly stop. I don't want the seat top and all of the inside contents to come flying out in a panic stop.

To solve that concern, I used velcro to line the under surface of the seat top so it will not come off in such a situation. I applied velcro to the front, back, and both sides of the top and base, and to my surprise, it held so well it was difficult to remove... so I had to remove the velcro along the two sides.

Even now, the Admiral (my wife in boat speak - I don't know what the proper equivalent RV term is) - she cannot pull the seat top off without my help because the velcro is so strong. But that means the top is pretty secure.

editorial note: no, calling the wife Admiral in the boating world is not derogatory, it is complementary. You see, the Admiral lets the Captain (husband) pilot the boat, but the Admiral (wife) actually owns the boat and makes all of the command decisions. Afterall, an Admiral outranks a Captain.

But I digress...

A future project will be to add a drawer to the side of the rear seat base. But the other doors in the coach are made so cheaply that even though I am an accomplished woodworker, I cannot replicate cheap to match them. Those doors are typically wrapped with vinyl, and not cabinet-grade hardwoods.

So I think I will make a trip next spring to a RV surplus outfit I know of - located in Elkhart, In (about an hour from where I live), and see if I can find a matching cheap door/drawer front.

My rear seat base also has seatbelts along with some electrical wiring in it, so I cannot use it just as a storage bin, which is why I am considering installing a drawer to clear those obstacles.

And an observation. I don't let anyone sit in the dinette (located on the slide out) while we are moving - even though it has seatbelts. I should remove them. My concern is if we have any kind of an accident, the only thing preventing the slideout from getting chucked out the side of the RV is a couple of Schwintek gears. Not a comforting thought.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by FW28z

And an observation. I don't let anyone sit in the dinette (located on the slide out) while we are moving - even though it has seatbelts. I should remove them. My concern is if we have any kind of an accident, the only thing preventing the slideout from getting chucked out the side of the RV is a couple of Schwintek gears. Not a comforting thought.

Given that RV's aren't crash tested and are built so cheaply any crash strong enough to eject the slide would probably do significant damage to the rest of the coach as well. Probably enough to injure anyone sitting in a more secure seat--other than the driver and passenger seats in the cab section of a class C since that one section has been crash tested as a van or pickup.
Strangely enough most of the RV accidents I've seen on the side of the highway have all been trailers/5th wheels. In those cases the camper is usually completely destroyed with the only recognizable piece remaining being the frame and floor and the tow vehicle sitting on the side of the road with a bent-up hitch.

[FW28z]

Most accidents I have seen as well are trailers as well.

[jacksharp]

Great info for sure... Thanks guys for sharing...

[Nursx2]

"So it is probably more cutting corners than anything else."


This is the real reason I am betting!

[jacksharp]

Roger Roger on that one