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You are here: Home / RV Modifications / 20 Creative Ways to Remove and Replace Your RV Dining Booth
20 Creative Ways to Remove and Replace Your RV Dining Booth

20 Creative Ways to Remove and Replace Your RV Dining Booth

January 4, 2023 by Ashley Mann 116 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

RV Owners Who Replaced Their Dining Booths | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dinette booth

Dining booths take up valuable real estate in an RV. These RV owners decided to remove their dining booths and replace them with furniture that makes better use of the space.

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In this article, you'll see how much space you can gain in your camper by removing the dining booth and replacing it with something else!

How To Remove an RV Dinette: The Booth Removal Process

Before we dive into the “after” photos of RVs without a dining booth, you may be wondering exactly how to remove an RV dining booth.

Well, it turns out it's fairly simple: you look for screws and remove them. If you can't easily lift away the pieces after unscrewing them, you may need the assistance of a pry bar.

Below is a photo of an RV dining booth being removed. You can see how it's just a wooden frame screwed to the wall and floor.

You'll probably also need to fill some holes in your wall, which you can do with some spackling.

Replacing an RV Dinette with a Table and Chairs

Replacing the dining booth with a traditional table and chairs makes a camper or motorhome feel less like a vehicle and more like a house.

RV dining booth replaced with small table and chairs
by Linda Hillesheim

1. Small Table and Two Chairs

If only two people ever sit at your dining table, you can save space in your RV by replacing the 4-person dinette with a table for two. This opens up the space and also doesn't stick out as far, creating more room for walking. In this case, you may lose the storage from under the benches, so this particular type of table might not be a good idea for you if storage is something you're short on.

Plus, swapping out your dinette for a table and chairs is a great way to add your own design aesthetic to your RV.

Table and chairs to replace dining booth in RV | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth
by Connie Cox-Pavey

2. Glamorous Dining Area

The owner of this RV loves Victorian decor and decided to remove the dining booth in order to create an intimate dining area better suited to his taste, complete with new full-length curtains and a chandelier.

Victorian dining area in RV with full length curtains and a chandelier
by Jay Clements

Related: Easy RV Window Makeover Ideas

He used museum putty to secure decorative items on shelves and walls so that traveling requires packing away only a few things and securing the furniture.

3. Drop Leaf Table and Pair of Barrel Chairs

The owners of this RV chose to replace their dining booth with a set of 2 velvet barrel chairs and a round pedestal drop leaf table to create a homey environment in this trailer.

Table and chairs to replace RV dining booth
by Tara McCree

4. Swapping the Dinette and Sofa

Want to shake up your RV floorplan?

This RV owner wanted to change the arrangement of where the sitting and dining areas were located, so they decided to remove the jackknife sofa as well as the dinette and replace them with a sleeper sofa in a lighter color as well as a small table for two.

RV sofa and dining booth swapped positions
by Jamie Williams Holt

5. Replacing the Dinette with Extra Seating

The owners of this RV wanted more comfortable places to sit, so they removed their dining booth and added two wall-hugging recliners.

They also removed their jackknife sofa and replaced it with a more comfortable couch. They then added a 3-drawer nightstand to make up for the storage they lost with taking out their dinette, as well as a smaller table and chairs tucked into a different spot in their RV.

RV dinette replaced with recliners
By Penelope New

6. Removing the Dinette Benches and Keeping the Table

The people who own this RV decided to remove the dated upholstered bench seats and replace them with a set of 2 parsons chairs, keeping the original table. It's a vast improvement and they don't have to figure out how to secure the table during travel since it's still attached to the wall.

RV dining benches replaced with chairs leaving original table
by Lynette Sapp

7. Replacing the Dinette with a DIY Sofa Bed

The dining booth in this camper was removed and replaced with a custom-built sofa that adds additional seating as well as an extra bed. The drawers from the original dining booth were kept and used to create storage underneath.

Related: Looking to replace your RV couch? Try these DIY RV Sofa Bed Ideas!

RV dining booth rebuilt as sofa bed by Jon and Brooke Seaman | Facebook.com/seacoservicess
by Jon and Brooke Seaman

8. Removing the Dinette to Add Storage

The people who own this RV felt that the storage under the benches was an inefficient use of space, so they built this custom dining and office area out of a set of three kitchen cabinets with the center doors removed.

Removed the dining booth to add a pull out table and extra storage | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dinette booth
by Teressa Underwood

Replacing the Dining Booth with a Bar

One of my favorite uses of space in an RV is a bar eating area with storage underneath. Not only does this solution add extra counter space, which is often limited in an RV, but it also lets you enjoy the view out your window during your meal!

9. Dinette Replaced with Bar and an Accent Chair

By replacing the dining booth with a pub dining set and an accent chair, the owner of this RV freed up space and added extra surface area for food preparation, and there is still a spot for two people to sit at a table to enjoy a meal.

Replaced RV dining booth with a bar table and stools | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dinette booth
by Crystal Dearstine

10. Bar with Shelves Behind for Storage

To create this space, the owners of this RV bolted together two Walmart bookshelves and placed them behind a sofa table of a similar height and length.

Dining booth in an RV replaced with shelves for storage and a sofa table for extra counter space
by Lisa Fox

11. Bar for Dining Made from Live Edge Wood

This bar dining area was constructed by attaching a slab of live edge wood to the top of two kitchen cabinets.

DIY bar dining area in an RV
by Janet Riggs

Removing Just One Dining Bench

12. Bench Seat with Chair

Professional RV renovators RVingDogsAndWine decided to leave one of the dinette benches in this stunning fifth wheel they renovated. This is a great way to free up some space and make the area feel more open without losing all your storage.

Related: 99 Ideas for a Budget RV Makeover

RV renovated by Ann and Tom of RVingDogsAndWine.com
Photo credit: @RVingDogsAndWine

13. Single Bench Replaced with a Tall Shelf

Removing just one of the booth seats made space for a bookcase to be added to this fifth wheel.

Bench removed from RV dinette and replaced with extra storage
by Ruth Brown

14. Turning the Dinette into Extra Living Space

Instead of removing the dining booth altogether, the owners of this RV simply removed the table, reupholstered the benches, and reconfigured their orientation of the benches.

Now, the dining area is a place for their kids to hang out that can still be used for eating with a folding stowaway table.

Removed dinette booth table and rearranged the benches to create a living area
by The Pope Family

15. Bar Added to Kitchen Island

Adding a piece of countertop and some stair railings along an existing kitchen counter created a new eating space, allowing the dining booth in this RV to be removed and the space to be used for other furniture.

Removed dining booth and added bar seating to add extra space to RV
by Heather Roehl

Replacing the Dining Booth with Custom Furniture

16. Dinette Replaced with a Pull-Out Table, Desk, and Cabinets

This retractable desk and storage unit was custom-built by Amish furniture maker Focal Wood Products for RV owners John and Kathy Huggins.

Removed dinette from motorhome and added custom built table and desks
by John and Kathy Huggins via ltrvd.blogspot.com

17. Dinette Replaced with Storage Compartments and a Folding Table

If you are good at woodworking, you can create a custom dining and office area like the unique cabinets and folding table motorhome owner David Barber built.

Removed motorhome dining booth, added custom pull out table and extra storage
by David Barber via Motorhome.com

18. Dining Booth Replaced with a Fireplace, Entertainment Center, and Pull-Out Table

After removing the dining booth from their motorhome, RV owners Eric and Katie built this incredible combination entertainment center, dining table, desk, and fireplace.  You can read about how they removed their dining booth and made it on their blog.

19. Trading the Dining Area for a Coffee Station

As part of the process of turning her RV into a Tiny Home, this RV owner removed her dining booth and replaced it with a baker's rack to use as a coffee station.  A small electric fireplace shares the space to supplement the trailer's propane heat.

If you often eat your meals outdoors or sit on the couch to eat, why not use the space for something else?

RV kitchen makeover - removed dining booth, added coffee station
by Courtney Chamberlain

20. Custom Built Murphy Bed/Bar

After removing their dining booth, this RV couple designed and built a bar that folds out to convert to a bed.  The bedding and folding bar stools all fit inside during travel.

Custom RV dining table converts to fold out murphy bed | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth
Custom RV dining table converts to fold out murphy bed | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth
Custom RV dining table converts to fold out murphy bed | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth
Custom RV dining table converts to fold out murphy bed | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth
Custom RV dining table converts to fold out murphy bed | RVs, campers, travel trailers, and motorhomes without the dining booth

FAQ's

Q: Is weight a concern when replacing the original furniture with residential furniture?

A: You always need to be mindful of weight when modifying or adding things to your RV. Not only do you need to make sure that anything you add doesn't put your total weight over your max weight limit, but you also need to be careful to keep roughly the same weight distribution so that you don't put too much weight on one axle.

However, you'd be surprised how heavy RV furniture is. The solid wood dining table and chairs and sleeper sofa my husband and I removed from our fifth-wheel RV were both heavier than the residential furniture we replaced them with.

Q: If you buy a residential sofa to replace the dining booth, how do you get it through the door?

If you order your sofa online (or purchase it from IKEA), it will come disassembled in a box and you can put it together inside your RV after carrying the pieces through the door.

Additionally, when shopping online you can see the exact dimensions before purchasing to make sure that it fits.

Q: How do these people keep the furniture they've added from moving around while the RV is in motion?

A: Larger furniture items like a sofa are not likely to move around, but just to be safe you can screw D-rings to the floor to hook RV furniture straps to, just like the RV manufacturers do at the factory.

Bungee cords are also helpful. For example, you can wrap a bungee cord around your table and chairs to hold them all together.

And items like shelves can be anchored to the wall. If you're worried about screwing into your RV walls, remove a screw from one of your window valances on the same wall and make sure to choose screws that are shorter than that one…then you don't have to worry about it punching through your RV's exterior wall.

Read my article about securing your belongings during travel for more ideas!

More questions? Drop a comment below and we'll be happy to answer!

If you're still undecided on whether or not to take out your dinette, in the meantime you could give it a makeover! Find inspiration in these articles:

  • How to Recover RV Dinette Cushions
  • RV Dining Booth Makeover Inspiration
RV Owners Who Replaced Their Dining Booths | Ideas for campers, trailers, and motorhomes

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Ashley Mann in front of window
Ashley Mann

Ashley Mann lives in a 38-foot, 5th-wheel RV with her husband and their cat, Professor Theodore. She enjoys the challenge of finding the perfect way to organize a space, and she loves seeing all the creative and clever ways people come up with to customize their RVs.

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Filed Under: Best of the Blog, RV Furniture, RV Modifications, RV Renovating Tagged With: RV furniture

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sally M says

    June 24, 2022 at 3:45 pm

    Great ideas – We don’t have an RV but a 38″ houseboat that had a u shaped bench and huge table. I couldn’t find any remodels of boats but have done a lot of revamping based on what RV owners have done. We took all that house, made a L shaped bench and enlarged our kitchen counters since we now had the space to have a breakfast bar. Its not finished yet but I love the concept.

    Reply
  2. Tiffany says

    July 7, 2022 at 4:36 am

    The only thing I keep thinking is that these are beautiful remodels, But they don’t look good for the driving part of the journey. How do you keep the items from falling while you are traveling?

    Reply
    • Ashley Mann says

      July 11, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      That is a very common question, but most of these RV’s do travel! Free standing furniture can be secured with straps and bungee cords. Decor can be stowed away, or you can use museum putty or acrylic mounting tape to stick it to shelves and walls so that it can stay without needing to be taken down. It might take 15-20 minutes to get everything ready to travel.

      Reply
  3. Nicole says

    August 2, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    How do you protect the stability of the slide when you remove the dinette and built in couch?

    Reply
    • Ashley Mann says

      August 3, 2022 at 10:13 am

      The slide doesn’t depend on the furniture for stability. You’ll just want to make sure you don’t put any more weight in the slide than what was there originally, and that you distribute the weight evenly. You can also use stabilizer jacks under the slide when you have it pushed out if you want added reinforcement.

      Reply
  4. Lori says

    August 28, 2022 at 10:38 am

    We cut are booth down about 4”. Are RV does not have slide outs so It gave us some extra room between table an couch. We are still able to use the seat when traveling then the bed an the storage under the seat’s.

    Reply
  5. Brent says

    September 27, 2022 at 10:25 am

    Do you have the blue prints for this build? Custom Built Murphy Bed/Bar

    Reply
    • Ashley Mann says

      September 30, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      Unfortunately I do not. I believe the people who built it created their own design.

      Reply
  6. Lisa LaFlam says

    January 22, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    Our camper is 18′.. The dinette is in the slide out. The under bench storage is not drawers; we have to lift up the cushions. 1. Would a jack knife sofa work? 2. Could we convert the storage to slide-out drawers?

    Reply
    • Alyssa Padgett says

      January 23, 2023 at 2:38 pm

      Most RV dinettes we see are set up like that! You could fully remove it and replace it with a jack knife sofa, Drawers would require a little more DIY (this is a good article: https://www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-storage-bench-with-drawer/) but if you’re skilled in building, it would definitely make for easier storage access!

      Reply
  7. Sissy says

    January 29, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    I took my dinette out and made a bar with 2 stools.ga e me alot more room.

    Reply
  8. Sissy says

    January 29, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    Replaced my dinette with bar and 2 stools.gave me alot more room.

    Reply
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