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These RV owners decided to remove their dining booths. Here's what they replaced them with.
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, as seen in these photos:
Replacing the Dinette with a Couch
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.
(To see more DIY sofa ideas, check out this blog post.)
Removing the Dinette to Add Storage
The owners of this RV used two Walmart bookshelves bolted together to create a custom eating space. After painting the shelves and covering the top with wood grain contact paper, they set a separate long table in front which they finished to match.
This eating and work station was made from kitchen cabinets with the center doors removed.
The owners of this RV constructed a bar area out of cabinets as well.
Removing just one of the booth seats allowed a bookcase to be added to this fifth wheel.
Removing the Dinette to Free Up Additional Space
Paint isn't required for a drastic makeover! A pub dining set, accent chair, and fresh window treatments make a huge impact in this RV.
By removing the table and reconfiguring the benches, this dining area became a living area that can still be used for eating with a stowaway table.
Adding a piece of countertop and some stair railings along an existing kitchen counter created a new eating space, allowing the dining booth to be removed and the space to be used for other furniture.
Replacing the Dining Booth with a Retractable Table
This retractable desk and storage unit was custom built by Amish furniture maker Focal Wood Products for RV owners John and Kathy Huggins. You can see more photos of it at their blog.
Motorhome owner David Barber built the unique cabinets and folding table pictured below. You can see photos of the process here.
After removing the dining booth from their motorhome, RV owners Eric and Katie built this combination entertainment center, dining table, desk, and fireplace. You can read about how they removed their dining booth and made it on their blog.
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?
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.
Hi Ashley,
We have removed one bench seat so far.
I am worried about the hard-wired CO monitor/alarm built into the seat back of the other bench.
Any tips for removing and relocating?
Hmm interesting that they built it into the seat. However, it should be fairly simple to move it as it’s probably just fastened with screws. You may have to disconnect and reconnect some wires (be sure to turn off the breaker). As far as where to move it to, I would look for an out-of-the way spot not too far from where it was originally located, and about the same height off the ground. Maybe you could build a wall-mounted box painted to match the wall to house it behind your sofa?
Ash and or anyone, 🙂
I have a Durango, with the living room upfront. I was thinking about taking the kitchen table out and replacing it with two recliners, when the kids come with the family that take up the front living room. My thoughts process is that we could sit in the kitchen set bath in there and drink coffee.!
But then I just thought of something, I saw were Ash had place a screened down the area were the music station etc was, what would it look like or be if I add a bed of some sort, then put the privacy down for a couple to sleep…
The kitchen is big enough to put a convertible bar table with two chairs.. (the table and hairs fit right underneath….
Your thoughts?
Glam Grand lakers 35 years camping
Tent, pop up, 2pull behinds and now 5th wheel.
(I earned my wings, ❤️! )
If you have the space and are looking for more beds for family or friends, I personally would look at a folding sofa that would serve as seating in the day and evening hours and fold out drop the screen and boom you got a private sleeper.
Sorry about the typos the thought process was to put two recliners in there that way in the mornings we could sit there if it was raining etc. and not having to stay in our bedroom?…
Never-mind it appears that it’s not that big wide .we just don’t use this area ever……
Hi Shirley, I’m sure you could find some type of seating to go in that area! Even if RV recliners don’t fit, you could even just put a couple of small residential chairs, or maybe even a custom bench that could be used as an extra bed, like some of the DIY sofas in this article!
evening.
we are thinking of replacing the booth table and benches for table and chairs. (it is on a slide out)
What or how do you keep the table and chairs in place when traveling? Really dont want the table joining me in the driver seat.
Jim
Hi Jim, one solution is to use bungee cords and ratchet straps to secure the furniture while you’re driving. If you can’t find anything to anchor to, you can purchase D rings to screw into the floor from a company called Organized Obie, along with the same furniture kind of straps RV manufacturers use. (See an example here.) If you enter RVINSPIRATION as a coupon code you’ll get a discount! 🙂
Sorry! I LOVE a booth! Seating for four, lots of tabletop for working, playing cards, board games, folding laundry and converts to an extra bed. I should confess that this booth was in our old Tiara fly bridge boat. Our most recent boat has banquette seating and our Navion has a sleeper sofa with the stowable table. The old booth. Sigh. Good times.
We ordered a 2021 camper that came standard with two recliners and a tiny table for eating in the recliners. We special-ordered ours WITH the dining booth, instead! I totally agree about playing cards, board games, EATING and the extra bed. And what about all that storage that people miss out on when they take those big, boxy benches outta there? I need that storage space and am very happy we got the dinette booth.
Would love to do, we took one dbl bunk out and turned borrow into a single. What do you do about the wall, plus ours covers a storage bay, we use for electric cords and hoses. Like the one with the recliner, cause hubby sleeps in one at home. And can’t sleep in any of the camper beds.
I would love to take my booth out of my brand new rv but the thought of what the floor might look like under it scares me to death. I’d be sick if I had to put down new flooring. Can anyone advise?
Hi Stacey, if there’s carpet under your dining booth you’ll probably have marks where the dinette was attached, and it also may look different (less worn, faded, etc.). If you have vinyl flooring in your camper it may be scratched and there will be holes. If you aren’t wanting to replace all the flooring, I would probably recommend a cute rug to hide anything unsightly, but of course you may also want to think about how a future buyer might feel about it if you ever decide to sell.
REPLACING DINING SET WITH A BOOTH…
We would love to have a dining booth in our 5th wheel, anyone want to swap?? Or have any ideas where to find a booth. Don’t want to spend the big bucks buying new, would rather swap out… thanks
If you can’t find anyone to swap with you, you can order dinette sets online. Here are some on Amazon but there are other websites that sell them too.
Did you find anyone to swap? We were just thinking of removing ours and putting in some recliners, but my husband is really tall so we would need to take that into consideration.
These are great ideas. I worry about storing the chairs so they don’t slide around in transit.
Does anyone have any ideas for an airstream? Totally different animal than most because of the radius…