22FBS - Replace dinette with recliners?

[Tstartsman]

We've had our 2013 22FBS for 2 years and love it. BUT . . . we're tired of sitting on the dinette and watching TV. It's VERY uncomfortable after about 1/2 hour of sitting. And, you have to lie down on the sofa to watch TV or get neck ache from twisting to watch. So . . . we want to take the dinette out of the slide out and put in 2 wall-hugger recliners. The question I can't get an answer to from Heartland is . . how much does the dinette & table weigh and can I replace it with two 85 pound recliners? Will that overload the slide out or unbalance the trailer? Any thoughts would be appreciated.FYI. To offset removing the dinette we're thinking of also removing the jack knife sofa and replacing it with a credenza (or buffet) with a slide out table like you find on some larger Class A coaches. Don't need the sofa and this would give us more counter space, a small eating area and some additional pantry space.

 

[Ks.Kev]

I was thinking of doing the same thing! I have already took out the couch, bought 2 recliners and when we travel I put them where the couch was, and when we set up one recliner stays where the couch was facing the TV and the other right on the end of the dinette booth by the fridge facing the TV. Works OK, but want to do the same thing your thinking about with the recliners in the slide.
My Idea was to cut down (shorten the width & length) of the dinette booth and put it where the couch was! AS wide as the couch was and making sure it will let the slide in. Then the booth would stop at the end of the 1/2 wall to the front bedroom. Now there;s only the wife and I so the shorten dinette will work for us. maybe not for you.
When I do this all, just have the cushions shorten and most likely do away with the corner round cushions.
I figure what the weight of the framing, boards, trimming and all the construction of the dinette booth, that slide should hold 2 recliners and a small end table between them!
BUT, like you I would like to know how much weight that slide will hold....... BEFORE I start this MOD!
SO, I will be calling Heartland tomorrow and find out!
My guess is it should be OK! I'll let you know what I find out!

 

[d_fergie]

I use pillows when sitting at the dinette and laying on my couch, but I have a 32" TV mounted with a swivel mount where I can even watch TV from the Bed... Recliner would be nice, but would hate to lose the dinette bed as it comes in handy sometimes.

 

['Lil Guy']

We had the 21FBS and watching TV was a pain. Either on the bed or sitting in the uncomfortable dinette. the TV was mounted on the end wall going into the bathroom on the dinette side. Solved my problem with a nice zero gravity chair which I could also take outside. If you remove the dinette, you are losing a lot of storage space. Since it is storage space (weight) and the slide isn't really deep, I wouldn't think the weight would hurt it. We've had 4 people sitting at our dinette and it didn't fall off on the ground.lol Do to the limited floor space in there, I would really plan out what you want and make sure it fits right. They also make smaller and lighter recliners.

Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[d_fergie]

I keep a couple of bedrolls, a case of water and my FPTV in my dinette storage, would hate to lose that also.

 

[Ks.Kev]

I would still have some storage when I move the dinette over to where the couch was, under the seats on both ends.
It would look like a booth in your favorite restaurant.
The only part of the storage I would lose is the center part (by the current dinette window) but I would still have the storage under
the seats when I move to the new location. And, the table part will drop down between the booth seats and still be able to make a bed there.
For at least one adult or 2 kids...... I would have to make a different table top to fit the new configuration. But I'm still in the planning stage.
Depending on what Heartland says on the weight, then I will proceed.

 

[Shortest Straw]

That is a huge undertaking! I did kinda the same thing with our last rv. In hind site I should have just had the upholstery shop that made the cushions we have now make some for our other camper, and put the tv on a swivel mount. By the time I had everything done it was an entire winter project. Hiding seams etc, to make it look factory was the hardest part. The dealer I traded it to did offer me a job though! Good luck if you do go through with it!

 

[Ks.Kev]

OK...... Did find out that I CAN put the recliners in the slide out, and move the dinette over to where the couch use to be.
SO, moving and Using all of the current dinette in the new spot, just have to shorten it a little. And will put the recliners in the
slide out with a small end table between them!
After I get this done, I will post pics, and will report on this mod and how hard or not this was to do.

So Tstartsman, hopefully this will give you some ideas on what you can do,
Of coarse I have Modded other RV's before and have a good knowledge of what can and can not be done. I think this is do-able!
So till then..............

 

[Tstartsman]

[

Great. Will look forward to your pictures. Do you know which recliners you will use?

-Terry Startsman

QUOTE=Ks.Kev;410329]OK...... Did find out that I CAN put the recliners in the slide out, and move the dinette over to where the couch use to be.
SO, moving and Using all of the current dinette in the new spot, just have to shorten it a little. And will put the recliners in the
slide out with a small end table between them!
After I get this done, I will post pics, and will report on this mod and how hard or not this was to do.

So Tstartsman, hopefully this will give you some ideas on what you can do,
Of coarse I have Modded other RV's before and have a good knowledge of what can and can not be done. I think this is do-able!
So till then..............[/QUOTE]

 

[Ks.Kev]

I think a Lazy Boy wall hugger.
Still checking on what to get. Weight vs style. Something that will be light AND the right fabric.
But I think this would be good choice so the recliner wont have to sit so far out from the wall.

 

[Tstartsman]

We've looked at a lot of swivel wall-hugger recliners and, so far the Lambright Relax-R Lite chairs seem to be the best fit (24" wide). A bit pricey and not as tall as their non-Lite chairs (i.e. not as comfortable for a tall person). The narrow width should allow both chairs to swivel within the slide out and the lower height means the chairs will not obscure the window. You can also order them with tables that swing upon from the armrest. The "Lite" chairs weigh about 80 lbs. but Heartland seems to think that weight would be OK if the dinette and table and removed.

While in Fla. this winter we went to Glastop Furniture in Pompano Beach to try them out. Otherwise you have to go to Lambright in Indiana to try them out. Camping World online shows a black Euro recliner that might work but we've not been able to find one to try out - they don't seem to stock them in stores.

I think a Lazy Boy wall hugger.
Still checking on what to get. Weight vs style. Something that will be light AND the right fabric.
But I think this would be good choice so the recliner wont have to sit so far out from the wall.

 

[Weatherl]

I have just purchased a 22FBS and am thinking of just removing the couch and replacing it with 2 Lazyboy wall hugged that we had in another trailer, but I like your idea of moving the dining booth to the couch location ,have done this yet and do you have pictures. How did it work out .

 

[Tstartsman]

We are actually 1) removing the dinette and table entirely, 2) installing 2 wall-hugging swivel recliners in the slide-out, 3) removing the jack knife sofa entirely and 4) installing a custom built credenza (buffet chest) with slide out table where the sofa was. The credenza will give us plenty of storage for what is currently under the sofa and the dinette seats.

I have just purchased a 22FBS and am thinking of just removing the couch and replacing it with 2 Lazyboy wall hugged that we had in another trailer, but I like your idea of moving the dining booth to the couch location ,have done this yet and do you have pictures. How did it work out .

 

[Weatherl]

Ststartsman. We're you successfully in removing the dinett and was there much work to do to the wall or floor after removal . I have removed the couch and replaced it with recliners but there is no room for a table between them so would like to do what you did if it worked out . ThakNks

 

[Tstartsman]

We've ordered the recliners to go in the slide out and have contracted with a cabinet maker to build the credenza (buffet chest) with slide out table. But, we've been out of town for the month of April and are hoping to get everything removed and installed in May, when we return. Removing the dinette shouldn't be too hard. Supposedly it comes out in 3 different pieces and is just screwed to the walls and floor. The credenza will be 20" deep and the same length as the sofa and about 3 inches short of the height of the half wall behind the sofa. The table will slide out 18 inches with a 6 inch flip-up fake drawer front that will make a total of 24 inches and the table will be 20 inches wide - so a total of 24 x 20 inches. There will be drawers on either side of the slide out table, so it will look like 3 drawers across. Under the drawers will be 4 doors with adjustable shelves inside. The credenza will not go all the way to the outside wall (just like the sofa) in order to have a place to store fold-up stools to use with the slide out table. Will post pictures when we finally get everything done. Regards.

Ststartsman. We're you successfully in removing the dinett and was there much work to do to the wall or floor after removal . I have removed the couch and replaced it with recliners but there is no room for a table between them so would like to do what you did if it worked out . ThakNks

 

[Tstartsman]

Finally had the dinette removed and added 2 recliners (Lambright). Have tried to upload an image to this post - hope it works. Waiting on quote from Heartland for wall corner molding that was missing after the dinette was removed. Also had the sofa removed and will have a custom-made credenza (buffet), with 26" slide-out table, installed this week.

 

[justafordguy]

Looks great, can't wait to see the whole thing once the rest of the project is done.

 

[Tstartsman]

Weathert,

I've posted a photo on the thread of the slide-out with the dinette gone and new recliners installed. The sofa is gone and I should have the credenza installed by this weekend.

Regards

 

[Doublegranch]

Great job!!! That is way too cool. Question, I have a 21 fbs and want to do the same thing....I have a raised platform above the floor on my slide out, in your picture your floor appears totally flat. Did you rework this area? I think I see a small part of what could be your raised base at the corner of the picture, not sure. Thanks for your response. Was the area behind the dinette already finish off?

 

[Tstartsman]

Great job!!! That is way too cool. Question, I have a 21 fbs and want to do the same thing....I have a raised platform above the floor on my slide out, in your picture your floor appears totally flat. Did you rework this area? I think I see a small part of what could be your raised base at the corner of the picture, not sure. Thanks for your response. Was the area behind the dinette already finish off?

Thanks. Our 2013 22FBS has a flat slide out floor, not raised. So we didn't have to remove anything other than the dinette. The chairs are "wall huggers", which means, to recline, they need to be only about 3 inches from the wall behind them and they are 33 inches deep (front to back), so you would need about 36 inches of slide out floor space to use them. With our flat floor there is plenty of room to actually swivel both chairs 180 degrees so we can look out the window if we want. We bought the smallest, narrowest wall hugger chairs we could find. Note the chairs we bought are for small to average size individuals. I am 5'9" tall and the chair does not support my head in the upright position but supports me fully when reclined. Also, there is not much side-to-side wiggle room in these chairs (25 inches wide seat). They are quite expensive (about $850 each before shipping) but, after looking at dozens of chairs, we felt these worked best for what we wanted to do. Here is a link to the chair we bought: http://www.glastop.com/rv-furniture-detail.asp?id=435 Note they also make a slightly bigger, higher chair (but we wanted to make sure the chairs did not block the view out the window).