Convert sofa to dinette?

Lizzie Kabat · 11-28-2017, 05:10 AM

Has anyone converted the sofa bed to a dinette in 2005 Lexi 255GTS? Can it be done? I really want a secure place to eat where my dogs can’t knock the table over! Don’t really need the sofa! Also, does anyone know if this Lexi has the same sofa features as the ones mentioned like the arms come off and makes bed longer? Mine is in storage right now and I cannot check this out in person. Thanks for Any and all help!

dontay · 11-28-2017, 07:39 AM

Last winter I took out the sofa and built a dinette. It turned out better than I had anticipated and we can easily look outside instead of looking at the stove when we are parked. Got rid of the pesky table, also. A very large storage drawer under each bench really helps.
We started the summer in New England, wandered up to the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, then traveled out to Glacier N.P. in Montana, down to Wyoming, and finally across country back home. The dinette was a great improvement in our opinions.
At one point the LR slide started jamming when we tried to put it out so we left it in for about half of the trip. Made little difference as the dinette is always useable and when in Montana and especially Wyoming you don't have to listen to the topper awning flap in the wind!!
I'm working on the BR slide today and will try to get some pics today for later posting.

dontay · 11-28-2017, 02:40 PM

Took some pictures this morning. Couple of things to point out: first, notice that the dinette is the full depth of the slideout and the cushions extend all the way to the front of the dinette and second, because of the width of the slideout there isn't a lot of room between the seats for feet. This means that for eating the dinette really seats only two because the cushions have no back support beyond the slideout wall. We made it full depth however because sometimes we are seated with our backs turned and legs up on the outer cushion. The long back cushion provides a place for an arm stretched out. I made the small stools for foot rests patterned after folding "camp stools" but with much longer legs. When not in use they stow in any of several places and are very nice to have. When we had the sofa we used camp stools for the same purpose.
I copied the dimensions for the dinette and cushions from a friend's Artic Fox camper.
The drawers are 22" full extention and still give room for the "secret compartment" at the back with access by lifting off the seat support with the thumb hole.

dontay · 11-28-2017, 02:44 PM

p.s. I still have on my "to do" list filling in the table support tube holes in the floor. And if you are wondering why the mattress is in the hall it is because I am working on the BR slideout.

Also: with cleats along the front edge of the seats to hold the table and the back cushions laid on the table top it does make a very comfortable single bed which DW unfortunately had to test a couple of nights last summer when she got a bad cough.

NoviBill · 11-28-2017, 07:22 PM

We have the sofa and I don't want a dinette, but keep thinking two "First Class" airplane seats with tray tables would be nice...

Lizzie Kabat · 11-28-2017, 07:50 PM

Wow! That’s exactly what I want! What a superb job you did! Did you make the drawers yourself or were they part of a cabinet? I’m so jealous! Thanks for sharing all the photos. Did you make the cushions also?

dontay · 11-29-2017, 07:29 AM

DW had the bottom cushions made by a local upholsterer. They were so pricey that she made the backs herself after the bottoms were in place to get the bed conversion correct.
I made all the wood parts.

dontay · 11-29-2017, 08:22 AM

NoviBill,
When we owned our Allegro Bay we got rid of the sofa and swivel recliner and replaced them with matching LazyBoys. To me that was the ultimate in comfort after a long hike. But we had a very nice dining table with free standing chairs so we didn't have to consider meals in the LazyBoys. When we got the Lexington the first thing we did was try to figure out how to shoehorn in a pair of LazyBoys. But there was just no way.
If you use any chair designed to sit on a floor and put it in the slideout your feet will dangle over the edge because you are now sitting about 9" higher. I have seen some very comfortable looking sofas like you describe on this forum. I believe you can get them from Camping World and other places. Just double check the seat height.

Lizzie Kabat · 11-29-2017, 01:18 PM

Thanks again. I wasn’t talking about sofas, maybe someone else. I’m going to look into doing exactly what you did! Thanks

moshe1436 · 11-29-2017, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontay

p.s. I still have on my "to do" list filling in the table support tube holes in the floor. And if you are wondering why the mattress is in the hall it is because I am working on the BR slideout.

Also: with cleats along the front edge of the seats to hold the table and the back cushions laid on the table top it does make a very comfortable single bed which DW unfortunately had to test a couple of nights last summer when she got a bad cough.

GREAT job on that dinette conversion! Can you tell me how you connected the table to the wall? We have a two pedestal dinette table now but it's very unstable and wobbly. I think fastening to the wall like you did would improve the stability of the table. I suspect there must be a hinge or something like that to connect to the wall.

I just finished removing the sofa to put in two Lazy Boy recliners in its place. The sofa was very uncomfortable and the covering was disintegrating daily! The problem was I had to remove the furnace to do this but living in Florida I'm not too concerned about cold temps that we can't control with a small electric heater. Since our unit is pretty small to begin with the smallest recliner I could get from L-boy that was comfortable is a little large for the space we have but it's going to work and be a huge improvement over the sofa and it doesn't look too bad either.

Again, great job on the dinette! I love the storage drawers you added. Did you build them or buy them? We could use those under our dinette seats too.

Thanks,

Mo

Lizzie Kabat · 11-29-2017, 07:06 PM

I have the same question about how you attached the table to the wall and how it removes to make the bed. Thanks!

dontay · 11-30-2017, 07:30 AM

The key to the drawers is the 22" full extension runners rated to hold 100#. Other than that they are just plywood boxes with a pine front stained to match the maple interior.
As for the table mount on the wall it took some engineering because the table bottom is above the window bottom. Therefore the table has to be out and up from the wall. In addition, it has to disconnect from the wall to make a bed.
The only way to describe it is to post pictures so I will try to do that soon. If I don't get the BR slideout finished soon DW is going to kill me and that will be the end of this discussion!!

moshe1436 · 11-30-2017, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontay

The key to the drawers is the 22" full extension runners rated to hold 100#. Other than that they are just plywood boxes with a pine front stained to match the maple interior.
As for the table mount on the wall it took some engineering because the table bottom is above the window bottom. Therefore the table has to be out and up from the wall. In addition, it has to disconnect from the wall to make a bed.
The only way to describe it is to post pictures so I will try to do that soon. If I don't get the BR slideout finished soon DW is going to kill me and that will be the end of this discussion!!

I look forward to the pictures of the table installation but be sure to make the DW happy first!! I take it from your post that you made the drawers, buying the 22" full extension runners? Thanks,

Mo

turbocc · 11-30-2017, 05:07 PM

Dontay, I want to do the dinette for my 255ds. What are the deminsions for each of the seats ?
Probably won't be as nice as yours, but I will send pix. Thanks

dontay · 12-01-2017, 08:01 PM

Mo.
Attached are the pics of the table wall attachment.

Unfortunately I forgot to measure. Will try again tomorrow.

Hopefully these pics are clear enough to see that a plate is screwed to the wall to offset enough to clear the window trim. Two 1/4" dowels align the the table to the plate and two thumb screws hold the table securely to the plate. You do not have to angle the dowels like I did. After traveling to the Lakeland FMCA rally last year I discovered that when we leaned on a corner of the table the opposite side slipped off the dowel. So I added the thumb screws.
There would be many different ways to do this but I try to use up the scrap wood from my shop on things like this.

dontay · 12-05-2017, 08:27 AM

turbocc,
Sorry for the delay. The seats are 12 3/4" high, 24" wide, and 33 1/2" deep (to match depth of slideout platform.) The cushions are 5" thick and made with harder automotive foam. Table top is 28 3/4" high and 19 3/4" wide (about 1/4" less than distance between the seats.) The back cushions are slightly higher than 10" each so they have to be compressed a little to fit the table top when serving as a bed.
Good luck on your conversion. The storage space alone makes it worthwhile. Remove your sofa and use a stool to simulate height of your head when sitting at the dinette to make sure you are not too tall for the space.

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