Dinette modification ideas - SS 1251

[Humunn]

Hi, new to the forum and relatively new owner of a SS-1251 camper. Bought it new over a year ago and have never been happy with the dinette seating arrangement and the wobbly table. Instead of the "L" shaped seating I would like to convert it to a booth style with one seat back against the bathroom/shower wall and the other against the end of the bed with the table running perpendicular to the window. We only need seating for two of us and don't need to convert the seating area to a bed.

Any ideas?

[SeaDog]

welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. Sounds like a doable Mod. Is there outside access to the area under the current seating area? If so you would loose that storage area to allow room for your feet. good luck

[Rafter]

For the table part of your project, I'd recommend getting a Lagun table leg. It's a bit pricey ~$150, but we've found ours to be well worth it. You can quickly swivel the table out the way (either against the pass through window, or against the passenger side window), it solves the wobbly table issue, the standard table's floor mount and leg can be removed giving you more room, and the Lagun table can be detached and stowed in seconds if you just want an open, table-less area for a bit.

It was easy to unscrew the original leg mounts from the floor and from the underside of the table, and to attach the Lagun mount to the table's underside. I had to drill through the outside wall of the camper to get a sturdy-enough attachment point for the new mounting bracket (the low wall enclosing the water pump/tank is too thin), which is not difficult, but the included bolts were barely long enough to allow a sufficient bite with the nuts on the outside of the camper. Since the holes I drilled are beneath the overhanging part of the camper's side wall, I don't have issues with water. Take a look at Lagun's website for some ideas.

[rdailey]

I feel the same way about the stock table. The Lagun idea is interesting but I am having a hard time visualizing where you attached it to the outside wall. Would you post a picture please?

[SS Sixteen O four]

We went with the Lagun table option also and replaced the rickety stock table mount on our Real Lite 1604. We drilled through the outside wall and bolted it through to the outside with lag bolts. There is a plywood backing plate that comes with the table but I cut a larger piece of aluminum plate backing plate instead and bolted the table mount bracket through to the outside to ensure there was no damage to the camper wall by vibration. We leave the aluminum arm portion on while on the road but remove the table and stow it up on the bed to avoid any bouncing with the weight of the table. We reused the stock round table and simply screwed the Lagun mount to the bottom of it.


Once we had that installed I made a 1" x 2" ring of pine and raised up the hinged area the rickety base was mounted on, increasing the storage capacity under it. This lagun set up also allows the table to be pushed out of the way while cooking meals or moving around the camper.


Sorry no pics available as the camper is winter storage and it was well worth the money spent on the purchase of the lagun mount.

[Rafter]

You bet, the inside picture shows where I attached the mounting bracket. The pass through window to the truck cab and the low wall hiding the water tank/pump are on the left. The large, passenger-side window and low wall to the outside are on the right. You can see a bit of the carpeted floor platform down low. The bottom of the Lagun mounting plate is about 7" above the platform and the left edge of the plate is about 1 1/2" from the corner of the low walls. I placed it there so the Lagun's vertical leg wouldn't block seating on either of those two sides of the dinette, yet it would allow the table to reach all of the way to the third side of the dinette, towards the back. You wouldn't have either of these issues in your new configuration, but that was my thinking. I could have just used the stock table top, but I had a little piece of live edge oak, so I used that instead.

The outside picture shows the passenger-side, with the camper off the truck. The truck cab would be at the right edge of the photo. The large, black surface has four nylock nuts, two above and two below the black propane gas line. When the camper is on the truck, you really only see the top two nuts, just above the truck bet rail. Also, I might try to find some slightly longer bolts in order to add a thin backing plate to the outside wall for the bolts to get a better bite.

[Rafter]

SS Sixteen, that's a good idea to make the carpeted storage area a bit higher! We use it for shoes/slippers since there is no table leg blocking access, but the taller shoes could use another couple of inches of height under the lid so they don't get smashed or prevent the lid from closing all of the way.

Humunn, sorry the second picture is turned sideways, I needs to be rotated 90* clock-wise!

[rdailey]

Both really good ideas. Thank you for the pictures also.

I will probably do both.

[rdailey]

Now I am having a hard time imagining how you'd do a booth style because the seat is basically an overhang over the bed rail. For a booth one person would have their back to the truck cab, the other to the shower and you'd want to swing your legs under a table in the middle I'd guess.

For me I think I will go the Lagun route and make that storage space taller to be useful.

[SS Sixteen O four]

Originally Posted by rdailey

Now I am having a hard time imagining how you'd do a booth style because the seat is basically an overhang over the bed rail. For a booth one person would have their back to the truck cab, the other to the shower and you'd want to swing your legs under a table in the middle I'd guess.

For me I think I will go the Lagun route and make that storage space taller to be useful.

Thats pretty much how the how the dinette works in our early year 2020, 1604 (SS-550). My wife sits with her back against the LP cabinet and I sit with my back against the back wall. We swing our feet in and face one another. Great for making eye contact while eating and playing cards on rainy nights. IMO, the thing about pop-up truck campers is they made for enjoying the outdoors so they aren't big inside space for living like the big TCs with slides and etc.

[Humunn]

Thanks for the great ideas and I love the live edge oak table! I looked at the Lagun table leg and that may work. Would really like to figure out how to make the seating area more of a booth but that may not be feasible. At least the options presented here solve the unstable table problem (and underfoot storage). Thanks everyone.

[Humunn]

I hope to create something like this.

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by Humunn

I hope to create something like this.

Your change out to this configuration doesn’t look impossible at all. Actually looks like an easy change and makes a lot of sense based on your needs.

Good luck 🤞

[SS Sixteen O four]

Originally Posted by Humunn

Thanks for the great ideas and I love the live edge oak table! I looked at the Lagun table leg and that may work. Would really like to figure out how to make the seating area more of a booth but that may not be feasible. At least the options presented here solve the unstable table problem (and underfoot storage). Thanks everyone.

This what you want to do. This what our Early Year 2020 1604 looks like, both facing each other. I'm sure a local cabinet maker could rough something out for you and add some extra storage with it also.

[Humunn]

Originally Posted by SS Sixteen O four

This what you want to do. This what our Early Year 2020 1604 looks like, both facing each other. I'm sure a local cabinet maker could rough something out for you and add some extra storage with it also.

Yes, exactly. First step is I need to dismantle what it in there to see what I am working with. Will need to figure out a solution for the back of booth side facing the front of the truck. The stock configuration has an overhang from the bed/cabinets that won't provide a suitable seat back for that side of the booth.

[SS Sixteen O four]

Originally Posted by Humunn

Yes, exactly. First step is I need to dismantle what it in there to see what I am working with. Will need to figure out a solution for the back of booth side facing the front of the truck. The stock configuration has an overhang from the bed/cabinets that won't provide a suitable seat back for that side of the booth.

I sit with my back to the rear wall but my Wife sits in the corner of the outside wall and the wardrobe/LP cabinet with a pillow in the corner. Still allows for face to face conversations and playing cards and etc.

[Humunn]

That's a good idea. Big pillows might be the solution. Will need to do something to extend the seat depth as well.

[Humunn]

SS, while on the subject, have you thought of doing anything different with the cabinet space on either side of the bed? The cabinets are useless (to me). Super inconvenient and become a place to store things that may never be needed and likely forgotten about.

[SS Sixteen O four]

We use one compartment on each side of the bed for storing folded cloths, t-shirts, shorts, sox and etc. The other compartment is great for spare paper towel, toilet paper, dish cloths, tea towels and etc. Spare shoes and jackets we keep in the truck. Most pop-up campers just don't have good space for hanging shirts and pants.

[Humunn]

When we travel we tend to have our clothes in some sort of soft carrier like a duffel (no need to hang clothes) and the duffels are often in the way. I don't see us taking the time to transfer clothes to the cabinets (which are hard to access unless you are in the bed area) but was thinking the space where the cabinets are could be more useful if open and used for temporary storage that access is needed to frequently, like clothes in a duffel bag or extra blankets, etc.