Dinette.....Love them or hate them?????

[itgoes211]

Ok, for as little as I use a table, I absolutely HATE dinettes in travel trailers. I think they are extremely uncomfortable and would much rather have a couch or recliners in its place. So is it just me or do others feel this way? If so then why are so many floor plans "requiring" dinettes without options? I don't spend much time in my camper normally but when I have to I want to be comfortable.

[gfarmcafe]

Agree! Our dinette fell apart on our 2015 Salem Ultra-lite this Spring, and was repaired by our dealer, but we're going to tear it out this winter and install a custom counter top with 2 free standing chairs. Allow more room to get around and more storage.

[trbomax]

I wouldnt own one without a dinette and a couch.Both are very useful. I dont eat dinnerfrom a plate that I have to hold in my hand,and We dont try to use the laptop with one hand while we hold it onto our "lap" with the other hand.That being said,almost all dinettes have wobely tables because they are "convertible" into a bed. Well,we dont need the bed but we want the table so the dinette table is always reattached with screws and sutible bracketry so as to make it "unconvertible".

[itgoes211]

Trbomax, you make some good points but for me, and just my opinion I like the free standing table and chairs option for eating and laptoping. More comfortable to me and since it's free standing you can remove it very easy.

[trbomax]

Originally Posted by itgoes211

Trbomax, you make some good points but for me, and just my opinion I like the free standing table and chairs option for eating and laptoping. More comfortable to me and since it's free standing you can remove it very easy.

Free standing table/chairs would be good too,it just wasnt an option in any of the rv's we have owned.I can see where they could be better than the dinette,but there is a huge ammount of storage under the seats!

[DaveandSue]

I second the table and chairs.Much more comfortable.My butt always seems to go right thru the dinette cushions.We have two recliners and a sofa for comfort.

[Terier]

Originally Posted by itgoes211

Ok, for as little as I use a table, I absolutely HATE dinettes in travel trailers. I think they are extremely uncomfortable and would much rather have a couch or recliners in its place. So is it just me or do others feel this way? If so then why are so many floor plans "requiring" dinettes without options? I don't spend much time in my camper normally but when I have to I want to be comfortable.

I like my dinette but while searching for a TT I found some dinettes in other units to be uncomfortable which was a deal breaker.

[dieselbobcat]

Also wanted free standing table and chairs, but with that option we would have lost almost 50% of our outdoor storage, as well as the two huge drawers under the seats. Ours is a U dinette... could be better, but kids still small enough for it to work nicely.

[scootingranny]

We have a free standing dinette but the way it was put in was a bit uncomfortable to get in and out if you were on the inside. Since it's normally just going to be DH and I, we unscrewed the dinette footing and turned the table, put it flush up against the wall on two sides. That way we fit two longways and one sideways, which is more than enough for what we need. It also puts the chairs facing out the window so you can have your coffee/meals looking out the window instead of at the person sitting across from you. It hasn't limited our ability to entertain...3 can sit there, two in the recliners, three on the sofa and two at the end of the island where the bar stools go while someone cooks. We got a set of 4 tv trays so that everybody (except one) has an eating surface. We've had 9 people over for meals several times and it's worked out great. I know that a built in dinette has storage underneath but at our age (and to be honest, our girth), they just don't work. And if in the future we want to remove the table and chairs and put in a work space or something, it will be very easy to do. Or we can always easily put it back the way it was. It's a little hard to see in this picture but now that there's only 3 chairs, each one has way more room.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by DaveandSue

I second the table and chairs.Much more comfortable.My butt always seems to go right thru the dinette cushions.We have two recliners and a sofa for comfort.

X 2 much better. Don't need the extra bed space. Later RJD

[Mtelkman]

I prefer the table and chairs over the dinette. Had a dinette on our last rig and it was uncomfortable and awkward to use. Never again.

[DobeFanatic]

Being in an A frame makes space especially valuable and the table/bed just didn't work for me. I keep it in my house in storage and have replaced it with a smaller collapsible table whose height can be adjusted so I still have some storage underneath. And I still have a place to put my plate at dinner.

[Oaklevel]

Dinettes are probably cheaper & provide a lot of storage underneath is the why they do it.

All 4 of our campers have had dinettes. The current one is U shaped and we can put all six of us around it with the added use of all the underneath storage it will stay. (Six bag chairs, two beach umbrellas, a tower heater, vacuum cleaner, tool box 2 cases of water, small ironing board, misc. and the electric fry pan) would have to find a new home without the dinette. It can be a queen size bed but we have never used it as that as we have the other 4 queen size beds. I like the idea of table & chairs but we do not full time so it is ok for a couple of weeks at a time we are not inside that much anyway.

[racingmom]

I would prefer table/chairs, but we now have a U shaped dinette, which is how it's gonna be since this is our last trailer. I do use the extra storage for all sorts of stuff, so, as stated previously in another reply, I would have to find someplace else to store it (not gonna happen). I do wish that they would consider that your kids grow and so do adults, so sitting behind on the U is not very comfortable, and the table does do the tippy routine. In all, we usually store our outside cutlery holder and toy bags on the back of the U for easy grabbing, and set up a stool on the front for our granddaughter when she comes with us. Works out pretty good.

[captainperry]

I know for my wife and I we love it. We can turn the lights down low and have a nice cozy dinner. In the evening when my wife's asleep I can turn all the lights off except one and have some wine while playing on the laptop. For us it's perfect

[340_Formula_S]

I prefer the freestanding table and chairs. I want my family to sit down and eat supper together as a family. Sitting on a sofa doesn't do it for me. Meal time is a time for family discussion and for the kids to learn manners.


Elko, Va.
2012 Ram 3500 DRW Cummins High Output
Cedar Creek 36B2

[BiigDaddy]

In our 8327SS we have the entire living room slide as a couch. The wife and I can both stretch out and take a nap. For me camping is synonymous with a good snooze. Sure we've got a bed, but I still like a good couch to relax on. You can have those dinettes....I'll take a huge couch!

[Black]

Since having free standing table and chairs....I would never go back to the crappy incomfortable dinettes

[lilrube]

we had the dinette in our first TT and then the table and chairs in our present 5er. We opted to pull those out and I custom made a hinged table top with Formica





and used an old bench I made years ago and we now love all the new open space we have.

[G.B.]

Table and chairs were the way to go for us. More flexibility and me being a "big guy" it's way more comfortable than a dinette.