adding new tabs

[pbraunton]

Hello:

I am looking into adding a front dinette, to my 73 Boler, ....however here is my issue(s)

the floor at the front is raised up, 4 - 5 inches above the main floor, there is no frame support to cut the middle section out as i know some trailers have this.

so my plan was to raise the seats up and just build everything on top of the raised floor.

however if i choose this route the existing tabs for the front bench are too low,

the rear tabs for the table/bed are about 13.5 inches from the floor, and the front bench tabs are about 9"

so my questions are:

1. how hard is it to add new tabs,

2. would it be easier to add the frame support and then remove the section of flooring?

thanks for your help, i plan on building the entire front dinette out of wood, i know it will add some weight, but i am not too concerned at this time....

I think i know the answer, adding the tabs would be easier, ......so is there a how-to for adding new tabs??

thanks for looking

[pbraunton]

wow, nothing eh??, OKay

thanks

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

wow, nothing eh??, OKay

thanks

Hi, Paul-

It isn't that we don't want to help!

I, for one, don't understand the question
What "tabs" are you talking about?
The ones that hold the bed in the table position?

Pictures might help...

Francesca, clueless

[Brad Judd]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

wow, nothing eh??, OKay

thanks

Hi Paul,

I have the same Boler with the raised floor, my thoughts are it would be easier to add new tabs . The thought of reconstructing the frame would be tricky which can be done if you have access to a hoist or something. Not sure why they produced the different arrangements. I always wished I could cut ours to slide a porta potty in.

Good Luck,

Brad

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

the floor at the front is raised up, 4 - 5 inches above the main floor, there is no frame support to cut the middle section out as i know some trailers have this.

2. would it be easier to add the frame support and then remove the section of flooring?

To answer your question, it would be easier to build above the existing frame. But the manufacturers changed the frame to lower the floor in that center area to gain the space for porta-potty storage or a dinette foot-well. The better solution would be to add the frame support.

Earlier Straight Frame for the Floor Drop


Later Modified Frame allows for porta-potty Storage at dropped floor level and allows for Dinette conversion foot-well.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I, for one, don't understand the question
What "tabs" are you talking about?

I think he is referring to flanges that connect the Floor to the Shell, and/or the Benches to the Shell.

[pbraunton]

okay, thanks for the replies,

didn't want to seem impatient as well, simply just a comment, ......

yes the tabs are the wooden pieces that hold the back edge of the seats to the trailer wall, ........., at the front they are lower than at the rear, .....the kinda look like the tabs that the tables and front bunk are attached too.

Frederick, i think you are right, the best way to do it would be to re-work the frame, although i think this is a little outside my scope of knowledge, ......so i think i am going to add more tabs


my thinking was that i wouldn't be able to make new tabs that would be strong enough to hold the weight of someone sitting on the benches, ......last thing i want is for them to collapse, ............but after looking at the design and construction of the old tabs, I am 100% sure mine will be better built/stronger than the originals...........


thanks all for responding, .....I will post some pics and measurements of the benches when i am done for other to copy, if the weather is good it will be started next week

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

Frederick, i think you are right, the best way to do it would be to re-work the frame, although i think this is a little outside my scope of knowledge, ......so i think i am going to add more tabs

It would be outside MY scope of knowledge too. I would have to hire the welding done, which would also entail taking the body off of the frame. See how a seemingly simple desire can snowball into a major undertaking?

Yours is a wise decision!

[pbraunton]

yeah and this all started because the fiberglass where th elower door hinge attaches is sagging out a little and needs to be pulled into the trailer about 1/2", I was just going to re attach the old front bench for now, but i think the new dinnette will be stronger for supporting the door, and it will also serve us better as usable space in the camper!!!

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by pbraunton

yeah and this all started because the fiberglass where th elower door hinge attaches is sagging out a little and needs to be pulled into the trailer about 1/2", I was just going to re attach the old front bench for now, but i think the new dinnette will be stronger for supporting the door, and it will also serve us better as usable space in the camper!!!

Hi again!
Hoo boy, I didn't know about the Boler "body sag" problem until recently!
I guess it's sort of common
Anyway, if you haven't seen it already,you might want to check out a thread started several years ago and just now resurrected by another new Boler owner.
Roy that started that thread does a great job of explaining how he fixed the body sag
It's at http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...sag-34620.html

Best of luck to you!

Francesca