Make a small dinette vs keeping it a bench!

[Lfoxmont]

Hi all....1982 Burro here. I'm torn about splitting my bench set and making that a permanent table area. This would, of course, let me make my bed area full time. The egg looks bigger when the table is up....but.....it's nice not to have to "make" the bed every night. It's just me using the egg, but my grandchildren do like to come over when we all camp....which is often. If I split the bench seat, I lose one sleeping spot. They are 4 & 7.......

What do ya'll think?



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[Donna D.]

I think you should do what makes you happy and is the most usable for YOU. I know you love your grandchildren. But, IMHO, you will camp more often alone than with them. You can actually make sleeping on the floor to be the best place, if you have the right attitude when talking to the kids. In fact, they may fight over who gets to do it! (Like that "cave" you've built under the full-time bed.)

Best of luck!

[Lfoxmont]

Good thoughts, Donna!


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[neparker]

We have a scamp 13 Dlx with a front dinette. The front dinette pedestal can be dropped for a bunk. Much less trouble than setting up the rear dinette. With just the two of us, the bed stays made up as does the front dinette. Seems like this plan would work for other trailers.

[Lfoxmont]

Neparker,

So if you need to use the front dinette as a bunk, you have a third cushion to drop over the table? And you use the current piece of wood that covers the space for the bunk?


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[Lfoxmont]

Neparker,

Whoops.....didn't finish sentence ........did you use the piece of wood as your table or did you make something new?


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[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by Lfoxmont

It's just me using the egg

Why not leave the front bench as your permanent bed use the dinette as convertable to suit your needs of the moment?

[Green Frog]

I like the idea of a "permanent" large bed in the back of my '83 Burro since I camp alone but like a room bed. The table of a front dinette is fine for one, and if I must make a second bed of it, the process is much quicker and easier than converting the main dinette to a bed. To that end, I have a one piece cushion/mattress for the "big bed."

Froggie

[Lfoxmont]

Hey Green Frog,

Do you have a crescent shaped cushion for your front bench? If yes, does it wedge in next to the long bench cushion?

Did you happen to read my post about rat fur? I posted two pictures of my sawed off hump and the mess I'm looking at....would be interested in your ideas....thanks!


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[neparker]

Originally Posted by Lfoxmont

Neparker,

So if you need to use the front dinette as a bunk, you have a third cushion to drop over the table? And you use the current piece of wood that covers the space for the bunk?

Scamp makes this model, so it's not a conversion. The table top serves as the bridge between the two front seats, and the two seat backs fill in the middle of the bench when the table is down. Scamp also put a strange 10" deep cabinet at the end of the bench as a continuation of the kitchen area. Before finding this used camper, I had talked to Scamp about a new camper with the front table but without the cabinet, which would make a longer bunk.

We're 10 days into a 30 day triip to Cape Breton and NL, and I love having the table up for days when the weather isn't great for outside eating and having all that storage under the bed! My husband and I did a similar trip last year in our Boler with a front bench. That was when we decided that a front table would be ideal.

There are some threads on this forum that show some bench seat to front table modifications. I'll see if I can find some links.

-- Anne

[Green Frog]

The way mine came was with a pair of cushions that are square on two sides and round on the other to follow the inside contour of the front of the camper. Then there are two smaller rectangular sections that together cover the table when it is in bench mode or serve as seat backs when in dinette mode. The table fits into two notches in the sides of the bench segments and each of them has an access door visible when the cushion is lifted. The section closest to the door has a cabinet style door in its face so it is handy for storing road tools, spare jackstands, etc etc. I'll try to get a picture of it when I have it cleaned up a little better... right now it is serving for storage space on a trip.

Froggie

[theresa p]

we removed the top bunk and dennis made a small dinette for us ...leaving our big table permanently made up as our bed----i wouldn't have it any other way! we leave the extra cushion and wood insert at home so that we can utilize it when needed for our granddaughter ...but the majority of the time, it's just us and the dinette is SO handy.
i also would sleep a third little body on the floor---we've done it and there's still room to move around.

[Gilda]

I'll add my 2 cents. We rarely set up the dinette table on our 13' Scamp because we usually camp in dry weather. The dinette is supposed to be in the down position while traveling. We usually eat our quick and simple breakfast while we sit on the edge of the bed and on the "couch" (which converts into a bunk). We serve our meals, both indoors and out, on personal trays thereby making them transportable and easy to balance. (Your grandkids would probably love using trays.) The photos show two custom-made thermafoam cushions on top of the dinette cushions, the four dinette cushions placed for the bed as well as the back "couch" covered with a throw (for decor and to save wear and tear on the cushions). 'Hope the photos help.

[rick.a]

Hi Linda,

We also got rid of the top bunk in our Burro-13. We trashed ALL the cushions and custom cut a 6" hi density foam mattress to be on our permanent bed in the rear. My wife made a custom cover for it and it is just great. No more falling into the cushion cracks.

We used the table support for a small dinette table in the front. With custom cushions again. When the 6yr old grandson comes with us, at night we lower the table to become the center bunk support and put in the center cushion, which normally lives in the truck. This makes a great full width (although narrow) third bed.

This arrangement makes it perfect for just the 2 of us, and easy to set up the front bed for a third person when needed.

Rick