Dinette mod

[Mike Hohnstein]

I removed the cushions from the dinette of the prison bus and set my self down. The dinette was suddenly huge. Did up the seat bottom and back with laminate and thin padding on the seat and back. Tons of room and still big table top. Removed the seat back on the 83FC, works good there too. I think I'll leave the seat bottoms and come up with some thin upholstery for the seat backs, makes for tons of room. I don't use the dinette for sleeping of course.

MH

----- Original Message -----

From: "jehdds@hotmail.com"

To: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"

Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 2:11 PM

Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Dinette mod

Dale, I had the same complaints about my FC. Just too large a piece
of furniture for my bus. Here is what I did. I took the entire
dinette out of my 1973 FC. I was left with a couple boxes the back
one over the rear wheel arch and the front one over the heater. I
covered those boxes with carpet and made two wide chairs to sit on
top of the boxes. The legs on the chairs are very short (maybe 4
inches). These chairs are not really wide enough to sit two adults
but for my purposes that doesn't matter. You could make or have them
made to what ever dimension you would like and out of whatever
material you prefer. I made angle brackets and fixed the chairs tight
to the boxes. The table was also greatly reduced in size. The only
thing I saved from the original system was the mounting attachment
which connected the table to the wall. There would be a bunch of ways
to do this. If the "belly room" was the only issue maybe all that
would need to be done is to remake the table top. I objected to the
overall size of the dinette and the fact that there was almost no
walk room between the dinette and the kitchen counter. I only need
space for two. The next guy may not like my idea but that's the
beauty of an older coach. Not having to worry about hurting
something. Make it the way you like it. I made the chairs using two
wooden chairs that I all ready had. I took the back and seats off of
them and just replace the sections (seat and back) and other supports
with wider pieces and cut the legs off. I covered the seat and seat
back with upholstery padding and then vinyl. Not especially
difficult.
John Heckman
central Pa
1973 FC
>
> Have a 1984 35 ft. FC with side bath, the dinette forward seat is
very
> narrow between the seat back and table, (not enough belly room)
also the
> dinette seats protrude into the isle. Considering modifying the
table to
> create more room from the back of the seat to the table and
reducing the
> seat width so they do not protrude into the isle. Any suggestions?
>
> Dale Cooper
> Painesville, Oh. 44077
>
> 84 FC 35SB
>