Wanting to change up the slide layout.

[Firefighter1406]

We bought our Cougar 26BHS a couple of years ago. It was a huge step up from our 19’ slick side Nomad that we had for 7 years. Well my son is now 6’ and has outgrown the single size bunks that are in our camper. So he has moved out to the jackknife sofa. Which works but length is still an issue. We have found a loveseat that pulls out to a bed that will work nicely. It is narrower than the current sofa. So I am thinking about making out dinette into a U shape. Turn the table the long ways and put it out to give the back I space have enough room.

Just wondering if anybody has done anything like this. I have seen a lot of people take the u shape out but nothing about making one. If you have any pictures that would be awesome.

[bsmith0404]

The dinettes are a very basic build, you could go to any dealership and pull the cushions to take some pics. Only thing I’ll mention, and probably one of the reasons so many people take them out, they don’t have leg/foot room underneath. It becomes a kicking contest as everyone fights for the same space. When I sold RVs, many people commented how much they liked the “big u-shaped dinette”, until I pointed that out and had them actually sit in it They lost the appeal real quick.

[Firefighter1406]

That does seem to be a complaint by many. I will be building the seat so I am gonna take it easy and slow. Temp up stuff and try it out before going forward. I still am interested in any pictures people might have as to what they did and I will make sure and post pics of what we end up doing.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Firefighter1406

That does seem to be a complaint by many. I will be building the seat so I am gonna take it easy and slow. Temp up stuff and try it out before going forward. I still am interested in any pictures people might have as to what they did and I will make sure and post pics of what we end up doing.

One possible mistake that I've seen too many new trailer owners make is to fail to consider weight in building or modding trailer parts. If you look at most RV dinette OEM builds, you'll see that it's a "minimal lightweight cabinet covered with 1/4" luan and 3/8" or 1/2" seat base construction. Many people tend to "overbuild like they would for a S&B house" with no concern for weight. In a trailer, especially in a slide, all that "extra weight" has to be moved by the slide motor, supported by the 5/8" slide floor and carried by the "china-bomb tires"...

So, look not only at the construction shape and function, but also consider the weight reduction factors that Keystone used to keep the trailer payload "reasonable" without busting the tires.....