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Make sure to check out the finished media cabinet and slide-out table that replaced our Dinette Booth!

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Today I’m sharing how easy it was to remove the dinette booth from your RV. As you may already know, Katie and I are updating the interior of our RV in an effort to transform it into a space that feels modern and rustic. However, before any of that can happen the old dinette booth had to go.

We plan to replace it with a custom media cabinet that will include an electric fireplace and our TV on a mechanical lift. And since space is at a premium in the RV, it will also transform into both our work and dining area. On top of that, we are painting the walls and replacing the old carpet with vinyl plank flooring.

How to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV

The information below will highlight how we accomplished the task in our 2008 Tiffin Allegro OpenRoad 32la. Every RV is different so keep that in mind and understand that some steps may vary depending on your specific model.

I don’t know about you, but when I walked into an RV for the first time it looked as if every item in the coach was molded into the position it was in. The couch, the cabinets, the dining booth, and the list goes on. It drove me into a nervous wreck when I started thinking about how I was going to remove anything.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

I have come to realize that most items are 10 times easier to remove than I imagined, and yet some are just as difficult due to an insane amount of staples, screws, and bolts. Rest assured though, because removing the dinette booth from your RV is likely easier than you think.

Side note: Many of the screws that are holding things together in our unit are square heads, so if you are about to take on an RV remodel consider a square head bit. This is just an observation I have made while taking various parts of our RV apart, but again each model can vary.

The first thing you will want to do is remove the table portion of the booth. This requires that you look at the screws holding the table in place (ours are square head). When we removed the table the easiest thing to do was to lower it down into the bed position, this will make it easier for you to access the screw heads. Then use your drill or screwdriver to unscrew the screws.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

We kept all of our screws in labeled ziplock bags since we planned to sell the booth, and wanted to make it as easy as possible for whoever purchased it to re-assemble it in their own RV or camper. 

Once you have the table and the brace removed from the wall you will want to remove the cushions.

You will then want to remove the seat slats that reside under where the cushions were resting.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Now you will want to remove any remaining parts that are not screwed down. This could vary depending on which booth set up you have, but for us, it included the pull out drawers from under the seats along with two wooden braces (the braces help to secure the bed aspect of the booth).

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

When I was first starting to remove all of the non-screwed down parts I thought for sure the booth would be bolted down. Little did I know it was only screwed in. That’s right, the only thing holding our booth in place was four screws placed along the baseboard of the booth. I have to admit I was quite thrilled because I had our drill with me but I did not have my ratchet set.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Next, remove the screws that are holding the dining booth in place.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Lastly, you will go ahead and remove the booth seats from the RV. You should be able to fit them out of the door fully assembled, as shown in the photo below.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

And that’s how we were able to remove the dinette booth from our RV.

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Looking to make changes to your Rig? See how easy it is to Remove the Dinette Booth from your RV | MountainModernLife.com

Whether you are looking to replace your RV dining booth, or simply need to temporarily move it out if the way I hope you will find this information on how to remove the dinette booth from your RV helpful. As always please feel free to leave any questions or comments below.

Want to see what now sits where our dinette booth once did? Check out our Finished Media Cabinet and the Slide-Out Table. Get a glimpse below.

Custom rustic media cabinet inside RV mountainmodernlife.com

38 Comments

  1. I’ve been googling for a couple hours now and cannot seem to find out how much a typical rv dinette booth weighs?? I want to replace it with a light portable dinette set, but of course I want to make sure the new furniture is lighter (or at least as light as) the bench seating & table. Any ideas about the weight of the 2 bench seats and the table? Thanks!

  2. Thanks for the pictures I was trying to find. Really helps me. Do you think most RVs have the slats so easy to pickup? Or are some RVs having fastened tops?

    1. Hey John, I’m glad the picture helped out. I don’t think all are this easy, and I’ve seen some that are completely fastened together. But that is how the RV manufacturing process works, every RV seems to be different than the next haha.

  3. We removed the dinette in our 5th wheel (non slide-out). We had a wheel well and ducting for the heater to deal with. I had a countertop maker come and measure, make & install a counter top. Because we selected ‘scrap’ material it cost only $125! I LOVE the results! The space is much more functional and open feeling. We boxed in the wheel well which created additional storage!

    1. Hey Susan! That is awesome, do you have pictures of it that we can go check out? Making the RV your own is so much fun 🙂

  4. Any suggestions for the dinette that is going to replace the booth? I’m currently looking to find something lighter but keep the space somewhat open

    1. Hey there! We actually ended up going with a custom media cabinet which did not leave it open. We were looking to create a multi functional media area, including our tv, fireplace and slide out dinning table. You can see what we did in the posts below:

      https://mountainmodernlife.com/rustic-modern-cabinet-with-tv-lift/

      https://mountainmodernlife.com/diy-pull-out-table/

      Knowing we wanted to take this approach I haven’t put much thought into an idea to keep it somewhat open. Do you know what you want to accomplish with the space? Do you want to still have a table? Do you want to be able to walk in the space?

      Anyway let us know and we will see if we can do a little brainstorming. Also you may want to check out the RV Interiors facebook group, they have a ton of great ideas for reimagining RVs, you can check out the link below:

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvinteriorideas/

      Thanks for reading! Hope the information has been helpful.

  5. I have a 28′ terry I am trying to remodel myself. I wanted to remove the dinette set (booth) but after getting all the screws out I discovered it was glued to the wall. Is there any way to remove it from the glue without damaging the wall ?

    1. Oh no! I feel like we went through little surprises such as this when we were renovating our RV, and it can definitely be frustrating. Hmmmm, you may want to try holding up a blowdryer to see if that will loosen the adhesive, but that will depend on how strong it is. Maybe contact the manufacturer to see if they have any recommendations or ask this question in a RV group or forum, we’ve found those to be extremely helpful. Here’s one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvinteriorideas/

      Sorry we couldn’t be of much help in this case, but we’d love to hear an update once you figure it out in case any one else runs into the same issue. Good luck!

      Katie

  6. Hi! We are going to be removing our dinette soon from our travel trailer and I am concerned about the holes left by the screws. Any advice on how to fill them/cover them?

    1. Hey Darcy, you could use putty, spackling, or caulk. We ended up using a vinyl spackling because we had it on hand. You can fill the hole with whichever you choose then let it dry, after it has dried lightly sand, then paint how you’d like. Hope this helps.

  7. I just removed our dinette. We opted for a couch instead, as we seldom eat in the RV and use a portable table if we need one. I tore down our booth and used it to make the couch frame. Now it looks like original equipment.

    1. Hey Vic, great idea using the old dinette materials to make your new sofa frame! I bet it fits perfectly in with the feel of the rest of the rig.

  8. I removed my table, made 2 padded seats to span the gap. One comes out leaving a horse shoe shaped seat. Then I made a 2 ft round table top on a post base to slide in as needed.

  9. We are about to remove the dinette from on 2009 Allegro 34 TGA. We are not “handy” so I was REALLY glad to see your blog and the helpful hints. Our questions is about electrical attachments to the dinette. You did not address it in your article but it looks like you had some electrical connections to deal with, too. Could you address steps to safely take care of this situations. Thanks!

    Now that I have found your blog can’t wait to read about your adventures!

    1. Hey GLAS, I’m glad the post was helpful, and gave you the confidence you could remove your dinette booth. The electrical components that were in our slide out were not “attached” to the dinette booth itself. Meaning we were able to detach the booth and slide it out without disconnecting or moving any of the electrical. When we built the media cabinet we built it just like the booth, being more around the electrical than moving or disconnecting it. With all of that said if you have to disconnect yours or move it, I’d suggest making sure no power is running through your unit. Somewhere in your rig you should have a switch that says “12v” meaning 12-volt power supply, I’d make sure that is turned off, then also make sure you are not plugged into house power or have your generator running. That way whenever you do any work with the electrical you can ensure no power is running through it. Does that answer your question? I hope it was helpful, but if you have any other questions like how to hide it or anything like that please feel free to let me know. Best Wishes, Eric.

    1. Hey Ellen, we found that the flooring under our dinette booth in our slide out was extremely strong. Once we had the booth removed we walked on it with zero problems. For us it was a thick piece of underlayment, i’d say it was at least 3/4 of an inch and easily could be a full 1 inch. Hide-a-beds can sometimes be pretty heavy, though the dinette booths generally have room for 4 people so your slide out would need to be able to accommodate that weight which makes me think it should be able to handle a hide-a-bed as well. I know all RVs are different so I hope this helps you, best wishes, Eric

  10. I am working in this right now… It was a major pain. Every single screw was crooked and there are a million Staples!! Okay. Not a million. But easily hundreds… With a lot of intense labor, and using my shovel as a massive Crow bar.. I’ve managed to get everything out except one side that is stuck to the wall… I am at a complete loss. But I’ve gone to far to turn back… Any advice???

    1. I feel your pain Melanie, the amount of stapes and hidden screws boggles the mind haha! It’s hard to really say what to do without seeing what it looks like still stuck to the wall. But with that said I’d say you may have to find the final one or two hidden screws that are holding it in place. Sometimes they like to screw in at an angle so they could be hidden somewhere. If you haven’t figured it out you can send us a picture to [email protected] and I’ll try to help more. Anyway let us know how it goes. Best Wishes, Eric

  11. Thanks for your blog; You make is sound so simple. I’d love to remove my dinette set in my Rockwood Forest River Mini Lite and put in a desk and a much more chair. However, I found under the left bench is the furnace and under the right bench is the electrical. Is it possible to remove just the front half and build a cabinet over the furnace & electrical? Or am I just stuck with the painful dinette set? The table is very easy to remove from the area. Thanks!

    1. No worries at all Angela I hope it’s been helpful. The problem with RVs is that they are all so completely different, and working around vital pieces of the RV like the furnace and electrical components can be a pain. It’s hard for me to say for sure without seeing what it looks like, but I’d imagine you can remove most of the dinette booth and build a desk to fill the space. You’d have to design your desk around the the furnace and electrical (unless you want to move them to a different spot, but that would be past my experience at this point). If you want to send us an email with some pictures of the dinette booth I’d be happy to take a look. Anyway hope this helps, Best Wishes, Eric

  12. Hi I really like the whole concept of your booth replacement. We currently have a U-shaped dining area that actually only fits three adults because of the lack of legroom. I would like to remove that and put in a cabinet that would become my sewing storage area as we have a TV fireplace in a different part of our RV. Having the table slide in and out will then also give us room for the cot bunk beds when the grandkids come on trips with us. My question is how do you secure the cabinets to the wall so that they do not topple over when you pull out the table or turn a corner while driving down the road? We are having a regular cabinet person put them in but he is questioning the depth of the wall to deal with. Thanks for the info.

    1. Hello Angela Gilliam, I’m sorry for the delayed response, but if you guys haven’t already figured it out I hope this helps. So for our dinette booth and the replacement cabinet we built it was actually situated on one of our slide outs. That in turn allowed us to secure the new cabinet to the floor because the slide out had an extremely thick piece of underlayment in place, I can’t remember exactly but it was somewhere between an 1 1/2 and 2 inches thick. Your regular cabinet person is correct with the walls being pretty thin (it’s basically a quarter inch thick piece of wood over the frame of the RV. Because we were able to secure it to the floor we used small screws and anchors to attach it to the walls, mainly as a little extra security. But the main thing holding it in place is the attachment to the floor. Anyway I really hope this helps, but please feel free to reach back out if I can clear anything up further. Best Wishes, Eric

  13. Your project looks great. I had to remove the dining set on my 2001 Fleetwood Pioneer. I discovered the benches on the wall side we’re screwed from the outside in. I had to use an oscillating tool to cut the srews it was a real pain. So if you removed all the base screws consider this. Thanks
    Greg

    1. That’s interesting Greg! Ours didn’t have screws coming in from the outside but man, I can easily see how that would be a major pain. Thanks for pointing it out in case someone else hits the same issue.

  14. I would like to remove our dinette in our 1999 27 ‘ class c, but there is a water pump beneath one of the benches and heat vents coming out of the bottom of the benches. We never use the pump since we haven’t dry camped, but don’t want to lose the option for future sale. Is it possible to do this and replace with a sofa recliner?

    1. That is a great question Susan. To be honest I think it kind of depends on your sofa of choice, and on where the water pump is located. If you’re going to be building your own sofa with a recliner you could build the base around the water pump and vents. However, if you’re going to be purchasing a sofa it may be a little tricky. If say your water pump and vents are located on the left side you could always get a sofa that is a little shorter than the spot you’re creating then build a small “sofa table” to hide it, I’m just throwing an idea out there. If you want you could send me some pictures to [email protected] and I could take a look to see if I could suggest some options. Anyway, just a thought, let me know.

  15. Hi, we took out just one if the booths and NOw it us sitting on the woodpile staring at me everytime i walk by. Im torn, keep it or make it go away? Suggestions? Thanks

    1. That’s a tough one Sue! I think we actually ended up putting ours up on craigslist when we still had a permanent residence and someone came by and took it. But, to be honest, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do haha 🙂

  16. We recently retired& are planning to do more traveling. Our dining booth is very unhandY. My husband does not want a free standing table plus we need more storage. Your design meets our needs. My husband is a carpenter & we are excited to build this.

    1. That’s awesome Sylvia, we really loved the way ours turned out, and with your husband being a carpenter it should be a breeze 🙂 If you do have any questions though feel free to ask!

  17. When will the RV industry stop with these horrible booths and their slightly better table and chair sets? Why not have an empty slide with options such as table, den (chair and lamp say, craft room, (shelving, work surface), or as here, awesome entertainment center!. They are slow to react to lifestyle changes. Everything is still built for the nuclear family, which leaves out couples w/o kids and elders. I’ve seen a few “build with two in mind”, but don’t see much difference other than only one sleeping area.

    Anyway, thanks, I desperately want to take out the hideous booth in my slide and have more floor space, but was terrified that the whole trailer would fall apart or some such. You’ve given me the confidence to give it a go.

    One question: Do you think that removal could be done in a way that would keep the booths in good enough shape to reinstall in case of resale or changing needs. I bought this together with my son who does have kiddies and may prefer the booth when it’s his time (after I build a little house).

    1. Hey Mimi Camp, sorry for the delayed reply and that’s awesome you’re going to be making your RV your own 🙂 As far as pulling the dinette booth out and selling it you can most certainly do that. That’s exactly what we did. The only advice I can give is look, look, and look some more to make sure you have all of the screws, otherwise, you may break it trying to pull it out with screws still in. Anyway, I hope this was helpful 🙂

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