Are you referring to a booth dinette rather than a free-standing table and chairs?

A booth dinette gives you some storage space under the seats and usually converts into a bed. Since it is in a fixed location, it may not work well as extra seating when you have guests. A free-standing table and chairs can be arranged as you see fit, and often two or more of the chairs fold, so they can be stored elsewhere when you don't need the seating. A free-standing dinette will usually have a more open feel.

Which is better? That's your call. If you regularly have three or more people eating, you will have the chairs and table space occupied that the booth dinette will need anyway. If it is just two of you most of the time, the free-standing dinette will open things up a bit, at the cost of some storage space.

Are you talking about something like this:
http://www.amazingmagictable.com/2tabledesk1.htm

It's a combination desk and dining table. We added one to our 5th wheel and it is great.

I've also seen cabinets without a desk opening just additional drawers or shelves. Just like in a sticks and bricks house you have extra floor space in RVs with multiple slide outs. In the past the manufacturers didn't do anything with this floor space. They thought RVers preferred the wide open look. So everything was pushed to the sidewalls and you ended up with a lot of empty floor space.

Now that we have this desk/dining table setup, we move the dining table out into the floor space (like in the first photo on the website). That allow us to use the desk plus have a dining area.

We still have plenty of room to walk by the dining table.

Adding this desk/dining table combination was one of the best changes we have made to our 5th wheel.

Edit by moderator:  Activated link.  Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 2nd of April 2012 08:33:08 PM

What a creative idea! That's a nice idea. The desk is similar to what I was referring to and built in in the same space. What we'd like to have is a table that could seat 6 and it seems like the buffets would prevent that.

Our table expands and has a leaf stored inside below the table top.  It will seat six.  It does have to sit in the middle of the floor so it gets a little tough to move around if there are six seated at the table.  If one person needs to get up it usually means one or two will need to move to provide an exit.

We can seat four people comfortably and still have room to move around the table and chairs.

Sherry,

A few weeks back, I went to take pictures of a Mobile Suites 38PS3 (actually a 38PS4 since they added a vanity slide in the bedroom), and I've posted some photos on my Photobucket account for the benefit of a couple that was wanting to see pictures of that model.

Some of the pictures I took are of that cabinet and table.  Below are some links.  You can get a wee bit of an idea of how big the storage areas are.  With regards to the side storage area picture, that is duplicated on the other side.

Picture of full table and wall cabinet.

Picture of center part of cabinet.

Picture of side storage area.

A link to the full set of pictures are next, but be warned....there are about 130 pictures to look at of that particular unit.  This link takes you to a slideshow so the pictures are bigger to look at instead of having to click on every image.

Pictures of 2012 Mobile Suites 38PS3(4)

Terry

 

Well, I can't speak to the use of one yet.  We have one on order and are going to sell our "regular" table with two of the chairs.  We'll keep two chairs for use with the dining table.  We are full timers and Jo really likes that new one.  In our case, while we will only have two chairs, we each have a "work" chair elsewhere that can be pulled to the table when we have company.

Jo's work chair is at her sewing center and mine is at the desk in the 38TKSB3.

I don't know what you want to know about the table, and we won't have ours for about a month.  The dealer we are ordering through will probably be picking up a new DRV Suites unit about then and will bring the table back with them.  That way, we avoid the shipping costs for the table.

Question:  By the "funky" mirror picture, are you talking about that "strange self portrait?"

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 4th of April 2012 06:52:56 PM

I'm not Terry but have read of several instances of sinks dropping out of the cabinet.Seems to be a problem with some Mobile Suites as I've not heard anyone else have this happen.I believe someone on this forum actually had it happen to them.

Kathy,

Yes, the Suites come with the detector as do a lot of other brands.  As for the sink dropping, it does happen, but I doubt that it is only DRV products that are doing it.  If you order your unit as you want it configured, it isn't hard to ask them to reinforce the sinks.  If you buy it "off the lot," it is likely you could work a deal where the dealer would reinforce it for you.

We've not had an issue, but we've not towed ours for very many miles.  As already mentioned, we don't travel with our sink covers in place either.  That is just extra weight to be working on the sinks on rough roads.

Alicia and Slade are great to work with there at Rolling Retreats.  We've ordered one of the new style dining tables from them as Jo likes them better than the table we currently have.  We will be going over to have them perform the recall on our wheels and install the new dining table.  I may just talk to them and see if they would do something to reinforce our kitchen sink as well.

Funny thing, Alicia and Slade had sold a MS to someone and there were a few issues that needed to be addressed.  While Slade worked on the issues, Alicia and the buyer went shopping.  They stopped by to see us while they were in the City.

Good luck with the planning.  If you want pictures of a Mobile Suites with lighter wood (the Suite Oak finish), check out this link named "Our New Home."  We like the lighter finish as it seems to make our interior much lighter, and we like things to be light.

Terry