Converting a folding dinette table to pedestal style?

[cyberiankhatru]

I want to find a way to convert my dinette table on my 2001 C/F Timberlake to a pedestal style like my Dad's old TT had.  It recall that it was much more stable than those folding legs (that have a tendancy to get loose and fall).  Has anyone done this and what could be some issues?  I know the fresh water tank is under there somewhere.  would I need 1 post or 2?

[cyberiankhatru]

Ok, I climbed underneath and the tank is right there between the dinette seats...and it's snug up tight against the bottom of the floor...of course!  So the next question is how thick is the plywood floor?  If I used some VERY short screws, would it hold?  And it appears that the f/w tank can be lowered a bit.  If the screw tips protruded any, I was thinking I could slip a thin board between the floor and the tank to protect the tank and then snug up the tank again. 
Any thoughts anyone?  Or are those pedestal tables worse than I remember?

[JP campers]

I don't know how thick the wood floor is but I would hope at least 3/4" if not 1". If I were doing this, I would use two legs.
Good luck.

[Tom-TC]

Don't use screws.  Drop the FW tank and drill holes up through the floor and fasten the pedestal base using carriage bolts (with a domed top and a square under the head) with the domed top on the bottom.  The square pulls into the wood as the nut is tightened from the top.

[Oz and Us]

Our current KZ Spree TT came with a dual pedestal dinette table and it still wiggled ... since we never use it as a bed and have no need to lower it I ditched one of the legs and secured the table to the trailer side wall.  Obviously this isn't a solution that would work in a popup but I'd suggest you likewise may be disappointed in just how much a pedestal table can also wiggle and would deem it not worth your time or effort to change it.  Your stand alone table wiggles mostly because of excessive play in the folding leg mechanism ... wrapping a bungie cord or two around the legs will minimize this play and reduce the tendency for it to wiggle.  The stand alone table in our former hybrid also wiggled quite a bit but I was able to devise this method of securing the table to the trailer sidewall, thereby minimizing wiggle ... perhaps you could devise a similar solution in your popup.  If you do decide to go with a pedestal table anyway I'd simply use short screws run down through the floor, just as the trailer manufacturers do ... there's no need to be dropping the FW tank and running bolts up through the floor.

[Tom-TC]

...I'd simply use short screws run down through the floor, just as the trailer manufacturers do ... there's no need to be dropping the FW tank and running bolts up through the floor.

Yeah, you're right... if you want the same cheap/flimsy install the manufacturers do.  One of the advantages of DIY is DIB.  I have a lot of respect for the various things you have done to your RV's, and your expertise.  It just seems to me that screws into particle board (or whatever manufactured wood is in the floor) will fairly easily pull out, and the OP was looking for something that was sturdy.

[hoppy]

Would it be possible to cut a section out of the floor covering, and wood glue a 2" thick piece of wood to screw the pedestal base into?

 Just a thought.

[Oz and Us]

It just seems to me that screws into particle board (or whatever manufactured wood is in the floor) will fairly easily pull out, and the OP was looking for something that was sturdy.

I just took a look at the one remaining table pedestal in my Spree ... one receiving base is secured to the floor with eight 1" wood screws and the other to the underside of the table with another 8 screws ... no way either one of these would it ever pull out or loosen.  There's also no way I'd consider the work involved in dropping an underfloor tank just for the purpose of gaining enough access to be able to use bolts and nuts to secure that table pedestal base ... there's just not enough advantage to make it worth all that effort.  Play in a pedestal table isn't caused by the base screws pulling loose but rather by the loose fit between the pedestal(s) and the receiving bases into which the pedestal fits.  These table pedestals are designed to be removable so the table can be lowered and used as a bed, and in the case of a popup so the roof can be lowered ... otherwise it'd be a simple matter of replacing the entire table support system with a one piece assembly that could be secured directly to both the table & the floor and would have no play at all.  Effectively, that's what I've done in my Spree ... used one of the two original pedestals to support the weight of the table but secured the edge of the table itself to the side wall of the trailer so it can't shift ... same difference.  As I offered earlier though, in the OP's case I'd try to improve his existing table rather than swap it out for a pedestal table as he was considering as I suspect he'd be disappointed with the results.

[ngatel]

I guess I should comment, since I have done this "mod" in our 1992 Starcraft.

Here is a picture (note: we do not take that boom box camping, I was listening to the radio while working on the camper  ).



The floor base, table base and pole can be purchased at most RV supply stores, but I don't think Camping World carries them.

There are 8 screws for each base. They will be secure, unless you have a lot of wobble. I can see the bottom working loose over time. On ours I used bolts for the bottom base, but it was an easy install.

Pros:

Might be easier to set up and take down than a folding table (no pinching of fingers on hinges).

Easier to get in and out of the dinette area.

More foot room (except for the center pole)

Cons:

Table wiggles. Ours is a small table and could barely fit 4 adults. it did wiggle a lot. Adding a 2nd pole would help, but it would take up leg and foot room.

Base on the floor could interfere with stuff you want to store on the floor for travel.

Cannot take the table outside. We take our Niagara table outside often.




We did not even consider doing this mod in the Niagara. It worked well in the Starcraft, because it is only an 8' box and we upgraded it to the max, with just about every amenity our Niagara has, sans microwave.

[mfc1972]

Just bought my first pop up, a 2001 Starcraft Galaxy, and converting the table was the first thing i did to it. There was no leg room around the dinette with the folding table and although the pedestal table wobbles, being able to freely move around the dinette makes the trade off worth it to me. I also choose to use a recessed pedestal base that is flush to the floor, this allows full use of cargo room but may contribute to the wobble.

[gijoecam]

Cannot take the table outside. We take our Niagara table outside often.

Actually, Camping World (or it may have been JC Whitney....  can't recall) sells a leg base just for pedestal tables.  It's not cheap, but allows you to use the table outside should you desire.

-Joe

[cyberiankhatru]

Actually using a set of old feet that my Dad had is what prompted this idea.  I found them while going through some of the old stuff in his storage barn.  I was planning to use the folding table by removing the legs and putting on a base, floor base, & post.  I can get that for about $17 and using what I already have, gain a multi use table that I hoped would be more stable. 

[cgillispn]

The pedestal bases used in the camping industry that I have seen are junk plastic bases and cheap metal poles which give it the wobbly effect. If you want stable pedestal bases (Metal) I suggest going to a marine store. The ones used in cabin cruisers, etc. are metal and very much stable.

[cyberiankhatru]

Yes, the ones I had in mind are metal - or monkey-metal as I like to call it.  We never had any issues in the old Prowler my Dad had.  With his old Porta-Leggs I found I just wanted to have a convenient system.

Thanks everyone.  If I decide to go this route, I'll post some pics.
Paul