Dinette Table flimsy?

Now I'm not a small guy (6' and 230lbs). We put the dinette table and cushions down below the front bed in our 2720 to make it easier for our toddler to climb up and down. This is the same configuration we'd use to sleep two more folks.

I knelt on the cushions to help her up to the front bunk and POP two of the wood screws on the bottom of the table flew out from the extension brackets.

Of course, that was an unfair amount of pressure to place on that poor table, but still... I'm not sure I'd want to sleep on this bed, either.

Has anyone beefed up the hardware under the dinette table, or replaced the table with a sturdier wood? Should I just call the TM factory about this?

Jon

Jon,
Did you remember to put down the short, middle support leg when you put the table in the "sleeping" position?  If you were supporting your weight entirely on the side rails, then you were, IMHO, expecting too much of the table.

Although we never used the dinnette as a bed, in the 3 years we owned our 2619 the dinnette supported just about everything we could throw at it and never loosened a screw.

:'( Flimsy describes it well. The table is made of two pieces of panelling sandwiched over a poly foam with  wood edging. I'm 6'-2" 250# and we did more than pop the hardware, we popped the hardware and broke the table. The problem is not anything you did (other than exceed the weight limit like me) the problem is that the forward most table segment has no support. The side rails stop short of this segment and when weight is applied the add-in leaf is supported by the side rails and the forward most leaf is support by the aligning hardware only.
If you did not break the table, look into modifying the support rails so that you get support under all three segments. The leg down in the center would help support the reward leaf as it's tapered ends kind of leave it unsupported out there.
My solution after breaking the table: 3/4" oak faced plywood with iron on oak edging. I have also replaced both of the side supports with 2x2 pine rails that are full length and fit into an upright on either end with attached dowels.
It takes a little more effort to convert it to a bed now. You support the table with one hand while reaching under with the removable side supports and dropping the dowels into the holes in the tops of the verticle supports I added (I hope I described this well enough).
You may considering changing this even more by making a plywood top that fits where the table currently drops to. Leave the table in the folded down position, drop your plywood in place and put the cushions over the top for the toddler to climb up and down. When you fold up for travel, you could leave the plywood in place or drop it under the front bed cushion.
We have a 2-1/2 year old and a 1 year old. For a bed for the 2-1/2 year old, we use a fold up bed rail from K-mart under one of the dinette cushions and a crib sheet fits the cushion perfectly. For the one year old, we remove the front bed cushion (store it at the house) and place a travel crib up on the platform. When she gets more bed ready, we will pick up another portable bed rail and use the other dinette seat.

As there is not a lot of room in the 2720 for our two little ones to play, we have also made a thin frame panel with mesh that we can clamp in place over the opening of the rear bed. We wedge the bottom down beside the cushion and clamp the top with a quikclamp to the bathroom wall and the wardrobe. This provides a secure play area on the rear queen bed and allows for a great place for the kids to play while cooking, bed making, etc.
Hope this helps.

[RickNewcomb]

I had the same problem with the screws popping out. I fixed it by using a plastic anchor(molly). However, the standard plastic anchor is too long to insert into the table so I had to cut it shorter. I inserted the plastic anchor through the steel bracket and then into the table. This has held up for four camping trips so far. Though I do weigh less than 200lbs.

Paul -- yes, I had lowered the smaller leg.  I think I just landed on a weak spot

Brian --  Is there any way you can post pictures?  I have a sense of your fixes but I got lost around where you describe how you lower your table. :-/  I have enough of an idea from your post that I think I can try a few fixes.  Did you keep the leaf for the table?  Or did you go for a solid table?

(I don't think this forum tool has a place for file uploads -- there's an idea.)

Jon

I will try to get some pictures up later this week. We just got back from a long weekend and I have about 3000 things to do.
Thanks.

Here are the pictures of the modification to the dinette table.
If you still have any questions, drop me a line.

http://www.sourceseeker.com/tm/tmtable.html

Brian,

Thanks for posting the pictures -- they are a BIG help!  ;D

I haven't gone quite so far with the supports (yet).  So far, I just built a new table.   It's in the garage where I'm putting on the finish.

Since my table wasn't broken, I used it as a template to cut new pieces out of 3/4" hardwood (oak finished) plywood, and I took a router bit to the edge.

While checking out the fit in the trailer, I made a new discovery!  

The short support leg appeared to be about 1 INCH too long!   This led to about a 1" gap between the table and the horizontal support post on the door side of the trailer.

Since I used the same hardware, and the table is level in both raised and lowered positions, I believe the original table suffered the same fault.   I'll attach a photo here.

So the final step will be to add about 1" of pine furring to the top of the horizontal support on the edge of the dinette seat.   The alternative of shortening the leg would also lead to moving the mounting hardware on the bulkhead below the front bed to keep the table level.  Not my preference.

I'll post a URL to the completed project when I'm through.

Jon

That would certainly be a problem. On mine, when the leg is in it's shortest position, it is about 3" too tall. I was therefore not using the leg at all.
Check and make sure that the furthest most leaf has support under some part of it if you plan on keeping the factory supports. Mine had no support. When I made the new plywood top and tried it out, the alignment clips bent because of the lack of support. This is why I went to the extreme that I did.