Grandby dinette comments wanted

[buzzman]

Hi all,

It's been awhile since I have participated in this fine forum. My bad! I know. It's good to see some of the old familiar names still here.

Back in 2007 when I was searching for a truck camper you all were a lot of help to me with my search and with deciding what options to order on my new Grandby.
Well, I'm back again asking for information and opinions. Over the last 4-5 years, Sherri and I have gone on a lot of camping trips with the Grandby ranging from one day to about two months. The Grandby has held up well and everything still works as new. But, for the way we travel and camp, it seems like a dinette would be nice to have. At least we think so. Especially when it's raining or too cold outside and we just want to stay inside. The table we got with the Grandby is fairly useless. We have taken it with us maybe once.

However, I think there are both positives and negatives to a dinette in a FWC. I want to hear what someone else has to say, especially somebody who has, or had, a Grandby with a factory installed dinette. Likes, dislikes, issues, etc.

My Grandby has the extended bed with the 16" bed slider pullout and we usually leave the bed made up when we travel and camp. Right away I can see from the photos I got from Stan at FWC that the bed extension slider interferes with the forward seating position when pulled out. And with the table set up, it looks like it would be difficult to climb in and out of bed with the slider out? It also looks like there is a loss of storage with the dinette as compared to what is under the the bench seat. One plus is that It looks like we could actually see out the big window on the passenger side with a dinette. But the big plus I think is that we could use the table to eat, read, etc. and not be blocking the isle.

Tom at FWC says they can do the mod to my camper for around $900 depending on the fabric. I have the tools and shop space to do the mod myself and I could save a little money, but I think in the long run the camper would hold it's value better if it was done by the factory. Sean Dempsey from Go-Anywhere (http://www.go-anywhere.us/) stopped by last fall and we talked about it. He agrees that the camper would hold it's value better if the mod was done by FWC. But I'm not even sure I want to mod this camper and it's a big deal to do this.

Here's some pictures of a Grandby with a factory dinette that I got from Stan. Let me know what you think about the usefulness of the factory dinette.
Thanks,
Buzz

 

[billharr]

To each his own on the dinette there has been lots of threads on what is better. I converted my Hawk to a dinette. With just me and the wife; it works for us and we like it much better than the couch. We did a 7,500 mile trip and used the table a lot with 2 PC or reading. Don't even want to think about eating without the table. I enjoy doing the work myself but you may be correct factory may help on the resale. I have pictures some where on the site of my conversion.


Bill in Stockton.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Bill is correct,there have been a lot of comments pro/con on dinettes. I have a 09 ATC Bobcat with the dinette.IMO it's the best setup for us.One major difference between the FWC/ATC install is the placement of the table tube support.ATC places the table support on the shelf away from your legs and makes the seating more comfortable.As for storage,I think you can store as much,but I have also added more storage areas to my floor plan that work for me.We have the extenda bed,which is standard on the ATC models.That said we are able to sleep across the camper so we don't have to carry the extra bed cushions and the bed is made up all the time.I vote for the dinette,but to each his own.

If you are good with your woodwork you could do it yourself.I see you are in TN,that is a long way from the Woodland factory.

Good luck,if you would like I could send some pics of my dinette,even though it's not a FWC the layout is the same.

Frank

 

[GpnAZ]

I have a FWC Hawk and I converted my backless couch into a dinette last year and my wife and I just love it. It is more comfortable for eating and just hanging out. Note: our couch was backless making it more uncomfortable than a standard couch. I did a thread on it in EP, www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/62479-Interior-pics-before-the-conversion
If you are not a member of EP it might not allow you to open up the pictures. I ended up with more storage then I thought I would and one of the cabinets is dedicated to a porta potty with a 5 gallon waste tank.

 

[White Dog]

My wife and I looked at both seating arrangements when we visited FWCCanada last summer. It took us about 5 seconds to choose the dinette. In addition to all the pluses others have mentioned, we still enjoy looking at each other while we eat, even after being married for over 30 years. We also enjoy looking out the window. These may be more aesthetic choices than practical ones but they mean a lot to us.

 

[leadsled9]

I don't own a Granby...but instead own a Hawk.

The dinette was a great upgrade that my girlfriend and I just love. It works great for us.

I originally had the couch and crappy table....but later had FWC do the dinette conversion. Much nicer now.

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>
In addition to all the pluses others have mentioned, we still enjoy looking at each other while we eat, even after being married for over 30 years.
<snip>




We did the dinette arrangement also when we rebuilt our old ranger II. No cushions, we use our pillows to sit on. We also did the bottom table support up on the first step - ATC style. Beside the benefits others have mentioned, we like to play scrabble on those long cold winter nights. We like having the table and game between us in the traditional "gaming" position.

 

[buzzman]

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Yes, I do live a long way from the FWC factory. I love wandering the west and wish I was closer to the Rockies. Someday I'm just going to sell everything here and move west so I can be closer!!

Frank, please send some pictures of the dinette in your ATC. I'm curious to see how ATC mounted the table. Does the ATC with extended bed have a 16" slider like the extended bed Grandby? And you both can sleep there without using the slider? Sherri and I may have to try that, because if we could leave the extra bed cushions home and not use the slider, then that would solve a couple issues I have with the dinette.

Thanks,
Buzz

 

[leadsled9]

I'm curious to see how ATC mounted the table.


Check out this thread about table mounting:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4643/

 

[buzzman]

leadsled9,

Thanks for that link. Good info! I really like your dinette set up. Gives me some ideas for sure. I also notice that you have what appears to be an air conditioner in your Hawk? Hows does the wall mounted a/c work out for you? It would sure be nice to have a/c out here in the humid part of the country during the summer months.

Buzz

 

[Desert Rancher]

We like the couch arrangement-not for the table set-up, but for the storage below. Hi-lift, tools, the stuff you just need close by.
If I could keep the storage and have a dinette, it would be perfect.

Still need to find a place for the port-o-potty.

~DR

 

[SunMan]

We like the couch arrangement-not for the table set-up, but for the storage below. Hi-lift, tools, the stuff you just need close by.
If I could keep the storage and have a dinette, it would be perfect.

Still need to find a place for the port-o-potty.

~DR


Same here to all of the above. The storage trumps a table for us.

 

[leadsled9]

I think I actually gained storage with the FWC factory dinnette conversion. There is a slider that goes between the boxes and I can store large items in there (generator, box of food, etc.) FWC installs another cabinet in the corner when doing their dinnette conversions so I can actually store more stuff now.

With the couch you have one long storage box...with the dinette you have two boxes and the space between the boxes so you can't store long things like a jack...but you can still store lots of stuff.

 

[leadsled9]

Hows does the wall mounted a/c work out for you? It would sure be nice to have a/c out here in the humid part of the country during the summer months.


1) install the Arctic Pack

2) after camper air is super heated....open camper door and turn both Fantastic Vent fans on high for a few minutes (out setting) to expel all of the super heated air.

3) turn on ac...after about 15-20 minutes you can hang meat in there.

Nice at times. I use a Honda 2000 generator when running the ac.

 

[buzzman]

Thanks leadsled for the a/c info.

I have been looking around on the web at other brands of pop-up campers ( yikes! Am I a traitor?) to see what kind of dinette and a/c set ups they have. I like the Hallmark and Northstar campers. The Northstar pop-up campers offer an option of a rear wall a/c unit on their 8' pop-up campers and they have a proper dinette. The Hallmarks are really nice upscale units, and light weight, but sort of pricey. The Northstar factory is located in Iowa so it's relatively close to me here in west TN. I may stop there on my next trip north to see their campers in the flesh. Over on the Expedition Portal forum, there are some good ideas too.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and ideas. Very helpful. Keep em' coming.

Buzz

 

[Smokecreek1]

I keep looking at those neat pictures of that set-up, but wonder about storage too---besides the dog likes to sleep there and not on the floor-be nice to eat and look out the window on those nasty days when the weather keeps me inside-decisions, decisions-I seem to remember seeing pictures of how this folds down into a couch again when not in use, was this a FWC modification or was i seeing someones modification-sort of having both worlds!

Smoke

 

[buzzman]

Smoke, I think the latest FWC installed dinette uses the roll-over hinges so the one seat back rolls over to fill in the gap where the table sets up. Where the FWC table goes when not being used, I don't know? A friend in Wisconsin has a FWC Hawk with an early dinette design installed by the factory that does not use the roll-over hinges. The rear ward seat back cushion is slipped over a slab of wood that slides down into a slot for support.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Thanks Buzzman!-looks interesting!

Smoke