How To Secure an RV Dinette: 5 RV Dinette Table Wall Mounts
Security is important not only for your health but also for the life and good condition of your RV furniture. Making sure everything is ‘nailed’ down when you are on the move is one way to keep your dinette and chairs in top condition. Using the right mounts is equally important.
How to secure an RV dinette: One of the ways to correctly attach your dinette to your RV is to use the best mounts possible. The other way of securing your RV furniture is to make sure those mounts fit in the same spots as your RV studs or reinforcement materials.
To learn more about how to secure your dinette and chairs to your RV, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about to have a safe journey and no damage to your RV furniture or interior. Take a few minutes to see if these solutions will work for you.
RV Wall Mounted Table
There are many options you can use for this project, that is if your RV does not come with a pre-installed wall mount table or dinette. When it does, you really don't have much to worry about. Only the chairs will be the problem if they are not already secured or can be secured.
The drawback to this system is how the walls of an RV are made. Many do not come with the studding you need to use a wall mount device properly. Sometimes you have to find ways to secure the table to the wood used to hold the window in place or the flooring beam that holds the lower wall in its spot.
The most common way to secure your dinette table is by using a pedestal mount option. These pedestals attach to your flooring which gives you a lot more security than a wall mount option will.
But you will have to make the design choice that will fit your RV’s design as well as what you want to have in that spot. The wall mount option is very secure when you can find the right studding to attach it to. Or, you can always reinforce your walls with plywood and attach the wall mounts to it.
The trick is to have thick enough plywood to handle that job.
How do You Secure an RV Dinette Table?
When it comes to using hardware, the best item to use is screws. If your RV has wood studding, then a few tough and strong screws will hold your dinette in place no matter where you drive.
If you are using a pedestal-style table mount, the best option may be bolts as you can use nuts to secure the bolts. The bolts just have to be rated stronger than the table for them to hold the table securely.
Securing the table is not that difficult. There are enough tools, hardware, and location options you can use to make sure the table does not go anywhere. The problem will come in when you start to move.
Most RV owners do not secure their free-standing dinette chairs and as a result, they suffer some damage in an emergency or rush stop. Finding the right mounts to secure the chairs is another issue and sometimes a little more difficult to find than standard table mounts and hardware.
You may end up having to be creative in your use of different materials to keep the chairs from damaging themselves and other pieces of furniture or cabinets inside your RV.
How do I Make my RV Table More Sturdy?
The first step you can take in this issue is to check the current screws in your pedestal table or wall mount device. If they are loose and the table is wobbly or uneven, then you will need to use some shims to balance the table out.
Then once you got the balance just right, you need to go to longer screws to make sure they are biting the wood very well and are deep enough to hold the table still. Even without shims, longer screws are the fastest and easiest method you can use to secure your table and make it sturdier.
A second method is to check the pedestal mount that attaches to the underneath side of your table. If the screws are loose, then simply tighten them up. You cannot go to longer screws here as their points may come through the tabletop.
A third option you have in this project is to check to see if the strength of the pedestal has weakened. If so, you may have to order a new pedestal from the manufacturer to make it more sturdy.
Where the pedestal mount loses its strength is the leg inside the mount. Because RV manufacturers use the cheapest options possible, this is a common situation. It doesn’t take much to get a new pedestal mount and install it.
If the component that has the screws going through it is secure, chances are you can use the same holes as you did for the old mount. Just in case, you can always go to screws that are a bit longer than the old ones to make sure you have a secure fit.
Another option would be to add a support beam to hold the table still. However, the support beam has to be placed in the right spot so it does not interfere with getting in and out of the seating area.
You would need some L brackets, metal screws, and a piece of 2 by 2 wood. Then just cut to size, drill a few holes in the pedestal and attach everything. It is a little more work but it will make sure your table stays still.
Finally, you can always reinforce your wall with 1/2 or greater plywood. Then buy a wall mount to secure both to the new wall. This option also takes a little bit of work but it is better than having your table move about or cause you to spill your food.
RV Dinette Table Wall Mount Options
1. Extruded aluminum
There is an extruded aluminum option that seems to work quite well. There seem to be two aluminum pieces that have one-piece fitting over the top of the other for a very sturdy fit.
It comes in a 30-inch length and that may be too long or too short, depending on the size of your dinette. it may take a while to find the right size for your situation. Or cut to length when it is too long.
To use this option, all you have to do is find the right locations on your wall and your table for the two pieces to fit together. Once you do that, you attach the pieces to their respective places with the included hardware. After you got that done, you just use the interlocking design to fit the pieces together.
2. Mounting bracket
The design of this option is simple and may be easier to use than the interlocking system just described. What you have here is two brackets, with one attaching to your RV’s wall and the other to the table.
They have 4 screw holes to hold them in place and the bracket that goes on the wall is larger than the one that goes on the table. The table bracket, once mounted and secured, slides into the larger bracket and remains in place.
This bracket is also made from sturdy aluminum so you won’t be adding much weight to your RV when you use it. It works on those RVs that have walls built with 12 and 16-inch centers.
Amazon is selling one right now where the wall mount can attach to the wall of your RV and lets you rotate the table for better access to or exits from the bench seats. There are many pieces to this option and it will take some time to assemble it.
The good news is that you can disassemble the table part and leave the wall bracket in place when you need extra room. Plus, you can raise or lower the tabletop through its design engineering. Made from aluminum.
This is not just any type of shelf bracket you would use in your home. It is a folding style that lets you move the tabletop out of your way when you do not need it. It works for the right size RV table because it can hold up to 440 pounds at one time.
Made from stainless steel, you know that this bracket is going to be strong and help you redesign your dinette area and secure your table. There are a variety of designs for this type of shelf bracket and a couple of colors to choose from
Originally designed to work with coffee tables, it can be adapted to fit with your RV table. The size of your table will matter here and if it is too small then this may not be a viable option.
The brackets are made from tough steel which resists rust, corrosion, and so on. Installation should not take too long and if you are handy with tools and you got the studs in the right spot, your adaption should be ready to use in no time.
6. Angle brackets
This is an option when you do not want the table to move at any time and when you are never going to use it for a bed. The two key elements you will need, and they do not have to be installed at the same time, are good solid wall studs or a reinforced wall with plywood that is thick enough to hold the screws properly.
Angle brackets, if they are the right length, can really hold your wall-mounted table in place. they keep the table secure avoid wobbles and so on. This is more of a last-ditch option in case you can’t find anything suitable in your area or you need a quick fix.
Securing RV Dinette Table Chairs
This is something you should consider. While many RV owners do not secure their dinette chairs, they can be a problem if you have to make a rush stop. chairs will tumble and cause damage if they are located in the wrong spots in your RV.
There are several options you can try. The first is to put some eye bolts or similar type of bolts on your RV’s floor. You would need one for each side of the chair. Then you would need bungee cords with hooks in them and attach one hook to each bolt. Just make sure the bungee cords have a tight fit.
The second option would be to put padding around those parts of chairs that will touch the table, then use cords or straps to secure the chairs to the table. Because of the different shapes, you may have a little struggle getting the right direction of those cords or straps.
The problem with the first option is that you have to be careful drilling the holes in the floor. You never know what is under that dinette space. There are also products, like Chair Buddy, that will be more decorative and helpful.
Some Final Words
No one wants to eat at a wobbly or insecure table and no one wants to see tables and chairs flying through the air in an RV. Sudden stops can play havoc on the interior of your vehicle or trailer. That is why it is important to find the right mounts for your RV’s design. The options are limited though.
