Bench and dinette dimensions

Soundman1 · 05-20-2012, 06:11 PM

Can anyone share the dimensions you used for your custom built dinette or benches?

Mainly looking for back height and angle, seat depth and height off of ground.

ol trunt · 05-20-2012, 09:23 PM

Measure a table and a chair then tape it off on the floor and look at it. It ain't rocket science.

TygerCub · 05-21-2012, 04:54 PM

A COMFORTABLE seat height can vary from person to person, depending on their inseam. At 5'4", I find many regular dining room chairs slightly uncomfortable over a long period of time because my feet do not rest completely on the floor. The slight dangling leaves my knees aching. For me, an ideal seat height is 15 inches.

==> You may wish to sit in an adjustable computer chair and set various heights that are most comfortable to you over an extended period of time. Use that measurement to create your custom benches.

As for the backs, the incline again depends on personal comfort levels. Some folks like to sit straight upright (military bearing???). That just hurts my back after a while. I like at least 3" difference between the top and bottom of my chairs.

==> A method of finding what's comfortable for you is to place a box, upturned bucket, or coolers against the wall and sit on it. Slowly move it away from the wall until you feel comfortable leaning back against it. Stand up and measure the distance between the seat and the wall. That's the amount you will want to tilt the back of your seat.

One more thing to consider... How long do you expect to stay seated at the dinette? Is it just a convenient place to sit while eating and they you'll run back outside? Or is it going to be the central lounge location for those rainy days when you CAN'T get outside?

==> If it's a place to perch long enough to wolf down yer food and scram, then you can get away with a seat that's 12" - 15" deep.

==> However, if it's a lounge / alternate couch, I would recommend making it at least 20" - 24" deep. This will give more support under your knees, making sitting longer more comfortable.

Either way, don't forget to take into account the amount of space a cushion will rise the seat or push you forward from the back.

Hope this helps.

lornaschinske · 05-21-2012, 05:51 PM

Don't forget to allow for cushions (both seat and back).

If it will be a dinette that you will sleep at (table drops to become bed), you need to figure 6ft overall.

Eating table height is usually 30" (top of table to surface of floor)
Chair height varies from 15" to 18" with 18" being "normal" height. Again that is from the surface for the floor to the top of the seat/cushion.

Personally, we prefer a slightly inclined seat back.
This link should give you the dimensions you need. It's a fairly basic bench.

chev49 · 05-22-2012, 02:57 PM

you also need to figure out how many people will sit on bench at a time. since there is only 2 of us, i made bench width 24 in wide (for 1 person) and placed a fold down table in place of the second dinette bench next to the living room couch (which of course is the defalt 2nd bench.) millie has a big room for cooking that way. 'this means i have only one bench in front of a dinette table - longer portion of table with edge against wall, which is on removable rv post of course.

i also put the rv furnace inside the bench seat.. heated bus fine last winter, with no ductwork required...

Soundman1 · 05-28-2012, 04:24 PM

okay so i got dimensions all laid out, thanks for all the help. so i have started looking for foam, and boy is it expensive. Anyone have any sites for cheaper foam? i was also thinking about 3" would be a good thickness

any thoughts from anyone that has made there own cushions?

lornaschinske · 05-28-2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundman1

...Anyone have any sites for cheaper foam? i was also thinking about 3" would be a good thickness

any thoughts from anyone that has made there own cushions?

Mattress toppers? BTW, you need to be asking for "mattress grade foam". A twin size memory foam mattress topper may be cheaper. Our topper is 3" and from Wal-mart.

Seat cushions made easy

This is the one I like. I have it on hard copy but manged to find the webpage....
Fine Woodworking's simple way to upholster chairs

I like that the 2nd method I posted uses that very dense foam pad that is used under sleeping bags or as exercise mats. It makes sitting on the foam much more comfortable without adding much height. I would suggest you add the dense foam mat regardless of which method you use.

chev49 · 05-28-2012, 05:00 PM

if the cushions are good, you can use the foam out of a rv that is to be scrapped. i scrapped 5 of them for this bus, and cut down some of the 4" foam. I bought new cotton batting material, and recovered it. The material was free from neighbor who does commercial sewing, so my only cost was the cotton at wal mart.
well - upholstery thread ...
if you get used foam, check the foam before you take it, so you have good clean pieces to start off with.
then, wash it of course.
i still have lots of 3" and 4" foam to be discarded, not to mention barrels, cabinet doors, appliances, etc, which no one has taken...

TygerCub · 05-28-2012, 07:54 PM

How are you guys washing the foam from old cushions? Just soap & water? Or are you adding anything to make sure any mold or other insidious ick is killed? I have 3 cushions left from the original bus owner that I wouldn't mind using, but...

If those cushions don't work, I also bought a "6 inch" foam mattress from Walfart to use in my murphy bed. Unfortunately, it was really only 4"

Stupid of me to order it online. Anyway, I figured I could keep it to use on my "sleeper-couch". It's 24" wide, so that extra 15" of width from the twin bed could be used for throw pillows or upholstered to the backrest of the couch. We'll see...

chev49 · 05-29-2012, 10:47 AM

i washed mine with dish soap n water bucket with about quarter cup of bleach.. and garden hose... it took a couple days for them to dry. if i did it again, i would get towells out and wrap them in the towells and maybe step on them a lot to squish out the water.

TheRainbowBoxer · 05-29-2012, 11:54 AM

We did the towel/squish thing... it still takes forever for them to dry LOL

lornaschinske · 05-29-2012, 02:30 PM

Bear in mind that foam "dies" from heat and age. You may want to replace the foam now rather than in a few years.

If you insist on "washing" the foam... try using a sanitizer like the pink stuff EcoLab sells at Sam's Club under the ProForce name. It's a concentrate. For the foam, I would dilute it in double the water it normally calls for. Then make a "tub" with a sheet of plastic or a plastic tarp (use stuff to make raised sides higher than the foam all the way around). Dump the sanitizer solution over the foam making sure to saturate completely, then remove and drain. Should clean out all the smells. You will never get all the soap out (I have tried... ended up replacing the foam mattresses with air mattresses). If you think you may have bed bugs, trash the stuff. I vote for trashing the stuff anyway, just in case. 3" Twin size mattress toppers are readily available from Wal-Mart for a fairly low price. Even if you used cheap painters canvas to cover the cushions, the material will still cost more than the cushions. That's a lot of work to be replacing the cushions in a couple of years. But it's your work, not mine. Have fun!

jkindt · 06-02-2012, 02:29 PM

You can squish out the water from foam by placing between two sheets of plywood and driving over them with the car. Never tried it, but apparently its what guys who get water into their snowmobile seats do, after they remove the foam from the seat obviously.

Now that I think of it, you could probably put it in a big garbage bag, attach a shop vac to the opening and 'vacuum pack' the water out as well. Might work.

lornaschinske · 06-02-2012, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkindt

You can squish out the water from foam by placing between two sheets of plywood and driving over them with the car.

Does that sound like one of those "You might be a Redneck if..."

ol trunt · 06-02-2012, 09:39 PM

Jup---I'd say so! "Here"s your sign"

chev49 · 06-03-2012, 02:57 AM

im just here waiting for my 31 year old foam cushions to dissolve...

lornaschinske · 06-03-2012, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chev49

im just here waiting for my 31 year old foam cushions to dissolve...

They don't dissolve... they die and smell bad (not necessarily in that order).

The mattresses in the popup when we got it in 1987 smelled funky (got wet off and on over the years?). When we tossed them, the coverings were dry rotted and the foam was falling apart. these were the original cushions from 1974. We did sleep on them for a couple of years before putting air mattresses in, just not very comfortably. It was like sleeping on the plywood decking under the mattresses. I'm sure the quality and materials the cushions are made of makes a huge difference.

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