Cabin tables

[TheFrenchConnection]

Sorry if that's a boating term, still fallback on the old vocabulary!

 

To the point. Now that we're on our first serious trip with the Challenger we're more than ever convinced that we need a smaller table. The standard one will seat five according to the blurb, but it's at the expense of movement from the front seats and comfort for any passengers, should we ever take them.

 

There's only two of us and we would much prefer a smaller top to sit on the existing adjustable pedestal, it needs to be nicely finished and match the rest of what we think is a quite restrained interior.

 

If anyone offers a custom table top service we'd really like to know as wewould like to keep the standard one for any future resale.

[Solwaybuggier]

When we changed our van and thought we might need to change the table, I was pretty impressed but this lot: https://www.marineteak.co.uk/default?gclid=CMGXremildYCFcWdGwod3msCEg

They have a wide range of styles and sizes, and offer custom tables, but are not cheap.

 

In the end we decided the table size wasn’t a problem, so never followed up on it.

[747]

We found the table in our Burstner to be too big. As we have a very good payload (they are not lightweight), I purchased a table top from Ikea and cut it down to a smaller size and then cut off one end and refitted it as a hinged section to make it even smaller outside of mealtimes.

[Derek Uzzell]

GOOGLE-searches on “motorhome replacement table top” or “bespoke table top” will identify quite a few possible sources.

 

https://tinyurl.com/ydz2gr8d

 

https://tinyurl.com/y8ukgxnw

 

However, many of these will be based in the UK and, as you are living in France, I would have thought that identifying a French vendor would be preferable, especially as you wish to have the new table-top made to your particular specification to match your Challenger’s interior.

 

The results of a GOOGLE-search on "camping-car remplacement plateau de table”

 

https://tinyurl.com/y8fyz6tk

 

may be worth looking through. But if you must have a new smaller top that exactly matches the appeareance of the present one, you might have to contact the Chausson/Challenger factory at Tournon to see if they would supply the appropriate material. Or, perhaps a Chausson/Challenger dealership might help.

 

If you are certain that you’ll never need the big table-top and you plan to keep the Challenger for a long time, you could consider having the present top cut down to the size you want and re-edged. A competent kitchen installer should be able to do this.

[peterjl]

Hi

We had the same issue.

 

We purchased a table top and folding legs on line from a diy motor home parts company. Can’t remember which one we used but I see O’learys

https://www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk/lightweight-table-top-3665-p.asp

do a lightweight table.

 

Peter

[Rayjsj]

This problem seems to be specific to Contiinental manufactured motorhomes, Wonder why ? They seem obsessed with huge fixed tables.Which take up a lot of space in the limited internal area.

 

[Derek Uzzell]

It probably is true that Continental-European-built motorhomes tend to have a fixed table rather than a table that can be folded up and stored somewhere in the vehicle or be used outside, but it’s similarly true (at least historically) that Continental-European-built motorhomes tend to have a fixed bed rather than one made up from seat cushions.

 

The DVLA’s guidance on converting a vehicle into a motorhome includes - in the “Minimum features” section - the statement

 

"In order for a converted vehicle to qualify as a motor caravan it must have certain minimum features, as follows:

 

...a seating and dining area, permanently attached to the vehicle. The table may be detachable but

must have some permanent means of attachment to the vehicle. It is not good enough to have a

loose table.”

 

Now, although I’ve seen the occasional UK-built motorhome where its free-standing table can be ‘locked’ to the base of a seat-box to (perhaps!!) inhibit it from becoming a missile in the event of a road accident, generally the table is ‘loose’. And even if the table is put away before the motorhome is driven, that still won’t meet the DVLA’s demand for “...some PERMANENT means of attachment to the vehicle”.

 

My 2015 French-specification (and earlier Rapido 640s) has a large fixed table (example in 1st photo below) that is height-adjustable and its top can easily be rotated and slid. 2015 UK-spec 640s (and all later versions) have a hinged top (2nd photo below) that, when folded, should facilitate passage from the cab to the lving area, but (with our table’s top slid fully to the right) we don’t find that process difficult in any case. Our previous Hobby motorhome’s table also had a fixed pedestal, but the top had a pair of drop-leaves that, in practice, were more of a nuisance than an asset.

[Randonneur]

When we had our Pilote the table took up so much room and when slid across did not go far enough. Finally took it out and when we went on a Factory Visit they made us a matching table top which is 50cm x 50 cm which we put on a pole with a tripod base, this we bought in France, it was much better and is still in use today on our Tracker as the round small table is very unstable in that if you lean on it it tips.

[Billggski]

We just bought a smaller table top and a desmo column with fittings on the floor and under the table top.

We can replace it with the bigger table if we entertain.

[Tracker]

A kitchen cupboard door blank with no pre drilled holes makes a very acceptable table top when fixed to an island leg fitting and they are available in a range of sizes and colours, as are the legs.

[Derek Uzzell]

The attached photos show the table of Challenger Sirius 3088 motorhomes (like Mike has) and it clearly is a ‘biggie’.

[Brock]

I like fixed tables. The one in our current van is not hampered by an additional seat as in the Op's van. When not in use, ours tucks away in the space between the two rear passenger seats and the front passenger seat leaving the gangway as wide as between the kitchen and the bathroom. To me, the seat is the problem not the table but it is definitely easier to replace the table than remove the seat!

 

Have a look at this solution for a Frankia:

 

http://www.motorhometour.co.uk/blogs/miscellaneous/changing-table-in-motorhome/

 

Initially, the owner used an Ikea top and VW table base.

[TheFrenchConnection]

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions.

 

We're in the Algarve at the moment and don't plan to be back home much before mid-March so we'll have plenty of time to think this through. We have made a small improvement by moving the fastenings to place it slightly closer to the port side wall as we very much doubt anyone will ever try to eat from seat on the starboard side.

 

This is our first long trip in the new-to-us Challenger and so far, so good!

[747]

This is my solution to the problem. The table could not be too small as it doubles as a bed base.