A Better Dinette Table for the Aliner LXE (plus stain match!)

[@missstsomewhere]

Completely agree! We have this camper and are having the same problem you are having. We are in our late 50s and we love our afternoon naps. We hate mummy bags as well, I want a bed to feel like a bed. We use the same thing you do, a huge down bed roll. This is a great video, very helpful. Need more videos like this. Thank you!

[@averagealice8877]

Thanks! It's great to have some comfort when you're camping - the more the better! Although the table I made isn't perfect we've definitely used it more frequently than the original table.

[@rrr_rozell7992]

You did a fantastic job! I have a flagstaff and struggled with my table as well. just so heavy and too big for people to sit at comfortably. I ended up buying a coleman mozaic table, it light aluminum and my husband cut me a piece of plywood so i could still make the dinnette into a bed. Anyway! live your videos! fun seeing your setup and your handy ideas!

[@averagealice8877]

Awesome, thanks! Yes it's kind of mysterious why Aliner didn't think of a better solution...but it's also funny how we didn't notice there was a problem until after we bought the trailer (lack of experience I guess)

[@brmelectric]

Great upgrade. Love your practical approach. Happy camping.

[@averagealice8877]

Thanks!

[@qty1ok952]

Got an idea about the bolts sticking out of the table top if your still interested. I would countersink the bolt heads and leave washers off. Looks like table top would be thick enough to still hold well enough. Great idea on table, well thought out solution, as usual.

[@averagealice8877]

Jarrell Baughman Actually that’s a fake edge you see on the table (which starts to pry off quite frequently). The table top is quite thin

[@qty1ok952]

@@averagealice8877 tks. Good to have you back . I am following a few others, slim potatoehead, campervan kevin etc. Enjoy u all

[@micart79]

I think I'll cut down the table top as you did and glue it on top of a small TV tray that folds up ...but also screw a couple screws that will go through tv tray from under ...through top and halfway through the main top if that makes sense. I can paint the tv tray parts all white or just buy a white one in the first place .I plan to paint all the wood cabinets white when we get an lxe. I didn't realize the table would be in the way of fridge. Thank you!

[@averagealice8877]

Sounds like a good concept. We didn’t reduce the size of our table top tho in this video. Maybe think about bolt and bracket attachments if it’s thin paperboard top like this one, or a new top

[@micart79]

Oh I would not cut it down then. Won't need to hindge anything because I'd put the aliner table top minus those big legs on top of the existing small TV tray... just glue it to stay on. A small TV tray already has the little fold out legs. E3600 glue is extremely strong plus if I just screw small screws in deep enough to only go halfway through so it won't puncture to top. I made a cat tree with pallet wood that way for a top piece ...glued and then put a couple screws but they only went in halfway. The glue would have been enough to hold it...wood glue or e3600

[@averagealice8877]

@@micart79 Also the legs need to be tall enough or the right size so the fridge door can swing

[@micart79]

Yeah I think we'll have the same issue with what we try to buy or make. Planning to buy an lxe in a few yrs so I'm going through all the possible issues now by researching beforehand. I wish aliner had the exact interior measurements. We only had time to measure the exterior when we went to the local dealer and saw one in person. At least we know it will fit barely into our garage. We have to get an aliner to store in our garage and prevent storage fees. Otherwise we'd prefer a full solid hard top small trailer with a separate shower and an actual black tank. So we have to do what we can with the limited space available. We have to have a shower and toilet. My husband is very picky. I'm drawing out the Floorplan on a computer program but I'm trying to find the right measurements. Did you find out how to fix the microwave from getting off track? The leak issues concern us too. I don't know if it's worth all the trouble.

[@averagealice8877]

@@micart79 No we had removed the microwave to gain extra storage space. Just to mention, we sold our Aliner last year. The shower was a "must" for me when dispersed camping. I'd sum up our experience by saying we might have been too old for the Aliner...with too much stuff we wanted to bring, and the whole set-up and take-down process became too exhausting for us. Not to mention we ended up wanting some kind of a better dinette (although if you are comfortable on a full-sized bed the dinette as-is might work for you. We had converted ours to a king size bed).

[@stephendesharnais4295]

I just bought a LXE last week, just figured out you can reverse the refrigerator door, You would have to buy new hinges, but they are available many places online for about $ 6.50. The owners manual explains how to do it. Kind of late for you but it may help someone else. .

[@pressalltheknobs3277]

A few ideas...just throwing them out since you asked for some. 1. Use countersunk screws if you have to have to through bolt. You can even hide the heads with a suitable filler. 2. The folding hinges seem an unnecessary complication. With a bit more woodwork you could make both legs removable and have them slot into a static "pockets" glued and screwed to the table top. These probably need not be much deeper than the wood you are using now. You could secure them with a removable pin or latch. There are various "table top locks" available for holding leaf tables together that might work well though you might need to add a block to the leg to attach the latch. There are also various toggle pins and spring latches that might work. 3. To make the legs stiffer, use a second piece of wood (say 1x2) at right angles glued and screwed to the main leg. It does not have to run the full length. To maintain the leg room these could face outwards. You could offset it so the two legs fit together for storage ... 4. The structure that makes the "pockets" on the base of the table could have cutouts that allow you to slot in the detachable legs and fixed them with a latch or pin. With some thought possibly the same latch or pin could be re-used to hold the legs in both their deployed or stowed position. 5. To make the feet more stable use three widths of wood so the leg slots into the foot...much like the "pockets" for the table top. You could make the feet removable with pins or latches for easier long term storage. Cut a shallow arch in the bottom so the each foot only touches the floor at each end...at its "toes" if you like. This prevents an uneven surface causing the table to rock on the flat feet and ensures the weight is spread to the span of the feet. You can achieve the same thing less elegantly with screw on sliders/glides.

[@averagealice8877]

Wow thanks - all good suggestions. Honestly I'm happy with the hinged solution on the one leg that doesn't need wing nuts, but the other one, I might look into a spring latch (or two) like you mentioned. Funny I did end up installing some small plastic feet (not in this video) to avoid the electric extension cord we frequently have snaking across the trailer. I know we should make the cord permanent but there's only so much "trailer work time" I'm afraid!

[@lonelyprepperhomestead911]

Greetings ... Just came across your video. The first thing that came to my mind was a couch table. With the modified L-shaped leg stand setup, turning it sideways would allow a complete open front for sliding in and out. If the top isn’t big enough, replace top with larger piece. Hope that made sense. Currently trying to decide between an A-frame or something like the Tab 400. I really like the A but concerned about all the air/dust leak probability. Plus, in another video you brought up the issue of wind while setting up which I really hadn’t given much thought.

[@averagealice8877]

We also looked at Tabs. The interiors were far superior to the interior on the Aliner! The reasons we didn't go with those were we were very interested in off-road dispersed camping and the Tabs we saw didn't have as much ground clearance as the Aliner with off road package. Also we felt the Aliner was roomier, more windows and the LXE had a potential for a king sized bed (my other video). However, I wish it wasn't a folding trailer! Storage is severely limited and set-up takes longer. My feeling on the air leak issue is all RV's aren't air-tight and you need to generate enough heat to keep comfortable, either RV heater or portable propane or other (electric if at RV park/electric hook up available).

[@lonelyprepperhomestead911]

Alice ... Since they’ve introduced the more off road version of the Tab, it’s clearance is better. However, I’ve always really liked the A’s for its low towing profile, etc. Since I am alone, storage isn’t really a concern either. I do everything very minimal. Thank you for replying.

[@annhopkin5079]

Love your videos! How is your puppy? I had a similar problem with even more complications in my sportliner. I ended up solving the problem by cutting the table and putting it on a keyboard stand (adjustable up and down and made in Italy) that I found at a thrift shop. My table was absolutely massive, you could scarcely scoot past it to sit down! Now it's perfect thanks for sharing

[@averagealice8877]

Good- and unique - idea!

[@johnhodg8400]

just a thought, but if you offset each leg so when you fold it down they would bypass each other rather than running into each other. Maybe use a not so wide board for legs might help. ( trying to help ) .

[@averagealice8877]

john hodg IDK is there some way to do that without ending up with a very tippy table ? Maybe with 4 folding metal legs but then you have the problem of knees hitting to enter and exit the dinette area

[@jshigley2008]

Interesting.. very nice!!

[@sapphiresword139]

You have an inventive mind. I like the solution. Not having any experience in any camper - I am offering "what if's" only What if - you thought along the lines of - 2 single tables. 2 smaller table may have dual uses - such as cabinet face-plates that swing into a table. What if you considered the space above. Maybe a thin pole could reside in the corner of the ceiling - and pull down into a table. A support leg could swing down as a pedestal - then fold back into the main pole and hide when not in use. The space used by the microwave, could have space for a couple of TV Trays You share the same bed and shower - perhaps using separate tables is exceptable? I just found this vlog and I think - first impressions - You are anything but "average" There is a line - in the movie Harold and Maude Where Maude is explaining - why a field of Daisies are all different. She points out how each daisy is a little different - then says - the trouble in this world is "People being this (referring to the individual flower) - and allow themselves - to be treated like that (referring to the field of flowers) - that seem to all be the same. Your voice is not average. Because I can hear you. (^_^)

[@sapphiresword139]

Alice - May I make one more suggestion? I just checked and a name I like very much is available. How about - "Alice's Wonderland" Isn't that a great name for a travel vlog? No one has it - yet!!

[@james23p]

Excellent idea! Quick question do you sleep east west or north south. I have always saw the 56x76 but figured that does not include the dinette seat. So adding the dinette seats gives you either two twins sleeping north south or as you have done added a very comfy looking bed roll and a large 76x76? Thanks Jim

[@averagealice8877]

With the added section you can sleep either direction, but we like to have our heads at the rear window of our dormer (feet toward the door) because if one person needs to get up in the middle of the night they aren't crawling over the other person quite so much. But there's a nasty metal edge to hit your head on so we encased that in self-stick foam weatherstrip and it hasn't been a problem.

[@james23p]

Average Alice Thank you that helps us a lot. Jim

[@larrygillespie1857]

Very clever!!

[@qty1ok952]

Thanks for your interesting video. You always come up with some great ideas. I have seen camping trailers with a removable table around a seating area in which a 3 or 4 inch diameter metal pipe is attached to the center of the bottom of table top and the other end fits into a support attached to the floor. Easy to remove and able to swivel as well. May not work for you though. Got a question about your mechanical talent. How did you get interested? Is your husband mechanically inclined too or does he let you just have all the fun? ☺ Thanks , hope I'm not too inquisitive.

[@averagealice8877]

I considered the type of pedestal table you mentioned. But with the placement of the table in the LXE, I wasn't as keen on having a post attachment in the middle of the walkway, plus when we looked at some of those it seemed like they were a little bit hard to disassemble (?), which we would have had to do every day. No, my husband is more of the numbers/finance and electrical person. IDK I've always enjoyed making stuff.

[@averagealice8877]

I might take a second look at the tables you mentioned though!

[@veransia]

We have the Ranger 12 with the dinette at the front of the trailer and it has the pedestal table like you describe, Jarrell. It’s quick to assemble (converts to a bed where our dogs sleep), but is kind of wobbly when eating at it.

[@theaimus1536]

Or on 1- You Tube Video showed; Dinet table held by pipe pieces and worked like a chicken wing cconnected underneith the middle and the other connected next to the side of the fridge. It's how it opperated (-) minus another longer pipe. Google search pipe fittings under kitchen dinet table in an RV.

[@averagealice8877]

Thea Imus yes I considered that but thought the cabinet might not support it long- term

[@theaimus1536]

Seems too complicated with framing underneith. Your same table had mounted legs that folded and unfolded somehow. I know you'll find that too, your so clever. Say the blackout Windows Reflextics Coverings looked good for an emergency pullover siesta. Some were velcroed,or magnatised, or fitted in. Hope it all helps. Sincerely thanks for the Inspiration, yours truly.

[@freelander5333]

hey alice new subscriber here...gotta have that comfy bed

[@averagealice8877]

Good for lounging too

[@dtec30]

construction adhesive like no more nails ??

[@dtec30]

maybe try countersink bolts screws ?

[@averagealice8877]

dtec30 If you mean to adhere the legs the paper backing in the underside of that table top tends to peel easily so I don’t think it would last long

[@moncorp1]

Invention is the necessity of mother.

[@Lawiah0]

Your refrigerator door opens the wrong way, trapping you between the Ref-Door and Dinette.

[@averagealice8877]

Either direction the person sitting by the refrigerator can get "trapped" but it's only for a few seconds at a time because it's not good to leave the RV fridge door open for very long (heats up quick and a long time to cool down)

[@johnhodg8400]

Can't you change the door on the fridge to open the other way. I know for a fact you can on any home fridge just not sure about rv fridges. You should ask where you bought it. I'm sure they would do it for you. If they could. trying to help.

[@averagealice8877]

john hodg Hi - I'm not sure if you could (looks possible though), but it wouldn't help that much given the measurements on the original table and where the legs were. The original table would still stick out in front of the fridge 10 inches and you couldn't open the door very far (unless you fold up the sofa bed which is a lot of work each time)

[@kevinholland4156]

TV trays.

[@averagealice8877]

Too tippy for my wine glass...or did you mean the ones with legs?

[@kevinholland4156]

legs; wine glasses do not need stems. You can buy stemless wine glasses.

[@averagealice8877]

Kevin Holland The wine tastes different if there's no stem (LOL)