Our 2012 Jayco Seneca is like many motorhomes that have a dining table that can be lowered and made into an extra bed. It is convenient, but makes for a very small table. Only my wife and I could comfortably sit at ours, so having guests always meant we ate outdoors. My wife came up with an idea for a table extension and I built it.
First, decide how big you want your table extension to be. We wanted one large enough to allow four more people to sit at the table. We used 5â„8-inch MDF and had the store rip it to the correct width.
Next, cut the end of the extension to match the contour of your table (ours was rounded). Then purchase one 4-foot length of 1-inch aluminum box tubing and two 4-foot lengths of ¾-inch aluminum box tubing. These will slip inside one another and make a telescoping support.
Attach two pieces of the 1-inch tubing to the bottom of the table. Drill a larger hole to allow screwdriver access into the tube and then a small hole to accommodate the flat-head screw. Countersink the screw hole inside the tubing so the screw head won’t catch the smaller tubing when inserted. I used No. 8 5â„8-inch flat-head wood screws.
Attach two pieces of the 3â„4-inch tubing to the bottom of the table extension lined up with the pieces on the table. Make one extend farther than the other to ease the process of inserting them. You’ll need to buy a table-leaf locking mechanism to keep the two units tight and an adjustable table leg and cup to support the far end of the extension. When drilling and screwing into the table from the bottom, do not drill or screw through to the top side!
We stained and sealed the table and my wife made a cover for it when stored. I built this using a jigsaw, sander, drill, drill bits, countersink and screwdriver.
Jim and Betty Stroh | Loveland, Colorado
