July 22, 2022
We thought we knew what we were doing. We had researched online, joined social media groups, talked to people and had owned a small RV before.
Our overconfidence cost us.
When we purchased our 5th Wheel in November of 2021, it wasn’t our dream rig, but had most of what we needed and many things we wanted. The downside was the 2 person loveseat and small dinette in our dining room. We were 3 people and we just didn’t fit.
We had seen so many people redecorate with IKEA furniture, so we sold our way too small brand new fancy loveseat for cheap.
Without researching about RV furniture and finding out that it can be modular and add or remove pieces.
So we got an IKEA love seat that fit our space and we could all sit on. Three months later, we were very unhappy.
We could fit sitting, but that’s not how we watch movies or television.
When we started researching RV furniture options so it wouldn’t add too much weight to our slide or not fit through the door.
That was when we found out two things. Most RV furniture is modular and the pieces can be swapped or combined in various ways. And we found out that the item we had did have a middle seat that could have been added, but had now been discontinued for the new model year due to design changes.
That change would have only cost us a few hundred dollars.
Sigh.
So, we attempted to sell our IKEA sofa, but ended up donating it since we were on a timeline with travel.
And we bought the exact same loveseat we had sold. I did check with the friend that bought it and they loved it, so knew it would be a good fit.
Since we still had the issue of us all needing to fit, we decided to take our dinette out entirely and put in a Eurorecliner chair in its place. Then we had folding tables we could set up in front for dining, working, crafting, or whatever we needed.
These purchases ended up costing us a couple thousand dollars, and a great deal of our time.
This solution has worked pretty well, although not perfectly, since we also work and school in our rig, not just use it for leisure.
So now, as we plan for the future, we are contemplating a replacement rig, but making sure we are choosing a better layout with enough seating that will work, as well as other areas for dining and working, without interfering with each other.
Learn from our mistakes and don’t be romanced by those great Pinterest and search engine photos of rigs redecorated on a budget at IKEA or Walmart. It could save you a great deal of time and money in the long run.
Like or comment below and share with others to support the blog. I post twice a week about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Twitter @AddictedtoTeac1 or on Tiktok: @sonya.BOMSquadleader. You can find more about our adventures on our our website at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook, TikTok & Twitter: @BarnesOnMove . Support us and get more in depth and personal interactions at Patreon: Barnes On Move