Repairing A Dinette Seat/Table

[RVUser]

The back board of my dinette seat came apart from the main frame of it. It is still attached to the wall, but it is separated from the main seat/cushion area, making it unusable to lean against. Since I don't think this is a warranty item, I'm probably going to have to fix it myself and am looking for some suggestions.

Right now I think I'm going to remove the staples, put a few bolts on the back side of it with washers/nuts to secure it and use some Gorilla glue. If you know of another way to do this I'd appreciate your input.

This is a 2020 Jayco Jay Feather 18RBM. I have attached a picture showing the issue.

[atmago]

Sorry to see that on a brand new unit. You probably put it back together since your original post. Getting rid of staples is always a good idea and replacing them with proper wood screws (with careful pilot hole drilling) is usually the best route to go. We've bought the exact same model, built in December and delivered to the dealer at the end of January '20. Waiting anxiously to take delivery in the next few weeks, once travel restrictions slack off a little. What did you think of the overall workmanship quality? This will be our fourth new travel trailer over the last 20 years, so we're bracing for just about anything. We figured after our first trailer that if you're not able to build a trailer yourself, you shouldn't buy one from any North American manufacturer, or at least, not travel very far without having the tools and skills to "rebuild" every 1,000 miles or so...wishing both of us good luck...

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by RVUser

The back board of my dinette seat came apart from the main frame of it. It is still attached to the wall, but it is separated from the main seat/cushion area, making it unusable to lean against. Since I don't think this is a warranty item, I'm probably going to have to fix it myself and am looking for some suggestions.

Right now I think I'm going to remove the staples, put a few bolts on the back side of it with washers/nuts to secure it and use some Gorilla glue. If you know of another way to do this I'd appreciate your input.

This is a 2020 Jayco Jay Feather 18RBM. I have attached a picture showing the issue.

That sucks. A good dealer will fix it under warranty, but it might take 6 weeks to get in and another 6 weeks for them to fix it.

From the one picture, I cannot say if your plan is great or not. If it was mine, I probably would fix it myself too. I would look at using glue and screws. My only thought is to use a cabinet screw (pan head low profile screw, with a built in washer). In our TTs it appears Jayco only uses #2 square drive screw heads. Personally, I would try to follow this lead, to keep from having to carry multiple tools for future repairs.

[RVUser]

Originally Posted by atmago

Sorry to see that on a brand new unit. You probably put it back together since your original post. Getting rid of staples is always a good idea and replacing them with proper wood screws (with careful pilot hole drilling) is usually the best route to go. We've bought the exact same model, built in December and delivered to the dealer at the end of January '20. Waiting anxiously to take delivery in the next few weeks, once travel restrictions slack off a little. What did you think of the overall workmanship quality? This will be our fourth new travel trailer over the last 20 years, so we're bracing for just about anything. We figured after our first trailer that if you're not able to build a trailer yourself, you shouldn't buy one from any North American manufacturer, or at least, not travel very far without having the tools and skills to "rebuild" every 1,000 miles or so...wishing both of us good luck...

I went ahead and fixed it. I didn't use bolts but I did use drywall screws and pre-drilled the holes. I put a washer on the inside and tightened it up.

This is the only part of the RV I've had an issue with and questioned the craftsmanship. The rest of it has been solid. The wood is nice, the counters are great, and everything seems to be holding up well. I carry a few tools in the RV and that's about all I needed to fix this. Good luck with yours.

Originally Posted by Jagiven

That sucks. A good dealer will fix it under warranty, but it might take 6 weeks to get in and another 6 weeks for them to fix it.

From the one picture, I cannot say if your plan is great or not. If it was mine, I probably would fix it myself too. I would look at using glue and screws. My only thought is to use a cabinet screw (pan head low profile screw, with a built in washer). In our TTs it appears Jayco only uses #2 square drive screw heads. Personally, I would try to follow this lead, to keep from having to carry multiple tools for future repairs.

I was concerned about the time it would take at a dealer so I just did it myself. It wasn't that difficult, though the wood frame of the seat isn't super thick so you have to get the measurements for drilling pretty close to spot on.

[travelingjw]

Don't know if your "board" is wood or press board. If it is wood and you used some glue along with the drywall screws you may be OK. Years ago, when I was a carpenter, we did some tests by building some boxes and placing them in the back of our trucks. After a month we found that dry wall screws would work with solid wood, but with plywood and press board the area around the head would begin to deform. I would watch it and if it begins to deform I would use either a pan head screw or a flat head with a washer.

[RVUser]

The back of the dinette seat is probably press board. It didn't feel like actual wood when drilling through it and it's not as sturdy.