Table for every day and special occasions

Small RV spaces have their own rules. That's why we need countertops that give us freedom of arrangement and keep up with the pace of our lives on the go. Modern table models fold out effectively and quickly expand the surface of the tabletop.

In the center of every house there is a table. Life goes on at the table. The tabletop is a workplace. This is a social meeting place and it is very important to sit there with genuine pleasure. And then the size of the tabletop is important.

Small spaces in motorhomes have their own rules. To organize them functionally, we need solutions that give us freedom of arrangement. A table on board a camper or van usually raises questions about whether the size of the tabletop can be adjusted.

Freedom of movement at the table.

Ergonomics is unforgiving. The user of a motorhome is a human, so the designers' ideas should be dictated by his needs (kinetics). It is good when these patterns are based on the rules that are taught in the study of biomechanics - an interdisciplinary science that studies the structure of human movements using methods used in mechanics.

In the case of seats, it is advisable to provide each (adult) person with at least 60 centimeters of free space. It is best when such a table can be compact and, depending on the situation, time of day or number of guests, keep up with the pace of our lives. It is the ease of its transformation that will be especially desirable.

Dining system for the smallest campers

During the Caravan Salon 2023 in Düsseldorf, Reimo showed off a very fun camper. The featured “table system”—literally the name of a ready-made camping design—is suitable for the VW Caddy (from 5') and Ford Connect (from 2020). In both cases we are talking about versions with a longer wheelbase.

As you can see, this design was created with the most welcoming nature of a five-person campervan in mind. The tabletop (dimensions 5x70 cm) on such a small terrace is the main advantage of the presented proposal. The authors made sure that the table could be quickly assembled - we move the tabletop behind the driver's seat. And it’s comfortable to sit at the table. Simply fold down the second-row seats to reveal the minimalist backrest of the 44-seat sofa.

With a split top or maybe a retractable one?

A mechanism that allows you to increase the additional useful surface will allow you to easily celebrate even special moments of the holiday. If existing solutions did not help you comfortably accommodate friends, for example, during the past holidays, it may be worth learning about solutions that, thanks to simple mechanisms, easily and quickly change the size of tables. There are various mechanisms: from simple hinges and inserts to advanced systems that allow you to extend additional tabletops.

Table like an envelope

A square tabletop can be enlarged in various ways. Presented here is the idea of ​​an "envelope", that is, four hinged elements that, when activated, expand the top of the coffee table to the size of a banquet bench.

The photos show the living room in the Challenger 384 Etape Edition and Chausson 724 campervans, which will be the new standard in the 2024 season. Was the table inspired by the Japanese art of origami? We don't know, but we might like the idea.

Retractable tabletops that can “disappear”

Italian design bureau Tecnoform S.p.A. developed the TecnoDesign collection for autotourism companies. These are compact solutions on board campers and caravans. The collection includes tabletops with adjustable length. The tables tilt and slide out from the built-in structure.

Interestingly, there are solutions without support legs at all. The latter guarantee the highest degree of transformation possibilities - they can literally “disappear” into the furniture. This guarantees greater freedom of movement.

Photo Arch. PC and materials Tecnoform S.p.A.