11 RV & Camper Furniture Ideas (Real Photos): What to Replace First
By Michael King, Owner
Replace whatever is failing first, or the seat you sit on every day, such as a peeling couch or a recliner that no longer reclines. Next comes the guest bed, then the dinette, then small pieces like cabinets. Below are 11 camper furniture ideas, each shown with a real photo from our Lancaster showroom or our product pages, plus what each one takes.
Key takeaways
- Replace in this order: what is broken or peeling, the everyday seat, the guest bed, the dinette, then the small pieces.
- For the couch, we list 28 reclining sofas from 72″ to 100″ wide, 16 jackknife sofas, 11 hide-a-beds and a non-reclining Charleston sofa.
- Need a work spot? All 14 of our Universal Pro theater seats list a computer side table and Wireless USB & USB-C as standard.
- On a slide-out or under a valance, look at our Zerowall pieces. All 40 Zerowall product pages list electric controls as standard.
- Before you order anything, measure the width, the depth, what sits behind the seat, and whether the slide is raised or flush.
What should you replace first in an RV?
An RV living area can hold four kinds of furniture: a couch, one or two recliners or theater seats, a dinette, and small pieces like end tables. You don't have to replace them all at once. If a seat is only dirty, not worn, start with our guide to cleaning RV upholstery. This is the order we suggest when an owner asks where to start:
- Anything failing. Peeling vinyl, a broken recline handle or a sleeper that won't open. These get worse, not better.
- The seat you use every day. If you sit in it every evening, you will feel the change every evening.
- The guest bed. If grandkids or friends sleep over, the sofa or dinette that turns into their bed comes next.
- The dinette. Flat bench cushions and a booth nobody likes can wait a season, but they are worth fixing.
- The small pieces. Cabinets, side tables and ottomans fill the gaps once the big pieces are set.
The 11 ideas below follow that order, from the couch to the dinette. For full remodels, including floors and walls, see our RV remodel guide.
1. Replace the couch you sit on every day
The couch gets heavy use in the living area, so it takes a lot of wear. Seams split, vinyl peels and the foam goes flat. Our old RV remodel ideas for the living area start with that swap. When you replace it, decide first whether you want it to recline.
We list 28 reclining sofas from 72″ to 100″ wide. On 27 of them, the product page lists an option to make the center seat recline too, so all three people can put their feet up. The 88″ Houston Wallhugger Sofa, for example, is 88″ wide, 39″ high and 36″ deep.
Works best in: any rig with a sofa wall of 72″ or more. What it takes: the wall width, the depth to the edge of the slide, and the height of anything behind the sofa. Browse our sofas.
2. Make the couch your guest bed
If the couch is where guests sleep, replace it with a sofa that makes a bed. We list three kinds:
- Hide-a-beds: 11 models from 67″ to 78″ wide, six of them queen size. All 11 product pages list an Air Dream mattress upgrade.
- Jackknife sofas: 16 models from 52″ to 80″, all with a drawer under the seat. The back drops down flat to make the bed.
- Ultra Sleepers: 8 models from 50″ to 71″, for shorter walls.
Works best in: rigs where the couch is the spare bed. What it takes: clear floor in front of the sofa for the open bed, away from steps and the door. See all sofa sleepers, our small RV remodel ideas and how to host guests in your RV.
3. Trade the couch for two theater seats
If two people use the living area and nobody sleeps on the couch, two theater seats give each person a real recliner, with a console in the middle for drinks and remotes.
We list 30 theater seats with a center console: 15 with a 12″ console and 15 with a 14″ console, from 60″ to 78″ wide. The 71″ Venture Zerowall Theater Seat has the 12″ console and electric controls as standard. To see this swap in a customer's coach, look at idea 3 in our before-and-after remodel ideas.
Works best in: couples who watch TV from the living area. What it takes: a wall of at least 60″ and room for both seats to recline. See theater seats.
4. Add a work spot with a Universal Pro
If you work or study on the road, a Universal Pro is a two-seat theater seat set up for it. All 14 of our Universal Pro pages list a computer side table and Wireless USB & USB-C as standard. They run from 56″ to 72″ wide, and the computer side table comes in Mocha Cherry stain unless you pick another.
This fall, an owner asked if they could sit in the 70″ Signature Wallhugger Universal Pro at our shop before ordering, see the fabrics in person, and add head tilt and electric controls. Both are listed options on that product page, and the showroom is open Monday to Saturday, 10 to 5, with no appointment needed.
Works best in: full-timers and anyone who answers email from the campsite. What it takes: 56″ or more of wall.
5. Swap a loveseat for two recliners and a cabinet
Two separate recliners can each turn toward the TV, the window or each other. We list 27 recliners from 25″ to 42″ wide. On 20 of them you can get a swivel: it is standard on six and an option on 14.
Put a Smart Cabinet between the two chairs instead of a loose end table. Ours come 6″, 8″, 10″ or 16″ wide, all 22″ deep and 23″ high, with cupholders in the top, a hinged top for remotes and drawers. Our cozy living area ideas show two swivel recliners installed in a customer's RV.
Works best in: couples who like their own chair. What it takes: the two chair widths plus the cabinet. See recliners and Smart Cabinets.
6. On a slide-out, look at Zerowall pieces
Slide-outs bring two problems. The seat may hang past the edge of the slide floor, and the space behind the seat may be short because of a valance or window trim. This fall, an owner whose power theater seating sat on a slide-out asked us for replacements that would work there.
Zerowall pieces are built to recline with very little room behind them. Our team explains that the mechanism that lets them recline fully against the wall is the reason they only come with electric controls. All 40 Zerowall product pages list electric controls as standard. For a rig with no outlet near the seat, our team has offered a battery pack, which our team describes as good for about 300 recline cycles per charge.
Where a seat hangs over the slide edge, our store manager has told an owner we have roller systems that go underneath, carry the weight of the overhang and roll along with the slide.
Works best in: slide-outs, and walls with a valance or shelf above the seat. What it takes: the slide depth, the overhang and the type of slide (raised or flush).
7. Give a recliner its own swing-over table
A recliner with its own table is a dining spot, a laptop desk and a card table in one. Seven of our recliner product pages list a computer side table. The 27″ Lazy Relax-R Swivel/Wallhugger Recliner is 27″ wide, 42″ high and 34″ deep, with the swivel standard, accent wood arms in Cherry with Mocha Cherry stain, a computer side table option and a rocker version.
Works best in: one-person corners and rigs where the dinette is far from the TV. What it takes: room for the table to swing without hitting a wall or cabinet.
8. Rebuild the dinette with new benches
Dinette cushions take a beating, and in some rigs the booth is also a bed. We list six dinette sets: the Classic, Dutch and Felton, each with a 42″ or 48″ bench depth. All six product pages list optional bed cushions, 5½″ x 11½″ x 40″, two per set. The Felton's product photo shows a storage drawer in the bench base.
New benches won't sit exactly like the factory booth, so ask for the numbers. For one owner this summer, our store manager worked it out: about 12″ from the back cushion to the table, the table overhanging the seat cushions by about 6″ on each side, and our 42″ size as the closest fit for that slide, with rollers available to support the small overhang past the slide edge.
Works best in: rigs where the dinette is used daily. What it takes: wall-to-wall width, slide depth, table height and table width. See the 48″ Felton Dinette Set and our dinette and chair collection.
9. Or swap the booth for a table and swivel chairs
Some owners never sleep on the dinette and would rather sit in a chair than slide into a booth. The Dutch Swivel Diner is a compact dining chair whose seat swivels 360°. You pick the wood type and stain when you order, and the seat comes in Ultraleather, Premium Fabric or Italian Cowhide Leather.
Know what you give up. Go RVing's storage tips mention dinettes with storage under the bench seats, and our dinette sets offer bed cushions so the booth can become a bed. Chairs give you neither.
Works best in: couples who eat at the table every day and don't need the extra bed. What it takes: a table that works with chairs and room to pull them out.
10. Choose a stationary sofa if nobody reclines
Not every couch needs to recline. If you mostly sit upright to read, talk or eat, a stationary sofa gives you a simpler, homier look. The 86″ Charleston Stationary Sofa is 86″ wide, 38″ high and 35″ deep, with trim and bun feet in Brown Maple as standard and decorative tacks as an option. The same line has a 63″ loveseat and a 34″ chair.
Works best in: rigs used as a home base, and owners who already have a recliner. What it takes: an 86″ wall for the sofa, or 63″ for the loveseat.
11. In a big rig, go for a sectional with reclining ends
A large living area with two open walls can take an L-shape. The Houston Sectional with Wallhugger Reclining Ends has six seats in its standard setup, including the corner section. Its product page lists an optional 41″ highback and an option to make the center section recline.
In a smaller slide, the opposite move can work better. Idea 2 in our before-and-after ideas shows a sectional traded for a straight hide-a-bed to open up the floor.
Works best in: large fifth wheels and motorhomes with an open corner. What it takes: both wall lengths, the corner, and a clear path in through the door.
What to replace first, by the sign you see
| What you notice | Replace first | Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Peeling, cracked or flat couch | The couch | 1, 10 |
| Guests sleep on the floor or on a worn sleeper | A sleeper sofa | 2 |
| Two people, one good recliner | Theater seats or two recliners | 3, 5 |
| You work from the rig | A Universal Pro or a recliner with a table | 4, 7 |
| The seat hangs past the slide or hits a valance | A Zerowall piece, with rollers if needed | 6 |
| Flat dinette cushions or a booth nobody uses | New benches, or a table and chairs | 8, 9 |
| A big open corner | A sectional | 11 |
What to check before you order
Measure first, then shop. When an owner asked this fall what we need for a quote, our store manager, Nic, listed the width and depth of the area, the height of anything behind the furniture (like valances or shelves) and how far it comes off the wall, and whether the area is a raised or flush slide-out.
If you are also redoing floors or paint, RV Inspiration's remodel guide puts moving the furniture in after the floors and paint are done. Check weight too. Federal rules require motorhomes and RV trailers to carry a label with their load carrying capacity, and the label reminds owners that a full load of water counts as cargo. Look at that label before adding heavy pieces.
When the furniture is ready, we offer free delivery to the lower 48 states or free installation at our Lancaster shop on orders of $1,000 or more (one or the other). Installation includes removing and disposing of your old furniture, as our shipping page explains. You can also see more real installs on our before-and-after page and read how it works on RV Furniture That Lasts.
Pieces from this guide
70″ Signature Wallhugger Universal Pro
31″ Encore Zerowall Recliner
48″ Felton Dinette Set
86″ Charleston Stationary Sofa
Frequently asked questions
Can I put regular furniture in my RV?
Our furniture is handmade by Amish artisans and designed specifically for RVs. Our seating is built on solid hard maple seat frames, and our installation team secures each piece into your rig. Whatever you choose, measure the door and the space, and check your RV's load carrying capacity label.
Are RV couches bolted down?
They are fastened to the floor. Good Sam's flooring guide notes that in their remodels the furniture could typically be removed by undoing a couple of bolts or screws. When we install, our team secures the new piece into your rig.
How do you remove an old RV couch?
Undo the fasteners that hold it to the floor, then take it out through the door. If we install your new furniture at our shop, white glove removal and disposal of the old furniture is included.
What is a jackknife sofa in a camper?
A jackknife is a sofa whose back drops down flat so the seat and back form one sleeping surface. We list 16, from 52″ to 80″ wide, and every one has a drawer under the seat.
Do I need an appointment to see the furniture?
No. Our showroom at 2460 Lincoln Highway, Suite 504, Lancaster, PA is open Monday to Saturday, 10 to 5, and you can walk in and sit in the pieces.
Sources
- Good Sam Camping Blog, How to Install New Floors in Your RV (factory floors go in before the furniture; furniture held by a couple of bolts or screws)
- RV Inspiration, How to Remodel an RV: DIY Guide for RV Owners (order of work; furniture moves in after floors and paint)
- Go RVing, Calm the Clutter: RV Storage Solutions and Organization (storage under dinette benches)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR 571.110, motor home and RV trailer load carrying capacity information (checked November 2026)
- Open Road Interiors: RV Furniture That Lasts, Shipping, Before and After
- Product pages on openroadinteriors.com (as listed in November 2026)
How we made this guide: we sorted the furniture in an RV living area into the order we suggest replacing it, then picked ideas we could show with our own photos: our showroom floor and our product images. Counts, sizes and options come from our active product pages in November 2026. The stories come from our team's work with RV owners, shared without names. Outside facts cite Good Sam, RV Inspiration, Go RVing and the federal vehicle safety rules.
Visit us
Come sit on it before you buy
Visit our Lancaster, PA showroom at 2460 Lincoln Highway, Suite 504. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 to 5, no appointment needed.
