New RV users or potential RV users always have a common question— “How do you actually get your furniture through that small door?”
Yes, I get it. There’s always a way! In fact, there are several ways.
What you need to consider first is getting to know your furniture and the size of the door better. The truth is you can’t get just about any furniture through the RV door. So, choosing your furniture is also an important criteria to consider.
This post is self explanatory. Here are some ideas that can help!!
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1. Understand the Size of the Door and the Furniture First
RV doors come in a number of sizes. There’s no standard size BTW.
Generally, the width is between 24”-26” and the height 70”. You won’t find an RV entry door less than 24” and it’s tough to find a door that’s greater than 28”.
So, do yourself a favor and take accurate measurement of your RV door.
The next step is to find furniture that can get through your door. So, whether you are buying RV specific or residential furniture, make sure the dimensions aren’t greater than your door’s.
2. Partially Disassemble
Getting your recliner and sofa in RV is always a pain. If the dimensions are right, you might be able to get it inside fully assembled. However, sometimes, your furniture might be a few inches taller or wider and in that case, you will need to remove a few pieces here and there to get it through.
The first thing to do is to remove the legs of the furniture (if any). In case of a sofa/recliner, get the arms and the heel plate out. The heel plate is one of the easiest things to take apart on a sofa and more than often this should be enough to get the sofa through.
No matter what kind of furniture you have, always try to figure out what part you can disassemble to get it through. If this doesn’ work, you can use the next strategy.
3. Disassemble Furniture & Reassemble
If you are buying new furniture straight out of a shop, then tell them to give you an unassembled version. The only job you have is to assemble it inside the RV. In most cases, your supplier will provide a professional to do the job for you.
When you have older RV furniture and you know they won’t fit in and there’s no way to partially disassemble it, you have to get it apart completely.
This is a tiring job and will take some time to get done! But that’s the best you can do in such a situation.
Here’s a clip illustrating the right way to remove an RV couch:
4. Get Rv Specific Furniture
Removing your sofa from the RV can become really tough if it’s not made for RV.
So, I tell people that if you have the money to buy RV specific furniture, always go for that. It will save you time, hardwork and will be safer than other residential models.
Here are some online sources to find RV furniture:
- Amazon: There’s hardly anything you can’t find on Amazon. Right from mattresses to parts and accessories, you will find them all and that too in an affordable price range.
- Etrailer: Etrailer.com has a small collection of RV furniture. They have a pretty competitive price range compared to what retail shops sell at.
- Camping World: Camping World is the ultimate destination for RV furniture and almost anything related to camping and recreation. There’s a good chance you have a store near you or you can order online.
- Brad and Hall: As you know, most RV furniture don’t have the best build quality. Bradd and Hall are exceptions. They provide solid wood furniture in a wide range of categories including RV versions.
- Ebay & Craigslist: Both of these sites are perfect to find used RV furniture. This is for those who want to makeover an RV in budget. But you might need to wait a few weeks or months to get the right furniture on hand.
5. Move Diagonally Through the Door
Sometimes when a piece of furniture doesn’t get through, you can move it diagonally. Yes, it will take some effort on your part, but it can solve your problem.
To find the possibility of doing so, measure your door diagonally and see if it can fit. This strategy works mostly for furniture that are a little slim in profile.
6. What About Getting in Residential Furniture?
I was curious to know if I can get residential furniture on my RV. What I found was that it’s tough to find the right size. If the width is okay, the height is wrong and vice versa.
Even if you find one that matches the door dimension, you will need to find ways to clamp it into the RV. Unsecured furniture can cause havoc in the turn of an accident.
I tried to make one of the sofas that I bought from a depot secured. Trust me, it was a hell of a job and killed a lot of my precious hours. But for those who are willing to give in time, go for it.
Final Words
Choosing your RV furniture is essential before you actually think of getting it through the door. The ideas I mentioned aren’t something new or unique. For new RVers, this could be an eye opener to understand the importance of every piece of furniture getting in. With such a compact space, you really don’t have the option to go big. So, think strategically!!