Phil: We have an Eddie Bauer (which automatically means front bedroom and foldable seating in the dinette to accommodate access through the rear hatch). I'm not familiar with how a flying cloud dinette is constructed and what you've got when it's removed.
Facing the same concerns you described, I removed the two side benches and the long couch. There is nothing unexpected, unusual or hidden about that on the EB. You will need an offset, Phillips screwdriver. What's left in our trailer after doing that includes a factory-built box with vents around the furnace.
Starting from the stripped-down living area of the trailer, I built: 1.) a box with a hinged lid to form storage and a small couch over the box that encloses the furnace; 2.) a platform to sit on the floor and which includes two steel pins onto which slide the inside front legs of two recliners I purchased from Wayfair and 3.) a small maple tabletop that fits onto one of the two support legs that would normally support the dinette table. Total cost under $1,000 including custom cushions in Eddie Bauer sunbrella for the new, short couch. I did the design and fabrication myself.
The chairs pivot on the posts. With the small table stowed (in the hall wardrobe), they align in the center and offer us full access through the main door. To live in the trailer and have the chairs fully recline, they pivot on the pins and hit stops that allow them to each fold out into the corners of the trailer. In that position there is also room for the table between the chairs.
I found that most recliners were too large to fit in the available space. The ones I bought are considered "small" or "compact". You may find that "wall hugging" recliners are a good choice for your situation since they slide forward as they recline. I chose not to get swiveling chairs due to the risk of damaging the chairs or the interior walls of the trailer. Again... your needs and configuration may guide you to choose swiveling chairs. The EB has a framework around the hatch that other models don't have. I had to work around that.
Here's a link to the pics in my gallery on AirForums. If the link doesn't work, you can navigate there in a click or two from my profile, then gallery and look for a picture description that includes "recliners".
http://www.airforums.com/photos/show...8629&catid=508
We kept the full, original interior. Depending on the trip plans, we install the original layout, two recliners, one recliner and full couch (for a grandkid sleeping space) or no recliners (for hurricane evacuation with dog kennels and max storage space).
If it helps you, I'll try to find the precise model of recliner I used. It was 3-4 years ago and Wayfair may or may not still sell them.
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