New 2017 T@G Immediate Mods

willbingham1

Just got home for N.C. dealer with my leftover, new 2017 T@G and went to work doing first mods to camper. Started with realigning propane/battery box on tongue. Noticed it askew and not centered. It was held on by 4 not so easily reached bolts through its frame to tongue screen. Had to remove battery and propane tank. While there, drilled holes in each lowest depression on battery box so water would drain out if trapped inside battery box. Once reattached and squared to trailer, I realized dealer had failed to connect solar lines if I choose to run solar. So those where connected as I reattached trailer battery leads. Next to the inside for the hinges on the floor panels. Got 3" hinge pair and they did the job. Next to the behind the T.V. cabinet mod. Removed T.V. from mount (push down on top bar); removed 4 screws for panel and wiggled panel out. Removed T.V. mount on panel to replace with different, simple tilt mount (up and down) replacement for the T.V. mount. Had some leftover nice cabinet hinges and installed pair on panel and then cabinet with panel squared on outside of cabinet. Put magnet closer catch but realized the panel door needed something more, with the weight of T.V., etc., so used one side of a window lock (color matched to hinges) for home windows to assist magnetic catch to keep panel door closed in transit. Then installed shelf at tilted angle (low in front, higher in back on supports) on the now inside opened cabinet to allow for air circulation on top of air conditioner while rearranging T.V. feeds to side. I left about and inch on each side of shelf as it tilts up from front (lowest) to rear (highest) on these inside cabinet supports (gives air conditioner some breathing room) and reused four panel screws that I had removed, to attach shelf (which I had to split down the middle to get into cabinet). Added a bit of touchup stain on outside edges and all is good to go. Finally, underneath, on sink drain under trailer I attached a short run of hose to rear of trailer using existing drain cap at newly attached hose end. I attached 1/2" clamps along bottom trim rail run, partly reusing screws on bottom trim on one side to attach the plastic conduit clamps on hose and screwed to floor panel on the other (don't forget to seal with silicon). Hose runs inside rear bottom, side trim and just in front of stabilizer to help protect it from a snag (in cold weather, detach hose drain extension from floor drain to drain hose as it has a trap curve that will hold water). This will allow me to not crawl under trailer at campsite to attach a drain hose or place a bucket under the trailer and forget! I know some have run from inside to side of trailer drilling into rear side panel. This may happen in the future, but just could not bring myself to drill a hole in my new fiberglass panel and risk a leak! Well that is all for now. Will see what the future holds for the next round of mods. Happy trailering.

LuckyJ

Wow, been busy in a short time.

Good job and welcome to the T@G familly!

TomD

Lol. I had to do the same hole drilling in the battery box. Why isn’t this feature built into the design? Same with the gray water extension.

willbingham1

Just after I arrived back from my first "real" two day campout, I decided my drain mod was not working correctly (hose from underneath out the back), so I decided to run through the rear side wall just above the floor underneath sink area. Completed project with much trepidation as I cut through with 1" hole saw for barrel connector to fit for the two brass 3/4 inch fittings, one for attachment to inside sink drain and the other outside for the a garden hose connection. Barrel connector was plastic so used pipe dope on fittings of brass to plastic and also used clear silicon on barrel connector inside/out for tidy seal. Reused bottom drain plug for outside supplied with trailer but with the addition of rubber inside washer and attached the plug lead to center screw on mount to shower door (just the right distance to keep from misplacing plug). Underneath I bought a replacement brass garden hose screw-on to plug old drain plug to seal underneath trailer. In the process of cutting though trailer side I was able to see the full 1 1/4 inch sidewall depth with fiber glass out, Styrofoam inner, and ultra thin wood paneling covered by vinyl wall covering. Which lead me to be able to design and implement a fold out shelf for inside, under the passenger side, side window, with dimensions of 13" deep by 22" wide.

For shelf I used two fold up and lock-in-place shelf brackets (white) from Ace Hardware, screw-in (for dry wall) type molly plastic inserts to capture the screws to mount shelf brackets and Gorilla Glue construction adhesive to insure sturdiness of mount to wall surface. The plastic molly screw inserts had to be carefully tested on my core sample from my sink drain mount to keep them from turning once screws were inserted for mounting the fold-down shelf brackets (did three tests). Just drilled out center of plastic anchor enough to allow screws to thread into each but not turn the plastic insert in the wall (very carefully) plus added a reasonable amount of Gorilla Glue to back of folding shelf mounts. After mounting the shelf brackets I ran a bead of Gorilla Glue down each side of mount and at the very top to further stabilize mounts to wall (but be sure to let Gorilla Glue to set up!). Stained and finished shelf ( 1/2" pine plywood good both sides) to match woodwork and mounted it on raised shelf bracket for a functional, sturdy shelf to set things on or use as computer table while inside. It locks in position and has enough friction to stay down and in place while traveling. Shelf bracket has a release on the outside edge end to fold it down in place. One does have to raise up shelf to clear while lifting floor for storage, but that can be modified by making shelf just 12" in depth rather than 13". Some adjustment of shelf to brackets was required to get them to line up for full closer. So now I have an accessory side shelf when needed. I camp alone so I don't have both mattresses down on floor and passenger side of trailer cabin is left open as space for luggage, electronics, move around space, etc.

Last but not least I purchased a "Jack-It" bicycle carrier for tongue mount. It did add 25 pounds to tongue weight plus bicycle weight so I remove the propane tank to keep my tongue weight down and store propane tank in back of TV until I get to campsite. I have measured tongue weight with Jack-it and bike to weigh 185 pds. It is a bit over my TV tongue max but not much (propane tank removed). Everything tows nicely but bike sit up above TV roof line some, with some wiggle while in place but rides nicely and tightly and can be seen from TV and monitored. Only issue is Jack-it mount on tongue eliminates opening my TV hatch (its a CRV). So there you have the latest. See you soon at a camp site far from here!