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Long range update on modifications

WilliamAWilliamA Member Posts: 1,311
edited July 2019 in Modifications & Upgrades

I've been wanting to get to this for a bit but as it turns out, it's good that I have not. I've been using my trailer a lot of late and have had the opportunity to both put some of the modifications through their paces and "tweak" a few of them. There are many so this might take awhile. I'll start with the ones that have been more "front-burner" and work my way back.
My upgrade scale will go from 1-10 pipe-wrenches (a tip of the hat to my hack-technique), 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. I'll grade each one twice: once for difficulty and once for usage

Side Eyebrow Awning:
Difficulty=6.5 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
As this one is the newest of the lot, I've not had too much time to wring it out properly but I am pleased to report that it's quickly becoming one of my "Top Three". The good parts are that it works very well and is proving to be very solid and secure in all of the kinds of weather I've encountered to date. That includes deluges, high wind and hot sun. We had a storm up here in base camp that took out the power, knocked down trees and caused pandemonium but there was nary a flutter in the awning. It goes up quickly (5 minutes or less) and needs no tending once up. I can just erect it and then forget it. It provides a ton of nice shade both for keeping the inside cool and also for plopping a chair down under. I can set my shoes on the fender without fear of having to pump the water out in the morning as well.
If I had to pick any part of the design apart, it's this: The fabric I selected has a wet side and a a dry side. That meaning, the wet side has a rubbery, shiny coating. This bothers me not at all, but where I folded it under at the outside edge for a place to run the shock-cord pole through, well.... The fabric isn't slippery and that means running the titanium pole through makes it want to "stick" as it goes through. I ruminated on perhaps making the fabric fold larger to give it a bit more room, but I don't think that would make a significant difference as the pole bends in a long radius and the further it goes in, the stickier it gets. I had the accidental experience of putting it up wet one time and as it happens, if the shock cord pole is wet or damp, it slides right through without sticking. I am mulling over the option of perhaps spraying some sort of anti-stick spray on the shock cord pole. Perhaps silicone spray or something like it would work, but I don't want to put something on that may stain the fabric. I'll be talking to my sis-in-law the fabric guru soon to get her thoughts on it but for now, I'm putting a huge gold star on the whole project. If I were to build another one, I'd do it all exactly the same with the caveat of perhaps getting a different kind of fabric without the waterproof rubber coating or perhaps, using a different fabric just for the end fold. As time and money permit, I may make another just to see if I can tweak the design a bit.

As an aside for the awning project, I reported using the extra material for various other small projects, gadget bags and generator cover. I also made up the fabric "doors" for the cabinets over the headboard area and, while all of those bits are tiny improvements, they go a long way to making my travels much nicer. No more dumping out the contents of the shelves onto the bed every time I hit the road, etc. Sometimes, the little things turn out to be the best.

Porch Light upgrade to RGBW, dimmable lights:
Difficulty=8 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
Another huge win. My first reaction to this one is that they are really fun to set to random colors for sitting around the camp at night, but more importantly, don't shine in your face when going in and out of the trailer. They also make very nice night-lights for those midnight rambles to the facilities. Had I to do this one again, I'd do it exactly the same way.

Removing the Headboard/Storage area:
Difficulty=2 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
This one is a no-brainer. For anyone over about 6'3" tall, I consider it a must-do. I'm a bit over 6'4" and since removing the headboard, it feels like the sleeping are has grown by double. I could, before removal, "squeeze" in but it was tight. I can stretch out now as far as I want without knocking my head or being creative with my feet. I can stretch out my toes without fear of cramps. I'd absolutely do this one again. I'm surprised that the factory doesn't offer this as an option.

Rear Kitchen Awning:
Difficulty=5 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
Also a no-brainer. It's fast (2 minutes up and 2 minutes down) and easy to deploy and stow, atomically solid in heavy weather and has, thus far, been pretty much bulletproof. Like my side awning, it uses no ground ropes or stays and that means less tripping about he campsite. It's also adaptable for length and angle which is nice in tight spots. Had I to do it again, I'd do the same exact design with the caveat of using stainless hardware.

Removing the A/C:
Difficulty=1 pipe-wrench. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
I love the ton of functional space I have for storage and the fold-down table gets a ton of usage as well. I don't miss the A/C for reasons I'll cover better in the "MaxxFan" report. The A/C unit has been re-purposed to Kathy's bedroom. She likes it a lot. Problem solved.

Removing the Microwave:
Difficulty=1 pipe-wrench. Usage 10 pipe-wrenches
I took it out and built a cavernous slide-out drawer to put in its place. I got the door-kit from NuCamp and, well.... It's an enormous improvement in storage for dry goods. I can pretty much get all of my 3 day supply of dry goods in there without juggling bags, boxes and etc. Another up-side is that my partner, Kathy, loves the new Microwave in the kitchen, where it now resides. If I had to do this one again, I'd remove and re-plumb the gas line to the stove so it doesn't get in the way of the drawer. With that line out of the way, I could get a few more things in the drawer.

MaxxFan upgrade:
Difficulty=3 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
I'd grade this one higher on the usage scale but having invented the scale, I should probably stay within my own guidelines. Simply put, I suspect that this might be my most important upgrade so far as comfort is concerned. The fan works great, offers many options for use, cools the trailer better than I ever imagined and goes a long way toward managing humidity. There's no down-side....once you get past the $300-ish entry fee...

Upgrade from GRP 24 to GRP 27 Battery:
Difficulty=1 pipe-wrench. Usage=4 pipe-wrenches
After nearly 2 years of abuse, my stock battery was losing a bit of its zest so I replaced it. I would have just plopped another group 24 in there, but I got the Duracell GRP 27 on sale as a $10 dollar upcharge from the similar Duracell GRP 24. To be perfectly frank, I've never had any trouble with the group 24 battery. I've always had plenty of power from it and were it not for the nice sale price on the group 27 battery, would not have been able to justify the cost. The old battery tested down about 30% from its new capacity so that's the whole story. I personally much prefer the fast, easy charge time of the smaller batteries and am loathe to go any larger than this one.

Parking Brake Installation:
Difficulty=8 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
I love this one. It's one of those upgrades that is pretty much invisible and does nothing about looks or bling, but it's fantastic to back into a site, jump out, pull the lever and disconnect without messing about with blocks, chocks, levels etc. I also certainly DON'T miss the muddy, messy gack in my storage box from the slimy chocks.
I don't have and don't use stabilizers so going from hitch to camp is about a 5 minute setup time for me. The parking brake has been working since I put it in and I've not fiddled with it at all. I did add the electrical circuit that has a warning light on the tongue so I don't try and pull out with the brake applied. I've found that forgetting the parking brake is incredibly easy to do and the red light in the face is well worth the effort in wiring it up. Had I to do it again, I'd pretty much repeat the design as it is. No changes appear to be necessary.

Front (Stargazer) Window Screen replacement:
Difficulty=10 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
I keep forgetting that I even DID this one although it has probably been the most complicated and time consuming modification I've tackled to date. I'm happy to say that when Sprocket and I were out on our latest camping sortee at Brunet Island State Park recently, we had nary a bug or skeeter inside for 3 days and nights despite the fact that this park is rather notorious for nocturnal blood donation. The new screen is tight and unobtrusive, keeps out the bugs and works like it is supposed to. I can't ask for more. Had I to do it over, I might make a couple of tiny changes to the design. I'd reduce the finish running length by a couple of inches and perhaps, do a bit more esoteric woodwork on the top corners to match the bottom. That said, it is so much a part of the overall woodwork that even I don't notice those small things.

Jensen Radio unit replacement for Seicane Android Head Unit:
Difficulty=10 pipe-wrenches. Usage=10 pipe-wrenches
I flat-out love this radio head. I don't use it too much other than tuning into local radio and running my USB stick filled with music, but for sheer capability this thing has no parallel. When I need to look at a map or work out how to get somewhere, I use it. When I want to listen to internet radio, I use it. When I want to watch youtube, I use it. It just works. I could write a long post on this one to try and expand on its capabilities and pitfalls. It was difficult to rate mostly because it was difficult to choose. Would I do it again? Absolutely, for the following reasons:
The unit is the bomb.
The new shelving units I built to house it have proven "accidentally" (as in: I didn't see that coming to the extent it has) to be useful of their own accord. I find them handy and also quite aesthetically pleasing.
The necessary re-wire of various things (TV, USB charging ports, lights etc) in order to make it work have turned out to be a fantastic addition to a good system. I can control "phantom" voltage (lol....that term never ceases to crack me up!) by turning off what I'm not using and "kill" all of the lights for those nights when I have guests (kids, brother, etc) that complain about the lights.
What I don't like is the unit itself. Let me explain.....no, is too much....I sum up: While I am convinced that the company that makes this radio head and others is sincere in wanting to make a good product, they struggle with the language barrier. As a result, the information on their website is a bit of a scavenger hunt. I have seen them consistently improve on that, but still, the product information leaves a bit of "poke and hope" when it comes to choosing a particular unit. As a result, this particular radio head does not have a couple of things I had hoped it did. This has not ended up in any particular difficulty as I've worked around most of that and just do without the rest. It's a good unit at a fantastic price, being hundreds less than its closest competitor.....IMHO..... So as time and money permit, I am planning to purchase another one from the same company and swap it in. The lions' share of the work has been done and the new one will slide right into the same footprint as this one, but will have a few more features. Live and learn. I am not in the slightest disappointed with this one. I just think I can do more with more.
If I had to start from scratch with this upgrade, there are a few things I'd do differently, most obviously being the particular head unit I choose. I'd also do some minor rewiring of various switches and lights to make the bundling of power options more efficient. It works fine now, but it would be possible to tune it a bit. Those are all things I couldn't have known without using them, so I am giving myself a cautious pass on the design. It works solidly and has been trouble-free since installation.

WilliamA

"When I am in charge, Starburst brand fruit chews will get their own food group....and where are all the freakin laser beams? There should be more laser beams..."

2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
2017 T@G XL
Boyceville, Wi.

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