The list is probably longer than this:
1. converted original reading lamps (and added some) to LED's since we dry camp mostly
2. installed 2 kW inverter w/ 100A charger and added lots of batteries. Gen use ~0.5 hr/day now
3. removed basement entertainment center (needed space)
4. removed couch and small recliner from living room and replaced with zero-gravity recliners
5. built removable frame for bedroom to hang my laptop and boom box for movie watching
6. added BD exhaust brake (paid for that one, but very necessary)
7. but my all-time favorite is the armrest rocker switch shift addition to my Allison MD3060
Those who know me have come to accept that I want it all, no matter how impossible it may obviously be. They've learned to wait patiently while I struggle to accept the inevitable.
Recovered valances and dinette chairs. Replaced day/night shades with MCD shades and had carpet replaced with tile.
We had the chairs done by a local upholsterer and the tile work was done a by Tiffin worker after hours. We installed our own MCD shades and I recovered the valances myself. The bedroom was easy but the front valances a lot more work because of the leather trim around the cover boards.
Well I did not get all the "after" pics inserted above. I have a few more -- the bedroom and some close ups. If interested you can see them in the link below. About half way down on the page. Click on pics to enlarge. One in particular shows a bigger shot of the tile.
There were no levelers when I got my motor home so I added a set. The gray box at the top houses the pump/reservoir. Below that is a 3kw Xantrex inverter charger. It is wired to run the whole house. I did run an air conditioner for a few minutes one time after first installing the inverter just to see if it would work.
Power is supplied by 4 6 volt batteries. Each set can be shut off then feeds to a 400 amp fuse.
Controls for the inverter charger and water heater. I added a Hott Rod electric element to the water heater, this controls the element and propane from a single location.
Generator and shore power both go thru a hard wired Surgeguard before going to the inverter.
I replaced the original wimpy alternator with a 150 amp CS alternator. Now that I had 2 good charging sources I needed a way to control them. This is a solid state isolator from Hellroaring Technologies. It is not a diode isolator and has extremely low voltage drop. The house and chassis batteries are charged from both sources but isolated from each other.
A 2 gallon accumulator tank for the water system. It cuts pump cycling a lot. I also added a fitting before the pump to draw antifreeze thru the pump and a fitting to hook up an air line to blow the plumbing with air.
I use a lap top computer with Delorme's Street Atlas for GPS, this stand is for the computer. It locks left, right, and center. The computer is held in place with two strips of Velcro.
I replaced the carpet in the bathroom with linoleum. The original Ramco mirror heads were cracked, those were replaced with Velvac 2025 mirrors. The wide angle mirror is larger and gives a lot better view. I tow a car so I added a rear view camera and monitor. Got rid of the funky OEM radio and installed a good radio and speakers, added a CB. The original heater control was falling apart, that was replaced. The original heater box was cracked and leaking air everywhere, I made a new one out of fiberglass.
Refrigerator operation was marginal when I got the motor home. I went thru the maintenance steps, added 2 cooling fans (with a snap switch for control) on the outside coils and 1 fan inside for circulation. Cooling improvement was unbelievable, it works as well as a compressor refrigerator. It will maintain a 39º interior temperature at 95º outside temperature and direct sun on the refrigerator compartment. If you are having trouble with your frig have some patience and go thru it, they work a lot better than most people believe they will.
I've been busy in the four plus years we've had the coach. Here's a few of the best of my mods:
Seelevel II tank monitor system. This photo shows the second panel in the water/sewer bay. It's real handy for filling the 120 gallon fresh tank because it can take an hour. The tanks are read in percent, so it's tank level divided by 100 instead of the usual 3 as the standard E - 1/3 - 2/3 - F gauge is. The switches are for the pump. One's a pump kill for when I open the city fill valve the pump which might be turned on inside can be disabled. the other is a pump-on switch for when the pump isn't on and I need the outside shower. The green light's a 'pump ready' indicator. Speaking of the pump, it's been replaced by a Shurflo Smart series variable speed pump. It's silent and produces smooth flow.
The ''cafe curtains'' setup. This one is one of my handiest projects yet. Instead of sealing in the front end with the built-in wrap around drapes which are a major PITA to deploy, I take 10 seconds putting up the cafe curtain. (And about the same taking them down) There's a socket on one side, a cup on the other for the lightweight aluminum rod. The curtains store along the passenger side under the cabinets, the curtains tied up and stowed to one side. We can see out, and daylight comes in. The only thing is having to bend over to duck under the rod when entering/exiting the coach, but that's no big deal.
From the inside:
Stored for travel:
From the outside:
This one is complicated, but I've posted about it before. (How to wire them etc.) The inset fixtures are called 'guide lights' if you want to Google them. They're about $100 a pair. Each side comes on with the turn signals (right or left) when the headlights are on, so they light up upcoming turns. People really notice potential lane changes on the freeway also. I also added an override switch to make a 270 degree sweep of light for nighttime parking or campsite hunting.
Long item storage. There's various PVC pipe sizes and a 6'' stovepipe mounted in plywood bulkheads. The sunshades, awning sunshield, awning grabbers, and other long skinny items reside here.
Leather Euro chair. We bought new couches for the living room. This chair was next to the salesman's desk in the furniture store. I made the mistake of sitting in it, and the original RV sized recliner HAD TO GO!
Nightlight. I did two, the other is in the toilet room. I dismantled the fixture and installed a small clearance light and switch inside. I've since replaced the bulbs with LED conversions. There's just enough light to find your way around at night.
Central vacuum. Even I like to vacuum the floors now. Little noise, no fighting a vacuum cleaner into/out of the closet.
Dashboard mods. Added a generator start/stop so I could control it while driving. Also added a temp gauge for it. Added an exhaust brake 'auto' switch that electrically turns on the EB when the brake pedal is stepped on. A light touch of the brakes and the EB is applied.
My ''aura of blue'' entry steps. I tossed the original (pathetic) amber light fixture from under the steps and installed a sealed blue LED fixture from a truck shop. The new fixture hangs down on two bracket arms so it makes a patch below the last step. The blue strips are LED trim lights from Walmart.
LCD TV upgrade. Actually did both, and added a 15' LCD set in an outside bay. The two inside sets are mounted on hinged aluminum plates so the caverns that the old tube TV sets left behind can be used for storage.
Other mods include a new Pacbrake PRXB that I just completed, reading lights converted to high power LED, added a GPS receiver, replaced the original cloth couch with a leather EZ bed.
FMCA# F355513. 1997 Safari Continental, 40 foot, 1 slide. Cat 3126B, Allison MD3060. 2000 Durango SLT 4x4 toad with a Blue Ox Aventa II and stopped with a Brake Buddy. Seen on the Road Photo album
I have to expand a bit on the reading light conversions.
I ordered three 1156-WLX3 from SuperbrightLEDs.com Note that they also make a 5 watt version, but a Brightguy tech said that will overheat if left on for long periods. (it's designed to be a BRIGHT brakelight replacement)
I used epoxy to attach reflectors from Minimag flashlights to the LED elements. (I had the reflectors laying around from converting a few Minimags to LED) I drilled the reflector to make the hole big enough for the LED, and used a belt sander to 'thin' the back edge. The amount sanded off effects the beam width.
I removed original Safari halogen fixtures and installed brass 'bullet' reading lights that can be aimed. The 1156-WLX3's replaced the original bulbs.
The result? 5,500 degrees Kelvin (broad daylight) output that makes magazine page colors pop out, and they consume only 300 milliamps each. The original #1383 lightbulbs use 3 amps each. Boondocking battery drain is reduced tenfold.
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