Share your RV mods...

[ADawg]

Thanks for the linkDo you keep them on all the time?

[AH64ID]

Thanks for the link Do you keep them on all the time?

They are attached to my hitch, so if the hitch is on then the flaps are on.

[AH64ID]

It's pre-camping season and time to start thinking about camper maintenance/mods.

 

I have started acquiring some parts for a major electrical upgrade.

 

My TT came with a cheap group 24 which I immediately sold and put 2 Costco group 24's on the tongue for 170ah. They work alright, but they are a small and cheaper battery. Last year I started my upgrade and will finish it this winter before spring camping.

My original problem was the junk WFCO 55A charger would never go into bulk mode, and thus never really give the batteries a good charge when camping. We rarely have hook-ups and are usually miles back into the national forest. I have a pair of EU2000i's, and can recharge quietly but the WFCO would have needed 6-10 hours after 1 cold night of camping to get a decent charge. I did some research and replaced the WFCO with a PD4655 with the built in charge wizard. This made a big difference, the batteries where better charged after 72 hours on shore power  while packing and would get to a 90% charge in 2-4 hours depending on the the State of discharge, a vast improvement.  

Now my issues is inadequate amp hours when it's in the 20's at night. The cold batteries are barely enough for 1 night, and that's with the thermostat at 50 while sleeping. The reason I have group 24's is because that is all that will fit, in fact they barely fit. So the batteries are getting relocated.

I have a big dead space near my converter, fridge and furnace (where my pressure tank is currently located, so it will get relocated). Big enough for a pair of 6V's and an inverter. I have picked up a pair of 300ah Lifeline batteries, and a Xantrex 1500w inverter.

I have room to build a sealed and vented battery box, and mount the inverter to the outside. I will have about am 18" run to the converter/distribution panel so I do not expect to get any voltage drop during charge or use. This will also keep the batteries warm, increasing their usable amp hours.

The inverter is rated at 1500w continuous and 3000w peak, so should do anything I need to do while not on shore power. Xantrex also makes an inline transfer relay, that will automatically switch from inverter power to shore power in 30us. The camper has 2 110c circuits that power all the outlets, but not the microwave, or A/C so I shouldn't have any issues (I will have to switch the Fridge power to a different breaker). A single EU2000i is rated at 1800w continuous, and that is always plenty for the little stuff. There are 2 outlets on the inverter, so 2 inline transfer relays will work great. The inverter also comes with a remote on/off switch, which will get mounted on the panel with the volt meter, ammeter, and battery switch.

I think it will give me a lot of usable power and convince. My TT came with a small solar panel, but at 10w it's not good for much but battery tending between trips.

I looked at converter chargers, but for the total overall cost I decided to increase the battery quality instead, as cold nights are my biggest concern.

http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/power-inverters/xpower-inverters-high-power.aspx
http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/default/inline-transfer-relay.aspx
http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rvflyer.php?id=15
http://www.progressivedyn.com/pd4600_converter_replacement.html

This is where the rest of the switches and monitors will go.

 

I also ordered up 2 104 LED lights with low/hi. I wasn't getting enough lumens out of the cheap Chinese LED's. They are fine in most places, but I need more light in a few places.

[AH64ID]

The other thing I did this weekend (besides pick up the 6V's and such in Seattle) was build a new table for the TT. Well my Dad built it and I helped, he is the one with the full wood shop. We have about 10 hours into it and it came out awesome. I got it mounted last night. The goal was to  have room for all 5 of us to sit at the table, and when hunting room for 3 adults.

 

 

 

Here is the old table over it, as you can see there is a lot more surface area without the leaf up, mainly from squaring the sides instead of the taper on the ends.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Hey AH64ID suggestion for your table. Now find a nice fold up chair to allow another person to sit at the tip of the table as well.

[AH64ID]

Hey AH64ID suggestion for your table. Now find a nice fold up chair to allow another person to sit at the tip of the table as well.

 

That's the plan, it goes out about 13" from the bench seat so number 5 will have to sit on a stool or fold up chair. I just need to measure the proper seat height and find something.

[KATOOM]

I added a Olympian Wave 6 heater to my toy hauler so I dont have to use the furnace.....or atleast as much.  I've done lots of other little things too but thats the biggest lately.  Some kind of solar (portable) will be my next large improvement.

[joecool911]

I'm thinking about a Champion 3.5k generator with the remote electric start. Mount on the rear bumper and build an aluminum box around it for security and ventilation. Run a plug back to it to run all the electrical including microwave, battery charging and air conditioning.

Anyone install air on a TT that didn't come with it? The plug is there and a vent in place of where the A/C would go.

Edited February 21, 2014 by joecool911

[AH64ID]

The Champion's are LOUD, I am not sure I would want one attached to my camper. I camp with a few folks that have them, they all have extra extension cords to put them as far as possible from their camper.

 

I have installed air on a camper that didn't have it, very easy. The hardest part was getting it on top of the roof.

[Mopar1973Man]

Like I realized in the last few years how much I needed certain things like the air conditioning and microwave. Really funny we don't have air conditioning at home and typically don't use it in the RV because its rather noisy too. Microwave yeah once in a great while we might use even the one at home but still MoparMom and myself are more a outdoor cooker than inside RV. Camping is all about the experience of cooking outdoors. So back to even my mod of doing solar power it more or less to have lighting and a bit of heat. Maybe plug in a laptop or cell phone to charge.

 

I really curious to see AH64ID's final product of inverter system.

[AH64ID]

I got tired of towing one kitchen and then setting up another outside, so most my cooking and prep is inside but we cook a lot over the fire too.

Our microwave started getting loose last summer so now it sits in the garage, we never used it anyhow.

[AH64ID]

My brother and I spent a few hours this morning cutting cables and installing the ammeter, battery switch, and inverter switch. All the cables are cut and crimped for the entire job. The distribution panal supply wiring was upgraded to 6 from 8ga. The distribution box will have about 4' of positive cable and 2' of negative cable, 1/2 of each is 2ga. A big difference over 25' of 8 ga that it came with.

The next step is building the battery box. I got a call on Friday that my vents were in, so I will pick that up as well as a sheet of 1/4" plywood on Monday.

[YabbaDoo]

I will be starting on a new project soon   As you can see it needs some TLC in the rear corner but the rest of the rig is awesome

Edited March 2, 2014 by YabbaDoo

[Mopar1973Man]

Hey Yabba... Your RV is almost exactly the same floor plan. Yours is a 5th wheel with very small differences to my own.

 

 

 

[AH64ID]

Michael... We need a "Members Trailers" forum in the Community area. This forum is great for mods and working, but it would be fun to have a forum like the members rides for trailers/RV's.

[YabbaDoo]

Yes, Michael it is a very close floor plan!!

[joecool911]

On the issue of the expansion tank orientation, I'm not sure that you'd get benefit from it unless it's with the inlet/outlet facing down. Then install a ball valve and hose discharging under the trailer to winterize.

[AH64ID]

I had mine horizontal and my dad has his vertical with the connection down. With the precharge the same we both get the same amount of water after pump has been shut off.

I am having to move mine, I am not sure how I want to mount it. I have thought about mounting it with the inlet up and a needle valve to bleed all the air but it will be harder to winterize and I am not sure I will get any extra water.

[joecool911]

Just thinking about winterization. Basically the same concept of a well tank. Valve at the bottom. Turn off the power, open the expansion tank drain at the bottom and open all the water valves to drain the pipes and tank. If tank is on its side you'd need to use anti freeze unless the bladder removes all but trace amounts of water in the tank. I've got my trailer to the point I need no anti freeze as long as I go through my draining routine before it gets cold. Like not having to buy or evacuate anti freeze.

[AH64ID]

I only use about a cup of antifreeze, just enough to keep the pump from freezing.

Even horizontally when winterize it I get nearly all the water put just with air. I pressurize the system and then open the low point drain, the air leaving the tank pulls most the water with it. I removed my tank last week and there wasn't any water to speak of coming out of it when I held it vertical.