ouR escaPOD mods

Aaargh! Another batwing antenna broken! 
I don't know how it happened. I suspect I caught it with the cover when I was putting it on. Anyway, I'm done with Continu.us antennas with the batwing design!
In place of it, I ordered a different style of antenna that is also omnidirectional and looks like it will fit the mount on the roof. When it arrives and I get a chance to install it, I will know for sure.

This is the one I have on order:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010SP0IY4/

I'm not sure what is different inside. It is about 15" in diameter vs. the about 12" of the batwing's round portion. Since it lacks the wings, it should not catch the wind and rattle so much so that will be another plus. After it arrives and I get it installed, I'll follow up with a review. It certainly cost less than the last one I ordered to replace the first batwing that got broken when I was pulling into the driveway of a friend that was overhung with mesquite trees. That should also be less of an issue with this antenna.

I am working on finishing this project off. This is about the front piece I added to the 3/4" plywood platform.

I purchased a piece of Poplar. Since I have a table saw, I thought I would purchase a dado blade to cut a 3/4" notch in the board for mounting. After recovering from sticker shock at the price my local Lowe's wants for a dado set, I remembered that I also have a router. A trip to Harbor Freight got me a set of 3 straight bits, 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" for under $10.00. I mounted the 3/4" bit in my router and after a little bit of testing on part of the board I had cut off the one I needed to use, I cut a 3/4" notch in the board roughly centered. I then changed the bit for one which I could use to round the edges so I would not have any sharp corners. Then I used a sander to finish smoothing and rounding the ends.

The next step was trying to get as close to the color of the inside "wood" surfaces as I could. After several attempts, this is what I used:
1. Iron Acetate.  Take a piece of 0000 steel wool and put it in a glass jar. Fill the jar with white vinegar. Let it set. After a day, the liquid can be used to darken light wood. In the case of poplar, it gives the wood a nice medium brown color. Since that was not dark enough, I needed to do something else.
2. Blend of 10 parts Golden Oak 210B, 1 part Ebony 2718 and 1 part Classic Gray 271 Minwax Penetrating Stains, applied with a brush and wiped off after about 5 minutes.

This is now drying overnight. I will finish it off with 3 coats of spray Satin Polyurethane finish. I will also spray the platform to protect it from moisture as well.

Here's a picture of the work in progress:



It may not be a perfect match, but it is a lot closer than the previous attempt I made at matching.

Three coats of satin Minwax Polyurethane, some felt pads, some non-skid pads, and the platform is done. I think with the cushions in place and the non-skid pads, the platform should not move while we are traveling. If we hit a bump big enough to move it, we would likely have more problems than a shifted platform. The table got some hook and lop fastener, hook portion on the bottom of the table and loop portion on the brackets. My wife had some old stick on, but it had mostly lost its stick so it got stapled also.



Note: After taking this picture, I realized that I needed to move the non-skid pads farther from the edge to clear the rubber strip. They are now about 1-1/4" from the face board.



Even though I used satin polyurethane, the finish has more of a gloss than the nearby trim. The color does not quite match, but it looks good.

And, this is what makes this project worthwhile:



When configured for travel, we no longer have the table sitting on the dinette bench seat. We can actually use the seat for short stops without having to undo the table to have room or just squeeze in and around it. It is very comfortable to sit there with the short cushion stowed behind the tall cushion. We are deciding on throw pillows. We have a couple of larger ones but they don't match. I suggested that we use some of the fabric from the old cushions to make a couple of throw pillows. That would help tie it in to the valences.

The new bed arrangement is very much superior to the original way of fiddling with small cushions and trying to figure out how to keep them in place. Plus, the new cushions are thicker and therefore should be much more comfortable than the thin ones.

Final project thoughts: If I had made the two cushions 5-3/4" to 6" thick instead of 4", I could have dispensed with the platform and still had the cushions be roughly the same height to make a level bed. However, that extra thickness of foam would have come at a much higher price. Plus the smaller cushion would not have worked placing it behind the larger cushion. It would have had to ride on the bed and would have been in the way if we were not using it to make up a bed.

Now, I wonder if Forest River might want to do something like this for the 179 instead of the awkward cushion arrangement currently used.

Actually, before I write about the cushions, I need to write about the bed platform.

With the flat surface, I elected to use a 3/4" plywood platform. I went to my local Lowe's intending to purchase a sheet of 1/2" plywood. While I was there, I spotted a defective sheet of 3/4" maple faced plywood that the manager let me have for 1/2 price. It ended up being less expensive than the 1/2" plywood. I had them cut the sheet in half and then cut one of the half pieces to 75" in length. This slides onto the top of the slide-out base perfectly. It isn't quite done as I am working on finishing it with a piece of 1x4 into which I will cut a dado slot for the edge of the plywood so I won't have to contend with a raw edge. The corners will be rounded. I will use a router for this work. Once I get it mounted, I will coat the wood with a finish to protect it. I am going to try to match the finish of the existing wood as closely as I can, hopefully better than what I got with my table brackets.
Since 3/4" will not make the platform level with the slide-out when it is on the table, I made a 1" support with PVC finishing board which is usually used for finishing siding. I got one that was 3/4"x1-1/2"x8' and cut it down so that it was 3/4"x1". I then cut this into 4 pieces and using 3 small hinges, fastened them together so that it resembles a large W (or M). I can then spread this out on the ottomans and table to support the plywood to give a level base.



For the cushions, I went to Mill Outlet Village and purchased outdoor fabric along with welting and backing material. I also purchased foam. The foam was 3" higher density foam and 1" standard density foam. These were cut to 75"x14" and 75"x8". These were glued together with spray adhesive. On top of each I added a layer of quilt batting cut about an inch larger all the way around, also glued in place. Each cushion has a zipper along one of the long sides. With the way they are assembled, when they are in place, the zippers are on the bottom and not seen when they are in place for seating. As with the original seat cushion, both of these measure about 4" thick.





I tested them briefly, and the cushions are firm, but comfortable. Total width is about 48" which is a 3/4 bed. It is about 6" narrower than a full-sized bed. It should be more than adequate for a grandchild or two, especially if topped with a mattress topper.

The 14" cushion fits just under the window. If the 8" cushion is placed behind it, it is comfortable and gives good lower back support when seated.

To be done:
Finish edge of plywood and stain/seal wood.
Add tie down for table legs so they won't rattle around.
Add hook and loop to underside edges of table and top of brackets so the table won't slide when we are on the road.
Add hook and loop to underside of plywood to keep it from sliding (or figure out some other method for this..
Add some throw pillows to complete the update.

I can't claim credit for the idea. I had seen where someone had made a similar sewer hose holder elsewhere. This is my implementation of it. The ladder carrier is my idea though. Modifying the ends to just fit the length of the ladder and cementing one block to the end of the tube that is permanently closed and to the inside of the removable cap ensures the ladder fits securely and won't slide back and forth as the trailer moves.

We got to try this arrangement on our most recent trip. It worked well for us. I had thought of mounting the ladder behind the front stabilizers, but decided that the two next to each other  behind the axle was better. Getting in and out of our driveway is much better as there is no longer the risk of scraping the sewer hose holder which had happened when it was mounted under the tongue.

Nice work!!