Spring Mods 2011

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   Cool stuff, Outbound!  Let us know what you think of the items.  Both the shower and LED lights look interesting.  

I tend to use the most water showering, so it would be nice to find something effective that uses less water.

I've been scratching my head on lights - even considered making something myself.  While the standard lights are OK with hook-ups, I'd like to use LEDs when dry camping, to conserve power.  Something like what you purchased may be an option.  So far, I've resisted the urge to swap out the standard bulbs for the commercially available LED arrays.

I like the step mats - though I get the cheap ones at Walmart and replace them every couple of years.  Between those, a standard course textured "welcome mat" on the ground, and a small rubber backed rug inside of the door, I don't get a whole lot of dirt inside of the camper.  Dog fur - yes; so I still end up cleaning at least once per day.

I know that everyone is on the edge of their seats wondering what is on my project list, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer...........

1. An outside on/off  (weather-proof) switch to turn off the fridge when stopping to fill up with gasoline (I run on propane).

2. Making my own "monitor panel".  Mine is just like yours (and nearly every other camper), but it is behind closed doors, underneath the sink.  I tend to forget and leave the water pump and water heater on.  The lighted switches drain the battery and I waste propane.  Also, I want some additional features, such as; a digital volt meter, amp meter, outside temperature, maybe blinking LEDs to remind of the water pump and heater being on (maybe build in a timer that they will auto shut off after a set amount of time).  I also tend to forget and leave the TV antenna amplifier on, so I may do something about that. While I have a good place to "build in" mine - over the DVD player, above the dinette

by removing the blank panel (save and replace at trade in time), it could be made in a small picture frame sized enclosure.  I'm going to make plugs on the back of the original monitor panel, so it can be reconnected when I trade in.

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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Topic: Spring Mods 2011 Posted: 27 Feb 2011 at 5:49am
	Cool stuff, Outbound! Let us know what you think of the items. Both the shower and LED lights look interesting. I tend to use the most water showering, so it would be nice to find something effective that uses less water. I've been scratching my head on lights - even considered making something myself. While the standard lights are OK with hook-ups, I'd like to use LEDs when dry camping, to conserve power. Something like what you purchased may be an option. So far, I've resisted the urge to swap out the standard bulbs for the commercially available LED arrays. I like the step mats - though I get the cheap ones at Walmart and replace them every couple of years. Between those, a standard course textured "welcome mat" on the ground, and a small rubber backed rug inside of the door, I don't get a whole lot of dirt inside of the camper. Dog fur - yes; so I still end up cleaning at least once per day. I know that everyone is on the edge of their seats wondering what is on my project list, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer........... 1. An outside on/off (weather-proof) switch to turn off the fridge when stopping to fill up with gasoline (I run on propane). 2. Making my own "monitor panel". Mine is just like yours (and nearly every other camper), but it is behind closed doors, underneath the sink. I tend to forget and leave the water pump and water heater on. The lighted switches drain the battery and I waste propane. Also, I want some additional features, such as; a digital volt meter, amp meter, outside temperature, maybe blinking LEDs to remind of the water pump and heater being on (maybe build in a timer that they will auto shut off after a set amount of time). I also tend to forget and leave the TV antenna amplifier on, so I may do something about that. While I have a good place to "build in" mine - over the DVD player, above the dinette by removing the blank panel (save and replace at trade in time), it could be made in a small picture frame sized enclosure. I'm going to make plugs on the back of the original monitor panel, so it can be reconnected when I trade in.

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 26 Feb 2011 at 9:32pm
	I need to add several shelves, but I'm still nervous about anchoring them well enough that they don't end up on my feet at 2 am!
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

TerryM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950	Posted: 26 Feb 2011 at 5:50pm
	It looks like you have a lot of tinkering around to do! Terry
	RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565

Outbound Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: Oshawa, Ontario Online Status: Offline Posts: 767	Posted: 26 Feb 2011 at 5:30pm
	As the snowy, cold winter has been passing, I've been gathering together a few items for our trailer to be installed come spring. Most are just gadgets and gizmos... its a bit of a stretch to call them mods. 1. Oxygenics BodySpa. Some of you may remember that I purchased a replacement shower head last year. It was a vast improvement over the stock shower head and for the most part we were happy with it. However, it was wasteful with water (almost 3 gallons per minute) and I'm told that the water pressure was a bit weak for washing shampoo out of hair (as I have no hair, I must take second-hand advice on these matters.) So, I decided to go for the gusto and purchased an Oxygenics BodySpa low-flow showerhead. They're on the expensive side, but they're awesome! 2. Wireless LED puck lights Our basement storage (outside storage bay) isn't lit and it can be difficult finding things when we arrive late at the campground. I had been thinking about wiring in a light or maybe picking up some puck lights at the dollar store when I ran into a set of wireless puck lights at Costco. The four lights can be turned on or off individually by pressing on the clear cover, or they can be collectively turned on or off by using the supplied lightswitch. This will be an easy install as 3M tape was included. 3. Step Mat A great invention, and I have no idea why we didn't put one on the trailer before. A step map is permanently installed on the step and is conveniently located for wiping your shoes off before entering the trailer. The dirt stays outside where it belongs. 4. Shoe storage I've mentioned doing this before, but never got around to it. I'm going to cut a hole in the side of the dinette seat closest to the door and trim it out. I've got a small boot tray that will fit neatly inside. This will allow us to store our shoes out of the way. 5. Clothes shelf I hate getting down on my hands and knees to get to my duffel bag out from under the bed. This spring, I'll be building a shelf over the foot of our 171's bed to store clothes. It'll be a simple design with a bungee-net front and will closely resemble the open shelves over our microwave and sink. I have no concern about my design or carpentry skills, but there is some question about my finishing skills. Oh well, I'll never know unless I try. Wish me luck
	Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150