Have You Done Any Mods?

We have had a couple of pop-ups and two 31' travel trailers, including the last one from Forest River.  Age and back problems made the change to a smaller RV a good move.  Looked around a lot and the #179 Pod looked like what we need, and this Forum was a big help.  Interesting how the build quality has dropped since our Surveyor was built in 2004 though.  As an old engineer friend used to say, "Cheapness is goodness"  in industry. 

Started out with a peep hole in the door.  Might add  a porthole window in a year or so, but the peep hole gives a really good view - as long as the door is closed.  When it's open, the view to the left is pretty marginal.   

Took mattress pad from the old Surveyor and added a Trav-a-Sak.  Also picked up some grabbers on a stick to help with the far corners of the bed spread.  If interested, google "Extension Grabber."  We got ours at Bed Bath and Beyond but they are available lots of places, including the Wally Marts. 

Added a small soft doorstop on the fender to protect the door from the fender and the fender from the door. 

In a wet john, placement of the toilet paper is tough.  We had a one-armed paper holder in our previous TT and I looked for one like that.  Had to settle for a fairly ugly one, although it does match the color of kitchen plumbing.  This one is tucked up under the basin, where it can get an occasional splash.  I'm looking for a plastic kitchen canister to cover it in case it really gets wet, but may settle for a big coffee can - or even a shower cap - in a pinch.   

Added grab handles at the door to the john and next to the outside door; door  framing is solid in both places.  We're considering changing to  a double step; that 11" drop off is quite a bit for aging knees

Switched from hand-cranked jack to electric.  Much easier on the old shoulders and back.  Easy swap. 

Reversed the hinges to the door on the closet so DW can check her gown before going to the ball.  The hinges are now on the side next to the bed instead of next to the john.  Handier for most things, not so much from the bed. 

Changed the TV swing arm to one with a tilt.  Considered moving the mount to where the closet meets the wall - better viewing from the bed, but not so good from the rest of the Pod.  Rejected that unless I find a really long arm with lots of bendy places. 

I have been coveting the 3" of hollow wall between the closet and the john.  Considered adding a real medicine cabinet but haven't found one narrow enough to fit around the vent pipe.  Might make one of my own.  Some day.  TV reception with that universal antenna is wretched compared to what we could get in our driveway with the Surveyor.  We can get PBS but not NBC or CBS.  We also get a couple of shopping channels - one in English and one in Spanish.  Neither will get any use from us.  So I pulled the Jensen entertainment unit to see if the innards for a rotating Jack TV antenna can be installed above the closet.  The circle in the picture is where the coax comes through the roof - lots of wire clutter is all around and prospects for pulling things away don't look real good.  And neither a hole from the top of the closet nor a hole from the john side looks promising.  FR didn't do us any favors here.  Cheapness is still goodness.      

The original fridge had a small problem.  It wouldn't cool.  So much for quality control.  FR then sent the wrong one (good thing we didn't have a trip scheduled) as a replacement .  The next one was better, and was eventually installed.  Afterward, I could see daylight along one side and the top.  Fixed that with silicone.  I can also see some daylight along the front seal of the slide out.  Not a good arrangement for driving in the rain.  First aid will be needed.  It's still under warranty.  Wish we had noticed it before those fridge repairs so that one trip to the dealer would have been enough.

Removed the one screw that holds the top of that strange hassock next to the fridge.  Covered the wires and plumbing that are there with a plywood panel.  Curved front area is ideal to stash at least four rolls of john paper and it's close to the point of need - if the slide is out.  The rest of the new space is good for an extra half cubic foot of storage, more or less.

Put hinges on the panel under the fridge - just in case something falls while underway and we don't spot it in time.  There are some fragile looking connections underneath so it's not appropriate for routine storage and access, even with some bungee cords to try to hold a variety of wiring out of the way.   But it will give easy access to the slide out control module (Circle at right) if that ever becomes necessary.  I have heard that some 179s have that control module inside the hassock mentioned above. 

I keep looking at that miserable table which is also to be used to support the auxiliary bed.  I'm thinking about adding a piece of plywood hinged to the sitting surface on the slide out couch and then discarding said miserable table, but the differing heights are a stumbling block.  Finding acceptable replacement table(s) will be a snap. 

All the exposed wiring underneath looks bad to me.  There is a lot of foampuckey glopped up wherever wires or plumbing go inside,  There are also some electrical contacts that look like they are exposed to the salty atmosphere that's all around us down here.  I appreciate that FR wants to keep moisture out of the inside but there are other goodies underneath that are exposed as the Pods come from the factory.  I have an old plastic box for 3x5" cards that may  work well to block the moisture.  Need to keep in mind the risk of voiding the warranty if water somehow gets inside anyway....

Installed small metal tabs to keep the assist bar from preventing exiting in the event a prankster was in the neighborhood, per some earlier Pod Posts. 

 Hmm.  Photos aren't inserting.  I need to work on that....