Truck and Trailer Modifications to our RVs
Updated: 11/26/08
Many of these modifications have been submitted to Trailer Life Magazine. Several have been published, others are in their file for future consideration. We have included the TL article and our original photograph when available.
We will add new modification items at the beginning of this page.
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Space Heater Heat Shield
We frequently use a small electric space heater to conserve LP fuel. It works great to take the chill off the air.
It may have been an unwarranted concern but we feel better using a heat shield – from both a safety and floor protection standpoint.
Door Holder
Our toilet room does not have an air conditioning vent. If the door remains closed, the heat builds up in the toilet room during hot weather.
When the toilet room is not in use, we use a 4” gate hook to hold the door open so the cooler air in the bedroom can be exchanged with the warmer air in the toilet room. The round end is enlarged so the gate hook can be removed when not needed. The faucet washer slides into the enlarged round end so the gate hook does not fall off the eye.
Truck Bed Swapping
Holes were drilled in bed to mount a fifth wheel hitch in leased trucks.
Boards mounted on the hitch bars are used as attachment locations for storage boxes.
Outside Drawer
Hardware Case
Fifth Wheel Pin Box Cover
Avoid Water Leaks in Electrical Door
A
Needed Safety Reminder
Reducing Light Fixture
The switch on the bathroom fixture was installed first. It disconnects two bulbs. To wash our hands, brush our teeth or comb our hair, the light from one bulb is all that we use. Three bulbs are used only for applying make-up. I used a common hardware store SPST switch and wire nuts.
Recently, we installed two switches on the dining area fixture which permit us to select the use of one, two, three or four bulbs. We like the light from one or two bulbs during meals but table games and writing require three or four bulbs. I used smaller switches in the dining area to improve the appearance - Radio Shack 275-634B Mini SPST Flat Lever Switch costing $2.79 each. The terminals on the mini switches require soldering.
The condition of our batteries is carefully monitored while we boondock. We may be more sensitive to our power usage than necessary - our two solar panels generally return our batteries to a full charge by dusk each day. But, by being conservative, we are confident we have adequate battery power for the length of our stay even during cloudy weather.
Set-Up
Organizer
On The Level
On our return trip to
After this experience, I discovered that when viewed through the rear view mirror, one of the doors on the front of our fifth wheel lines up perfectly with the top of my pickup truck’s tailgate. Now, I check the level regularly as we travel. Especially, after feeling a bump in the road.
Garbage
Storage
What do you do with the small amounts of garbage from lunches on the road?
We put ours in a cylindrical potato chip container and store it in our refrigerator. It prevents an unpleasant aroma in the living space and does not attract little critters. We accumulate empty containers during the year to insure we have a supply to use throughout the camping season.
Photo Display
When we purchased our new fifth wheel, the large number of windows and the large size of the windows were selling points. However, that left us with no wall space to hang photographs of family members and interesting places we visit.
The moldings are available in several colors at your local builders supply store. The total cost was about $8.
Photographs are easily exchanged as the family changes and we visit more beautiful places.
4" Drop Running Boards
Splits the difference between the ground and the truck floor.
Makes entry into our 4x4 truck easy.
Battery Wiring Photograph
A
photograph of the battery wiring is mounted
on the inside surface of the door to the battery compartment.
It is an easy reference when installing batteries.
Pull-Rite Super Glide
It consumes a lot of room in the truck bed but the automatic operation gives you peace of mind.
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