I am always looking for ideas for my pup. I would love to hear everyone else's ideas as well and pictures would be great if you got them. Camping season is just around the corner and I am getting the bug to do some mods before it starts.
I have only done a couple on my pup. I put the computer fan in to help ventilate the fridge compartment and I also removed the plug from my water tank and added pipe and a valve so I no longer have to slither underneath the pup to drain the water tank. I am going to add some shelving under my sink. There is a lot of dead space there and a shelf would be nice.
1. Made an over-the sink hutch or chuck box - separate compartments for plates, bowls, cups, tumblers, sugar bowl/napkin holder, serving platter. On the outside of it, we installed a 2-gang outlet box and have 4 outlets, with a 12 foot cord (reaches around the back of the counter to the outlet in the back wall). We made an attachable shelf to hook onto the hutch to place stuff. On the bottom - above the sink we've got a battery operated florescent light - works great! Side handles serve as towel racks!
2. Made a flatware/serving/odds & ends box which matches the hutch and sit atop of it.
3. Made a 4 ft. high plywood V-shaped 'wind-shield' (hinged) to protect the pilot light from the wind - works great - put handles on it also. The sides of the V are about 12 inches wide.
I am working on the rear awning mod. I have seen a lot of people with them and it sounds like a handy-dandy mod. I know it allows people to keep their big windows open on the street side of the PUp during the rain, and keeps it shady. I like that because my kitchen galley runs along that side and it would be nice not to have the sun beaming in through there in July and August--yuck!
I've made a few mods inside & out, but the one that has proved to be the most convenient and useable was the installation of an outside access door. Just inside the door I keep needed items for first arriving or for maybe having to get at while on the road. When arriving just about at dark (which we have done a time or two), keep the Coleman gas lantern just inside the door and can get right at it and light up the site for setting up camp. Also, the door is on the opposite side from where it was designated if it were purchased from the factory with that option. The good thing about it being on the driver/road side is that it also provides outside access to the coiled up power cable that otherwise would entail going inside and removing the seat cushion and such to reach that compartment.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h226/dww0825/DSCF0274.jpg[/img]
So far the only mod we've done is to peel the old cracking Dutchmen stripes and put on a new two color swoosh graphic I designed. The next big mods are going to be fixing what PO's have done. Before the season opener in March, I am going to have all the water pipe replaced so there aren't any more leaks (or the hose blowing off the hot water heater again at 4 in the morning.) By the time camping season really gets going, we're also going to have a new inverter and have the 12V electrical system reinstalled from where a PO partially ripped it out. This would also include having an A/C that doesn't blow the circuit breaker every time it's used and the complete installation of the Ghetto Power Lift (TM) that was put in by a PO but never connected to anything so I have to use the car battery and jumper cables to raise and lower the roof. We also have a marine stereo system installed but waiting for 12V power. Future plans include a solar charger for the battery and a new, more efficient, and smaller A/C with heat.
Here's my planned mods for the year.
So, here's my list of mods I'd like to do this year. I promise I'll take a bunch of pictures of the process.
1. Water level indicator - I built the water level indicator kit from Qkits. I still need to build the sensor that goes in the tank.
2. Larger battery - I still have the battery that came on the pup 6 years ago. It is going dead anyway, so I have to replace it anyway. So I'll go with a bigger battery, probably a type 31. To do this I have to change the battery mount set up. I will likely install a cut off switch while I'm at it.
3. Pull out faucet - I've put up with the standard faucet for long enough. The problem for me has always been finding a 4" faucet with a pull outsprayer. I haven't bought it yet, but I think I found one. I'll pick that up next time I'm at the hardware store.
4. Detatchable power cord - I wrestle with the cord every time I camp. No matter how I put the cord away, it gets tangled. I've thought about getting one of the kits like they have at RV stores, but I can't justify the ~$100 price tag. So I'm going to do like some others and have a pig tail coming out of the pup and twist lock connectors to connect the cords, but for 30A 125V connectors, we are still talking about almost $50, so I may end up going with the kit. Time will tell.
5. Volt meter - We have been taking longer camping trips without hook ups and are getting the new battery. I think it is time for me to take better care of my battery and keep track to its condition. So I need to get a voltmeter installed. I'm going to install a volt meter like in the 12V Side of Life. I built the meter with the precision resisters from Qkits. I'll get this installed in a panel with the water level indicator when I have time and good weather.
6. Hanging shelf over sink and counter - When I first got the pup, I put together a shelf made out of PVC to hold our groceries. This works fine, but is always in the way since it sits on the counter. I saw RecumbentMan's hanging shelf and think this is what I should have done initially.
7. Electronic thermostat - We still have the stock thermostat in the pup. I want to replace it with an electronic one. Not much more I can say about this one.
8. Fridge fan - I installed a baffle in the fridge compartment, but I don't have a fan either inside or out. I plan on doing the fridge fan mod.
As for what I've done:
bunk end shelves
Whisper King water pump and accumulator tank
fresh water drain
Got rid of the drawer under the couch to recover additional storage space
paper towel holder hanging from the straps that hold the door while towing
A bunch others, but I have to think about it.
I'll try to get some pics up.
[quote author=fritz_monroe link=topic=634.msg10558#msg10558 date=1328125290]
Here's my planned mods for the year.
So, here's my list of mods I'd like to do this year. I promise I'll take a bunch of pictures of the process.
1. Water level indicator - I built the water level indicator kit from Qkits. I still need to build the sensor that goes in the tank.
What is that kit like, Fritz? We had the RV Electronics (Australia) water level indicator in the Flagstaff and liked it, but I've been looking at other options for the Niagara. Plus, I have the gray water tank to monitor as well, and RV Electronics' prices have increased a lot since 2007. I've been looking at the SeeLevel and iSeries monitors since those both show actual percentages instead of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and cost about the same as RV Electronics.
We bought the kit to convert the shore power cord to a detachable but I didn't get it installed before winter. The kit (from Amazon) really didn't cost much more than the individual components and includes the reducer ring for the mouse hole. In the short time we had the Niagara before winterizing I found that the cord was much harder to push in than it was on the Flagstaff. Don't know if the cord is heavier or the compartment smaller. Converting the cord will also open up another storage compartment.
I have a few more mods planned for spring, starting with some shelves for the galley. The Flagstaff had a hanging pantry that was very handy, so we want something similar. Also need to install an A/B switch on the stereo so we can shut off inside or outside speakers as needed.
And, there will be more as we get to know the PUP better! On the first (and last, for the 2011 season) trip, it didn't take long to realize we really needed a sway bar with this one. That was installed before winter.
John
[quote author=JEH412 link=topic=634.msg10611#msg10611 date=1328403694]
What is that kit like, Fritz? We had the RV Electronics (Australia) water level indicator in the Flagstaff and liked it, but I've been looking at other options for the Niagara. Plus, I have the gray water tank to monitor as well, and RV Electronics' prices have increased a lot since 2007. I've been looking at the SeeLevel and iSeries monitors since those both show actual percentages instead of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and cost about the same as RV Electronics.
I contacted RV Electronics and it would have cost me about $90 for the water level indicator. I bought a water level indicator kit from Qkits for $4. I put that together 2 weeks ago, but I haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to do the sensors. The kit is just the electronics parts, no sensor. I'm thinking that I'm going to build one a lot like the one RV Electronics uses. I'll post a how to with pictures once I get it all installed.
Well I finally got around to finishing my Fridge cooling fan today. I put the fan in last year but just set it on the bottom by the off / on switches and would plug and unplug it as needed. Well today I took the upper louver off and permanently mounted it along with putting an off / on switch in the pup. Here are a couple pictures of the mod.
For those that do not know the back of the fridge builds up heat and that causes the fridge not be as cold as it could be. Putting in a computer fan from Radio Shack helps circulate the air keeping the compartment cooler and the fridge colder inside.
[quote author=Breadbox link=topic=634.msg10092#msg10092 date=1325485592]
So far the only mod we've done is to peel the old cracking Dutchmen stripes and put on a new two color swoosh graphic I designed. The next big mods are going to be fixing what PO's have done. Before the season opener in March, I am going to have all the water pipe replaced so there aren't any more leaks (or the hose blowing off the hot water heater again at 4 in the morning.) By the time camping season really gets going, we're also going to have a new inverter and have the 12V electrical system reinstalled from where a PO partially ripped it out. This would also include having an A/C that doesn't blow the circuit breaker every time it's used and the complete installation of the Ghetto Power Lift (TM) that was put in by a PO but never connected to anything so I have to use the car battery and jumper cables to raise and lower the roof. We also have a marine stereo system installed but waiting for 12V power. Future plans include a solar charger for the battery and a new, more efficient, and smaller A/C with heat.
Well, it's been 2 years. Here are the new stripes I put on:
We've also replumbed the water system so it (almost) doesn't leak anymore and made it so we can shut off the whole hot water system if we don't want to fill the tank and put in the new converter so we have working electricity and a/c and (hallelujah!) a battery with a switch for the Ghetto Power Lift.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii397/Breadbox_photos/The%20Toybox/Converter.jpg[/img]
We also put in a stereo and a couple 12V outlets
[img width=640 height=480]http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii397/Breadbox_photos/The%20Toybox/Stereo.jpg[/img]
[img width=640 height=480]http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii397/Breadbox_photos/The%20Toybox/Speaker.jpg[/img]
and the little switch above the speaker goes to this:
[img width=640 height=480]http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii397/Breadbox_photos/The%20Toybox/LEDLight.jpg[/img]
It's a little LED light right by the door so I can see in to get the poles out before the roof is raised. It works great!
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