What did you do to your RV today?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

My, how the conversations have changed since we were camping in our used 1977 Layton TT nearly 40 years ago

You mean back when the options were a 50 pound icebox or a upgrade to 75 pound icebox and the optional LPG lantern over the dinette rather than the 120VAC 40 watt fixture that didn't work unless parked in a campground with electric hookups ??? Yeah, things have changed so much that few of our "retirees who camped in trailers during the 70's" would even recognize an RV these days.

[mikz86ta]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

My, how the conversations have changed since we were camping in our used 1977 Layton TT nearly 40 years ago

I'm sure some seasoned RV vets like yourself have some interesting insight, stories and such. Coming into this the most I ever did was conversion van camping at a state park with the family with our boat tethered to a tree on the river. I was pretty amazed at RVs when we started looking at the possible amenities.
Honestly if we were occasion camping, we would be in a smaller easier to travel and park coach. And wouldn't need the fancy stuff.
But we use it to full time. On year #3 and plan on at least 1 more. So the needs of daily creature comforts is high

[jsb5717]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

You mean back when the options were a 50 pound icebox or a upgrade to 75 pound icebox and the optional LPG lantern over the dinette rather than the 120VAC 40 watt fixture that didn't work unless parked in a campground with electric hookups ??? Yeah, things have changed so much that few of our "retirees who camped in trailers during the 70's" would even recognize an RV these days.

Originally Posted by mikz86ta

I'm sure some seasoned RV vets like yourself have some interesting insight, stories and such. Coming into this the most I ever did was conversion van camping at a state park with the family with our boat tethered to a tree on the river. I was pretty amazed at RVs when we started looking at the possible amenities.
Honestly if we were occasion camping, we would be in a smaller easier to travel and park coach. And wouldn't need the fancy stuff.
But we use it to full time. On year #3 and plan on at least 1 more. So the needs of daily creature comforts is high

Yeah, back in the good ol' earlier days of "glamping". It's fun to look back and see how much the industry has evolved. I'm not at all complaining and can't imagine going back to that old Layton...even though, at the time, we thought it was great and made many good memories with our kids.

Just a little detour down memory lane

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

Yeah, back in the good ol' earlier days of "glamping". It's fun to lok back and see how much the industry has evolved. I'm not at all complaining and can't imagine going back to that old Layton...even though, at the time, we thought it was great and made many good memories with our kids.

Just a little detour down memory lane

Same with us. We bought a new Jayco 20' JayRaven in 1972. Total cost, as I remember it with all the optional equipment it had was $2200 "out the door" which included a EZ Lift equalizer hitch, setup and full propane tanks. There was no battery system on the trailer, just 2 battery cables that ran to a 3 fuse panel under the front goucho. That's when Jayco first started producing trailers. It had a 6cuft Instamatic refrigerator, a 16K BTU gravity furnace (no fan), a "one piece molded fiberglass bathroom (sink/shower/toilet hole) with a Thetford flush toilet. There was a 18 gallon black tank, no gray tanks, the front goucho folded out into a double bed, there was a "overhead cabinet" above the goucho that folded down into a bunk with about 18" of space between the mattress and the ceiling. No windows or lights up there. We called it "the cave"... My MIL refused to climb into it after trying to roll over the first night, so we rearranged all sleeping accommodations and I learned why she hated that bunk....

There was ZERO/nada/zilch insulation in the floor, when one corner of the aluminum siding came loose, I learned there was "maybe 1/2" of spun fiberglass in the sidewalls. It has a "hybrid lighting system" with a 120VAC 40 watt fixture over the sink, a 25 watt bulb in the range hood (with a 120 VAC fan motor), two 12 VDC lights, one over the goucho and one in the bathroom and that LPG lantern over the dinette booth. No air conditioning and the water heater pilot blew out with the slightest gust of wind. The Instamatic refrigerator required a trip outside to "twist the flint sparker to light the pilot" and many times I had to steal the flint from my Zippo lighter to start the refrigerator.

Camping in the mountains for deer/elk seasons always included ice on the floors inside the trailer with wet spots directly in front of that big old furnace. And all those crank out full vent windows leaked like a screen door. Many times, when the wind was blowing, it would blow out the LPG lantern over the table.

We dragged that thing all over Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and north Texas and thought it was the most comfortable trailer we'd ever owned (until we traded it for a "newer model"...

Things have changed so much that walking into a "today's RV" and then into that old Jayco would be "night and day different" in nearly everything.

[GASMAN6674]

Upgraded two of my baggage door locks to match the basement locks, Added the Lippert screen shot to both doors so the screens will close on there on, too bad they are not strong enough to close the whole door. Added a "guard" to the upper bunk to keep the twins in place. Reconfigured my reels for water and power cord storage.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by GASMAN6674

Added a "guard" to the upper bunk to keep the twins in place.

Is that steel fence rail?

[GASMAN6674]

Yes, This is a loft bunk and is approx 5 foot up. The lower rail is steel from the factory. We added the upper "webbing" which is cordage and tension rods. So fay its working as intended but time will tell. I wanted something that was easily removable

[KSH]

Originally Posted by GASMAN6674

Upgraded two of my baggage door locks to match the basement locks, Added the Lippert screen shot to both doors so the screens will close on there on, too bad they are not strong enough to close the whole door. Added a "guard" to the upper bunk to keep the twins in place. Reconfigured my reels for water and power cord storage.

What reels did you use?

[GASMAN6674]

They are harbor freight air hose reels. I originally had them mounted on a two drawer intermediate chest but it was too wide and too tall for my Cougar.

[Bill-2020]

Harbor freight reels - like that!

[tech740]

This is an upgrade that we can use while using the camper. My oldest son and I used the “Coronacation” as my kids are calling it to make a set of Cornhole boards.

[Keystoned]

Provided a nice 30A outlet for the 5W...

[GASMAN6674]

Replumbed my Capitol grill connection and added another for my other grill and hotplate.
First picture shows it as it was shooting straight out the back.
Second and third are the modified.

[chuckster57]

Nice work. Just askin...you did check for leaks?

[GASMAN6674]

Yep I have some professional leak soap.
(42 years in the Lp business)
Going to bomb can all the exposed pipe as soon as I canas its starting to surface rust

[GASMAN6674]

Ps I dont trust quick disconnects that's why I put a shut off up stream

[Dobbs]

I removed my outside TV connection since we will never mount a TV outside. In place of the cable I added a second outside electrical GFCI on its own circuit. This required an addition of another circuit breaker. I bought a double breaker so I have room for another line if I need it. Not likely with only 30 amps. I daisy chained another outlet to the added outside outlet and put the second outlet near the sink. Now I can plug in the toaster and coffee maker at the same time either inside or outside. Of course I have to make sure I have the AC off and/or not use the microwave. Sometimes it reminds me of Lisa and Oliver Douglas on Green Acres.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by GASMAN6674

Yep I have some professional leak soap.
(42 years in the Lp business)
Going to bomb can all the exposed pipe as soon as I canas its starting to surface rust

I figured, after I saw your username.

[NH_Bulldog]

Busy day today after bringing the camper home from storage yesterday. Fabricated an end to end dual battery box for my group 27’s since the dealer hacked up two off-the-shelf ones to get them to fit in the tray. Dewinterized and flushed and sanitized the plumbing (doing a 24 hr “soak” right now), installed 4 of 6 JT Strong Arm stabilizers, did a complete roof inspection with Dicor self-leveling where it looked like it might be needed, cycled all of the appliances; AC, furnace, water heater (gas and electric), refrigerator/freezer, stove/oven, outside kitchen fridge, and stove. Checked all lights and plumbing connections and lastly popped of the middle section of the upper valance on the slide-out to access the motor and tie up some wires that had been dragging on the roof, before replacing with two screws and wood caps to make it more accessible in the future should the need arise. Finished up by giving everything a good sweep. Whew, busy day! Now I have to try to get our daughter (who just turned 7) to understand why we can’t go camping next weekend.

[Old Mustanger]

Installed slide toppers to all 3 slide outs, no more climbing up to sweep the leaves and pine needles off