Hey all! We took our new camper out for the first time on the weekend and there's a few things I'd like to tweek on it. I've been debating whether I should do one massive post or a few small ones, but I'll try with a big one and see how it goes. Feel free to give me opinions on all or some of my tweeks I'd like to do!
1. Stabilize camper -
We noticed in the camper we could feel a decent amount of side to side moment, I slept in the front with the 3yr old and the wife and the new born slept in the back, each time one of us rolled over the other could feel it. We bent out rear scissor Jack's leaving a parking lot on the first trip so I got a new set and figured I'd mount the bentish one in front of the rear axle. Next I'm thinking one of those x wheel chocks, (maybe these ones?
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00IZZDUR2/...v_ov_lig_dp_it)
Are the braces for the scissor Jack's worth it? My backs are 90 from the trailer length , but the front are mounted onto the A frame at a 45 to the trailer length , as my understanding alot of the braces need the jack opposite of it the be parallel with the opposite jack.
We have the Lego blocks for leveling and I stick rough cut 4x4s under the scissor when I can or at least 2x6 depending on height.
2. Surge protector
I'm not sure this is necessary for the camping we do, which is 80% boondocking, we're we run a gen when necessary (basically just for a/c) but still seems like a good idea either way. The unit Ive been eying up is the Hughes watchdog, not sure if I should go with the hardwired or portable version. I have the winter package so the underbelly is wrapped which makings running wires a little more difficult.
3. Invertor
As stated earlier we mainly bush camp, i switched out my batteries to 2 6v 208 ah batteries. The only thing I'd like to run power from the investor is the bar fridge in the outside kitchen, charge phones, and run outdoor Christmas lights. The bar fridge is 1.3amps running and 6amps starting(so 720w starting and 200w running if I'm doing my calculations right) I currently have a 1000w modified sine invertor that I used camping before in our truck campers, but reading it seems like a pure sign is better.
I'm thinking I should also get a battery monitor well I'm at, just to make sure I don't over drain the batteries (this is the one I'm thinking
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07RP5B5P7/...ing=UTF8&psc=1 ) but again proably have to remove the bottom skirt to run wires, ideally I'd like to stick the meter above the current meters.
For the small amount of items I'm gonna to be running also not sure if it's worth wiring in a transfer switch or just running a cord to the invertor(which I'll place in the front storage across from the water pump) I have seen there's some imverotrs that have built in transfer switches, but again the wiring to the very back of the trailer for the power station is seems troubling.
4. Child lock
My next problem is finding a way to keep my 3 year old in the camper. He's starting to push boundaries and no longer staying in bed. He's figured out the deadbolts on the trailer and triumpetly escaped after bed time to join us around the fire. I ended up closing the rail on the main door so he couldn't get out, but the bathroom only has a small handle that I ended up sticking a spatula threw to contain him. I'm thinking just a child door lock that your grip on the inside of the camper on the door that leads to the bathroom, but I'd like something better for the outer bathroom door Incase he figures out the child grip.
5. Bedroom fans
Both my truck campers had fantastic fans in the bed rooms, I wouldn't mind adding some kind of fan to the front and rear bed rooms. There's lights right close to both vents so I'm sure I could Rob some power from those. What kits are there that will retro into my current hatches? My last 2 campers both head leaks that ended in me rebuilding the front so I'd rather not touch the factory seal if possible. My research shows the vortex 2 to be a good option, which model is the retro one that can just go in the hatch hole?
Also thinking about either painting, sticking black vinyl over or changing out hatch as it let's way to much light in, I haven't checked on these but is it easy to remove just the hatch or do you have to effect the factory room seal?
6. A/C
Lastely I found the a/c didn't seem to blow to hard in the back. I seen online that a person can remove all the ducts and tin tape each spot to make sure none of that sweet cold air is cooling off the roof. Is it worth it to remove the a/c ceiling shroud and tape/do anything else in there to help get all the air where it should be?
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