What did you do to your RV today?

[CarterKraft]

Just like all the other "what did you do today" threads but for your RV/camper/converted cargo trailer/etc.

My prototype 30 gallon gray water dump tank and pump system, I tried to use shit I already had, bought the 30 gallon drum for $5 and the misc flanges/cap for $15.

The plan is to put the barrel in the back of the truck and fill it from the bucket/pump connected to the gray tank with a sewer tote hose. In testing this worked fine.
Once at the dump place I can connect my dump hose and lay the barrel down and dump it... I might pick up a twist on 3" valve.

 

[CarterKraft]

Added some 12v USB chargers in the cubby's by the bed (pre vacuumed) and in the garage.
Added a 12v outlet in the garage for the dc compressor cooler.

 

[CarterKraft]

I am sort of worried about the Starlink, not sure if they are desirable to steal or what so I got a telescopic flag pole to mount the dish on just in case I want to make it more difficult. I've always wanted a kick ass flag pole anyway. Copied the mount from the airstream guys, it was nice to just bolt some shit in for once not have to hand build it
The mount used some light bar mounts (used off Amazon) to grab both the jack tube and the flag pole mount sleeve.
I did get some wing nut hose clamps to secure the pole to tube.

It's a 20' pole so that will be 5' or 6' over the top of the roof here.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Well, what I did was bought one

If you call a pop up camper and rv...

2004 palomino Bronco 800

Seems decent for its age. Has sink, stove, heater and 3 way fridge, no bathroom and not even an outdoor shower. We have been talking about getting another camper and I like the idea of a pop up for hopefully better fuel mileage and more offroad ability. I have my eye on a specific model, with specific options, but would be looking at a new unit to get exactly what I would want. The problem is we've only had a hard sided camper and I was a little afraid of dropping serious money on a new or near new pop up and not liking it.

This thing was cheap enough that we can try it out and see how we like it without much investment.

I'm contemplating putting on the wife's F150 since it's for a short bed, hers is the tiny bed, so it would hang out, but not much. Google says it's 1300 lbs. I'm sure it would be fine with no trailer or just the dirtbike trailer, not sure about the crawler though.

Edit: yes I bought the truck also, but that's a different thread

 

[CarterKraft]

Well, what I did was bought one

If you call a pop up camper and rv...

2004 palomino Bronco 800

Seems decent for its age. Has sink, stove, heater and 3 way fridge, no bathroom and not even an outdoor shower. We have been talking about getting another camper and I like the idea of a pop up for hopefully better fuel mileage and more offroad ability. I have my eye on a specific model, with specific options, but would be looking at a new unit to get exactly what I would want. The problem is we've only had a hard sided camper and I was a little afraid of dropping serious money on a new or near new pop up and not liking it.defe

This thing was cheap enough that we can try it out and see how we like it without much investment.

I'm contemplating putting on the wife's F150 since it's for a short bed, hers is the tiny bed, so it would hang out, but not much. Google says it's 1300 lbs. I'm sure it would be fine with no trailer or just the dirtbike trailer, not sure about the crawler though.

Edit: yes I bought the truck also, but that's a different thread

Definitely counts, its still a cardboard house

 

[Clb]

Lost the "air" side of the rooftop antenna last trip...
Pulled out the factory antenna coaxial connector @ the base of the turret and replaced the fubared connector.
"Know and go" mfers

Next up stripping the decals off the outside.
Any tips beyond "heatgun"?

 

[CarterKraft]

Built a m18 pump to load water from a stream if needed.
Just leftovers, Jabsco Ballast King pump

 

[CarterKraft]

Replaced my old water pump, it sounded like the check valve wasn't sealing and a repair kit was 1/3 the price of the new pump.
Now I have a spare pump. I added a accumulator while I was there to help dampen pulses that hammered the water lines.

 

[CarterKraft]

Swapped the china battery shunt monitor for the Victron Smart Shunt, should have done that from the start.

 

[CarterKraft]

Being camper is only 30 amp I wanted a way to monitor the capacity so I can limit the amount of trips to the pedestal in my underwear.
I made a plate to cover the removed Onan wall panel. This is a current transducer style that clamps on to the main power wires after the generator transfer switch so no matter the power source I can monitor the load.

 

[Gots_a_sol]

Sold it

21' toy hauler, was always a hassle and we only used it like 5 times in 2 years. Looking to go back to a small enclosed trailer just for easier towing. Had a 7x12 with tandem axles that I miss dearly. Trying to find another maybe 14' one but fuck, almost better off buying a new one compared to used prices.

 

[CarterKraft]

Need to replace the outdoor shower, got a new one sitting on the shelf.
Replace the chirping smoke detector/CO detector batteries.
Rewire the tail lights, something is loose and loosing one of my turnsignal/stop lamps, probably a shitty RV ground.
While doing that I am going to connect the reverse trigger wire I ran from the tongue back to the rear when I did the stabilizer power wiring, replace the rear flood lamps and connect the rear floods to the reverse trigger wire. Should give me some awesome backup lights.

 

[Provience]

well hell, I could've been putting my RV updates in this thread the whole time

I also picked up a cheap chinese shunt to check battery drain stuff. mostly to be moveable and used in various ways, so i'm not sure if I'm going to mount it anywhere real

 

[CarterKraft]

well hell, I could've been putting my RV updates in this thread the whole time

I also picked up a cheap chinese shunt to check battery drain stuff. mostly to be moveable and used in various ways, so i'm not sure if I'm going to mount it anywhere real

The China deal got me by but damn the Victron is so much better in every way.

If budget is the biggest factor the vat is well equipped for the price but if you want a once and done the Victron smart shunt is tits.

 

[Provience]

walked out to a dead coach battery today seems unreasonable that it'd be flat after a week. Damn thing is 2 years old, either it's been cooked or it's got a drain somewhere. Guess i'll need to put the shunt to use

 

[CarterKraft]

walked out to a dead coach battery today seems unreasonable that it'd be flat after a week. Damn thing is 2 years old, either it's been cooked or it's got a drain somewhere. Guess i'll need to put the shunt to use

Mine can't go more than a week from the radio and propane leak detector.
With the solar under the carport it will last a little longer but without direct sunlight it only charges around 10w.
I just leave it plugged in now and check the water on the batteries every time I take it out.

 

[Provience]

I haven't really touched it for the past year as I've been gone, did have it on the single 100w panel the whole time. Normally, that'd be good enough to keep it just fine.

however, the wife moved the panel and it has been far more shaded than when I left it. Not sure what impact that had, but it'd been holding a charge, i thought

saw a used MPPT charge controller on ebay, put in an offer and it was accepted. at least this way i'll have the option to do lithium batteries or bigger panels

 

[BLKNBLK]

Got 4 dead mice out of my Onan 12.5 air intake/filter assembly plus seeds...Amazon 2" flex tube to replace the ruined one thats no longer available from Cummins. nasty job but now all clean. Changed oil/filter and Antifreeze. Cleaned Radiator also. To keep the mice out I used a Amazon 4" diameter screen plug and caulked it into the bottom air hole. You would think Onan would have a screened inlet..or at least builders of Class A coaches would as their supports allow the mice a direct road to enter.

 

[CarterKraft]

Yeah you'd think anything over that hole would have been better than nothing.
Some chicken wire at minimum.

 

[Clb]

walked out to a dead coach battery today seems unreasonable that it'd be flat after a week. Damn thing is 2 years old, either it's been cooked or it's got a drain somewhere. Guess i'll need to put the shunt to use

Here's a psa....

I chased that demon when I first did the solar.
Running 2 6v cart batteries we could easily get 4+ days on them without the honda genset.

Nerd shit
200w renogy panels, huge copper, $20 fuckchina controler.
I cheaped out and bought a renogy 30.
Shoulda got a victronic one.
Don't be cheap.

At some point I went from 2 cart batteries to interstate rv ones ( same size) .
Now I was having trouble getting 3 drycamp days outta it.
Eta
Put the renogy in about now.

Started pulling amp draw readings.
Found the led lamps for "I'm on" didn't pull much.
The dioxide monitor, a little.
The fukkin amplified tv antenna

Turn the switch to land feed not air.

 

[CarterKraft]

Here's a psa....

I chased that demon when I first did the solar.
Running 2 6v cart batteries we could easily get 4+ days on them without the honda genset.

Nerd shit
200w renogy panels, huge copper, $20 fuckchina controler.
I cheaped out and bought a renogy 30.
Shoulda got a victronic one.
Don't be cheap.

At some point I went from 2 cart batteries to interstate rv ones ( same size) .
Now I was having trouble getting 3 drycamp days outta it.
Eta
Put the renogy in about now.

Started pulling amp draw readings.
Found the led lamps for "I'm on" didn't pull much.
The dioxide monitor, a little.
The fukkin amplified tv antenna

Turn the switch to land feed not air.

Great point.

IMO that's where having the shunt really shines. I had a stove top vent hood light with a 1156 bulb in it. I told the fam to not use that light much because it pulled over 2 amps by itself. I was laying in the bed about to head off to sleep and I thought I'd look at the monitor one more time before dozing off and there it was, over 8 amps draw... They had the vent a hood light on AND the rear floods... Both of them sound asleep

Knowing there is a .8 amp phantom draw on my trailer I can see instantly there is too much extra shit.
And that part worked fine in the China vrt monitor if you are on a budget.

 

[Provience]

As for quality stuff, my new solar controller is a Morningstar tristar mppt 45amp with monitor, used for a little over $100 compared to $600 new, I'll deal with what appears to be some case rust and cleaning up contacts. Then the next will be going to more than 100w for panels. Going to set the shunt up to just monitor the draw side, shouldn't take much to figure out which circuits are holding me up.

Every time I go new rv shopping, it gets easier to justify spending a few hundred every now and then on my old guy.

Edit: I don't have a TV mounted so I'll be mildly annoyed if the antenna is still drawing power

 

[CarterKraft]

The Morningstar stuff is good so you got a deal there.

My brother snagged a Victron Multiplus for $500 off ebay, I was impressed by his skill.
I guess now that "overlanding" craze is over there might be some deals.

 

[Provience]

🤤 now I've got a weekend project

Generally my hand is 10" from tip of thumb to pinky spread out, this is a big heavy bitch.

Outside needs a sanding and wire wheel and whatever color of paint I grab.

inside looks to be plenty clean

 

[CarterKraft]

A 45 amp is big boy.

 

[Clb]

Plugged in the yard mule to the solar

 

[Clb]

🤤 now I've got a weekend project

Generally my hand is 10" from tip of thumb to pinky spread out, this is a big heavy bitch.

Outside needs a sanding and wire wheel and whatever color of paint I grab.

inside looks to be plenty clean

Besides the ventilation issue...
Um wtf is up with all the romex in 1 strain relief, aka nm twin screw cable clamp?
Sheit I learnt a thing today...
Had to look up the supply chain name for the box connector

 

[Clb]

Oh and

Check the system for heat output during sun production time..

 

[Provience]

Besides the ventilation issue...
Um wtf is up with all the romex in 1 strain relief, aka nm twin screw cable clamp?
Sheit I learnt a thing today...
Had to look up the supply chain name for the box connector

The 2 sets of sense wires, one is for the battery voltage and the other for battery temp can be down to 24gauge and 95' long. Might as well use some precased pairs.

This box has got knockouts all over it, works for me that it's already got strain relief fittings on the bottom. Saves me whole dollars. Probably even 2

 

[Squamch]

Dumped the water tank and water heater tank for winter