These are a few mods I have done
The first is my usual analog thermostat change out. To me, those things are useless. Since this new trailer has a 2 wire, heat only thermostat, I got a Honeywell PRO 1000 Heat Only residential style thermostat.
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- This mod is replacing the dealer supplied Grp 24 12V battery for a pair of GC2 210 amp/hour batteries from Sam's Club. I bought the double Grp 24/GC-2 battery box from Amazon.
- My next modification was reclaiming lost storage space under one of the dinette seats. Early models of my floor plan had a cabinet door allowing use of the end of the dinette seat. Later models took this away. I didn't add a cabinet door, but I still reclaimed the space for storing some sleeping bags.
This fist pic is the bench seat with cover off. At one end is the water pump. At the other is wasted storage.
Added support under the seat.
Partition in place.
Bench seat board cut in half.
Wire for "hard wired" propane detector was just running across the floor loose. I duct taped them to the side. The Styrofoam pieces are covering the protruding detector mounting screws.
Finished split seat board.
Cushions in place.
- The next mod is adding a back splash behind the stove. My model didn't have one due to "cost cutting" reasons. This mod was mostly done by my wife. Sticky back "tile" and I don't mix well. The sticky tile is Art3d from Amazon.
The first pic is a before shot.
This pic is the 1st row applied.
Measuring the next row.
Finished product.
- This mod involved replacing the nearly useless Ventline fan with a Heng's Vortex II fan. It's not quite as good as a Fantastic Fan or a Max Air fan, but it's a lot less expensive and doesn't require breaking the roof seal. I had to get a friend who is more "tool friendly" than I am. It wasn't as easy an install as the various You Tube videos indicated, at least for me.
This is the original Ventline install.
The Vortex II in the box.
This is the Vortex out of the box.
Old fan stripped out.
Vortex II installed.
- The current last mod is simply a temporary fix for holding up the bed platform in order to use the under bed storage. This trailer, a Coachmen Freedom Express 20SE, did not not come with struts. I'm going to order a pair of struts, but until then, this is my fix.
The temporary bed lift.
Notched end at the bottom.
Cleat at the top.
- You made good use of your down time during the pandemic. :C
Thanks for sharing. - Thanks. We got her the end of February in Florida. Put in Navy terms, the tow home to Virginia was like sea trials after the ship builder basically finished her. After the "sea trial", she went back into the "yard" to fix anything that was found wrong, thus the mods. This past week, we've cleared out any tools that are left behind at the "yard", and we've been provisioning her with equipment and stuff that stays aboard permanently. Plus food, drink and clothes. T0day she's delivered to the fleet, and we're taking her out on a short 2 day "shake down" cruise.
gbopp wrote:
You made good use of your down time during the pandemic. :C
Thanks for sharing. - Lots of good funtional things there. Nice job.
- Good job! It always amazes me whenever I discover how sloppy the wiring is done in most rigs!
Atlee wrote:
This mod involved replacing the nearly useless Ventline fan with a Heng's Vortex II fan. It's not quite as good as a Fantastic Fan or a Max Air fan, but it's a lot less expensive and doesn't require breaking the roof seal. I had to get a friend who is more "tool friendly" than I am. It wasn't as easy an install as the various You Tube videos indicated, at least for me.
This is the original Ventline install.
The Vortex II in the box.
This is the Vortex out of the box.
Old fan stripped out.
When I installed mine I found that because it looked hard to lift the fan into place and hold it up with one hand and then line up and install the new screws to hold the new fan in place with the power lines already hooked up (looked like you needed an extra set of hands) I easily installed it without the power wiring connected, by putting the wiring all above the fan and then going on the roof of the 5er and connected the wiring thru the open fan vent hatch. Worked well and was a 10 minute job instead of a juggling act. Make sure you put the plug in the bath tub or shower if it is a bathroom installation and then if you drop a screw it doesn’t go down the drain. Murphy’s law says that you could throw a screw into a bath tub and it would never go down the drain except if you are holding something above your head and it drops without the bath plug in.
Vortex II installed.
