Forum Discussion
bob_nestor
May 08, 2014Explorer III
I've been doing some "upgrades" over the past couple of weeks on my Roadtrek in preparation for my Alaska trip this summer. Swapped out the Eclipse TomTom in-dash radio/GPS for a Kenwood/Garmin unit. Just had enough of TomTom navigation to God only knows where, plus my other GPS units are all Garmin so I'm comfortable with it. As an added bonus my new radio also has HD as well as SiriusXM. Upgraded the coach batteries (the originals were starting to show their age) and in the process added another 72 Amp-Hrs of capacity. The new larger batteries just fit in the box. Noticed the battery box was starting to sag (this is a 2010 model!) and while looking at the mechanical engineering on it I noticed it was kind of wimpy and the cables were poorly routed to it. So I re-engineered it a bit; installed a barrier to keep the batteries from rubbing on the lock stem, added some much needed bracing to take care of the sag, re-routed the cables into the box so they no longer get crushed by the batteries and while I was at it I added a quick connect cable for my portable solar panel. Now I can connect the solar without having to open the battery box. Next up will be installing some glue down solar panels to the roof - I figure I've got room for about 270 watts and they won't show to the casual observer, but that will wait until this Fall.
About Motorhome Group
38,707 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 17, 2025