Cool Mods - Thread restored 10/18/2012

[2Rad4U]

My daughter was getting a little warm in her bunk during our last camping trip, so I decided to put her a fan in to keep the air flowing.

I had been wanting to add a 12-volt fan to the main living area anyway, so I decided to tackle both jobs today. A trip to Wal-Mart for two fans($8.48 each) and we're halfway there.

She picked the spot, and I got to work -



I picked up the power from her overhead light. All I have left is to install a short piece of wire cover and I'm done -



I added one in the main area -



I dropped by Lowe's and found this cool soap dispenser. I also just installed these Pop-a-Toothbrush holders -



I added a sopa dispenser to the kitchen area as well. I also installed a Pop-a-Napkin under the radio -



Here's an easy mod. I found this over the door towel rack at Walmart and it works great -

[snarfattack]

profdant139 wrote:
I have a bunch of very minor mods with pix at this link:

Small mods for small trailer

I really like your #13... I keep banging my head too.

[snarfattack]

Rumtan wrote:
I really like your security feature......cheap and very effective. (being 1/2 Scottish, im going to try that). Thanks for the creative idea, hope you dont mind if i copy it?

I used to have one of those $30+ big locks that was really obvious. Problem was when I misplaced the keys for it. I figured it would be a huge operation to remove it... Got the sawsall and several blades. My neighbor was watching and was shocked as I when 30 seconds later I was finished cutting through the bar with barely the paint scratched off the cutting blade.

Be my guest... copy away!

[ericsmith32]

I used a plastic water drain on my 5er years ago. Never had any problems with it.

[Rumtan]

I really like your security feature......cheap and very effective. (being 1/2 Scottish, im going to try that). Thanks for the creative idea, hope you dont mind if i copy it?

[profdant139]

I have a bunch of very minor mods with pix at this link:

Small mods for small trailer

[snarfattack]

slides wrote:
snarfattack I like the flashlight mount can I ask where you got those brackets?

Came in a set with the flashlight at Sams.

[slides]

snarfattack I like the flashlight mount can I ask where you got those brackets?

[snarfattack]

Got tired of rolling into each other, so I replaced all the framing with 2x4s.



Mounted a flashlight in a convenient location..



Cheap security feature...



Battery Disconnect Switch. You'll also see the SS bolts I put in to keep the battery from moving back and forth.



The controversial brass water heater drain. I like this tiny short one as I can just open it, close the door and drive away. It will finish draining by the time we get home.

[Loopy]

cheezy26_81 wrote:

martipr wrote:

Loopy wrote:

MarionMedic wrote:
You can NOT use anything but the plastic/nylon "plugs" in my heater.

it doesn't use an ANODE ROD either.

I might re-do the setup at a later date.
I have the original plug I can use if it doesn't work.

I might get a braided nose this spring, but for now I'm trying this setup.
It's an "experiment" as are ALL mods that aren't "store bought".

Looks like the same water heater I have in my Jayco (Atwood 6 gallon DSI) in which I use a brass fitting to adapt to the braided stainless steel.

There's no reason you can't use brass in the threads on the water heater.

Almost any kind of metal fitting in the aluminum tank is prone to seizing, likely to the point that the tank will be ruined trying to remove the fitting. Be safe and use nylon fittings.

if the above is true then why is the pressure relief valve made of brass and not nylon?

I've been out for a while and you beat me to it. I've been using brass and it's perfectly fine. Obviously the water heater manufacturers think so too or they wouldn't use brass either.

[mobeewan]

winty03 wrote:
I have been trying to think of something like that for our trailer....but we use or had a anode rod...is there anything, someone has thought of for the same type of result? Tired of all the water all over the inside of the water heater and slowly rusting the pan/tray.

I have a Suburban WH and if the annode will fit inside the correct size pipe and fittings with enough clearance I was thinking about using threaded steel fittings and installing a nipple into one end of a tee then threading the other end of the nipple into the water heater drain hole. Then install my drain fittings valve and hose into the side branch of the tee. The anode plug can then be reinserted through the opposite end of the tee and left in place when draining the tank. I would still remove the annode yearly to inspect it for replacement. I haven't remembered yet to take an anode plug with me when I go to the hardware store to check for clearance.

[Lantley]

While camping at Killens Pond State Park in Delaware I found a portable ice maker on clearance at the Dover target. I have been interested in getting an ice maker, but I couldn't justify the cost. Target had an Emerson unit for $69.00 on clearance. The unit was new in the box. I could not pass up the deal. I installed an outlet and shelf for the new unit. I tried it out last week and it worked well. Hopefully it will keep me from purchasing ice at the campground, or from nearby convenience stores.
The bottom cabinet in the photos contains the water heater and converter. The doors are essentially dummy doors and are used for service only. The red stickers state these cabinets are not for storage. The shelf is removable to allow the slide to come in. Clearance is tight when the slide closes, but the slide can squeeze by. I usually keep my coolers in this area, so I can just dump ice into coolers when it is ready.

[cheezy26_81]

martipr wrote:

Loopy wrote:

MarionMedic wrote:
You can NOT use anything but the plastic/nylon "plugs" in my heater.

it doesn't use an ANODE ROD either.

I might re-do the setup at a later date.
I have the original plug I can use if it doesn't work.

I might get a braided nose this spring, but for now I'm trying this setup.
It's an "experiment" as are ALL mods that aren't "store bought".

Looks like the same water heater I have in my Jayco (Atwood 6 gallon DSI) in which I use a brass fitting to adapt to the braided stainless steel.

There's no reason you can't use brass in the threads on the water heater.

Almost any kind of metal fitting in the aluminum tank is prone to seizing, likely to the point that the tank will be ruined trying to remove the fitting. Be safe and use nylon fittings.

if the above is true then why is the pressure relief valve made of brass and not nylon?

[martipr]

Loopy wrote:

MarionMedic wrote:
You can NOT use anything but the plastic/nylon "plugs" in my heater.

it doesn't use an ANODE ROD either.

I might re-do the setup at a later date.
I have the original plug I can use if it doesn't work.

I might get a braided nose this spring, but for now I'm trying this setup.
It's an "experiment" as are ALL mods that aren't "store bought".

Looks like the same water heater I have in my Jayco (Atwood 6 gallon DSI) in which I use a brass fitting to adapt to the braided stainless steel.

There's no reason you can't use brass in the threads on the water heater.

Almost any kind of metal fitting in the aluminum tank is prone to seizing, likely to the point that the tank will be ruined trying to remove the fitting. Be safe and use nylon fittings.

[MarionMedic]

My "invention" worked like a charm this weekend.

The water in the tube never got much over "warm".

[LarryJM]

Loopy wrote:

MarionMedic wrote:
You can NOT use anything but the plastic/nylon "plugs" in my heater.

it doesn't use an ANODE ROD either.

I might re-do the setup at a later date.
I have the original plug I can use if it doesn't work.

I might get a braided nose this spring, but for now I'm trying this setup.
It's an "experiment" as are ALL mods that aren't "store bought".

Looks like the same water heater I have in my Jayco (Atwood 6 gallon DSI) in which I use a brass fitting to adapt to the braided stainless steel.

There's no reason you can't use brass in the threads on the water heater.

I'm no metallurgist but it looks like brass is the last thing you would want to use to protect an aluminum tank according to the galvanic table in THIS ARTICLE. My understanding of the table presented there is the farther apart the two metals are from each other the more corrosion of the material higher in the table occurs. The brass plug won't corrode, but the aluminum tank or it's lining will and very fast according to how I'm reading that chart. That's why if I'm not mistaken the steel Suburban tanks use an anode rod of Magnesium so the Magnesium corrodes before the steel does with Magnesium being the highest metal in that table. I might be wrong, but it seems that using a brass plug will shorten the life of both the lining and the aluminum tank itself with the Atwood WH.

Also, note that Zinc which is another popular sacrificial element used in cooling and marine systems is just below magnesium.

I chose to try and stick to a non metallic fitting for the actual drain fitting.

I'm also a little more than anal in trying the best I can to use the best rated material when doing mods such as paying over $6/ft for food grade silicon hose when redoing my low point drains.

Larry