So what did you do to your Truck Camper today?

[Mello_Mike]

I saw these threads in some of the other Open Roads RV Forums, but didn't see one for TCs.

I'll start...

I installed Interior LED puck lights and a 12v power outlet.

[WVbassmistress]

Rbertalotto,
Very nice!!!

[Rbertalotto]

I did something I've wanted to do for a long time. Change the dinette around.

The table top , that also doubles as the platform for the lower bed, is large and give you very little room when seated at the ends.

So I made a round tabletop which worked well.



But I usually camp alone and at the most, two folks so no one was ever going to be seated behind the table.
And I still had to carry the other, rectangular tabletop to convert the lower bed.

I decided to simply turn the rectangular table top 90 degrees.
I removed the wall cushion and cut 17" out of the middle and mounted a piece of aluminum angle iron to the wall with a strip of Velcro on top.



Moved the pedestal base on the bottom of the tabletop and added another strip of Velcro to the edge



What a HUGE difference! The distance of seating to table is now perfect for eating or using the computer and I have much more table space than the round top. And one less thing to carry with me.

[Big_Rig1]

I replaced the non-digital thermostat that came with my camper with a digital one. It is a heat only one with a fan switch. Previously if I was hooked up to shore power & was heating with an electric heater, the basement circulating fan would not run & the basement could get cold or freeze. Problem solved with this thermostat. Now if I am camping in freezing weather with hookups, I can use the electric heater & turn the fan switch on the thermostat to "ON" and the basement fan turns on to circulate warm air into the basement without turning on the propane furnace. An added bonus is the digital readout on the thermostat is much easier to read & set than the old slide adjustment.
Many thanks to Scott (Zmann) on the Lance Owners web site for all his help.

Big Rig

[WVbassmistress]

Gave it a wash job and cleaned out the inside in preparation to sell it.
Need to do a few little things like repair a tear in the screen.

Recently had air-bags and the Big Ol' Torklift Superhitch installed. Now I feel like a big boy truck.

[deltabravo]

For those that may not know or recognize the difference between clay and butyl tape:

Butyl tapes is very stretchy.
Clay tape will just basically break when you pull on it.

I was doing a roof vent install today and it took me a good 30 minutes of looking before I found my roll of butyl tape.

Reddog1 wrote:
If you re-caulk your window/s, make sure you use the butyl tape, not the clay type.

[WNYBob]

I got the new "city water" connections and the new hot water tank installed. Replaced a leaking plastic pipe nipple with a brass one and everything is working and dry! We are now planning a trip to a train show in Columbus, OH next month.

[cdbinns]

The camper and truck both got a bath and a wax job. We also de-winterized it and sanitized the fresh water tank. We plan to head out for a night or two to make sure all systems are working before we head for Alaska in a few weeks.

[Ski_Pro_3]

Rbertalotto wrote:

Some aluminum window frames have little slots cut in them to weep water out, like condensation. I had that on an older camper. They got clogged with dirt. I couldn't see the dirt, but I took an air compressor with a rubber tipped blow tool on the end and forced air in. A bunch of crud came out and the window never leaked again.

AShh...That could be it. Will check it out! Thanks....

Looking at your photos, that's a slider window. Water gets past the fixed window and into the slider channel, where it's supposed to drain outside through those slots I mentioned. If enough dust and dirt gets in there first, it turns to mud, then hardens to block the drains.

If you can, remove the screen and the window. Screen should easily lift out, window I'm not so sure of. Then get in there and clean it all out.

Since that happened to me, I regularly clean my window tracks. I just did it yesterday in fact and they were pretty dirty. Enough so that I would bet two or three seasons without a deep clean and they would clog.

Even if the slider channel is clean, insects, like mud dobbers, will pack mud up in there.

To test before and after cleaning, try putting some water into that window channel. If it fills and drains to the outside, good. But if it fills and sits, or worse, your seat gets wet again, then you know where the leak is happening.

[Reddog1]

It is amazing how water will travel. Keep in mind, water will use the corrugations in the siding as routes to travel. Especially true it your TC is not level front to rear.

If you re-caulk your window/s, make sure you use the butyl tape, not the clay type.

[Rbertalotto]

Some aluminum window frames have little slots cut in them to weep water out, like condensation. I had that on an older camper. They got clogged with dirt. I couldn't see the dirt, but I took an air compressor with a rubber tipped blow tool on the end and forced air in. A bunch of crud came out and the window never leaked again.

AShh...That could be it. Will check it out! Thanks....

[Ski_Pro_3]

Some aluminum window frames have little slots cut in them to weep water out, like condensation. I had that on an older camper. They got clogged with dirt. I couldn't see the dirt, but I took an air compressor with a rubber tipped blow tool on the end and forced air in. A bunch of crud came out and the window never leaked again.

[Rbertalotto]

You might be right. The clay type sealant is still very pliable. It has been pouring and the area at the top of the window is dry as a bone because of the awning. Not sure how water could get in the sides or bottom of the window while being stationary. But I'll check it out thoroughly.

Thanks for the advice.

[Reddog1]

I still bet it is the window. The window is the first thing would check. It does not take much to pull it. It probably has the clay type of caulk, which gets hard and brittle over time and does not seal well. This is especially true with aluminum siding.

[Rbertalotto]

I suggest you pull the window, and re-caulk. Look closely at the old caulk, and you may see where it was leaking. I have had several TC windows leak over the years from shoddy caulking from the manufacture.

This photo was when my 1988 Bigfoot was about 18 years old.

I don't believe it is the window. My camper has an awning that shields the entire top of the window. The remainder of the window appears to be extremely well caulked.

[Rbertalotto]

IT'S RAINING! I'm sitting in my camper to see if it is going to leak again. Unfortunately the water gets inside the wall so I don't actually see any water dripping. It just starts getting wet on the wing where the dinette pads sit.

So far it appears my "sealing" job is holding up.

This weekend I'm going to have to add a 1/4" metal plate with angle iron welded to two sides to spread the weight of the forward jack stand to the side and front wall of the camper.