The factory can only do so much...

Wall Removal

We had the factory remove the wall that separated the master bedroom from the main part of the trailer because it cuts off the openness of the trailer.  They're gone now and replaced with accordion doors.  What a difference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bike Door

The second thing we asked the factory to do was to install a bike door.  The competitors all offer this and to be honest, it was a show stopper for us.  It was to have been offered and even shows on our brochure but Starcraft in a lapse of judgment decided not to offer it.  However they were kind enough to put one on for us and we love it!

This is the open door, ready for loading bikes.  Also shown is a handle I added to make it easier to pull the bunk back down.

We bought the Barker 3000 jack.  Great to have!  It was a simple install but the hole had to be enlarged ever so slightly once the manual jack was removed.  And electric drill with a small grinder attachment took care of that.  When we're at home and the trailer's parked, we originally just tossed a white plastic bucket over top to protect the power head from the elements. Now for a cover we a bag that came with an outboard motor cover I bought to cover the Hensley Arrow.

  BAL Deluxe Wheel Chock

One each side.  They provide a degree of theft security, can't be easily moved by pranksters and hold the trailer really well.  These are half the price in the US as compared to here in Ottawa.  Ouch.

We knew the 30 gallon gray tank would fill too quickly since with the popup we'd fill our 7 gallon Aquatainers three and a half times over a weekend, on average, for a total of about 24 gallons before running a shower. This solution allows us the option of draining the shower water separately.

If in an area where we can't use this system we can drain from the shower into Aquatainers directly or we can let the shower go into the gray water tank and then from there dump into Aquatainers as needed.

Here the kick plate is open to expose the shower drain pipe.   Drilled thru the floor, installed a T after measuring many times.

 

 

Close-up of the T.      

 This is the fitting on the outside, in the capped position.  The drain is just near the dump valves and the dump valve light.
The drain is just near the dump values, and the light.                

 

  

 

This is the attachment for the drain hose. 

 

This is the 20' 1.5" sump pump hose in place. 

 

This is the interior back in original form.

 

 

 

External Gray Water/Black Water Collection

This attachment lets us continue to use our sequential gray water collection system from the popup, as a way to offload black or gray water if needed. This gives us, for example a total of 40 US gallons of gray water.

Propane BBQ Hose

We declined the RVQ for this trailer.  I didn't want a flaming, smoking BBQ hung on the side of the trailer!  So we spent half the cost of an RVQ on a PortaChef (by Broil King) BBQ.  Then we had this 20' hose made that utilizes the trailer's gas quick disconnect located on the side of the trailer.  It outputs at 1 PSI, exactly what the PortaChef requires.  We can easily move the BBQ around and now there's no need to carry little green 1 lb propane bottles, which are expensive and not recyclable nor do we need to carry our 5lb BBQ tank.  The PortaChef was subsequently replaced by a Weber BabyQ.

 

Slide Safety Bars - Remember to Remove!

I just know we'll try to push the slide out with the safety bars in place.  These ribbons should help remind us to remove the bars first!

Switch Labels 

We're always hitting the wrong switch, so this helps.

Outside Shelf

The bracket to hang the optional RVQ was begging to be used.  So I built a shelf. Great for keeping bug junk, sunscreen, etc.

Shelving

We needed more shelving space for the kids, so we put shelves in the main wardrobe and the rear wardrobe.

Skylight Cover

When the sun comes up it blasts thru the skylight and feels like someone turned on a spotlight.  So with a bit of velcro and some Reflectix the problem is solved!

MaxxAir Vents

We installed two MaxxAir vent covers to maximize ventilation.  We got them for a steal in Michigan (about half the local price).  The front is a TurboMaxx 1200T and the rear is a FanMate, since the bathroom vent is already powered.  This allows us to leave the vents open almost all year 'round, standing still or towing.  The TurboMaxx is very effective.

New Steps and Reflective Tape

The trailer came with a single step but we found it was too high in most situations.  I built a second step but it turned out to be too awkward so I had the dealer install a new set of double steps.  And for extra security because they stick out a bit, I added yellow retro-reflective tape. 

The GeoPole Flagpole (version 1)

 I'd been wanting to fly the flag, but conveniently.  Buying a flagpole just seemed too expensive for what you get.  So I bought some 2" PVC electrical conduit in a 10' length, then cut it in two and installed a threaded adapter to re-connect the two parts.  It stows easily in the trailer's front trunk for transport.  I capped one end as well, all with PVC.  I installed eye-hooks, painted it with some acrylic enamel spray paint that adheres to PVC all for about $20.  

To mount it I clamped a 12" piece of 1.5" ABS pipe to the tongue, using a piece of metal inside a piece of vinyl tube to protect the tongue.  Pipe clamps pull the two parts together.  

 To make the whole thing adjustable I found a piece of metal fence post slides nicely inside both the PVC and ABS.  So I drilled holes thru the fence post about 1' apart, and one in the base of the flag pole.  This lets me adjust the height of the flagpole.

The GeoPole Flagpole (version 2)

It's now on the rear bumper, to clean up the apparatus from the tongue.  The mounting sleeve is hidden behind the spare tire but otherwise the setup is the same as it was on the tongue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storm Door

In the nice weather we can leave the main door open and just have the screen door in place.  But when it's too hot or too cold and we're running the air conditioner or the heating system the main door needs to be closed.  But we don't like it closed!  So I bought some velcro and had some acrylic custom cut.  This allows us to leave the main door open in any weather, yet they're easy to remove as needed.  I later added mirror clips to the bottom of each to help better support the weight.

                                 Notice the reflection!                         

Flojet Macerator Waste Pump 

We want to be able to dump our tanks at home if there's a lineup at the dump station or rinse them at home when it's convenient.  We bought a Flojet Macerator Waste Pump for this task.  It runs off 12V and will macerate and pump the contents of the black and gray tanks quite a long way, up to 50' through a 3/4" hose but I've heard of people going double that distance. 

First, where do you run the poop hose?  Luckily there was a pre-existing 3" hole in the back wall of the garage that had been sealed up many years ago.  Perfect!  I ran 1.5" ABS piping through the garage wall, along the workshop ceiling, then T-d into an existing line, between two P-traps.  The system is sealed so there's no odour.  In the winter I can remove the connection in the garage.

To power the Poop Cannon it was necessary to locate a 20A line in the vicinity of the dump valves.  Of course the pump came with 6' of power cable and I needed about 4' more, so I had to solder in another piece.  I ran the line across the underside of the trailer and spliced it in to the power line that runs up to the converter (it was fun soldering upside down) and taped it up really well. 

The first time I ran it I dumped what little remained in the black and gray tanks and then backfilled both.  After two backfills of the black tank all sensors started behaving normally.  I think I'm going to like this device.

Backup Lights

Well backing up a big trailer is interesting any time, let alone backing up at night.  I added lights to tell people when I'm backing up and to help us get onto sites at night.  These are 55W fog lamps that I paid a whopping $12 for a Princess Auto.  They're really bright.  I ran a line to the front of the trailer and into the centre pin of the Bargmann connector.  I then wired the reverse lights of the truck into the centre pin of the truck's Bargman as well.

The lights themselves, as you can see, are low profile and are tucked nicely out of the way so they shouldn't get damaged. 

Bumper Interior Liner

Our stinky slinky was getting pretty beat up there inside the back bumper.  So I bought a length of rubber baseboard and cut it to fit and shoved it inside the bumper.  I GOOPed it down at the outer edge.  This should stop the slinky from getting torn apart in there.  Time will tell. 

Outside Shower Hanger

In order to make the outside shower useful as a real shower I added a hanger to the outside of the trailer for hanging the shower head.

 

Trailer Parking Pad

My neighbour and I built a parking pad between our houses for parking our two trailers.  It took 16 tons of 7/8" Granular "A" crushed stone and quite a few hours of labour.  The result was a great way to store both trailers between our houses.

 

Here is a picture of our trailer parked on the pad.  Believe it or not, this picture was taken deep in what was supposed to have been an Ottawa winter:  January 7, 2007!

This maple tree presents a bit of a challenge, so I have to watch the roof of the trailer, come in at an angle on my blind side, depending 100% on the spotter.  When the trailer is parked here we can open the slide and it extends behind the chimney and also clears the house's air conditioner. 

For winter storage I get the trailer about 6" from the house. Not quite so close the rest of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tire Covers

I bought these tire covers on-line for about $20 US.  They're lightweight canvas to keep the sun off the rubber; they dry quickly (not that they get very wet).  They have a flexible rod sewn in to the back of them so that they hold on the tire firmly at the back.  Note the tires are parked on wood, not cement.

Hensley Arrow Hitch Cover

I wanted one of the Hensley Arrow vinyl hitch covers but they're ridiculously overpriced.  I was going to use a BBQ cover like some, but instead found a waterproof outboard motor cover for $7.49 at Princess Auto.  I'll continue to cover the Hensley Arrow with a Rubbermaid plastic box for winter. 

iRobot

Ya know, after a weekend of hard camping, it's nice if someone else cleans out the trailer.  This can't do it all but it's sure a nice treat to get the floors vacuumed by the robot!

  

New Cabinet Door

I had a spare cabinet door lying around so I had a mirror made for it and then installed it over the dinette space where a TV is supposed to go, but never will.  Now the mess is hidden by this nice, finished look!

 

Permanent Rope Lights

I got tired of the chore of hanging rope lights from the awning.  The solution, borrowed from Fiddy, was to stick a channel to the trailer and leave them attached permanently.  They work with or without the awning deployed, look neat and light the space up nicely.  Yes, the rope lights stay there while driving.

 

Roasting Stick Holder

A quickie mod, made from some plumping pipe I had lying around.  Still looking for a permanent attachment point for this, but for now it keeps them organized.

 

 

Silencing the ShurFlo Pump

I inserted a 4' loop of soft, 1/2" tubing on each side of the pump, installed four rubber washers under each pump attachment point, tied down vibrating lines with zip ties, and lined the compartment with some Reflectix I had lying around, then put foam weather stripping on the door.   The pump is remarkably quieter.

 

Hi-Def LCD Television and Mount, Compact DVD Player w HDMI

We bought a 19" Dynex television (the Best Buy brand) in Indianapolis.  It has an ASTC tuner so pulls in over-the-air digital and hi-def TV, widely available in the US and coming to Canada in a couple of years.  Getting tired of television

 management, we decided to permanently attach it to the trailer.  I bought this mount at Lee Valley for about $55 (way cheaper than anywhere else), and it extends 22".  So it comes out over the master bed, plus can swing around to it's 

viewable from the couch or dinette or anywhere else in the trailer for that matter.  I bought an el cheapo RCA compact DVD player with an HDMI input to minimize the number of cables, then wrapped all the cables in loom, for a neat appearance, and cut the size of the shelf to match the size of the DVD player.  

 

GeoView Hitching Mirror

I took advantage of replacing a broken mirror on my Dad's Sienna and thereby acquiring the broken mirror, to make a mirror for hitching up solo.  I'd like a wireless camera system but the one I like is more than $200US and this one I 

made was, well, free.  And it's wireless too...  

 

To the right is the permanent base that I use to mount the GeoView.  The GeoView itself is fabricated from 1.5" ABS, 1" PVC and, of course, said mirror. 

I use a 1.5" to 1.5" coupling to attach the GeoView to the GeoPole base.  To the left you can see the GeoView mounted to the GeoPole base.

 

This is the mirror (in case you couldn't tell...).  I had to tear apart the base of the mirror to get a couple of screws through the mirror base and into the PVC pipe.  

 

 

To the left you can see the back of the GeoView.  The PVC is inserted in a hole in the ABS so that the mirror can be rotated up and down.

 

 

To the right is the whole shebang. The GeoView can be turned left or right on the base.  And when not in use, just pop it off and toss it in the back of the truck and Bob's your uncle.

 

Axle Flip

After four years of the ultra-light trailer "low rider" look, we got tired of scraping the rear stabilizers and tearing up the lawn when pulling off the parking pad at home, and scraping the odd campground road and gas station parking lot.  So we had the axles flipped and gained 4.25 inches of height.  Pictures of the trailer to come.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the stinger for the Hensley Arrow.  I needed to go from a six-inch (6") drop to a two-inch (2") drop.  I didn't plan far enough ahead so couldn't come up with a trade with anyone, and Hensley wants $203US plus $50 shipping, on top of which there would be any charges to do with cross-border shipping, the exchange rate, yada yada yada.  So the shop that flipped my axles tore apart my stinger and made it a 2" drop.

I again painted the tip orange for two purposes.  One, to alert people walking or driving behind the truck to the presence of this major protrusion, and to make it more easy to watch when hitching up with the GeoView Hitching Mirror.