18 Months of Improvements [Now at 84 months]

Note:

1. You will find posts elsewhere in this blog for some of these, which detail the actual install and provide further insights.
2. I also have videos detailing some of these as well as treks on my YouTube Channel. Here's a link:   Link to My YouTube Channel
3. If you are a new Roadtrek owner I suggest you consider 1) A power protection device, 2) A water filter, 3) A water pressure regulator, 4) a 750/1500 Watt ceramic heater. All of the other modifications I made were based upon my actual experiences and perceived needs. You should use your actual experiences to be your guides for what you add, or purchase, to your Roadtrek.  
4. Some of the following I'd call "gadgets" and one of these days I'll post a complete list of the gadgets and useful things I've added. 
5. It is my understanding that Thetford no longer makes the Sanicon hose.  (2020). However, Home Depot sells 1-1/4" diameter flexible sump pump hose. I haven't tried it. 
   

Edited to add #15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
Added #23, 24, 25
July 2017, updated #25, added #26"The list goes on."
January 2018 added electric heater info
October 2018 added water meter.
March 2021 Added Sanicon note (item #16)

Originally posted as "18 Months of Tweaks"

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Note: These were all a consequence of our experiences during our first several treks. "Official" outdoor temperatures ranged from 9F to 103F. We completed the first 13 modification in the 18 months of purchase and the first 15,000 miles. We have added modifications #14 and so on in the months thereafter.

This is a brief list of the tweaks or additions to the Roadtrek. I thought it might be useful to list the mods to my 210P. Not that many, actually. Most of these were documented elsewhere on this blog. These are in no particular order. [I'll update this from time to time with more recent modifications.]

1. I added a 50 watt solar panel and solar charger for the AGM coach batteries. This primarily because for the first two winters it was stored in a place which doesn't have 120VAC available and I didn't want to remove the batteries for the winter. I ran the generator about every other week to supplement the solar charge and exercise the generator, weather permitting.

2. Progressive Industries hard wired power and surge protection device with readout mounted in the coach. The device was installed in an exterior compartment with 30A twist-lock connectors for easy bypass or removal. The coach readout does include a bypass select, current, Hz, volts, fault and previous fault readouts. 

Progressive Industries Power Protection Device

3. Improved backup camera - color with transmitter/receiver (no front to back wiring required). This became a necessity when the onboard radio/GPS/monitor died. With a trip about a week away I decided it was expedient to add a second "selectable on" camera and deal with the radio issue at a later time. With Roadtrek's assistance it was determined it was the Scosche intelligent bus controller. To get to it required tearing the entire dash apart. After fixing the power to the radio we decided we like the improved all-time color monitor and camera and use it in traffic situations. 

4. Internal/external temperature monitors. Simple home, battery operated system with a wireless remote mounted in rear storage compartment to monitor outside temperature. The smaller can also be used to monitor the interior temperature of the refrigerator.

Ambient and remote temperature monitor - great for refrigerator

Ambient and remote temperature monitors - the remote is in an outside compartment

5. Improved LED dimmable lighting. Added a 16 ft flexible strip the length of the coach and around the rear. Includes remote control for selection of color and intensity. Wonderful nighttime lighting improvement.

Dimmable LED light strip

6. Outside 120VAC receptacle. This is a "made to fit" heavy duty extension cord permanently routed to the coach battery compartment. When not in use it is unplugged, depowering the outside end. I plug it into the ground fault protected outlet inside the side door when I want to power it up. This became a necessity when I found that many of the 120V auxiliary receptacles at campgrounds don't work; this is because the ground fault protectors are always tripped and won't reset, even with nothing plugged in. So my extension cords for inductive cooking or outside lighting were useless. I didn't want to run them under or through an open door so this was the solution. 

7. Reflectix cut for all windows except the side entry.

8. Moveable sun sail. Usually we put this at the front of the vehicle. Significant improvement to the interior temperature when camping in full sun.

Sunshade and Reflectix

9. Supplemental Portable Electric Heat. We use a 750/1500 watt electric ceramic heater to put a load on the Onan generator. It also heats the interior when nighttime temperatures are below 50F. This allows us to become creative about energy use and is a backup for the heat pump and the propane furnace. Setting it below the thermostat of the heat pump allows for supplemental heat. It is also a great way to exercise the generator. Not really a "modification" but then, one does need a load when running the generator and this is it.

Portable 750/1500 Watt 120VAC electric heater

10. Additional supplemental electric heat. After nights down to 5F I decided I wanted a low wattage heater for the front of the Roadtrek, to help with that large glass frontal heat loss area. Even with Reflectix (R-1.0) a lot of heat is lost. I experimented with a flat panel heater in the travel trailer and it worked very well. We have a 250 watt version for the Roadtrek (about 18x23 inches and 1/2 inch thick). I also have a programmable digital thermostat because the heater only has an Off-On switch. So far this winter (2017-2018) we've avoided the circumstances in which it would be required. Caution: the surface of this type of heater panel can get HOT. Which is why we have not yet used it in the close confines of the Roadtrek Class B.

11. Front fan to distribute air in the front of the vehicle. This 12V rectangular fan with side air inlets sets in the tray above the passenger door and improves the temperature, both hot and cold, via improved air distribution. In the summer, when used with the sun sail and reflectix it makes for a much more comfortable front end of the vehicle, if parked in full sun.

12 VDC fan

12. Finger bump preventer for side door screen. Added an aluminum angle because it was too easy to push against the door to open it and bump the screen when exiting. Doing so would push the screen out of it's mounting.

13. Inductive electric burner. This is an electric appliance and is portable but it has proven to be so handy I included it here. We do a lot of cooking when on the road and when it's hot or warm, cooking outdoors is a natural. We even cook breakfast outdoors using this. [This week I made donuts at our site using a cast iron skillet - Lodge, of course!] The burner works best with cast iron skillets but I do have an iron plate for use with aluminum pans (shouldn't boil water in cast iron, or cook acidic things like tomato soup). To provide some idea of how little propane we use, we filled our propane tank this spring and use it primarily for hot water. The readout currently shows 2/3 full. But, as these readouts are known to be unreliable, we really don't know how full or empty it is.

Inductive electric cooktop with iron heat transfer device
Inductive cooktop requires iron and stainless steel pots do not work

Cast iron griddle on induction electric cooktop

Inductive electric cooktop with cast iron

14. A small propane BBQ. This is another appliance but we prefer to cook outdoors when possible. This keeps the interior humidity lower and ditto for the temperature in summer.We use small disposable (recyclable) cylinders. Not the cheapest approach and the 210P does have a rear connection for a propane appliance. But we usually cook on the exterior passenger side of the vehicle and in the shade of the awning (but not necessarily under it).

Propane BBQ

Preparing a small feast made with the propane BBQ and the induction electric cooktop with cast iron skillet

15. Hockey puck LED tap lights. These are powered by AA batteries and we purchased a pack of five and placed them in overhead compartments.

Battery powered hockey puck light

16. How could I forget? Replaced the standard Roadtrek Macerator dump hose with a Thetford Sanicon 21 ft flexible hose extension for macerator. Thetford #70424. On one of our first treks, the standard Roadtrek dump hose would not reach to the dump point. Had to start and back onto a road to dump. This was my [second] mod to the 210P. It is my understanding that Thetford no longer makes the Sanicon hose.  (2020). However, Home Depot sells 1-1/4" diameter flexible sump pump hose. I haven't tried it. 

Thetford Sanicon macerator dump hose, extends about 20 feet.

17. First thing we added was a Maxx-Air vent cover. We went with the "smoke" color and had the dealer add this the morning we picked up the 210P. Now, I gotta say that on the 210P it is ugly. But, it is really functional. We don't worry about rain, or bugs or bird nests, or forgetting to lower the Maxx Fan cover when travelling, or parked on a bluff when a nasty thunderstorm comes up. 

Maxx Fan cover

18. Added two small fans with thermostat to improve the temperature in the area behind the refrigerator. We had experienced some difficulties, most notably in TX at 100F. Sun load on that side of the vehicle was sometimes a problem.  We can't always find shade or park in the orientation we would prefer to the sun. 

Whisper fans to help cool the Refrigerator compartment

19. Dual control electric blanket. This was a really pleasant addition. We camp in 3-1/2 seasons which means down to zero degrees F. An electric blanket is superior to a sleeping bag because it adds supplemental heat beyond that generated by the occupant. I'm a long term "ground camper" and so I do know all of the alternatives. But if one wants their spouse or anyone who is not an outdoors woman (or outdoorsman) to be comfortable when the outside drops below 32F, I suggest this approach.

Marketing photo of the electric blanket - Ours has dual controls

20. I added a custom screen to the passenger side window to improve ventilation. This is attached with magnets. 

Side window screening

21. I added custom screens to the furnace outlet, hot water heater grill and the refrigerator openings. These are held in place with magnets. For the refrigerator I epoxied steel washers to the inside of the cover. The magnets adhere to the washers. The purpose of this is to prevent 'critters' of any kind from moving in. 

Covers for furnace vent

22. Last year (2014) we spent extended periods of time in areas with very hard water. I do have a water pressure regulator and a filter on the RT. However, I noticed deposits forming on the faucets and then the check valve at the city water inlet stuck in the "open" position. I purchased an "On-the-Go" portable softener and it works well. However, that's one more thing to carry!. I did clean the deposits from the check valve by removing the screen at the inlet, and then with a short piece of hose I poured vinegar directly into it and with the hose full I let it set for a day, then removed the hose and pushed the check valve in, added more vinegar and so on. I did this repeatedly and it cleaned up the valve and it works fine.

Portable water softener

23. At 36 months I replaced the coach batteries. These simply didn't provide the capacity as published. This didn't seem to be a problem as we seldom "boondocked" for more than a day off of shore power. However, in the second year we spent longer periods off power and noticed that the batteries didn't seem to provide the expected duration of power. The status LEDs would indicate "C" for charging when on shore power or solar and then "F" for full charge when running on coach battery power. I measured the voltage at the battery terminals and began comparing to a charge table for AGM batteries. The "L-F-G-C" indicator would indicate "G" or Good when the battery was at 60% DoD (depth of discharge) or lower. While AGMs can be discharged 80%, it is my understanding that repeatedly discharging below 50% will shorten the life significantly. I decided to put a better battery monitor on my list. See item 25. I measured the amperes draw and concluded the battery terminal voltage was dropping more rapidly than expected. We probably were getting about the equivalent of a 120Ah battery, and I assume the batteries were nearing end of useful life. 

Approximately 220Ah AGM batteries

24. Purchased a battery monitor with shunt. I am also considering adding a disconnect for the coach batteries, but I have concluded that would not be easily accomplished. Shortly after purchase of the Roadtrek I added a portable 50W solar panel and controller to charge these batteries. However, there are now times I store the RT and disconnecting the coach batteries is probably the best solution if I don't want to use the solar panel.  I've assembled the case for the meter, run the wiring and installed a shunt. Next will be the actual installation (July 2017).

Digital voltmeter-ammeter for coach batteries.

25. I got tired of struggling to attach the fresh water hose. It took two hands to unscrew the plastic cap to the plastic fitting inside the compartment. After some research I purchased a fitting of brass which I attached to the fresh water inlet. As a bonus it includes a ball valve. I attached a small length of hose to this, which I never remove. I can now more easily remove the longer length of hose. The photo includes "after" and "before" views, but without the short piece of hose attached.


26. Water Meter.  Helpful when filling the inside tank, which has approximately 10 gallon capacity.

Water meter for hose

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