Its Modified!

Well its been a year since we got our TM. Used it in 6 states and pulled it 9200 miles.
Since we're retired and in Florida, as good a place as any to winter, parked the TM in the workshop and made a list.
Being a former aircraft modifcation dock chief godda have a plan when your gettin ready for some heavy duty modifing!
After spending almost 4 months in it on the road I had many ideas of my own and then seeing and reading about others here I came up with a plan. It was time to get started, besides, since the house is finally finished have to tear into something.
My plan;
Mount a blue buddy under the camper in back of the spare tire. Self explanitory if out and parked for awhile.
Install 3" spacers on the axles. A pothole and a bent tongue jack on the way home the day we bought the camper.
Check brakes and grease bearings the old fashion way, by hand. Something bout that crew chief blood in my veins.
Install brake wiring in protective conduit. A campfire horror story about going to Alaska put this one on the list.
Remove all 'wire nuts' from under the camper. After working aircraft for 34 years this didn't sit well.
Seal up all the air holes in the bottom, after a couple 26* mornings in TN, this made the list.
Install some oversized mud flaps. Living on a dirt road lead to this.
Weld 9/16" bolts in the stabilation and tongue jacks. The allen wrench in the drill was alrite but a retired marine showed me a better way!
Put in a battery cutoff switch and move the battery fuse to where it can be got to without opening the camper. A blown fuse discovered after tear down and a low ceiling in the shop kinda helped with this one.
Install a 2nd battery and a shelf in the rear storage cmpartment. When out in the woods and your new to all this a little extra never hurts. Just left 1 ouside lite on.........
Put covers over the roof vents. A good rain on one of our first caming trips, at a rally no less. I won't say that the wife even ask me, as we left, " shouldn't you close the vents?"
Put that rear hitch on so the bikes can go with us and not take up the back of the truck. Grass is usually to wet to do yoga at 6 in the morning.....

Now to the inside;
Moved the Tv shelf next to the frig. Never watch TV in bed, to many bad dreams.
Install a radio/DVD/CD player. For when your out in the woods away from civilization and just gotta watch Texas Chain Saw..........dreams or no dreams!
Install an extra electrical outlet or 2. Found out on that 26* morning in TN that a TM can handle 2 -1500 watt heaters but when the coffe pot turns on, POP!
Its bad enough gettin out of bed on a chilly morn but no coffee, that ain't happening again! Theres a difference between 'camping' and 'dry camping'.
Make some sink cutting boards. Room more room, I help in the kitchen!
Make a cover for the cooktop. She won't let me have the sink....
Make a cabinet for above the stove. Made all the ones in the house, its little.
Install a screen door 'factory style'. Rite before those 26* mornings in TN, it was really nice. But I swear theres more bugs in TN then FL.
And the last thing that I wrote about on one of my first posts was to move the dead bolt to the upper half of the door. I guess it was security thing and all the stories bout the door coming open and flapping in the breeze.
Well after a year of a little here and a little there then 2 months in the shop everything on my list is finished. Took pics of most of the projects if anyone is interested.

Next week we start 2007 by heading to Olustee Fl to see where the confederates won one!

Nice job. If you have plans for that cabinet above the sink I'd like to see them. It really looks nice. I've been dreaming about camping but it been below zero every morning for over a week so dream is about all I can do for now.

Dave

I'd like to see you other pictures too.

[tucsoncarol]

I am envious of your modifications, rooksroost. I'm afraid I'll always be half done on mine. The excuse I use is that we have to store our TM off site. Time enough to start something; never quite enough time to finish. Could you post more pictures in the Trailmanor Photo Gallery? The work looks great and all the ideas are winners.

It kept me outa trouble!
I'll have plans for cabinet after our trail run next week. Going to make one as a prize for our next rally, after that I'll make the plans pretty. Rite now there kinda sketched on a napkin!
Was rinsing the pine pollen off, and I forgot 2 things. Changed the door knob to a lever style and put a latch between the 2 door halves, like the 2007's.

Rooksroost,

I also am bothered by the wire nuts. What did you replace them with? I was thinking aircraft-type butt splices, but wonder if you have a more weather-proof answer.

Thanks,
Jon

Soldering and shrink tubing work great on wiring exposed to the elements. We used to do that on the trucks and trailers I worked on and it cut down on corrosion problems immensely. Plus the connection is a lot stronger than wire nuts or crimp connectors.

Freedom pretty well hit on the head. Working on aircraft, we used a butt splice that had heat shrink with an adhesive in it that was heat activated. That woud be the ticket, but since retiring my source kinda dried up! I found some but they are expensive! I used automotive butt splices and heat shrink.
On the brake wiring I did this then put the wiring in plastic conduit.

I envy you gentlemen with mechanical talent! Would be interested in how you did your screen door. We camp in Michigan (flies and mosquitoes) and haven't come up with a workable system. Pics would be wonderful! Thanks.

Stopped at Lake City for a couple days, got down to 19* alls well. Headed to Hanna in Jacksonville till today now at St. Aug. All has worked well!
Looks like we're going to have a good spring rally down here in Dixie, have 18 units so far and still counting.

[countrygirl]

I found the Rally info....since I live half way between St. Augustine...and Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park...I could stop by to visit...I am working on April 20...but may drop by on the 21st or 22nd.