Today, late in March, I find myself at a halfway point. It’s about a month since we returned from our last trip, and about another month before we take off again.

Since we got back, I have typically (for me) immersed myself nearly seven days a week in projects that materialized “on my list” while we were traveling. Although I’m a card-carrying OCD, I’m still capable of determining that there are a few items on my list that may not be critical to complete before our next journey. Maybe one or two anyway. The rest of them – – well, I’d best get busy….

Obsessive/Compulsive aside, there are some things planned (and most now accomplished) that will enhance future travels.

Ralph’s Suspension

The very few times we got semi-stuck on the last trip, could have been avoided with a better suspension configuration under Ralph’s chassis. This job took the most time and is the least photogenic. Suffice it to say that several issues had to be addressed, not the least of which was excessive tire wear on the front.

Once the suspension was tweaked up, I could get a new set of tires, including a full-size spare tire. Of course the full-size spare didn’t fit the original spare carrier, and both the carrier and the rear frame section had to be cut, welded, and re-worked to hold the biggish 31-inch mud/snow beasty.

Ralph’s Off-Road Cargo

Ralph has a simple responsibility – get us anywhere we want to go – – – and back again. To that end, he carries some off-road essentials, which previously were scattered here and there about his person. These have been reorganized, with the weight moved toward the rear (a good thing in a pickup truck). Spare gas and water, winching hardware, shovel and pick, toolkit and the ubiquitous Hi-Lift Jack, are all at the tailgate in ready reach. Furthermore, they’re all tucked into a movable box so that the bed can be reconfigured for unforeseen cargo requirements.

Howie’s Entertainment Center

Howie (2003 Itasca Sunova) came with an antiquated glass-tube TV, which was quickly replaced with a flat-screen. That held us for a while, but it was horribly placed, centered up above the captain’s chairs and really viewable only from standing-up in the kitchen area. From anywhere else in the coach, it was a neck-straining experience. Another temporary solution was to take it off the upper console and hang it on a movable mount. This was barely acceptable because the cords had to be dragged out and across the coach to wherever the TV temporarily sat.

Finally, I gave in and did a complete overhaul of the entire setup. I gutted the original cabinet, completely re-surfaced it, added shelves, trim, power, cable routing, etc. etc. Most significantly, the TV was changed for a 32” flat screen, which of course would fit nowhere in the upper console. The solution was a pivoting mount which keeps the TV tucked up and away when not in use, but allows a quick swing-down deployment when we want to watch something. Both views are shown; retention is by quick-snap straps.

All the cabling is fully concealed, all the audio-video stuff is easily accessed, and we even got an additional top storage shelf out of the project – – it’s behind the smoke-acrylic door with the black handle. Our new big-screen is in perfect position for relaxed, comfortable viewing from the captain’s chairs. If we have company, a couple of camp chairs can be added in-between for an audience of four.

Less Intimidating Stuff

Not everything has to be the Project-from-Hell. Little things help add to life on the road. I added a pretty solid-brass bathroom mirror. Of course, the thin RV wall material had to be reinforced, so it was a bit more of a job than just putting in two screws.

I spent a half-hour online to find the perfect thin, lightweight, electronic self-illuminated bathroom scale in color and trim to match Howie’s décor. Small potatoes, sure, but a nice little mini-feature for our house-on-wheels.

There’s plenty of other stuff left to attend to. This afternoon, Karin and I will add 50% more capacity to our roof-top solar system; there’s little bits and pieces of fix-it or improve-it still on the list. It’s really pretty much all fun for me, and I have nearly as much enjoyment getting ready for a trip as making the journey itself.

One of these days, when I get that list whittled down, I’ll add more photos to the web site, for any geeks that want to see a lot of additional detail.

Hey, there might be someone.

seeya

G.