So I am curious- Mod/Upgrade Fails?

xdr

You all are amazing people! And I am not just saying that. 
I have been following many of these threads as we wait for our new TAB 400- (which by the way we pick up THIS WEEKEND! So excited! And yes- we will send pictures!) and I have been learning a lot. 

The thread that I have really enjoyed is the one showing the new mods you have done to the TAB/TAGs. There is such fine craftsmanship with this group. 

I was raised back in the day reading Erma Bombeck books and laughing hysterically at her life because I can see myself in her. We just tend to lean towards the Erma Bombeck style, IYKWIM. I want to create perfect mods to our trailer as the years go by, but most things we attempt end up looking like somethin in those memes our kids show us with the title "Nailed It!" sarcastically written below. We never seem to get things just right....

 I'm wondering if we could have a little fun here and share some of the  "Mods that didn't quite go as planned", you know some of those "Nailed It!" mods. Are any of you willing to take a moment to share an Erma Bombeck style mod? All in good fun of course. 

xdr&mer

Dalehelman

Sure why not.

Homebodyatheart

So I was doing @Dalehelman ‘s mod to remove the crank handle and replace it with a custom bolt so I can raise and lower the tongue with my cordless drill. It’s a pretty straightforward mod- knock out the pin carefully, save it, pull out the handle, replace with bolt, reinsert pin, put the housing back on and you’re done. UNLESS you’re Becky, then all bets are off! I used a small inexpensive screwdriver to knock out the pin except it only moved it part way out before jamming into the pin and breaking off in the pin. So... I managed to get it jammed up so I could at least raise and lower the wheel, put the housing back on, sort of, and used electrical tape to secure it until I met up with Dale at Lincoln Rock last May. He had the correct tool, took maybe 5 minutes, maybe, and all was good again! And I’m very grateful, and love this mod!

VictoriaP

Homebodyatheart said:

So I was doing @Dalehelman ‘s mod to remove the crank handle and replace it with a custom bolt so I can raise and lower the tongue with my cordless drill. It’s a pretty straightforward mod- knock out the pin carefully, save it, pull out the handle, replace with bolt, reinsert pin, put the housing back on and you’re done. UNLESS you’re Becky, then all bets are off! I used a small inexpensive screwdriver to knock out the pin except it only moved it part way out before jamming into the pin and breaking off in the pin. So... I managed to get it jammed up so I could at least raise and lower the wheel, put the housing back on, sort of, and used electrical tape to secure it until I met up with Dale at Lincoln Rock last May. He had the correct tool, took maybe 5 minutes, maybe, and all was good again! And I’m very grateful, and love this mod!

And this is half of why, as badly as I need this mod, I won’t be tackling it. The other half being I can’t drill a centered hole in a bolt! LOL

pthomas745

I am not the most handy person.  Owning the trailer has inspired me to learn many new things, and I've dug in and examined the trailer's systems, bought things like a multimeter and better tools.  But there are still many skills that are over my head.  I consider You Tube to be the greatest communications advance since the printing press.  I've kept my mods simple, and for the most part they are successful.  They just don't seem to be as "pretty" and well finished off as others.  My Valterra tube on the Outback rack sags about an inch on one side, for example.  Here are pictures of the "Variable Speed Ceiling Fan Mod" and my original attempt at installing my Victron.  I managed to strap the fan wires together well enough to get the whole thing back in the roof.  After about a month of close study I managed to get the Victron monitor enclosed in a nice hobby box.   Everything works, it just isn't pretty.

Homebodyatheart

@VictoriaP if I had used the correct tool it would have been a slam dunk! But..... I didn’t

WilliamA

This is one of the best threads I've read in a long time.  Great idea!  
A little story here and a little advice:
In 2006 I got an opportunity to work for a guy that wanted to start building custom cars. His name is Neil.  I quit my work as a remodeling carpenter and we went at it full time. I worked with him until in 2016 when some physical issues forced me to retire for good. We did some amazing collaborative things and had some amazing success that took both of us by surprise.  Many of the projects we got into he purchased as uncompleted basket cases from previous owners who had spent thousands of dollars on, then abandoned, mostly because the owners had gotten in way over their heads, lost their way and couldn't bear to see the mess they had.
We quickly developed a mantra that the last 10% of the job took 90% of the work. It's a maddening, frustrating thing to have a project so close to "finished" but still looks like a homemade haybine. Neil was running 2 businesses full time, but I worked in one of his shops so we chatted often throughout the day. We talked about direction often and I still believe that the key to our success is a term I stole from a book I read about how our eyes work. That term I stole is called: "persistence of vision".  What that meant to me is how I would "visualize" each single step in a project. No matter how complex a project, or how long it took to do, I would actually go through the whole thing in my head before starting, like a race car driver visualizing each turn in a race track. Then, and this is the most important part, I would work methodically, avoiding any urge to sit back and look at the whole thing, and just tightly focus on the immediate steps over the next few hours or days. If you have a good plan and can see the steps necessary to complete it, you'll get there. Avoid looking at the whole project because it will appear overwhelming. Stay focused on your steps and you won't waste time bouncing from end to end, putzing with something that doesn't need your attention right now. It's tempting to want to go and clean up a wire run or "just hook it up quick" to see how it's working. Avoid that and focus on what's in front of you.  Stay true to what you have "visualized" and you'll get there. You can (nearly) always go back and tidy things up during that last 10% of the job. Problems will always arise, but just take the beatings one at a time and don't move on until you are satisfied with what you have done. That works for any job, big or tiny. Be true to what your mind's eye can see. You'll be surprised at how accurate it is....

And, VictoriaP,
Don't kid yourself or let anyone lie to you:
NOBODY can drill a centered hole in a bolt....
WilliamA 

Geo

@WilliamA , Some of us can visualize a project in our mind and others don't seem to have that ability (I can-wife cannot). I usually spend a significant time period preplanning a project mentally and have it fully conceptualized before beginning, minor adjustments not withstanding. Projects that don't come out properly have been known to disappear and get redone in my shop !


@xdr , great idea for a thread . . .

WilliamA

I've had more than my share of "re-do's" too. Most are minor. It's not failure. It's a part of the process.  There are many skillsets that need to be put to work. That too, is part of it. Nobody has all of them, but within reason, most can be acquired through research and practice. Of all my skillsets, the hardest to learn by far was finish bodywork. That took years to be good at. Many of us have some level of skill built in, but no one I've known gets them all. Of all the skills I possess, the most valuable to me is the ability to carefully plan. Everything else can be learned, or farmed out...
WilliamA

jrhamel

We"ve had our 2019 400 BDL since this past August. We are the second owners and have been very happy with our purchase. I've done a few mods that were simply, like adding a dish towel bars and paper towel holder. The most major mod, and most worried me, was replacing the Fantastic fan with the MaxxAir. It went great just took some time. The one mod that didn't work out had to do with panel under the 3 way fridge. For those of you with a 3 way fridge in the 400 know that the panel underneath holds the water pump and other plumbing essentials. I decided I wanted to install the Camco winterization kit because I didn't want to put antifreeze in the water tank. The kit was no problem to install, remembering to put valve back in the right position is another story. The problem in our tab was that the previous owners had an inverter installed and who ever installed put the junction box on the outside of the bed panel. Normaly this wouldn't have been an issue except when you want to take the panel off to get into the water pump area. It was too close to that panel and it made it difficult to get to the screw with a screw driver. My bright idea was to put the junction box on the inside of the bed panel, under the bed, so that the receptacle was more flush to the panel. That was no problem, just had to cut out a hole for the receptacle to fit through, and it looks much better. My next idea was to put spring loaded cabinet hinges on the panel to make it easier to get in and out of the water pump area. Sounds good right, not so easy though. The 1/2 inch ply wood that the cabinets are made of are not thick enough to attach the hinges to so I had to add pieces of wood on the inside top and bottom of the opening. Got the hinges on put the panel on closed the panel and $%^& the panel stuck out about a 1/8 on an inch from the main cabinet. Not a huge issue but for me it was to much of an eye sore. Of came the hinges and went back using the screws. At least now its easier to get the screws off because I moved the junction box. 

Sorry I don't have pictures. Didn't think to take them. 

Homebodyatheart

@WilliamA I am a visualizer, DH needs to read the manual (manuals bore me to sleep! I will read one last if I can't figure things out most of the time.) I go through the same process you describe with all sorts of projects, and didn't know that others couldn't till I had a housemate who was a linear thinker, a to b to c to d... vs my a,c,d, maybe b... She drove me nuts telling me long drawn out stories slowly in sequential order. She did have a good heart!

BTW, yes one can drill a centered hole in a bolt. Just ask @dalehelman!

DougH

I started adding solar and more batteries a few years ago... but wanted to be able to take everything out easily for later sale.  So I ended up with two battery banks, and a bunch of plugs and switches to go between modes.  A scary Frankstein electrical setup that can fry components if I forget to do something in the right order.  FAIL.  But lots of different options for moving juice around.

1. If boondocking, and I need AC, I have to plug a thick electrical cord into the empty outlet near the Alde.  It comes from the inverter.  But I MUST unplug that cord before plugging into a campground since AC power sources do not mix.
2. To run the basement heat in the winter if there's no solar, but I have campground AC, I use a 12V battery charger plugged into a camper outlet to keep the rear battery bank charged, and run the heating pads off the Victron MPPT load connections.  I wanted to track heating electrical load for just that part using the Victron app.
3. If I close Battery Switch 2, I link the rear batteries and tongue battery so I can charge all three off solar, or use the extra power through the inverter to run the air conditioner and other high draw loads.  But I must also close the stock Battery switch 1.
4. If I don't need much power I can turn off Battery switch 2, and just run a few 12V accessories off the front battery with Battery switch 1 closed.  Like the fridge for a while when going down the road.
5. The battery monitor only keeps track of juice coming from the Victron / solar and to/from the battery bank, whether in 2 or 3 battery mode.  But if on campground power and using stock converter to charge front battery, or using the standalone battery charger to top off the rear bank, the Ah remaining on the battery monitor needs to be reset to 250 or 350Ah before tracking again once off of campground power.

Dalehelman

@DougH isn’t camping suppose to simple and basic? I must admit I do like a lot home comforts though.

DougH

@Dalehelman : Wasn't for me of course... I love sleeping at 115F in the summer. I was only concerned for the safety of any fur baby we may adopt some day.  

Although, just like the "e" versions of some class B manufacturers, it'd sure would be neat if the 2025 T@B 320 had an option with 750W of solar and 1000Ah of Battleborn, with everything neatly tucked away and integrated in a single command panel and app.

VictoriaP

Homebodyatheart said:

BTW, yes one can drill a centered hole in a bolt. Just ask @dalehelman!

I’d have way more faith in my ability to do that with a drill press. Or even a vise. As it stands, since I have neither, it’s not happening. Sigh.

DenisP

I was in need of a battery monitor and while trying to justify the cost of a Vitron 712, I received a notice of brand new monitor from Renogy (saving $100).  I ordered one right away and installed in my 2018 400.  The monitor was a poor choice as it had a fatal flaw when applying a large draw (small hair dryer) it would zero out.  My beautiful installation became a liability, as when the monitor was replaced with a Victron 712, I had a smaller round gauge to fit in a larger rectangular hole. So after much frustration I ended up with a Victron battery monitor after all and a Hole to fill.

Slackers

In the process of an otherwise successful power control unit installation I strained hand ligaments.  The wire cutters I used to cut thru the 30 amp line were a bit undersized for the task.  The resulting visit to the 'doc in the box' doubled the DIY project cost.

Bayliss

My mod that didn't go as originally planned was the installation of a kill switch for the Jensen Stereo.  My intention was to install the switch in a hidden location inside the cabinet immediately to the right of the stereo head unit.  I cut out the switch opening inside the cabinet (1st photo below), installed the switch and made the electrical connections.

Everything worked and looked good, so I put the stereo back inside its compartment and flipped on the switch.  Much to my surprise, that immediately blew the 12V fuse.  What happened was that the metal (heat sink) fins on the stereo head (red arrow in second photo) came in contact with the metal electrical connection prongs on the switch.  There is very little room between the cabinet wall and the area of the metal fins when it is installed inside its compartment.  Therefore, as I pushed the stereo back into its compartment, the fins bent the switch prongs slightly and the two maintained metal-to-metal contact, causing an electrical short.

Although I ended up with a useless (though hidden) rectangular hole inside the cabinet, I solved the problem by moving the switch over to the area immediately to the left of the stereo, and under the cabinet area (third photo.)  Not a big deal, especially since the switch is not visible under the cabinet (unless you bend down and look up), but an initial fail nonetheless.  You might say it was a slight "impersistence of vision," eh @WilliamA?

ChanW

Yep! Bought the Tab over the phone, sight unseen, 6 hours away from home.

Worked for two-three days on getting the hitch, the 7-pin, and the electric brakes installed in our 'new' Tacoma.

Arrived at the dealer to find the Tab had hydraulic brakes...

(And, of course the hitch ball had the wrong drop!)

Cbusguy

Fail?

Most RVs are in a constant state of change, try it and it doesn't function as expected or creates a new problem change it or remove it.

I thought increasing the diameter of my wire from the tow vehicle to the trailer would improve the trailer battery's ability to charge.....

It sure did to the point of heating up the wiring and charging the lithium batterys at 70 amps.   

Which resulted in fully charged battery's and the need to reduce the charge rate....enter the renogy  DC to dc charger which functioned fine but required a cooling fan and had a large footprint....which resulted in a victron dc to dc charger smaller footprint and no need for a cooling fan.

Fail? Depends on perspective I suppose.   The end result is what I was after it just took a couple of detours to get there.

Sharon_is_SAM

Oh @Cbusguy!   Where does it end😂

Michigan_Mike

Great thread!  Reminds me a lot of my black tank adventures, fighting the flies and the powerful and nauseating aftermath of the explosion when the hose broke.  That was one of them quick-look-over-the-shoulder deals to see if anyone saw me.  Nothing that a good shovel and some fast digging couldn’t take care of!!!!  🤣😂🤣👍🏻

Cbusguy

@Sharon_is_SAM it doesn't and that is part of the enjoyment....

Mouseketab

My actual "mods" have not really been a fail, but I have bought things and then later discarded, or temporarily installed something, then found a better way to install it.

At first I built a step out of wood that was bulky and heavy, finally ended up with an Aluminum Safety Step.

I had a Zodi Hot Water System, the hoses, and the 20 lb tank adapter, and ended up changing that out to an Insinkerator Instant Hot Water installed permanently in my kitchen. Even when first installing the Insinkerator system, used an existing plug and extension cord to plug it in and out. Have since wired a "switched" plug, so now I can leave it plugged in under the sink, and simply turn on and off the switch.

I ran an extension cord from my under bench plug along the floor through the front bench and into the closet to get power there. I have since run real Romex from the bench plug through the air conditioner cabinet, and installed a real plug inside the front closet.

My initial attempt at LED strip lights along the Keder rail were simply stuck on, and I plugged them in at campsites. I've now learned more about 12V and have them wired into the 12V wiring.

I initally stapled a magnetic screen door to the interior of my door to have a screen. I have since bought and installed the nuCamp screen door.

My original XM Radio was a portable one that I moved from my old truck to the interior of the T@B, and ran the antenna out the window. I have since installed an AM/FM/XM/CD Player Radio receiver with a marine antenna with the antenna run through the roof and the cable coiled up appropriately out of site.

For my outside television for gameday parties, I used to run a splitter and toss a cable under the camper, I have since wired a permanent cable outlet on the door side of the camper.

My first attempt at Mickey Mouse graphics alongside the camper was sort of a fail. I "thought" I wanted 28 Mickey heads in a curvy line on each side (Mickey mouse debuted in 1928). Quickly realized that would not work, and went with the 10 heads in a straight line.

When I was redoing my countertops in the kitchen and the top of the CoolCat, I made a major booboo on my router cutting and had to redo, and I put the laminate on the wrong side of the CoolCat top. (I have laminate on both sides of the CoolCat top )

Geo

Our major fails were in attempting to find a suitable awning / shelter.  This was in the early years when the specialized awnings were not readily available ('05 - '06). tried three different ones before finding the 'Coleman' dome and now have the 'Paha Que' teardrop dome.
VERRY happy with this set-up . . .