What do you consider to be your "Most Valuable" trailer mod?

ScottG

Not as flashy as a pimped-up poop pipe, but without a doubt my battery cutoff is by far the most valuable. It's not a mod for newer units, but before these were standard equipment the T@B's significant phantom drain killed many a newbie's first battery!



A close second (and also no longer relevant): bed slats...

duckblind123

Ratkity said:

The on/off LED switch for the Jensen stereo and fixing a speaker that was cutting in and out at the same time (loose connector next to the Jensen. Adding the spare tire mount (mine got put on the Yakima rack). Heater vents (2015 didn't have those on the back shelf) and finally, the digital Alde panel (now standard).

One of my speakers (passenger side) has started cutting in/out. I've had the T@B just over a year, so the warranty is now over. I am fairly handy with electronics (when I can get access to the component wiring). Just curious how you gained access to the rear of your Jensen stereo? Or access to the rear of the speakers?

SnapDog

@duckblind123  - the speaker covers come off by turning counter clockwise, then two screws to remove the speaker. The Jensen has four screws, one each corner at the front. At least this is how it works for our 2017 Outback.

Dalehelman

A close second

foxden

@Dalehelman where did you get those baskets?  Did you have to modify them?  And how are they attached?

Dalehelman

Purchased plastic baskets at Hobby Lobby cut them in half. Mounted per pictures.

duckblind123

One of my speakers (passenger side) has started cutting in/out. I've had the T@B just over a year, so the warranty is now over. I am fairly handy with electronics (when I can get access to the component wiring). Just curious how you gained access to the rear of your Jensen stereo? Or access to the rear of the speakers?

duckblind123

SnapDog said:

@duckblind123  - the speaker covers come off by turning counter clockwise, then two screws to remove the speaker. The Jensen has four screws, one each corner at the front. At least this is how it works for our 2017 Outback.

Thanks! Speaker cover came off just as you mentioned. I'll plan the wire tracking this next weekend as no trips are scheduled. Thanks again!

tabienola

Pros and cons of drilling a new side a/c exhaust vs enlarging the unused battery fume vent, yes the battery has been removed. 

Dptrit

rfuss928 said:

I think it is the tongue box.  The DM clamshell did not come with the plastic propane bottle cover included on other models because of lack of space on the tongue.  Careful measurements and selection of available boxes let me add a completely closed container on the front of the trailer. 

In this box I carry:
10# and 5# LPG bottles and regulator
BAL Leveler
30A - 30ft electrical cord
30ft hose
4 wheel chocks
4 stabilizer pads
Hitch lock
Power drill and socket extension for stabilizers
Rubber mallet
Misc. electrical adapters
Charcoal lighter
Trailer hitch alignment aids
A few other small items
And it holds my spare tire mount!

I can completely set up and connect when I get to my campsite without ever opening the trailer.





Probably a very close second is the solar panels on the roof.  I have had virtually no battery charge issues since the installation and they require no attention.  They are always on and maintaining the batteries regardless of when or where we are.

 




Have fun!
Bob

Fruss928 -Bob, do you know what your tongue weight is with that Tongue box addition? It looks/works great but I have a 200lb tongue weight limit. Nice work!

Lesley_and_Ian

rfuss928, those solar panels look wonderful. Can you give us some info about them:  price, supplier and if you installed yourself.  Thank you.

jason330i

For me, my most valuable mod is a three way tie:

Bike rack installation

Sewer hose carrier installation

Combining black and gray valves

Runtarooti

@rfuss928 that tongue box is awesome........everything you need for set up right there Great set up!

dsatwork

Dalehelman said:

Without a doubt.

@Dalehelman Can the grey water valve be mounted so that it pulls from the side opposed to pulling it up?

Dalehelman

dsatwork said:

Dalehelman said:

Without a doubt.

@Dalehelman Can the grey water valve be mounted so that it pulls from the side opposed to pulling it up?

Yes no problem.

rfuss928

Lesley_and_Ian said:

rfuss928, those solar panels look wonderful. Can you give us some info about them:  price, supplier and if you installed yourself.  Thank you.

The solar panels are UniSolar ePVL-68. 
The company went out of business in 2012
Occasionally some NOS come up for sale.

There is a brief photographic description of the installation on the Yahoo T@B forum:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/tabtrailers/photos/albums/2085694046

rfuss928

Dptrit said:

Bob, do you know what your tongue weight is with that Tongue box addition? It looks/works great but I have a 200lb tongue weight limit. Nice work!

I added about 80# at the box location including the spare tire compared to the stock steel LPG tank alone.   This results in about 50# additional at the hitch ball.
Tongue weight is greatly effected by how you load your trailer.
The tongue weight stated for your trailer is measured with the trailer empty, as delivered.  It is very unlikely to be the same with full tanks, equipped kitchen and all the rest of your stuff on board.
If your TV is near its limit you should check your tongue weight just before you hook up to head out.  Items can be moved forward or back to shift the weight. Generally, 10-20% of the total trailer weight is recommended for towing stability.

Luckyj

Ratkity said:

The on/off LED switch for the Jensen stereo and fixing a speaker that was cutting in and out at the same time (loose connector next to the Jensen. Adding the spare tire mount (mine got put on the Yakima rack). Heater vents (2015 didn't have those on the back shelf) and finally, the digital Alde panel (now standard).

Ok, this I need to know.

do you kill the complet unit or just the led light?  And if only the led light, how did you do it??

this is one of the only negative of our t@g.

thank you in advance!

Ratkity

The LED is only on when the unit is on. It turns off when the unit turned off. Turning off the unit also resets the time, but I have a regular clock on the wall. The switch easy to install - just two wires. A regular on/off switch without LED is just fine because you can tell if the unit is off since the lit front is blanked out.

There are 4 screws in the corner. They are the larger square head (name for them escapes me). Figure out where you are to put the switch. Drill hole (size is on switch directions). With the LED switch, you'll tap into the ground wire (labeled on Jensen) and you'll have to cut the power wire (labeled on Jensen), putting male flat connectors on either end of the power line. Make sure you leave enough wire to pull through the switch hole. The switch just pops into the hole you drilled. Careful of the veneer splintering when you drill the hole. I think using painters tape over the area will help prevent it (Verna, is that true?). With a simple switch, you just cut the power wire, add the male connectors to the switch and pop into the switch hole you made. Much easier to install.

Don't forget to screw the Jensen unit back with the 4 screws LOL. 

Luckyj

Dptrit said:

rfuss928 said:

I think it is the tongue box.  The DM clamshell did not come with the plastic propane bottle cover included on other models because of lack of space on the tongue.  Careful measurements and selection of available boxes let me add a completely closed container on the front of the trailer. 

In this box I carry:
10# and 5# LPG bottles and regulator
BAL Leveler
30A - 30ft electrical cord
30ft hose
4 wheel chocks
4 stabilizer pads
Hitch lock
Power drill and socket extension for stabilizers
Rubber mallet
Misc. electrical adapters
Charcoal lighter
Trailer hitch alignment aids
A few other small items
And it holds my spare tire mount!

I can completely set up and connect when I get to my campsite without ever opening the trailer.





Probably a very close second is the solar panels on the roof.  I have had virtually no battery charge issues since the installation and they require no attention.  They are always on and maintaining the batteries regardless of when or where we are.

 




Have fun!
Bob

Fruss928 -Bob, do you know what your tongue weight is with that Tongue box addition? It looks/works great but I have a 200lb tongue weight limit. Nice work!

This is very nice, thinking about changing the box on my T@b outback for a more square type one.  But it was my understanding that propane container could not be kept in a close container, more specificaly on a RV.

but I could be wrong.  Would be worth a little search.

is so. Box could be kept, but with some opening.

Ratkity

I put a diamond box on my tab and knew the same thing about venting. Propane needed venting as well as the battery. Even though there was a lock for it, it remained unlocked as per regulations. I cut a hole in the back of the box almost as wide as the original bin. I used decorative grating to make sure nothing escaped out the hole on either side. One caveat about putting a big hole in the back of a diamond box with a hydraulic support.... a vertical support needs to be added to the center of the hole. It wasn't a big deal to do it. In the end it looked good

ericnliz

@dsatwork, When @Dalehelman did mine, he mounted the handle for the gray valve pointing towards the front on the trailer. Works great! Best mod yet to date!

rfuss928

Luckyj said:

This is very nice, thinking about changing the box on my T@b outback for a more square type one.  But it was my understanding that propane container could not be kept in a close container, more specificaly on a RV.

but I could be wrong.  Would be worth a little search.

is so. Box could be kept, but with some opening.

I installed "soffit vents" in an upper and lower corner of the back of the box.

Lesley_and_Ian

rfuss928, love your map.  California has wonderful camping.  Hope you can get there some time.  We are newbies, 11 nights out and 1500 miles and we love it!! 
Thank you for info on your solar panels.  Pity they are no longer made, such a good idea.

jason330i

dsatwork said:

Dalehelman said:

Without a doubt.

@Dalehelman Can the grey water valve be mounted so that it pulls from the side opposed to pulling it up?

I actually had the gray valve mounted up the first time I did my mod. It was really close to the tub.

The second time I did my mod, I changed it to pull from the front. And like it better.

BTW, I did this twice because I glued before planning ahead. doh!

dsatwork

@Luckyj I have AGM batteries inside mine diamond plate box, so I didn't have to worry about venting for the battery. I cut 6 2" holes spaced across the bottom of the tank so the propain has a way to escape. I also drilled a 1/2" hole in the center of the box for drainage. I also drilled a 2" hole in the middle of the back to run the propane hose and battery wires from the cutoff switch to the junction box on the trailer. 



Tongue Box Complete with Spare Tire and LowPro Generator locking platform

Fully stocked tongue box

/tongue box with gen mounted and hose storage

Tongue box holes for propane venting holes have protective 

Edge Trim Black Small, 1/8" Fits Edge 

blackc2004

dsatwork said:

@Luckyj I have AGM batteries inside mine diamond plate box, so I didn't have to worry about venting for the battery. I cut 6 2" holes spaced across the bottom of the tank so the propain has a way to escape. I also drilled a 1/2" hole in the center of the box for drainage. I also drilled a 2" hole in the middle of the back to run the propane hose and battery wires from the cutoff switch to the junction box on the trailer. 

Do you have a link to where you got your box?! Very nice! 

Do you have grommets in the wholes where the wires are running?

dsatwork

@blackc2004Do you have a link to where you got your box?! Very nice!  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lund-36-in-Aluminum-Flush-Mount-Truck-Tool-Box-9436T/100592776
Do you have grommets in the wholes where the wires are running?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KG9BAY0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Roamey

Switch to shut radio completely off when
 on battery. 


Wiring behind radio. Not much there because I don't have the entertainment center. 


Switch spliced in with twist caps. 


Push button switch in adjacent cupboard. 


Radio on. 


Radio off, almost. 


Radio off off. 

Dalehelman

Roamey said:

Switch to shut radio completely off when
 on battery. 


Wiring behind radio. Not much there because I don't have the entertainment center. 


Switch spliced in with twist caps. 


Push button switch in adjacent cupboard. 


Radio on. 


Radio off, almost. 


Radio off off. 

Doesn't the + and - switches to the left of clock readout adjust the brightness including turning it completely black?