quote:

Originally posted by ronboc:
Coach-reel:
Removing it from its base and turning it around was easy, mounting-holes worked either way. Problems arose when the pigtail was now about 2" too short (ain't that always the way?) to go back in the transfer-switch.

Ron,

Finally got my coach back from 4 weeks in the shop. I followed your lead and turned the power cord reel around today. Turned out fairly nice. Didn't need any extra pigtail, as I didn't cut it when I added the Progressive Industries EMS. Power cord now slides in and out without binding.

Click here for more details.

Hey Robin -

Looks good. Glad the cord was long enough to work for you. I mounted my Progressive Surge Protector in exactly the same place, and wiring is also routed similar.

One question - how do you keep that area so clean? I've got dirt/leaves/etc in there, as well as a ton of extra accessories like pigtails/adapters/etc. I'm jealous.

Ron

Ever have one of those once-in-a-million 'unique' brainstorm ideas, and then find out EVERYONE has already done it?

I built a computer-desk in the atrium of my PAQ, and since it slides in/out, is tough to run any cabling/wires from the coach-body to the atrium. I've been wanting to put a cellphone-antenna on the roof and run the cable to the desk, but was worried the dog would trip over it (me too!) if it came down thru the ceiling or frig-space and then along the floor over to the atrium/desk. I also looked into going in from the basement-area where the 120vac and phone-line comes in, but there was no way I could get the cable to smoothly extend and retract with the other cables, since it looked like they were installed first and then the coach built around it. I couldn't just mount it to the Atrium-sides because the sides move in/out, and couldn't mount it on the outside wall since the awning would hit it.

I finally came up with the brilliant idea of mounting the antenna to one of the awning-brackets of the atrium, and then drilling a small hole in the wall for the cable and have it come in right over the desk. Worked perfectly, and I was so proud of myself.


Tonite, however, we're parked next to another coach that, even though he doesn't have an atrium, had the exact same idea. Turns out he's a ham-radio operator and has various antennas mounted to the awning-arms of every one of the slide-outs.


I think I'm going to apply for a patent on the Mentos-candy-in-the-Coke trick. Who knows.

quote:

Originally posted by ronboc:
I finally came up with the brilliant idea of mounting the antenna to one of the awning-brackets.. Worked perfectly, and I was so proud of myself.
Tonite, however, we're parked next to another coach that... had the exact same idea.

Great minds work in tandem.

quote:

One question - how do you keep that area so clean? I've got dirt/leaves/etc in there, as well as a ton of extra accessories like pigtails/adapters/etc. I'm jealous.

Don't be jealous. The reason my power compartment is so clean is that I never get to use it. The coach is always in the shop getting fixed. (Those first-year bugs, you know.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robin_M,

Robin,
Nice job on turing around the electric reel. I guess now I need to get the Progressive EMS so when I turn mine around next week I will have a clean compartment like yours.

Ron,
Since we have the same coach I though I would let you know how I got a cat 5 wire to my desk from the Hughes Net Modem in the back of the coach. I don't like wireless. First I pushed a coat hanger up through the same hole where the 110 and 12 volt wireing enters the atrium. I then pulled the cat 5 wire back down and fed it through the tube that that the other wires run through. The wire came out in the basement bay inside the plastic cover over the raise rail. I did this with the slide open so when I close the slide the extra wire loops inside the raised rail cover. I put a cable clamps on the wire and ran it inside the basement bay.

You can release the tube from the outside wall of the slide by removing two hex head screws located just forward of the tube. The small outside tube will slide inside the larger tube in the basement.

All that said I like your idea of where to mount a Cell Phone antenna and how you brought the wire inside.

Robin's right great minds and idle hands do think and work alike. Hope to see all your changes at Wildwood in December.

quote:

Originally posted by itdave:
I guess now I need to get the Progressive EMS so when I turn mine around next week I will have a clean compartment like yours.

Dave,
What Ron doesn't know is that I cleaned the compartment while I did the job and took the picture before I put all the junk back in.

If you don't have the Progressive Industries EMS, or something like it, you really do need one. And it would be MUCH easier doing both jobs at once, anyway.

I have one word for you, Dave: "Progressive EMS". What with all the sensitive electronics we have scattered throughout these coaches, I wouldn't leave home without it (to coin a phrase). RVUpgrades is one of our sponsors and has the best prices I've found anywhere. Tell you what, I'll stop feeling bad about my dirty electric-bay if you get an EMS, ok?

Here we go again with the simultaneous ideas! I had run the CAT-5 cable like you did just before we left on this trip too, Dave! We do have wireless (so the boss can work on her laptop wherever she wants in the coach), but I felt better being able to talk to the Datastorm whenever I needed and guarantee it's going to listen to me. I wasn't quite as successful though in smoothly lacing it in that tiny slot where the other cables slide. I guess mine is built a bit different, as I wasn't able to release the big PVC tube; in fact it bound-up while trying to move it to the point I was almost ready to get out the Dremel-tool. But I finally got it working - just hope nothing does catch under there and pull out any of the other cables. Great idea!

(Did I know you had a HughesNet/Datastorm too, Dave?)


Gee, Rob, you burst my bubble about cleanliness. And sorry about the downtime at the shop. But just think of the fun when you get it back!

Well got the power reel turned around and added the new hatch that TDI provided and everything is working good. Did not pick up the Surge protector yet waiting for a Rally.

While I was thinking about things electiriacl I decided to see it there was a way of keeping the Chassis batteries charged when sitting connected to shore power for a long, 2 - 3 weeks period. On my coach I have a solar pannel that Monaco connected to the Coach batteries. While that is fine for boondocking it doesn't do anything while on shore power. So I decided to install a double pole double throw switch so I could move the solar controler output between the coach and chassis batteries. The wiring looks fine and it should work but only time will tell. I plan to connect to the solar output to chassis battery only when we are going to be parked for a more than a day and we have shore power. Lets see how it goes

quote:

Originally posted by itdave:
While I was thinking about things electiriacl I decided to see if there was a way of keeping the Chassis batteries charged when sitting connected to shore power for a long, 2 - 3 weeks period.

Hi Dave,
You need a Xantrex Echo~charge. It costs less than $100, is easy to install, and does the job just fine. Once you install one of these, you can just forget it. You won't need to switch your solar panels back and forth.


See more information and links here.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robin_M,

Ditto the Echo-Charge.

I've asked Monaco why they discontinued the parallel-charge circuit, and get a different answer each time (all of which sound plausible, however), so I remain confused too.