OUTSIDE THE COACH
The support rod for the access door for the genset gets in the way when trying to service the batteries on the driver’s side of the coach. I completely eliminated the support rod, which I didn’t trust, and now use two short nylon cords with ‘S’ hooks attached to each end. I hook one end to each windshield wiper arm and the other end hook over the lip of the access door. Now the access door is held open on each end and out of the way. I store the hook assemblies inside of the access door by screwing two ‘L’ hooks to the wood block in the center top of the door and hooking two assemblies to these ‘L’ hooks. (Ed & Betty Asbury) (#1, 06/03)
Enclosing the wire mesh compartment - Enclosing the expanded metal, screened compartment. I went to Home Depot and purchased white melamine board, which is about 3/16" thick. The melamine is waterproof and is used for shower surrounds. It is high gloss white on one side and very dense brown Amazonite (hardboard) on the other. You can choose which side to turn inward. I cut the three panels and pop-riveted them into place using a fender washer on the backside of the wire mesh. Sealed the inside perimeter with white 100% silicone caulking.
(RIK from Yahoo website) (#2, 09/03)
Adding an Air Compressor Line -I had the dealer add an air chuck to the air manifold located in the front driver side compartment so that I can add air to my tires from the unit's air tank. (Bill Kelton). --- (Jack Etter) added that he used a quick disconnect air fitting and 25 or 50 foot of hose can be attached and you can have air for all kinds of emergencies. (#2, 09/03) Use your air compressor for cleaning up your mats and awnings. I purchased an extension to clip onto my air compressor line that is about 24 inches long at Wal-Mart; it is metal and has a hand control at the handle. When cleaning up the campsite I use this to blow leaves, sand and dirt off my mats or out of my walking area. It even works great when things are wet and yucky and you need to pack up. It blows most of the water, dirt and leaves off your mats and awnings etc., so you don’t have to pack the dirt with you. (Norm & Kathi Duarte #1250) (#5, 06/04)
(Editor’s note: You can easily install the air chuck yourself. The air manifold is mounted in the front (generator) compartment on my 2005 SeeYa. Be sure to release all air pressure from the tanks before removing the plug to install the air chuck lead. You can do this by pressing the brake pedal several times. Use Teflon tape to install the threaded items.)
BBQ LP Line - I had the dealer run an LP line from the coach LP tanks to the front curbside compartment so I can BBQ utilizing my onboard LP. Eliminating the need to carry portable LP tanks which are not safe to store in an enclosed non-vented compartment. (Bill Kelton) (#2, 09/03)
Door awning "J" support - one of the screws came loose and would not re-tighten. I cut and placed a small piece of furniture repair inserts (aluminum corrugated material) in the hole and it assisted in firming up this screw. (Jim Huber) (#2, 09/03)
Crack in your Windshield? Bang! your windshield has just taken a hit. The vehicle in front of you has thrown up a stone and it’s caused a chip in the glass. Now what? It’s estimated that out of the 200 million-plus cars, trucks, buses, and RV’s cruising America’s highways, at least 20% of them have suffered this kind of damage. Together, Americans spend billions of dollars every year replacing windshields when a ‘crack repair’ will work. Generally, the repair will work if the entire crack is less than the size of a dollar bill, and you get the repair done quickly. Any dirt or foreign objects in the crack will create a problem. Repairing windshields, instead of replacing them, can be an effective remedy in about 75% of those instances. And the nice part of it is that the insurance industry fully supports the service, in most cases waiving your deductible if you opt for repair instead of replacement. The actual process of windshield repair is quite simple. Think about what a dentist does to fill a cavity in your tooth. When a windshield is broken, a gap opens up in the glass. Air gets into that gap and must be removed. Then, a very tough optically clear resin is injected into the damage, filling it up completely and chemically bonding with the glass. Ultraviolet light hardens the resin, making a permanent repair in about 30 minutes. Any certified technician worth his or her salt will guarantee the repair won’t fail for as long as you own the windshield, or will refund the money. Repair is an excellent alternative to the high cost of replacement. Consider it the next time you hear that telltale Bang! (Dave Beyerlein National Training Director Glas-Weld Systems, Inc.) (#5, 06/04)
Hate Diesel Overspill? Do you hate overspill from the diesel pump, especially when filling with the high volume dispensers in the truck islands? I greatly reduced this problem by obtaining a piece of 1/8 inch rubber sheeting (the same stuff that is installed around the engine radiator compartment) and cut it into a rectangle 8 inches. by 12 inch. Then holding it with the 8 inch edge on top, cut a hole about 2 inches from the top center of a size that will just stretch over the opening of the fill pipe (with the cap removed). By folding the centers in towards the fill opening and then folding the bottom half upwards you can just fit it into the compartment and close and lock the door. When you fill up, the rubber (since its been folded up) will form a chute out from the motor home that will catch almost all of the over spill and direct it out away from the coach. (Just don’t stand directly in front of it). Please send $1.00 to (Tony Monson) for this idea. It really works, if you get a chance, come and see how I did it. (#5, 06/04)
Electric Cord Storage: Since I don’t like to wrestle with the 50-amp service cord and have found the following method of storing the cord works well. I leave the cord attached to the Alfa and when I am ready to leave, I pull the cord back through the opening, then store it using a figure 8 pattern. This prevents kinks from getting in the cord, lets it lie flat, and lets it be used easily. (Bruce Monte) (#10, 09/05)
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