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Old 05-21-2021, 11:00 PM   #81
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THOR #3471
How did you attach the cameras
Quote:
Originally Posted by LandKO View Post
It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted new Mods to our 30 FE, so here are a couple of recent ones.
There have never been enough electrical outlets for all of our toys such as phones, tablets, hotspot, laptops etc. I decided to mount a couple of power strips in the forward part of the cabin. One by the dinette and the other on the opposite side by the recliners.
Attachment 30701
Attachment 30702
Most of the devices plugged into the power strips are low current items so I’m not worried about popping any breakers.
The other mod is the installation of two security cameras. One monitors the entry door area and the other monitors the rear of the camper where I chain our ebikes up at night.
Attachment 30703
Attachment 30704
The cameras are battery powered Reolink Argus 2 models. They link into my hotspot and can be viewed remotely either live or by recordings caught by motion either day or night on our phones or tablets wherever we are.
The cameras are easily installed at the campground and removed for travel. The batteries are rechargeable and are supposed to last a week on a single charge.
We will see how well they work on our upcoming camping trip next week.

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Old 05-22-2021, 01:58 PM   #82
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hugh.vines@att.net View Post
How did you attach the cameras
The cameras come with two bases. One holds the camera in place using a very strong magnet.
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The other mount attaches to the camera with a threaded device.
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My original plan was to use the magnetic base for both cameras that would allow easy install and removal of the camera itself. I planned to attach the bases to the MH using 3M VHB double sided tape. However, the magnetic mount has a foam insert at the mounting surface which limits the actual metal area where tape can effectively bond to. The other mount has a metal base that offers plenty of bonding surface.
I ended up using the magnetic mount for the rear camera and attaching it with tape and a couple of screws. For the door mounted camera I used the other base and attached it with tape only. This camera can be removed fairly easy by the thumb screw that is meant for adjustment but also allows the camera to be separated from the base.
Being tall, I can reach the rear camera by standing on the first rung of the ladder attached to the back and the door camera by standing on the first step of the entry door.
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Old 06-10-2021, 07:34 PM   #83
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AC airflow improvement

I wanted to try to improve the air conditioning air flow coming out of the ceiling vents in my 30FE.
I’d seen several positive post about a product produced by RV AirFlow Systems https://rvairflow.com/ . This product smooths out the airflow so it Is directed into the RV’s air ducts more efficiently thus making the flow much stronger. However when I researched the product further, I discovered that it was not compatible with my RV. The plenum depth on my unit was about an inch shorter than their minimum requirement.
I discovered a YouTube video https://youtu.be/3Vhv_b-1zAk on the IRV2 website where they made their own modification that mimics the results of the RV Airflow product. However, their modification was also for the increased depth plenum.
I decided to use some of their ideas, modified to fit my conditions.
What this modification does is redirect the air coming down from the “squirrel cage” fan to flow directly into the RV ducting.
I purchased 1” thick project foam board and 3M aluminum duct tape from Lowe’s to perform my modification. Here are a few photos that show what I did.
I made wedges that went from the edge of the duct coming down from the roof unit to the top edge of the ducting that supplies the vents in the ceiling.
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I then wrapped everything in aluminum duct tape so there are no gaps where air can escape.
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Next was to build a “teepee” to install directly beneath the air duct coming down from the roof unit. The purpose of this was to evenly as possible, split the air coming down from the main duct coming down from the roof unit.
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I had to make sure that the space where the air would be flowing was equal to or greater than the opening of the duct in in the ceiling.
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I made sure all gaps and joints were taped and reinstalled the pan that previously directed air to the vents at each end of the plenum cover as these vents can no longer be used. I taped all the edges to make sure that no air could escape through minor gaps and reinstalled the cover.
In posts I’ve read, it is stated that airflow increased anywhere fro 25% t0 45%.
I can’t clam a figure because I had no means of measuring air flow before or after the mod. I can say, the airflow has increased significantly.
While I was at it, I went up on the roof and cleaned the coils and taped all the joints on the metal cover underneath the shroud.
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Old 06-26-2021, 07:35 PM   #84
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Added 2nd Air Conditioner

We bit the bullet and added a second air conditioner.
Here is the link to the post.
https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f2...tml#post300595
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Old 07-11-2021, 01:42 AM   #85
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Replaced original air conditioner

I touched on this subject in a post in the maintenance and repair thread.
However, in order to keep documentation of all the Mods I have made to our 30FE, I will post here the details of this latest Mod.
The original Coleman Mach 3 on my 30FE was only 3 years old, but it's efficiency had deteriorated drastically since last summer.

I tried most of the suggestions that others had posted over the last couple of years (relocating temp probe, cleaning coils etc), but none of them helped. The major issue was, the difference in temperature between the nearest vent and the intake was only 5 - 8 degrees instead of the 15 - 20 degrees it should be.

After posting my woes on this site, i got general agreement that Freon must have leaked out of the unit over time.
We made the decision to go ahead and replace the unit.
I found a replacement online at United RV in Texas for a reasonable price and ordered it.
It arrived within a week in one piece. I say that because I was NOT impressed with their packaging for shipping.
The AC unit was sitting (not attached to) on a wooden pallet, Surrounded by cardboard and wrapped on both ends in plastic wrap. Upon unwrapping the package, I discovered one corner of the shroud was dented in.
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Fortunately, applying heat with a hair dryer on low to the dented in portion allowed it to pop back into place.
The actual replacement of the AC unit was fairly simple and took less than two hours.
I removed all the necessary parts from inside the RV (Filters, plenum, chute, mounting frame and bolts, duct divider, temp probe and the control box).
Unplugged the connector for the roof unit from the control box and the unit lifted easily off it mounting position.
With the help of my son, we tied a big rope around the unit and lowered it to the ground with the aid of an extension ladder.
Unfortunately, we were to busy at the time to take any photos.
We used the same rope (wrapped around the shipping container) and ladder to get the new unit up on the roof. While I didn't take any photos of the actual installation process, I did find this illustration that give the general idea of the process.
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I then reused and reinstalled all of the parts I had removed previously, tightened down the bolts per the manual and plugged the new roof unit connector into the control box.
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A quick note on the duct divider. When I originally started trouble shooting the cooling issue, I discovered that the duct divider had shifted and that cold air was leaking into the return air chute. I re-positioned it so it was in the proper location but that did not resolve my issue. It's something worth checking periodically if you notice a change in you AC. It tends to vibrate out of position from driving the rig. I actually used aluminum duct tape to hold it into place.
When the new unit is running, I now get up to 25 degrees in differential temperature.
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Old 08-01-2021, 05:02 PM   #86
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Latest improvement

This improvement (Mod) isn’t TO the RV, but was done FOR the RV.
Since 2015, we’ve been parking our RV (at first a TT and for the past 3 years our MH) in our backyard, on dirt. The yard was not level, so I ended up using Anderson ramps under the tires on one side. Grass would not grow under so when it rained, we had a muddy mess.
This past week, while we were on a camping thrip, I had a level concrete slab poured in the back yard where I park the MH.
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The slab is 10 ft wide by 28 ft long, 3-1/2” to 4” thick.
I can now back the MH into it’s parking spot, knowing it will be level and not have to worry about getting stuck in the mud.
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Once I can get some grass to grow around the perimeter of the slab we should not have to worry about mud anymore.
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Old 08-01-2021, 11:25 PM   #87
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Very nice! Did you also run an electric line to the pad? I’m jealous. I have to pay money to store my RV on a (usually) waterlogged gravel lot.
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Old 08-02-2021, 12:31 AM   #88
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Very nice! Did you also run an electric line to the pad? I’m jealous. I have to pay money to store my RV on a (usually) waterlogged gravel lot.
I had a 30 amp outlet installed just below my house main breaker box about 5 years ago. It’s about a 25 ft run from the MH to the outlet.
The 30 amp cable that came with MH is just long enough to reach the outlet.
In the photos I had not yet connected the cable.
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Old 08-02-2021, 12:53 AM   #89
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Sweet!!
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Old 08-05-2021, 06:50 PM   #90
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Question about your Radio upgrade

I know this was several years ago but where did you find the dashboard piece that would accommodate a larger radio? My factory Radio is garbage I would like to install one that shows a screen with out it having to come out of the radio.

Thanks
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Old 08-05-2021, 07:59 PM   #91
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I know this was several years ago but where did you find the dashboard piece that would accommodate a larger radio? My factory Radio is garbage I would like to install one that shows a screen with out it having to come out of the radio.

Thanks
Double-DIN standard is Double-DIN. Any Double-DIN radio will fit.
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Old 08-05-2021, 09:35 PM   #92
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Double-DIN standard is Double-DIN. Any Double-DIN radio will fit.
Ditto!
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Old 09-02-2021, 04:34 PM   #93
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Talking

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Bought our (used, had 1063 miles on it) 2018 Freedom Elite 30FE just about two months ago. We transitioned from a 26 ft TT. The ONLY thing I miss from the TT is the outdoor kitchen.
I knew when I bought the RV that I was going to have to do a few mods to make it like we wanted it.
First off was the bed extension. I'd prefer a King bed but can live with a Queen as long as it's long enough for my 6'3" body. The RV Queen just doesn't hack it. I had to extend the bed in my TT so I had a good starting point.
When the bedroom slide is in the stowed position, the cabinets actually touch the foot of the mattress. Fortunately, the existing mattress extended over the bed platform so there was some room for me to add a fold down extension.
Attachment 13809
Originally I bought a foam block to insert between the wall and the head of the mattress that pushed the mattress down to make it long enough for me to lay on it. But, the existing mattress proved to be uncomfortable so we decided to replace it with a more comfortable one.

After a lot of research, we had a custom mattress made by Mattress Insider in Colorado. https://www.mattressinsider.com/
Had the mattress made to our dimensions (H, W & L) and due to its length, had a hinge incorporated so it folds up out of the way in order to retract the bedroom slide.

Attachment 13810
Attachment 13811
Now when we are ready to pack up and leave, I flip up the mattress foot, fold down the bed extension and retract the slide without breaking anything. (I did put a placard by the slide switch to remind myself (and others) to fold the bed extension down.


Next was the Dinette. I don't think the designers were thinking about comfort when they designed this unit. The dinette is on the passenger's side and the back of the forward dinette bench rests solidly against the upright passenger seat in the cab. This makes it impossible to even slightly recline the passenger seat.
Attachment 13812
At first I thought about rebuilding dinette bench to allow the back to be folded down, but since that would have eliminated the storage under that seat anyway, I decided to just remove the bench entirely any use two chairs instead. I found two nice folding chairs on CW website and ordered them. They actually look like they were intended for this use. When we travel, the chairs are folded up and stowed with the ladder on the over cab bunk.
Attachment 13813


Continued in part2.
I completed the 'bed extension' hack last night on our 30FE before our trip to Disney this weekend/next week. Couldn't be happier with the way it came out. Great trick, great pictures to guide me! I appreciate what you add to the community LandKO!!
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Old 10-25-2021, 10:53 PM   #94
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@landko I just recently purchased a 2022 Thor Freedom Elite 30fe and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sharing all your mods! I've got projects lined up all winter now! I also found a few ideas that you might find useful for you RV. I'll post them subsequently in this thread.

Many Thanks

- Dennis
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Old 10-25-2021, 11:15 PM   #95
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Originally Posted by dskelton View Post
@landko I just recently purchased a 2022 Thor Freedom Elite 30fe and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you sharing all your mods! I've got projects lined up all winter now! I also found a few ideas that you might find useful for you RV. I'll post them subsequently in this thread.

Many Thanks

- Dennis
Looking forward to see what you’ve done.
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Old 04-07-2022, 04:45 AM   #96
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Well going to revive this thread since it’s been a while. I am not sure about you all but we have used our oven twice in 5 years so it has got to go. The original plan was to put more storage. But the new plan is a dishwasher. Just starting the project but here is a mock up of how it will look.

The weight for the old oven versus the dishwasher is the same. And fairly easy so far for building the cabinet out and setting up the water and waste hookups.
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Old 04-07-2022, 12:27 PM   #97
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We’ll that looks ver, very nice! We use our oven nearly every day so it wouldn’t work for us but it’s probably inspirational for others. Nice work.
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Old 04-07-2022, 09:05 PM   #98
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We’ll that looks ver, very nice! We use our oven nearly every day so it wouldn’t work for us but it’s probably inspirational for others. Nice work.
Thank you. It seems to be that way with both an oven or dishwasher. Either you use them all the time or not at all. I don’t like doing dishes especially hand washing so this was a splurge the wife was all for.
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Old 05-25-2022, 04:46 PM   #99
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What did you do with the shelf?

Quote:
Originally Posted by LandKO View Post
I finished up my latest modification yesterday.
We never liked the jackknife sofa that came with the unit. So, this year’s tax refund was earmarked for replacing it with loveseat/recliners. Searched diligently, compared and finally decided on the Recpro products. Went ahead and purchased the electric recline and glad I did.
Before:
Attachment 16485
After:
Attachment 16486

Curious.... Did you have to remove the 4 inch shelf that fit behind the old jackknife couch?
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Old 05-28-2022, 01:07 PM   #100
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Curious.... Did you have to remove the 4 inch shelf that fit behind the old jackknife couch?
Yes, I removed the shelf. It would have restricted the reclining functionality if I had left it in.
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