ourelkhorn.itgo.comTruck Camper Modifications

Index About Just a simple non-commercial site about our camper Place to document stuff we’ve done, additions, repairs,Also pics of under bed rail lights for loading camper at night, SST tailgate pillar covers & reinforced bed cargo tie downs 06/02 Install exterior 110 volt weather proof receptacle to rear of camper 07/02 Add a slide out topper , our camper didn’t come with one. Made a HUGE difference in the amount of sound. Now we can actually sleep when it rains. Before the rain was soooo loud hitting the slide out roof. It also keeps some of the debris off. 09/02 Changed generator door screen to louvers. 09/02 Screened all vents . At same time changed gen screen I hot glued window screen to all vents, water heater/refer/heater etc. We were camped some place and got invaded with these ’lil brown beetles. They literally filled up the gas tube of the water heater, couldn’t get it to light, when it finally lit -whooommphh, and blew out a cloud a ’lil fried beetles. I don’t know why they were in there but they caused the gas to build up before the ignited. I’ve had wasps in the refer vents. 06/03 Install back up lights -rubber tractor style mounted to rear camper bumper. 07/03 Painted bottom of camper & rear over hangs ,flat black & textured. 07/03 Add Tork-Lift camper tie downs. I had removed Happy jack mounts to have re powder coated when we lined bed of truck and noticed they had started bending up the outside of the bed plus rear Ford bumper you had to tighten turnbuckles till the bumper touched truck to get any resemblance of being tight. This style of mount is the only way to go for a heavy and especially a tall camper. It’s now tied to the frame and not mounted to sheet metal. It feels much more secure. 02/04 Add air bag compressor and in dash controls to truck. After airing down to level truck last winter- re airing rear air bags in major storm convinced to put on in dash controls. Added kit with 2-gal air tank. This project took 2 weekends. It’s a 2 hr bolt in but I did a custom fab’d mount for tank and compressor (with the help of a good friend) up between walls of bed. Cut dash to install switches and rout air intake behind seat. 02/04 Add "special temporary" CB Antenna mount I was using a magnetic antenna on truck that was chewing up the paint. Decided to finally fix so I could use radio with camper on or off. 06/04 Cut dinette blinds scalloped foo-foo valances to minimum. They arched down toward the corners-someone was real proud when they designed these and they kind of interfered with the viewing area out the window. Looks a lot cleaner- you can see modified valance in cushion pics. I had already cut the one over the bed, was always banging my head on it. Pic of modified valance on dinette (next) page. 10/04 Built a LARGE back cushion for dinette . Now you can lean back comfortably-almost recline. Biggest gripes with truck campers is no place to sit very long comfortably. It’s a separate cushion so we can move it. I’ve noted on some new campers you can actually get recliners. 11/04 Change light over sink to Florescent 12/04 Built camper stands Camper is real unsteady on just the jacks. I didn’t trust it at all plus can’t be good for the structure. These camper stands take most of the weight when parked in the drive. 12/04 Add Pur water filter to kitchen. Simple unit that screws to faucet. Seems like most places the water isn’t that great. We carried a lot of bottled water 02/05 Add switches to power supply for Atwood jacks The only way to turn them off was to shut down whole camper, Plus I didn’t know how the jacks were wired or where the fuses were. 04/05 Picked up a small 50cc step thru scooter add Hidden Hitch front receiver & built rack. 05/05 The dreaded Dometic refrigerator "check light" syndrome. Finally got tired of refer check light -every time you turn around it’d be on. Forums clued me to the "Dino" control board replacement. Worth the money-. 07/05 Replaced old AC/DC VCR combo tube TV 11/05 Added a rear awning to camper. Keeps the water out in the rain, offers a bit of shade for back of camper. 12/05 Added a small accumulator after water pump. WOW HIGHLY recommend this 02/06 New door glass Replace opaque glass in rear door. 03/06 Install Wave 3 heater in camper. Replace furnace that used way too much power. 03/06 Installed an additional drawer & modified seat box for more cabinet space. 06/06 Reading lights, updated-added Littllites 18" flexible gooseneck reading lights. 09/06 Solar Panel We bit the bullet and added a solar panel. 12/06 Replaced camper batteries-yes a maintenance item. Now have 2 group 29 batteries-kinda hard to find. My solar controller is actually reaching float stage, never did on old batteries-and max holding was 12.2volts, for about 2 hours. Yup, time to replace. I also rewired entire system. When I added second batt previously (06/01) I just ran + to batt selector switch and - to common ground. Though it worked, batteries probably never really equalized (plus stock batt was a 27). Since solar made selector functionless I decided to rewire for true Parallel, tying both the batteries together, + to +, - to -. Camper & solar each now grab pos. from batt 1, neg. from batt 2. 12/06 Install Torklift superhitch We picked a boat so needed an extended receiver, plus now I can tow. 02/07 Adding some adjustability to our scissor steps for uneven ground, plus be able to raise when camper is way off the ground and steps don’t reach. 05/07 Pick up a portable tote along auxiliary holding tank, added a mounting bracket. 04/08 Dual Rear Wheel Conversion with Arrowcraft kit. 05/08 Water filter Relocate added exterior filter, new mount. 06/08 Add entrance light by the door, 12V receptacle, add switch to bathroom light. 09/08 Saved by Valley Ford , mechanical breakdown on road almost ruined our vacation but for the efforts of the folks at Valley Ford In Hanford CA. 01/09 Install weather proof antenna connection box When installing new DTV box discovered I had no antenna, replace problematic roof coax connection. 01/09 Installed insulation , on ’tin’ boxes, sealed wall penetrations, generally try to make more cold weather tight. (15 pics) 01/09 Increase slide step storage While doing the Insulation I had to access area in slide step box. Hey I could move that ’lill divider....easy 10 min job (’lil heavy on pictures) 02/09 Add refrigerator relay controlled by truck to turn refrigerator on/off while on the road. 02/09 Wire in a constant duty solenoid for new 12V charge line.03/09 Rubber tires for portable tote along waste tank. 03/09 Modified wire rack for dvd storage to hang on wall at foot of bed. 08/0910/09 Paint rear door window frame. Use spray paint for plastic to freshen up yellowing plastic window frame. There’s no real information here, just spray painting. The ONLY reason I added to this page is for some (like me) it just may not have occurred to simply paint the offending piece(s) of plastic.... 12/09 Added a drawer utilizing unused space under slide & above generator box. 12/09 Redesign the Pantry Remove the wire rack replace w/3 drawers and a shelf 01/10 Replace fridge heater Refer 110v heater element, also pics of Dometic recall fix 01/10 Remove radio to utilize cabinet though I may reinstall elsewhere, I’m reclaiming the 2/3 of cabinet space. 01/10 add 110v receptacle opposite dinette for elect. heater 01/10 hardwired inverter add split 110v receptacle from inverter/shore w remote switch 01/10 add a shelf removable & rotatable, outside by the door, to sit stuff on going in or out of the camper 02/10 Change rod in closet replaced slotted metal affair with round rod. Quickie project. 02/10 Changing to led bulbs in progress....switching all bulbs to led. 02/10 Add spacers to flip step Shorten step out distance to scissor steps. 03/10 Add 110v receptacle by dinette table & change source plug to GFI. 03/10 Reinstall radio removed 01/10 to under cabinet 04/10 Build new dinette light box to house both new LEDs &...