Replaced more recessed lights

Back in November 2021 I replaced some malfunctioning recessed LED lights in the kitchen / galley of our coach.

The half bath also had three lights that weren’t working properly, either very dim or flashing. We have a couple of motion-activated lights in there, and generally don’t use the ceiling lights, so it hasn’t been a high priority. But I finally got around to fixing them.

Here’s one of the old lights, with the cover removed:

Old light

A replacement light:

New light

I replaced the first of the three lights with wire nuts, as I had for the previous replacements, but for the second I thought I’d try heat shrink wire connectors, since that is what Tiffin used throughout the coach:

Heat shrink wire connectors

I got a hot air gun to use with those:

Heat gun

The replaced light, using those connectors, before heat shrinking:

Replaced light

Done:

Replaced light

The third light was trickier. The wires were very short; too short to use those connectors:

Short wires

But I came across a cunning technique: putting a wire cap in the end of a drill, to get more reach and leverage in twisting them on:

Wire cap in drill

It wasn’t easy, but I got them connected using that technique:

Wires connected

The replaced light mounted:

Replaced light

And with the cover on:

Replaced lights

All three replaced lights (the ones that are off didn’t need repairing; only the three vanity lights):

Replaced lights

I’m glad to have that repair finally done.

Govee smart thermometers

It can be nice to know what the temperature and humidity is around us, so I added some smart thermometer/hygrometer units to our coach.

To see the current and historical temperature and humidity outside, I added a sensor unit under a slide-out, attached via Command Strips:

Thermometer

I also wanted to monitor the temperature in the wet bay; it has a heater to prevent it getting too cold, since having our plumbing freeze up would be bad, but I wanted to keep an eye on it, just in case:

Wet bay sensor

Those sensors don’t have displays, but for inside I wanted units that not only have sensors, but also display the current values. So I got a couple of units with e-ink displays; here’s the one in the living room, below the smoke detector:

Living room sensor

And the one in the bedroom, between the smoke detector and thermostat (the big temperature on the thermostat is the set level):

Bedroom thermometer

All of these sensors feed data into the Govee Home app, which can show the current values on its home page (along with ugly seasonal graphics):

App

The same screen after the holiday season:

Govee Home screenshot

Tapping on one of the thermometers shows historical data, so I can see how the temperature and humidity have changed over time:

App

Fun fact: that higher humidity was when we were on the coast at Corpus Christi, and the lower humidity was inland at Lockhart; makes quite a difference. And yes, the temperature inside can vary greatly throughout the day; we tend not to run the AC or heaters except for uncomfortably hot or cold weather, preferring to open windows for fresh air when feasible. (Not a cost thing, since we typically don’t pay for electricity at campsites, but it’s quieter, and fresh air is nice.)

Improved tow bar pins

One of the essential components of towing our truck behind our motorhome is the air-powered brake controller, which presses on the brake pedal in the truck when the brake is applied in the coach, using its air braking system. The brake controller is secured to the truck via a D-pin, seen on the right of this picture:

Brake controller

When hooking up for a recent travel day, I noticed that the pin was missing; it must have not been secured and dropped out somewhere. I made do with a zip tie for that trip, and ordered a replacement from the manufacturer. While there, I saw that they had improved pins for the tow bar, too, so I also ordered that:

Tow bar pins and brake controller pins

So now I have a spare brake controller pin, in case I lose it again. And the new tow bar pins are much easier to use. Here’s one of the pins that came with the tow bar; it just has a metal ring that has the locking linchpin attached; it can be difficult to pull out the tow bar pin when disconnecting, if the truck is at an angle:

Old tow bar pin

In use:

Truck connection

Compare to the new tow bar pin; it has the same tethered linchpin, but the big red handle makes it much easier to pull out:

New tow bar pin

In use:

New tow bar pin

A huge improvement, highly recommended.

Micro-Air EasyTouchRV smart thermostats

Our motorhome was produced in 2017, during a time when Tiffin was slowly updating the technology. So it has a mixture of analog switches for some things (like cockpit shades), smart network-based controls using the Spyder multiplex wiring system, and non-integrated controls like the power management and heating/cooling.

Our coach has three rooftop AC units, plus AquaHot hydronic heating. More modern coaches integrate these into the Spyder touch panels, but in this vintage they are independently controlled via three thermostats like this one in the bedroom:

Old thermostat

(Note that that Spyder touch panel at the bottom isn’t original; I upgraded it from a much inferior panel that came with the coach.)

While these thermostats were fine, they weren’t as convenient as they could be. (Shock, having to get off our butts to adjust them!)

I’ve been wanting to upgrade them, like I did with the Spyder panel, and I recently got around to that. I purchased one Micro-Air EasyTouchRV thermostat panel, the model compatible with our ACs (352C):

EasyTouchRV

Here’s the old thermostat:

Old thermostat

I pulled off the cover to unmount it via the two screws:

Removed cover

Pulling it away from the wall, I reached the three connectors for the wires:

Wires

The new panel comes with mount points that are screwed into the wall:

Mount points

Hooking up the new unit was simply a matter of unplugging the old one and plugging in the new one (being careful to not let the wires drop inside the wall; there wasn’t a lot of slack).

Here’s the new unit mounted:

New unit

Much nicer:

New unit

Not only does it have a nicer display, it can be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth via an app:

App

When using both cool and heat, one can set it to Away mode to have upper and lower limits, to keep the temperature within that range:

App

The upper and lower limits on the display:

New unit

I was satisfied with that experience, so I ordered two more units for the other thermostats:

More new units

The front and middle AC units are controlled by thermostats in a cupboard above the passenger chair (they have remote room sensors towards the front and middle on the ceiling, so being enclosed in a cupboard doesn’t affect their performance):

Front and mid thermostats

A closer look at the old front and middle thermostats:

Front and mid thermostats

With the covers removed:

Front and mid thermostats

Like with the bedroom one, easy enough to swap the plugs:

Wires

The new unit:

New unit

Here’s a look at the mount points for the new unit; they come with a spacer that is broken off once screwed into place:

Mount points

The mount points before breaking the connector:

Mount points

The wood is thick enough to hold the screw, but I still used the cap on the other side, to avoid wires rubbing on the protruding screw:

Cap

The new units installed:

New units

So much nicer! Highly recommended.

Slide topper bracing to reduce flapping in wind

Our coach has fabric awnings over the slide-outs, commonly called slide toppers. These are a feature of premium RVs to prevent debris and water from coming inside when bringing in the slides, among other benefits.

But one downside of slide toppers is that they can be noisy in strong winds, as wind gusts cause them to flap up and down. And in very strong winds one can get concerned that they could get damaged.

One solution for flapping slide toppers is to bring in the slides, perhaps only on the windward side. But that reduces the living space, so is a hassle. And we can’t sleep in our bed with all of the slides in, as the bed has to be raised up in this situation.

Another solution is to brace the slide toppers. There are a few ways to do that, but the easiest is to use a rope and bungees across the middle of the toppers.

While in Corpus Christi we had a forecast of nearly 50 MPH gusts, which is a bit more than I’m comfortable with, so I decided to try bracing the slide toppers.

I ordered some mini bungees and paracord for that purpose; I got crimson cord to match our coach:

Mini-bungees and paracord

To get the paracord over the top of the slides, I used the window awning pole:

Window awning pole

I tied a loop in the end of the cord, then temporarily taped it to the hook on the end of the pole:

Rope taped to pole

I attached the cord to the hydraulic beams underneath the slide via bungees, which let me adjust the tension as needed; it doesn’t need to be very tight, just enough to stop it flapping so much in the wind:

Cord attached to slide via bungees

(In the future I think I’ll get some tent rope tensioners to make that even more flexible.)

You can see the cord over the slide topper:

Cord

Cord

For the rear slides, which don’t have the hydraulic beams, the bungee is just hooked onto the bottom of the slide track:

Cord and bungee

Cord and bungee

This worked really well. The slide toppers still flapped a little when that wind arrived, but nowhere near as much as they would have without the bracing. I’ll definitely do this again for future high winds.

New mattress

Our Tiffin motorhome came with a fairly nice king-sized mattress on the bed, but it was a little uncomfortable.

As a Christmas present to ourselves, we purchased a new mattress. We purchased it online from MattressInsider.com; we got the “Luxury Gel Foam RV Mattress with Organic Cotton”.

Our old mattress was 72” wide by 75” long — what’s commonly called an “RV Short King”, being a bit narrower and shorter than a residential king (which is 76 x 80”). But the bed frame could support a 80” length; we used to use yoga blocks at the foot to keep it from sliding down. And I’m 6’1” tall, so a longer bed is better for me. So we ordered a 72 x 80” mattress aka a “RV King” size, 11.5” high.

Here’s a handy list of US mattress sizes (width x length), for reference:

  • California King: 72″ x 84″
  • RV California King: 72” x 84”
  • King: 76″ x 80″
  • RV King: 72” x 80”
  • RV Short King: 72” x 75”
  • Queen: 60″ x 80″
  • RV Short Queen: 60” x 75″
  • Full: 54″ x 75″
  • RV Three-Quarter: 48” x 75″
  • Twin XL: 38″ x 80″
  • Twin: 38″ x 75″

(There are other variations, too.)

Here’s our old mattress, with a topper in an attempt to make it a bit more comfortable:

Old mattress with topper

We had the new mattress shipped to Corpus Christi KOA. Unfortunately it arrived a week before we did, but they were very accommodating in storing it for us. Which was much appreciated, especially since their office was upstairs. When we checked in, a KOA maintenance guy helped cart it down to our coach:

KOA guy helping

Using the ADA wheelchair lift to get it downstairs:

ADA lift

Our old mattress; it was subsequently picked up by a local junk removal company, that said they’d donate it to a local charity:

Old mattress

The bed base has a split, as it can tilt the head upwards. The whole bed slides out from the wall at a press of a button, too, which makes it much easier to make the bed:

Bed base

If you peek in the gap, you can see a bunch of wires below the bed:

Gap

Wires

We also got a Hypervent Aire-Flow moisture barrier from MattressInsider, to put below the mattress; it is supposed to provide better air flow to help protect the mattress; probably not needed in our situation, but can’t hurt:

Moisture vent material

Moisture vent material

The new mattress box:

Mattress box

Mattress

Mattress

Preparing to unwrap the mattress:

Mattress

Once released from the multi-layer plastic wrap, it very quickly expanded to its full size:

Mattress

Finally, we also got a zippered mattress protector to enclose the mattress:

Mattress protector

We are enjoying the increased comfort of this new mattress.

Upgraded TST TPMS display

One of the first accessories I purchased for our coach was a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Recently an RV technology site called TechnoRV announced an upgraded display unit, that is compatible with the older system. The new one has a larger display, and uses a touchscreen instead of buttons next to the display.

Here’s the old unit:

Old unit

And the new unit:

New unit

I also got a weighted base, that attaches magnetically to the unit:

Base and unit

The unit on the base:

Unit on base

The new unit’s menu:

New unit

The old and new units next to each over; you can see how much larger and more clear the new unit is:

Old and new units

2022 modifications

We have done a number of modifications to our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP motorhome, to make it more comfortable as a full-time home, to improve the features, or to repair issues. This is a summary of some of the changes done in 2022; also check out the changes from 2021.

As with previous summaries, for each I include a link to the corresponding blog post, and a sample picture; see the post for details.

You can see all of the modification-related blog posts via the modifications category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top.

Security cameras:

Eufy camera

Telescoping ladder:

Ladder

Spyder control panel and shades issue:

Wiring

States map:

David adding states

Jack pads:

Jack pads

Bolts to secure our outdoor rug:

Drill driver, bolts, washers

An extra step:

Extra step

Truck windshield rock chip repair:

Adding resin

Wine rack and liquor holder:

Liquor holder and wine rack

Steering wheel table:

Steering wheel table with plants

Cummins for check engine and malfunction lights:

Errors

Magne Shades:

Magne Shade

National park stickers:

National park stickers

Foldable wagon:

In use

Dash cover:

Dash cover

3-stage water filter:

Clearsource water filters

Safe T Plus and Koni shocks:

Koni shock and Safe T Plus

Chair armrest adjustment:

Passenger chair

Cellular internet:

MiFi

Internet cupboard:

Internet cupboard

Emergency labels:

In case of emergency labels

Ceiling AC filters:

Filters

Water quick connectors and gauges:

Tap, splitter, gauge

Coach Proxy:

Coach Proxy hardware

Starlink internet:

Starlink dish

Window latch repair:

Replacement latches

Ceiling fan motor replacement:

Dismounted motor

Replacing 3-stage water filters:

Water filters

Lectric XP 2.0 ebikes:

Bikes

Propane fire pit:

Propane fire pit

CLAM screen tent:

With our chairs

IKEA storage cabinets:

Drawers and cupboards

Reflectix insulation in cupboards:

Reflectix

Heavy-duty security chain and lock for bikes:

Bike lock

Sinclair Trails stickers:

Stickers

Half-bath door hinges:

New hinges

Hammock:

Assembled hammock

Map and sticker art:

Picture

Theater seating and cabinets:

Theater seating

Mirror glass replacement:

Removing broken glass

Firefly Vegatouch Mira:

Vegatouch device

Unclogging macerating toilet:

Toilet in shower

Automatic paper towel dispenser:

Dispensing

Water softener:

Water softener

BlueFire diagnostic adapter:

BlueFire data adapter

Power Watchdog dimmer shade:

Power Watchdog at night

RV fire safety:

Open emergency exit

Wash Wax All waterless cleaner:

Wash Wax All kit

VIAIR tire inflation compressor:

VIAIR tire inflator

VIAIR tire inflation compressor

Another essential gadget I’ve had for quite some time is the VIAIR 450P air compressor, to inflate the tires on our coach.

I already had a tire inflator that plugged into a 110V outlet, which I’ve previously used for truck tires and other tires. But it can’t quite handle the maximum 130 PSI of the coach tires, plus is very noisy. (I inflate the front tires to 120 PSI.)

The VIAIR unit is much quieter, and automatically shuts off when not actively inflating.

Unlike the old one, this one connects to a 12V source like a car battery. I hook it up to the truck’s battery; the truck needs to be running while in use, to avoid draining the battery.

I keep it in the back of our truck, so we’ll be able to use it while driving the truck around if needed.

It comes in a handy bag, and includes two long coiled hoses, so I can leave the compressor by the truck, and reach all of the coach tires:

VIAIR tire inflator

VIAIR tire inflator

Here it is in use; it’s easy to inflate by pulling the trigger, and release to read the gauge to check the static pressure:

VIAIR tire inflator

An essential tool.

Wash Wax All waterless cleaner

Like any vehicle, a motorhome can get dirty over time from road grime, dust, rain, etc. In the past year or so of owning our coach, we have paid to get it professionally cleaned by a team of people three times — at the Xscapers Bash in January 2022, at NIRVC in March, and at the Tiffin Rally in July. In between those times (and often within days of paying hundreds for a wash & wax), it has been somewhat dirty, which didn’t make us entirely happy.

It’s tricky to get a large RV cleaned — one can pay a lot of money to get a team to come to it and clean it onsite, or one can take it to a truck wash (and worry that they might ruin the paint and/or protective coat), or wash by hand in a campground. But most campgrounds don’t allow washing of RVs, due to the massive amount of water needed.

Also, while carwashes for our truck are easier to find, they can sometimes be tricky, too, when in out-of-the-way places. With our fondness of exploring dirt roads, it can be a mud-ball for a while, too.

I’ve heard for a while of another option, that doesn’t use water, so can be done in any campsite. That system is called Wash Wax All from Aero Cosmetics, and I finally purchased their kit.  

It really does work very well; it’s amazing how much better it looks with relatively little effort — a few hours to clean the coach and truck. So from now on, we’ll keep our coach and truck much more clean.

The kit comes in a couple of boxes, including a long box for the mop handle:

Wash Wax Mop Kit

The Wash Wax All kit comes with a bag of goodies, including the wash liquid, spray bottle, heavy-duty cleaner, mop pole and double-sided head, scrub brush, and multiple microfiber mop pads and microfiber towels:

Wash Wax All kit

The mop is a clever design, with a heavy-duty extendable pole and a double-sided head that angles flexibly. The system works by spraying the liquid onto one side of the mop, wiping it onto a small section of the coach (a few feet at a time), then flipping the mop over and wiping it off before it dries — no water needed:

Mop

For lower areas like below the slides, and fiddly areas, I spray directly on, and use two microfiber towels to wipe on and off:

Spray

The wet towel gets pretty dirty, but they can be easily tossed in the washing machine and dryer (without fabric softener) to restore them to like new:

Microfiber towels

The mop pole is long enough to reach all the way to the top of our coach, but collapses to a compact length:

Clean RV

We also used Wash Wax All on our truck:

Truck

Midway cleaning the hood:

Truck

The mop is useful for cleaning the roof, and larger areas:

Truck

Both the coach and truck look so much nicer when clean! I just wish I had purchased the kit sooner. Highly recommended!

(And no, they didn’t sponsor me; I don’t have any sponsorships for this blog. Maybe one day…?)