A minor addition to our coach is some hooks by the door for our hats. They are Command metal hooks, that use a convenient self-adhesive to mount without damage to the coach:
modifications
Enhancements and repairs to our coach.
Open Roads fuel discount card
Our coach has a 150 gallon diesel tank, and gets about 7 miles per gallon, so we can use a fair bit of fuel in our travels.
We are glad that there is an option to save a bit of money: the Open Roads fuel discount card.
This service offers significant discounts off diesel fuel at select fuel stops, and enables paying at the pump, instead of having to go in to authorize the purchase (except in Oregon and Nevada).
It also includes an app that helps us find the discounted locations, and compare prices:
The detail page has additional information:
As a recent example, we filled about 76 gallons of diesel (half our tank capacity; we usually fill when it gets about halfway). The pump price was $376.66:
But we saved $92.82 on that fuel up, so “only” paid $293.77:
To learn more about Open Roads, take a look at this blog post and video on the Our Journey in Miles blog. They have a spreadsheet to help track the savings, too.
We don’t have a referral code or anything, so if you join, you could use theirs, or could enter “Jennifer Sinclair” as the referrer to give us credit.
Engine compartment door stop replacement
One weak point in our coach is the door stop of the rear engine compartment. Twice I’ve had it break.
Here’s the rear door:
It is held closed with a couple of latches, that hook onto door stops like this (the left one):
Twice the right-hand one has broken off:
So I ordered some replacements from Tiffin, part number 5116094 (“REAR ENGINE DOOR STOP BRE 2016”):
I didn’t have any of the weather stripping padding, so I used some self-adhesive cupboard bumpers instead, which works fine:
I now have a couple more spare, so if it breaks again, I’ll be ready!
Phone holders
While driving our coach, we refer to maps on our iPhones, in addition to the built-in one.
To position the phones conveniently, we use phone holders from Amazon.
Jenn’s phone usually shows Apple Maps directions, in a holder suction-cupped onto the panel to the right of the AC controls:
My phone is usually showing either the RV Life GPS or Google Maps, while my Mac shows the Google Maps route. My phone holder is suctioned to a plate that is stuck on the edge of the pull-out passenger workstation:
It is easy to adjust them to the desired angle, or rotate them out of the way when not driving.
Ceiling fan motor replacement again
Last year I replaced the motor in the bedroom ceiling fan. Well, it started squeaking again, so I replaced it a second time. I guess this will be a regular thing.
My previous post on this replacement missed a few steps, so I took more pictures this time, so others can use it as a step-by-step guide.
The first step, of course, is to order the replacement motor from the Tiffin Parts Store. It is part number 5011771, “CEILING FAN MOTOR ONLY”, currently about $89 plus shipping. You’ll also need some connectors; I previously used wire nuts, but have since discovered a better technology, Wago lever connectors, available from Amazon.
Here’s the ceiling fan:
To begin, unscrew this nut:
Then remove this retaining clip and washer (which was one of the most difficult parts of the process for me), allowing the fan blades to drop off:
The removed nut, retaining clip, and washer:
Next unscrew the three screws near the ceiling to remove the housing:
With the cover removed, you can cut the wires from the motor (leaving them as long as possible), you don’t need to cut the wires coming from the ceiling, as they go to the direction switch on the cover. In my case, I had orange wire nuts from the previous replacement, so I just undid those.
Then unscrew the motor from the ceiling; remove three screws, plus loosen the fourth for the retaining wire:
The motor removed:
The retaining wire from the motor can then be attached to the ceiling, holding it up there, and the electrical wires connected.
As mentioned, this time I used Wago lever connectors to hook up the motor; they are much easier and more reliable; you just lift the lever, poke in the wire, and close the lever to secure the wire. Here you can see the white wires connected, and one black wire connected, with the lever open for the second one:
Once the wires are connected, the motor can be mounted to the ceiling. Like last time, I used a couple of washers to space it away from the ceiling to line up the cover holes correctly:
Another angle showing the Wago connectors:
Then screw the cover back into place:
Add the blades, the washer, and the retaining clip:
And finally the nut:
Done! Pretty easy. I’ll look forward to doing this again in about a year!
How we work full-time in our coach
While traveling around the US in our motorhome, we are continuing to work — we are still over a decade away from retirement age.
This has some challenges, but our jobs make it feasible, since we can both work remotely. I am a self-employed macOS and iOS app developer (Dejal), and Jenn is a technical writer for a big corporation that has a lot of remote employees — something that is more and more popular nowadays, especially since the pandemic.
I recently wrote about our workspaces. My lap desk:
And Jenn’s height-adjustable desk:
Another critical component in our ability to work as we travel is internet connectivity. We couldn’t do our work without reliable internet access; I need it to upload app builds, look up documentation, and communicate with my clients and customers; Jenn needs it to attend meetings and update her documents.
Since it is so important, we have as many options as possible. Including T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon cellular connections, two AT&T iPhones (that we can tether to if nothing else works), plus Jenn has an iPhone on Verizon from her job, and we have Starlink satellite internet for when there’s no cellular coverage. And if all else fails, we can connect to campground Wi-Fi, which can be a bit hit-or-miss in quality and availability.
The somewhat messy internet cupboard, with a modem for AT&T and Verizon, mi-fi unit for T-Mobile, and other devices:
The Starlink dish:
When choosing RV parks, we always look at reviews and information to ensure there is internet connectivity; the Starlink dish gives us more options, but if we ended up in a cellular dead spot with too many trees blocking the dish and no Wi-Fi, we’d have to move.
Other than our workstations and internet, we just need the time to work. So we plan our travel days around that; we typically move between RV parks on Sundays, so travel days don’t interfere with Jenn’s workdays, and stay at each location for a week or two, working during the week, and exploring on weekends, and sometimes locally in evenings.
This works well for us, enabling us to continue to work while slowly exploring the country.
Jenn’s movable height-adjustable desk
Last week I wrote about my lap desk. This week, Jenn’s solution.
When we first bought our coach, our first signficant modification was to remove the existing couches. And not long after, we added a desk for Jenn, along with adjustable arms for a laptop and monitor.
She used that for several months, but ultimately decided she didn’t need the big second screen, and didn’t like the desk situation (in particular the slope of the slide-out carpet with the chair), so we replaced the desk with some storage cabinets.
Nowadays, she works at the dining table, using an adjustable standing desk riser, which lets her either stand or sit on a stool. And as with my setup, she also has a SideTrak Swivel 12.5” display that can be attached magnetically, giving her more screen space.
Here’s her setup in sitting position; with her laptop on a riser stand on top of the adjustable desk, in turn on the dining table, with a stool:
And with a quick toggle, the desk can be raised up to standing height, with a standing mat:
A closer look at siting height:
And standing height:
A peek underneath, showing the simple spring-based raising mechanism:
There is room behind the desk for us to eat lunch at the table, and at the end of the day, she can easily move the desk off the dining table to give more room for dinner.
This setup isn’t perfect, but it works well enough for her at present. Who knows, we might make further adjustments in the future.
David’s lap desk
Living full-time in a 40-foot motorhome while continuing to work poses some challenges. One is simply where to work.
For those who don’t know, I am self-employed as a macOS and iOS app developer. My company is Dejal; I am the developer of Time Out for Mac, a popular break reminder tool, and Simon for Mac, a pro tool to monitor websites and servers for changes or failures, plus a couple of iOS apps. I also do macOS and iOS consulting, helping other people create great apps — currently SheetPlanner for Mac (and soon iPad), a powerful spreadsheet/planning tool, and NewsBlur for iPhone and iPad, a popular RSS reader.
When we were considering what kind of RV to buy, we considered toy-hauler fifth-wheel trailers, so we could convert the garage area into an office. Or a fiver or motorhome with bunks, that could be removed and converted into a tiny office; I quite liked the look of the Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B, with the bunks at the rear.
Ultimately a dedicated office wasn’t deemed an essential feature. When we decided on a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, one point in its favor was a pull-out keyboard tray at one of the dining seats.
But after we actually bought our coach, it turned out that the most convenient desk for me was a simple lap tray. (And we eventually removed that keyboard tray as part of making a liquor cupboard.)
I already had a lap desk that I had used for TV dinners in the homestead, and it works very well for a laptop, too. I can sit on our couch and work comfortably, or take it outside. I’m writing this sitting on a swing seat on a nice sunny day (in the shade of our awning):
More often I use it while sitting on the couch, sometimes with Paladin’s assistance:
To make it more portable, I have velcroed my MacBook Pro to the lap desk, using self-adhesive velcro dots. So it can be removed, but typically remains attached. It’s secure enough that I routinely carry the tray around by its handle, with the laptop hanging in space.
I also velcroed a portable solid state drive to the tray; it is my backup drive. And the tray has a slot where I can temporarily put my iPhone or another drive.
I find the built in keyboard, trackpad, and display of my laptop to be perfectly adequate for my needs. But when I want a little more screen space, I can attach a SideTrak Swivel 12.5” display, giving me plenty more room for reference material or an app I’m debugging.
The display is magnetically attached to a plate on the lid of the laptop:
So when not needed, it can be simply unplugged and pulled off:
This setup works really well for me, giving me the flexibility to work inside or out as the mood (and weather!) dictates.
Adding a bedside Spyder touch panel
Our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP was the first year where Tiffin was easing into touch panels in their coaches, using the Spyder multiplex wiring system. It came with a rather bad black-and-white panel, which I replaced with a much better color one; a huge improvement.
But when in bed, there are only buttons on Jenn’s side of the bed for some functions like lights. One of the things I’m jealous of newer years of our coach is they have more touch panels, including panels on both sides of the bed.
I had previously noticed that there is a Spyder connector below the bed, so I figured I could hook into that.
I resolved to add a panel on my side of the bed, using the same model of touch panel I used to upgrade our main one.
Here’s a look at the small window on my side of the bed (on which we always keep the shades closed), and the small bit of wall next to it:
The bed base, after removing the mattress (you can see the head tilted):
By positioning the bed appropriately, the wires under the bed can be accessed; the orange cable is a Spyder network cable, and the connector is visible right of center:
I ordered components from Spyder Controls Corp:
- The panel: KITTW1412 – 2017 5IN LCD UPGRADE KIT BUS PHTN (1 at $349.95)
- The G4 tap: 5015508 | 5016592 BBCKZK200 – BACKPLANE ASSY, DROP TAP, G4 COMMON, 4X4 POS 2MM MINI-CLAMP, , Z (1 at $37.44)
- A bunch of cable (more than needed; always good to have spare): 14618 BSPL74600 HARNESS ASSY, CUSTOM CABLE , 2 TWISTED PAIR, 24GA, RV-C DROP CABLE ($0.50 per foot)
- Some plug connectors: 5066157 CON824204 9787 – CONNECTOR, 4 POS 2MM, MINI CLAMP, BLUE, PLUG, 20-24AWG, C/E, IDC (4 needed at $5.32 each, but I got a spare just in case)
- A couple of socket connectors, though not needed for this project: 5066158 CON864204 9788 – CONNECTOR, 4 POS 2MM, MINI CLAMP, BLUE, SOCKET, 20-24AWG, C/E, IDC (none needed, $5.32 each)
Here are the components:
The G4 tap, connectors, and a stripped end of the cable:
Adding the plug connector is easy; you just insert the four wires into the holes on the connector (in the correct order; black, blue, white, red), then squeeze closed with pliers:
I made a short cable with plugs on either end to go from the existing socket under the bed to the G4 tap, so I didn’t need to replace the socket with a plug, and could restore the original connection later if desired:
Here’s the G4 tap in place under the bed, with the original plug and my patch plug inserted; later a third plug from the new panel was inserted:
My original concept was to pull the power outlet off the wall to access inside the wall, and run the Spyder cable down there, but that proved too difficult, so my backup plan was to go through the side of the window valance. So I drilled a hole in the side of the surface mount for the panel:
To get better access close to the wall, I used an angled drill adapter:
The hole in the window valance:
To hide the bright orange cable, I used a couple of cable covers that I had on hand:
The cable through the hole:
Paladin was surprised to discover a window here; he has never seen it before, since as I mentioned we keep those shades down:
The cable hidden inside the cable cover under the window and on the back wall (with the bed in its normal position, the cable on the wall is hidden):
A closer look at the cable cover below the window, secured by a loop of velcro attached to a self-adhesive velcro patch:
The cable cover on the wall:
Velcro loop and self-adhesive patch:
A plug on the cable:
The new panel mounted on the wall and operational:
This is a huge improvement; I can turn on and off all the lights, toggle the heated floors, see tank levels, and more, all from the comfort of bed. I mostly use it to turn off the lights at night, and turn on the heated floors when I wake up, so they are toasty when getting up. Such decadence!
Water filter bag
We have a three-stage external water filter to ensure clean water for our coach, but it was getting a little scuffed up. So I decided to get a custom-fit bag to protect it:
The bag includes a convenient handle, making it easier to move, and ports for the connections:
Much nicer:
