Brought home a 2016 Coachmen Mirada 35KB

[BigHomey]

After much searching and reviewing, I picked up a 2016 Mirada 35KB yesterday. It has most of the stuff I wanted and She Who Must Be Obeyed is happy with it. I like that it was built on a Dec 2016 chassis, so it has the 6 speed transmission and a big honking track bar up front.

So far, I have added a connection for portable satellite (didn't want to mount to the roof) through the storage compartment by the steps and ran RG6 up to the media compartment above the steps. I also setup an Actiontec wireless HDMI setup to get HD satellite to all of the TVs. I also put on the Roadmaster RSSA steering stabilizer and corrected the steering wheel which was off-center. I am getting a rear track bar delivered on Tuesday so that is my next to do.

I had already installed a 50 rv amp panel in my garage so I have checked everything out a little more than during the PDI and everything seems to be working.

If anyone has anything I should be aware of or to look out for on this coach, please let me know.

AL

[Big1]

Wow, congrats please post some pics.

[Joclisa]

BigHomey ,can you upload pictures of the changes you have made. I purchased the same coach this past July. I'm still trying to hook my portable satellite hooked up

[wahoonc]

Nice purchase! We looked at a gently used Mirada, but momma wanted something she could drive, so we ended up with a Concord instead. Ours is on the E450 chassis with the 6 speed and the V-10... wanna drag?

Aaron

[WDW]

Congrats welcome to the Mirada family. Consider a Safe T Plus steering damper too.


Taking in the sights wherever my Trolley takes me.

2016 Coachmen Mirada 35 BH
Western NY

[ResQfrog]

Welcome and enjoy.

[jimmiejim]

My 2016 coachman freelander the steering wheel was off the alignment shop found the center pin was out of the spring put it back and the steering wheel was straight.

Jim

[BigHomey]

Originally Posted by Joclisa

BigHomey ,can you upload pictures of the changes you have made. I purchased the same coach this past July. I'm still trying to hook my portable satellite hooked up

Here are some pictures and what I did for the entertainment system in our MH.

I drilled a hole in the front of the storage box by the steps and mounted a double male coaxial adapter with a 90 degree adapter on the inside. I use a push-on coaxial connector on the cable to the satellite so I don't have to screw/unscrew the cable each time.



There is a wiring bundle in the top of the storage box that goes into the space behind the drawers on the very left end of the counter and I pushed the coax up through with those wires.



Then I drilled a hole to the left of the AC outlet by the steps, connected the cable to the back of a coax wall adapter and mounted the wall adapter to the cabinet.



I drilled a hole in the bottom of the "entertainment cabinet" and ran a cable into it.



I had changed out the DVD with a Blu-Ray player that I already had, and put the Dish Receiver on top of it. I ran both HDMI outputs from them into an auto-sensing HDMI switch and the output from it into an ActionTec MyTV wireless HDMI transmitter. I ran HDMI to the TV over the counter, and installed MyTV HDMI receivers at the TVs in LR, BR and outside. The BR TV is easy, just open the cabinet. For the LR TV, you have to remove the wood surround and lift the TV off its mount. The back of the outside TV can be accessed by removing the 2 right drawers below the wardrobe in the hall.



I still have some clean up to do with the wiring in the entertainment cabinet and I have ordered a cover for the cable that runs up from the wall plate into the cabinet.

Now we can watch Dish or Blu-ray on any one of the TVs - only one channel or movie at a time to all TVs. You can still watch DVD outside or in the BR; OTA TV or park cable on any of the TVs at the same time.

I had a MyTV2 in our TT, but it is only capable of having 1 receiver. Luckily a friend had an older MyTV setup with transmitter and receivers that he wasn't using and it is capable of up to 4 receivers.

Hope this helps,

AL

[BigHomey]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Nice purchase! We looked at a gently used Mirada, but momma wanted something she could drive, so we ended up with a Concord instead. Ours is on the E450 chassis with the 6 speed and the V-10... wanna drag?

Aaron

As soon as I get the twin turbos and methanol injection installed, I will get back to you.

AL

[BigHomey]

Here are some pics of the rear track bar and front steering stabilizer that I installed in my Mirada.

This is the rear end before I started. I was surprised to see this big drum on the drive shaft as none of the videos or instructions for track bar installation show it. It turns out that it was added on the 2016s and is the parking (emergency) brake. I don't know if it made the install more difficult since I have nothing to compare it to. For the drum, they did add a bracket to hold the brake cable away from the driveline to one of the bolts on the rear end housing that is also used for the track bar install.



This is the track bar bracket installed on the housing.



Here is the completed install.



I had installed a Roadmaster Steering Stabilizer last week. Here is a pic of that install. Notice the size of the front track bar above it. It is also new for 2016.



I chose the Ultratrac Trac Bar and Roadmastr Steering Stabilizer because they were matching colors.

If it still does not handle like my Corvette, I can do the CHF to firm it up some more.

AL

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BigHomey

As soon as I get the twin turbos and methanol injection installed, I will get back to you.

AL

Deal, then I will break out the old PSD with LP injection and dual superchargers. Buddy has a CC dually that will pull the front wheels off the ground.

Aaron

[jonwisconsin]

Wow! You have done a lot of work on it. How does it handle after all these pieces? I have been considering getting one alike.

[sgtlm17]

Good luck with your rig everything looks great. I have been trying to find the actiontec with two receivers. No luck.

[BigHomey]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Deal, then I will break out the old PSD with LP injection and dual superchargers. Buddy has a CC dually that will pull the front wheels off the ground.

Aaron

This MH is the 1st vehicle in a long time that I've owned without some sort of forced induction; it could certainly use it. I've not seen a PSD with SCs on it. I'd like to see that. My 97 is slightly modified, but it is more for off road. The 2015 is stock and it makes an incredible amount of power. It won't be long before diesels will come stock with over 1,000 ft. lbs. of torque. The Corvette is SC'd and it sees a fair amount of time on the track. If you ever come to N. Alabama, we can go do some 1/8 mile drives.

AL

[BigHomey]

Originally Posted by jonwisconsin

Wow! You have done a lot of work on it. How does it handle after all these pieces? I have been considering getting one alike.

The rear tack bar and steering stabilizer made a big difference in the way it handles. We took it out yesterday for about an 80 mile trip on some N. Alabama and S. Tenn. 4 lane highway and 2 lane back roads. There was about a 20 mph NW wind with a few higher gusts and the only time I could tell is when we went from an area with no wind to a gust. I could feel the gust, but it did not cause any handling issues. Most of the time I was one-handing the steering wheel.

Since I did not get on an interstate or get a lot of heavy truck traffic, I will wait to see if this is as far as I go with suspension mods until after I get some interstate time.

AL

[BigHomey]

I have been looking for a soundbar to correct the poor audio from the TVs, especially the large one behind the slide. To mount on the wall below the TV, it had to be thin. There is only 2 3/4" between the edge of the slide and the wall. I found one on line that looked like it would work - a Yamaha ATS-1060. The specs show it as only 2 1/8". More than a half inch to spare. It has built in subs, Bluetooth, HDMI in/out and optical in. The Seiki TVs in the coach all have optical outputs. I had put a Yamaha ATS-1030 in our TT, so I knew they sounded good. In the cart it went and got it mounted/connected in time to watch the Alabama - LSU game. ROLL TIDE.

[WDW]

If you are interested in opening that wall up to create it's own pocket, here is a shot of a coach under construction I took last summer at the factory. I've been thinking about the same thing, but with he AC n it's too loud. So we went with Bluetooth headphones.




Taking in the sights wherever my Trolley takes me.

2016 Coachmen Mirada 35 BH
Western NY

[cberlanga]

Congratulations on your new Mirada. Hope you have many trouble free miles.

[jonwisconsin]

Where did you buy these two items?

[BigHomey]

Originally Posted by jonwisconsin

Where did you buy these two items?

I can't tell to which post you are replying.

What two items?

AL