Yet Another Mini-Lite Mod Thread? Sure, Why Not?

[nayther]

adding a small spacer under the refletix adds a LOT of "R" value. just gluing it direct only is about R4 if I'm not mistaken but any little bit helps, that duct is internally lined. Be sure to properly seal the partition separating the supply and return plenums as well as anything that can "smooth" the transitions into the supply ducts, notoriously poor installations in this area.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by nayther

adding a small spacer under the refletix adds a LOT of "R" value. just gluing it direct only is about R4 if I'm not mistaken but any little bit helps, that duct is internally lined.

So, maybe a double layer of double-sided tape to create a small gap, then use duct tape to seal the outside joints?

Be sure to properly seal the partition separating the supply and return plenums as well as anything that can "smooth" the transitions into the supply ducts, notoriously poor installations in this area.

Are you referring to taking the hardware off on the inside of the trailer, then using duct tape or similar across joints there? Where else can one get access to the plenums?

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Are you referring to taking the hardware off on the inside of the trailer, then using duct tape or similar across joints there? Where else can one get access to the plenums?

If you look closely at the right side of my last picture (with the timer), you'll see a foil-backed divider. This separates the intake side of the air handler from the outlet. Obviously any leakage past that divider will hurt performance, so making sure that wall is properly positioned and tightly sealed is important. There have been reports of improper installation in that area (I know, big surprise), it's accessed from inside the trailer by removing the filter holder and mount bracket. Go gentle on the screws, they strip easily.

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by Denny B

And that, relatively useless, tilt out beneath the sink is now a 7” deep drawer.

I'm going to have to measure how much depth I have in front of the sink, anything has to be more useful than that joke Forest River came up with.

[Denny B]

David Bo, you will have to remove a spacer on the side of the frame that they put in to shrink the dimension to match the tilt out. I had 7” of depth and, fortunately, Rockler had a 7” drawer slide.

[itat]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

If you look closely at the right side of my last picture (with the timer), you'll see a foil-backed divider. This separates the intake side of the air handler from the outlet. Obviously any leakage past that divider will hurt performance, so making sure that wall is properly positioned and tightly sealed is important. There have been reports of improper installation in that area (I know, big surprise), it's accessed from inside the trailer by removing the filter holder and mount bracket. Go gentle on the screws, they strip easily.

Here is a video showing the divider and how to improve the air flow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxCljBVi8DU

[WoodLark-SC]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

I'm just getting warmed up.
We usually bring our own water for drinking, so bye-bye water filter. While I was in there, I removed the screws on the silly false hinges that FR used instead of knobs on the doors that give access to the water pump and heater bypass valves. I installed magnetic catches to keep the doors closed, but now I can open them without a screwdriver:

I completely removed the filter housing and moved the panel hiding the plumbing. That gave us additional storage under the bathroom sink.

[DavidBo]

Finally got a chance to give the cell booster a real-world test, as well as some of my other mods as we're currently spending a long weekend boondocking at the Padre Island National Seashore. The weather is fantastic, cool enough to leave the A/C off for once.
I did bring my genny along, but rules require them off from 10PM to 6AM, and that's a good thing because the sound of the ocean is far more pleasant. We watched a movie on the inverter before bed, then powered everything down except 12V for the fridge and the cell booster (afraid we can't completely fall of the grid just yet).
By morning the battery was at 12.58 volts. I made breakfast while the DW watched the news and took care of some phone business. After 2 hours we were down to 12.38V, with 12.2 being the 50% cut off. Pretty impressive for one battery and a huge improvement over the original.
Oh yeah, back to the cell booster. I heard the connectivity out here was next to nothing, and they weren't lying. Time to swing the antenna up and cross some fingers:



The DW was concerned because she still had work related stuff to do, and there was only one way to find out:



SUCCESS!!! We went from unable to send a text to streaming YouTube. I know, camping is supposed to be a respite from technology, right now that simply isn't an option. Maybe someday...

[Denny B]

So... what brabd of booster did you use and how did you do the install?

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by DavidBo

... The DW was concerned because she still had work related stuff to do, and there was only one way to find out:


...

What is the source of the signal strength screen shot?

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by Denny B

So... what brabd of booster did you use and how did you do the install?

Check out post #33 for the details. I've been very happy with it so far.

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

What is the source of the signal strength screen shot?

It's a free app called Phone Signal Information. You can also check your phone's settings for signal strength, but without the slick graphics.

[DavidBo]

Welp, I finally got my rather basic solar system up and running. I decided not to go my usual cheapskate route for this project and acquire relatively high-end stuff instead. I started with a Renogy 100W solar suitcase without the built-in controller and paired that with a Renogy Rover Elite MPPT 20A charge controller. Although the panel with the built-in PWM controller is cheaper and more convenient, I prefer having a separate controller because MPPT is more efficient and it should be mounted as close to the battery as possible. I installed it in the right forward storage compartment which meant only about 5 feet of wire (10 gauge) or so is needed to reach the battery. This setup will also be more capable of handling another 100W panel if I wish to add one later.



I have added a switch to everything in my trailer that could cause parasitic draw on the battery, and the controller is another one. Normally not a big deal, but this has a caveat. Plugging in the solar panel without the battery hooked up can damage the controller, and I'm sure it wouldn't be long before I'd do just that with the switch between the battery and the controller still off. I Murphy-proofed that problem by using a double pole enclosed blade switch for both the solar panel and battery positive wires. This all got mounted up high to stay out of the way of stuff banging around in the compartment.



The factory Zamp outlet and harness was a no-go, the wire was undersized and spliced directly into a loop of 12V chassis wiring. I cut all that out, butt-spliced the chassis wires back together and replaced the Zamp outlet with an SAE connector (basically the same thing) sporting 10 gauge wires to which I added an inline fuse holder just in case. I forgot to grab a picture of the factory setup before I took the snips to it, but it wasn't pretty.
I drilled a small hole in the floor and ran the positive, negative and temperature probe wires through that then outside along the frame inside some flexible conduit to the battery. I added another waterproof fuse holder to the positive wire and tucked it into the battery box, then crimped on ring terminals for the posts. The temp probe is secured to the top of the battery with three strips of self-adhesive velcro.



Finally the moment of truth! I've read good reviews about Renogy stuff, and I gotta say I'm very impressed by the quality of their solar suitcase. The only other parts needed were an MC4 to SAE adapter cable and a 10 gauge (as usual) SAE extension cord.



I triple checked the polarity, plugged everything in, added fuses, crossed my fingers and threw the switch.



SUCCESS!!! It was a bright, sunny day and my new system was cranking out the power. The battery monitor was in agreement, and I was getting 14.7V at the posts on the multimeter.
Time to tidy up a bit, secure the wires, and reinstall the false panel that I failed to mentioned was removed at the beginning. Now it looks all nice and purty:



We have another weekend trip planned soon for some boondocking. I'm going to try to get by without using the generator, I'll post the results so stay tuned!

[pilotpip]

Hey David,

Do you find that your AC and heat do a better job maintaining a more constant temperature with the new thermostat? That's my biggest beef with the analog one but the digital coleman-mach that's a wire for wire replacement gets very poor reviews.

[DavidBo]

Originally Posted by pilotpip

Hey David,

Do you find that your AC and heat do a better job maintaining a more constant temperature with the new thermostat? That's my biggest beef with the analog one but the digital coleman-mach that's a wire for wire replacement gets very poor reviews.

The analog thermostat was terrible at maintaining anything close to a consistent temperature with the A/C. I understand there is supposed to be a sensitivity adjustment on the circuit board, likely a panel-mounted potentiometer, but I took the whole thing apart and didn't find anything adjustable.
The replacement Airxcel digital unit I got keeps temps within a couple of degrees, and so far has worked fine both heating and cooling. I found it well worth it.

[drburns]

David,
I very nice clean solar install.

Thanks for sharing.

[DavidBo]

So I was testing out my new little solar setup when I ran into a problem. It was a bright, sunny day and the controller was showing over 14 volts and around 4 amps going to the battery. The terminals on the battery and the battery monitor were reading the same voltage input, but the monitor was not showing a charge. I was actually drawing amps, but everything in the trailer was switched off. None of this was making sense, then I literally woke up in the middle of the night and realized my error (those of you with battery monitors probably already figured it out).
With a master stroke of dumbassery, I connected the negative wire from the controller directly to the battery, completely bypassing the shunt for the monitor. Once I moved the wire to the shunt where it belongs the monitor's display was happily lit up. I guess we'll chalk this up to learn by doing. Remember, mistakes you figure out and fix yourself don't count, although my DW doesn't always agree!