I feel this video so much. I've been modifying and "fixing" the RV since we bought it in late Feb. We have a cat, so we had to block his access to pointlessly open spots beside the bed so he wouldn't hide in the slide where we can't get him. Had to cut a hole in the half bath door for a cat door so he can reach his litter without the door open in the kitchen for the dogs to venture in. The manufacturer installed the theater seating too close to the wall, so you couldn't fully recline. There's a vent above the microwave that ships with a vent panel covering the ugly wires... but was magically absent from ours. Had to DIY one. Made phone sized trays for the edges of the slide paneling in the bedroom so we have a place to charge our phones that isn't across the bedroom. It's definitely an ongoing labor of love!
Thank you for talking about the awning and wind. So many people in the Facebook groups are trying to convince me that they can't be used even in a light breeze or they will be destroyed.
For the last mod on the bathroom vanity, I would fill the holes with wood putty and then paint the wood trim with a nice contrasting paint, maybe a nice green to go with that cool leaf art piece. Then you can place the cabinet handle in the appropriate spot. However, that was a great mod!
When installing the shade, lube the plastic insert that goes in the groove on the awning with dish soap and it slides much easier. After rain it rinses right off or just spray it with a hose once installed.
Chad the 110 is the AT&T space saving block replacing the 66 block. If you worked on or saw Nortel equipment you may have seen Bix blocks similar to 110 but not the same. Many patch panels have 110 termination for the field wire to connect to the patch panel. Nortel use to be in every military site but I think has been replaced mostly. Been a few years since I was working on that. That outlet with the pinch connector is horrible, they get hot and melt the connector. I replace them anyplace I run a device with much current draw. Hope Tara's treatments went well and you guys are staying safe and healthy.
Love your approach and patient explanations. Its all in the small stuff, isn’t it? Having the right tools really helps on any project. Totally understand about the recliners being unplugged… ours are too!
Chad, we love humble and genuine you come across. Always fun to personalize a rig and it sounds like you learned from previous projects. Thanks for the video, a lot of people will find value in it.
Good mods all. I did catch one important thing, the most important thing, working on the medicine cabinet door - its good if Tara likes it. Imortal words of all good handyman husbands. I liked the plug additions. You can never go wrong with 12 gauge wire. Thats all I ever use, even on lights, much simpler. I had to laugh when you had to get the scope -- i was wondering if you were anticipating a new career in proctological exams. Anyway , all the mods went well. We used a lot of the plexiglas mirrors when i was still working on corporate aircraft. Good stuff, but it has to be mounted solid on flat surface. I was a little apprehensive about it being righ by the door. Its tough stuff, but will scratch fairly easy. Good to see ya'll making this rig your own. Can't wait until ya'll get out on the road some more. God bless ya'll for your efforts to make these videos for us and sharing your lives with us. Ya'll stay safe on your travels, we all like ya'll the way you are. You really should let Miss Daisy help, I'm certain that she could really help out !
Ya know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not being a fan of mirrors (I have to sneak up on the mirror to shave in the morning) I would have much rather had the cork board, but I do like the cork fabric better. As for the 110 punch down tool you were using it might have been for 110 phone punch down blocks. The tool is called a 110 punchdown tool. On that medicine cabinet door you could maybe get a handle that spans the entire side of the door or get matching one and mount it on the bottom. I think it would just make the esthetics better. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
Love the cork board mod. We had something similar but bigger and with coat hooks. It was just wallpaper so I found a nice piece of wood I screwed in. Then we put sticker we ger from our travels on the board
Great mods and you make em look so easy. Thanks for sharing and I understand about check things first before doing. I did that and took things off I didn't need to. Live and learn
Just thinking about the medicine cabinet mod. Would it have been easier to remove the cabinet and place an appropriately thick shim behind the mounting screws on the right side and then reattach in the same location. This would skew the mirror to the left and let the handle and and hardware stay intact. It would've also made it easier for Tara to grab the handle. I like your enthusiasm about these various modifications. Every RV I've been around has had a need for such "touches!"
here's an idea for your medicine cabinet, find another matching handle and install in lower down on the door, it'll be more functional and more importantly it'll be more symmetrical😉
Agree about the sofa lights, heat etc. We have a new GD TT with the same sofa. It seems like the heat and message features turn on without even sitting in the seats. Very sensitive and improperly placed switches.
Love the picture of the giant US Flag in the field you have in the office/garage. It looks like it was taken in Ouray Colorado which is about 60 miles from my home.
I’ll tell you I am so pleased about the CAT hydronic additive. My trailer is so quite now. This stuff cost $61 a quart. Worth every penny. Thanks Richard - Bastrop Texas
Chad not sure if you remember or use a punch down tool they usually have a couple of tips 66 or 110 one has a cutting side and the other just pushes the wire into place. We’ve used them for phone and network panels in a IDF.
Hi Chad and Tara!! What kind of lamps do you travel with? I would like to have a few lamps to make the RV a little more like home, so I'm curious as to what lamps you use and how you pack them up for travel. Thanks for another great video. Always enjoy your videos. Safe travels!! Andrea
Everyone is different but I liked the cork. I could see some favorite pictures with those push pins and change them out for a different look. Chad with your background I would love to know your opinion on this. Three decades boater and now a few years of rubber tramp. In the boating world you use stranded wire for all 110 volt work. I was told it was due to vibration and Romex can break. I think campers and such have way move vibration then a boat. Been out in some really last stuff on the big lake and it is more rolly than vibrational. On my second build now I did use stranded again 110 just because of my boating background. One other suggestion for folks when working on 110 volts turn off the inverter too. Also if you you have an on demand generator better shut that off.
With the coat hook cork board it looks like there a 4 caps that cover screws 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Can’t you pop them off and unscrew from the wall?
Chad, great video and some very good infomation and helpful hints and ideas. Also, I have to ask you a question and I hope you don't mind. A couple a weeks ago I thought I may have seen you and Tara at a local Pub & Grub called River n Rails. Was I just seeing things or was that y'all? If so so sorry for not saying something. If not, glad I didn't. Thanks!
Don't like the push-pin connectors on AC outlets. Over time the pins can loosen creating a resistive connection that generates heat that makes the connection more resistive that generates even more heat that . . . . well, you get the idea.
Chad, you are a very smart guy, however you may have made a mistake. In all my experiences with electric wires, white romex is usually 14/2 and yellow is 12/2. I’m not sure if this is my mistake. Anyhow great work!
White 12/2 is still available, I believe most people call it "automotive" or "marine grade" - higher strand count for flexibility...makes sense to use in an RV too. Not sure if that's what was used here, but it is available.
We noticed the cutting board on top of your stove. Was that an add on or supplied by Grand Design? We are looking for one that might possibly be left on the stove during travel. Regardless, any idea on the manufacturer, and my +/-? Thanks as always. Kevin
C'mon... really going to recommend getting a linked $300 brad nailer as a must have for rv'ing? Don't get me wrong, great tool if you wood work, just not a needed piece of rv equipment.
Hey Chad. What was that attachment to your drill when you were moving the latch on the bathroom mirror move? That is so cool. And what is it called? Love your mods.
I always find it odd how "straight out" these awnings are. If the arms were lowered, they would have more of a slope to shed rain, as opposed to it pooling. These Soleras are different, I guess, than the Carefree versions our 399 has, in that the Carefree don't have "corner drop" feature.
why would you use those cheap trailer outlet when you could use a normal one we replaced ours because we had some of the wires come loose which caused a ground problem
Regular outlets need to be attached to something.. Yes.. you can screw it into the very thin material but one good tug on a plug and you risk stripping it out.
You can use a cut in box they have the ears on them just like the RV plug but the outlet is separate and come in different depths and are used with romex wire
Well the window isnt needed in a bathroom as you have the skylight for light so they could have given you a full length 3 piece mirror on that wall with a counter top under it for the Mrs .......just an observation
Looking for a channel name. I met a group of rvers on a cruise to Canada last week. Apparently they where all part of a rv group that follows a certain channel that invited everyone out. Alot of them also said they know yall and follower your channel. Do you know the channel I'm talking about? Thanks for your help! Love your channel!
@ChangingLanes that's it thank you so much! Great group of people! My family and I have been vacation rving for a year and a half now. Our next big trip will be from Virginia to Montana and back, we love this community! It's so cool to randomly run into people and find out the rv to and your like best friends after that.
All Stores Please Lower the price of all Military and Local for all Brands of Rv Products and Accessories and Production Cost Now That's too much $$ The Whole World Now 🙏🙏🙏
![🛠 Tools for Full Time RV Living! [RV Tools] Changing Lanes!](/img/1.gif)
I had a customer in my store in Cambridge MN with a t-shirt from your channel and sparked a fun conversation that day. Have a great day!
So cool! Thanks for sharing that. 😊
I feel this video so much. I've been modifying and "fixing" the RV since we bought it in late Feb.
We have a cat, so we had to block his access to pointlessly open spots beside the bed so he wouldn't hide in the slide where we can't get him.
Had to cut a hole in the half bath door for a cat door so he can reach his litter without the door open in the kitchen for the dogs to venture in.
The manufacturer installed the theater seating too close to the wall, so you couldn't fully recline.
There's a vent above the microwave that ships with a vent panel covering the ugly wires... but was magically absent from ours. Had to DIY one.
Made phone sized trays for the edges of the slide paneling in the bedroom so we have a place to charge our phones that isn't across the bedroom.
It's definitely an ongoing labor of love!
Dremel tool is the eighth wonder of the world!😊
Thank you for talking about the awning and wind. So many people in the Facebook groups are trying to convince me that they can't be used even in a light breeze or they will be destroyed.
For the last mod on the bathroom vanity, I would fill the holes with wood putty and then paint the wood trim with a nice contrasting paint, maybe a nice green to go with that cool leaf art piece. Then you can place the cabinet handle in the appropriate spot. However, that was a great mod!
When installing the shade, lube the plastic insert that goes in the groove on the awning with dish soap and it slides much easier. After rain it rinses right off or just spray it with a hose once installed.
Great idea!
Love watching all of your “how you do it” videos. I always seem to learn something. You’d make a great instructor.
seriously, you guys are my favorite channel.
Chad the 110 is the AT&T space saving block replacing the 66 block. If you worked on or saw Nortel equipment you may have seen Bix blocks similar to 110 but not the same. Many patch panels have 110 termination for the field wire to connect to the patch panel. Nortel use to be in every military site but I think has been replaced mostly. Been a few years since I was working on that. That outlet with the pinch connector is horrible, they get hot and melt the connector. I replace them anyplace I run a device with much current draw. Hope Tara's treatments went well and you guys are staying safe and healthy.
Love your approach and patient explanations. Its all in the small stuff, isn’t it? Having the right tools really helps on any project. Totally understand about the recliners being unplugged… ours are too!
110 is a style of punch for network/telecom connections (66, bix, krone, 110) . Not a voltage rating. But, glad it worked out for you!!
Chad, we love humble and genuine you come across. Always fun to personalize a rig and it sounds like you learned from previous projects. Thanks for the video, a lot of people will find value in it.
Good mods all. I did catch one important thing, the most important thing, working on the medicine cabinet door - its good if Tara likes it. Imortal words of all good handyman husbands.
I liked the plug additions. You can never go wrong with 12 gauge wire. Thats all I ever use, even on lights, much simpler.
I had to laugh when you had to get the scope -- i was wondering if you were anticipating a new career in proctological exams.
Anyway , all the mods went well. We used a lot of the plexiglas mirrors when i was still working on corporate aircraft. Good stuff, but it has to be mounted solid on flat surface. I was a little apprehensive about it being righ by the door. Its tough stuff, but will scratch fairly easy.
Good to see ya'll making this rig your own. Can't wait until ya'll get out on the road some more.
God bless ya'll for your efforts to make these videos for us and sharing your lives with us. Ya'll stay safe on your travels, we all like ya'll the way you are. You really should let Miss Daisy help, I'm certain that she could really help out !
We're still waiting for Daisy to grow thumbs and pitch in! LOL
Ya know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and not being a fan of mirrors (I have to sneak up on the mirror to shave in the morning) I would have much rather had the cork board, but I do like the cork fabric better. As for the 110 punch down tool you were using it might have been for 110 phone punch down blocks. The tool is called a 110 punchdown tool. On that medicine cabinet door you could maybe get a handle that spans the entire side of the door or get matching one and mount it on the bottom. I think it would just make the esthetics better. Keep the good stuff coming guys.
Yea.. I was thinking the 110 was for something else.. but it did make the job easier.. LOL
Very creative on the medicine cabinet!
Love the cork board mod. We had something similar but bigger and with coat hooks. It was just wallpaper so I found a nice piece of wood I screwed in. Then we put sticker we ger from our travels on the board
Thanks for the updates. I second the finishing nail gun - although mine is an Hitachi that I need an air compressor for, so that is only for home.
Love the project/RV maintenance work videos. Those are always my fav.
clever mirror hack. nice job
These tips are so good. Many thanks.
Thanks for the show, making it look ez again, much appreciated.
Chad also I agree with KingCruzer you’re just adding to our to do lists with all of these updates you’re doing…LOL😂
Heck yeah, we carry a Dremel tool. Great for making openings for mounting outlets, BVM mounting, and other panel mounted devices.
Great mods and you make em look so easy. Thanks for sharing and I understand about check things first before doing. I did that and took things off I didn't need to. Live and learn
Awesome video again
Just thinking about the medicine cabinet mod. Would it have been easier to remove the cabinet and place an appropriately thick shim behind the mounting screws on the right side and then reattach in the same location. This would skew the mirror to the left and let the handle and and hardware stay intact. It would've also made it easier for Tara to grab the handle. I like your enthusiasm about these various modifications. Every RV I've been around has had a need for such "touches!"
here's an idea for your medicine cabinet, find another matching handle and install in lower down on the door, it'll be more functional and more importantly it'll be more symmetrical😉
Agree about the sofa lights, heat etc. We have a new GD TT with the same sofa. It seems like the heat and message features turn on without even sitting in the seats. Very sensitive and improperly placed switches.
If you dont want to unplug, you can try this: www.etsy.com/listing/1019304682/pair-of-grand-design-thomas-payne-stacy
Looks so easy when you do it, LOL.
I love seeing the updates!!!❤
Love the picture of the giant US Flag in the field you have in the office/garage. It looks like it was taken in Ouray Colorado which is about 60 miles from my home.
Yes! It was somewhere along the million dollar highway: ruclips.net/video/unNRrhzp6Q8/видео.html
I’ll tell you I am so pleased about the CAT hydronic additive. My trailer is so quite now. This stuff cost $61 a quart. Worth every penny.
Thanks
Richard - Bastrop Texas
I hate spell check I don’t know where hydronic came from u know what I meant
Holy crap! It's $61/qt now?!?!?! That's crazy. Glad it worked for you! 👍🏼
I know it was high but it could have been $200 as long as it stopped the popping.
Nice ideas. Thank you.
great video, thanks for the ideas
Another great “how you did it” video. Thanks for sharing. Some great ideas as usual
Good deal .
Nice job on the small mods/tweaks.
Great mods, thank you. Can’t wait for next week.
Nice. You should build out the bathroom medicine cabinet to be at that angle when closed. More storage + usable mirror.
Thanks Chad! - Love your spice rack fixtures on the fridge - great use of space - Attached with two sided tape? - Cheers!
They're magnetic and wont scratch: gear.changinglanesrv.com/product/magnetic-spice-rack-organizer/
Great changes ! Safe Travels ❤️🤍💙
on the mirror use 2 black headed screws in the holes then move the handle down.
Put a 2nd handle on the medicine cabinet on the bottom? Round nob, something small
I did the same mod with our medicine cabinet mirror in Rockwood.
Thanks for the great content, love this stuff!
Chad not sure if you remember or use a punch down tool they usually have a couple of tips 66 or 110 one has a cutting side and the other just pushes the wire into place. We’ve used them for phone and network panels in a IDF.
I'll have to see if this one has a more blunt end on the other side... 👍🏼
Great content and video as always.
Your new home is looking good.
If you can find a match for the latch, put a second one on the bottom, top becomes accent. (Handel)
Cork board doesn’t look ugly, just pin some pictures of your travels. But to each his own 😊
I love your videos so much!!!
Thanks for the great videos
Hi Chad and Tara!! What kind of lamps do you travel with? I would like to have a few lamps to make the RV a little more like home, so I'm curious as to what lamps you use and how you pack them up for travel. Thanks for another great video. Always enjoy your videos. Safe travels!! Andrea
Everyone is different but I liked the cork. I could see some favorite pictures with those push pins and change them out for a different look. Chad with your background I would love to know your opinion on this. Three decades boater and now a few years of rubber tramp. In the boating world you use stranded wire for all 110 volt work. I was told it was due to vibration and Romex can break. I think campers and such have way move vibration then a boat. Been out in some really last stuff on the big lake and it is more rolly than vibrational. On my second build now I did use stranded again 110 just because of my boating background. One other suggestion for folks when working on 110 volts turn off the inverter too. Also if you you have an on demand generator better shut that off.
All of the wiring in our RV is solid wire. i think with these punch-down style outlets, stranded wire might get some strands broken.
I am sure you are correct and thanks for the reply.
Great job mate! Keep it up ❤
Good job boss!!!
As always I enjoy your videos.
What about the screw holes in the medicine chest where you changed the hinge?
water steam that comes from the coffee maker straight into the electrical outlet?? Otherwise smart solutions 😊
Have you replaced the struts on your bed ? If so how do you measure them and what was the lbs you used to replace them ? Thanks
With the coat hook cork board it looks like there a 4 caps that cover screws 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Can’t you pop them off and unscrew from the wall?
Chad, great video and some very good infomation and helpful hints and ideas. Also, I have to ask you a question and I hope you don't mind. A couple a weeks ago I thought I may have seen you and Tara at a local Pub & Grub called River n Rails. Was I just seeing things or was that y'all? If so so sorry for not saying something. If not, glad I didn't. Thanks!
That was likely us. Next time, say Hi! 😊
The mirror over the corkboard didn't work so put coark over the coark?
Don't like the push-pin connectors on AC outlets. Over time the pins can loosen creating a resistive connection that generates heat that makes the connection more resistive that generates even more heat that . . . . well, you get the idea.
Chad, you are a very smart guy, however you may have made a mistake. In all my experiences with electric wires, white romex is usually 14/2 and yellow is 12/2. I’m not sure if this is my mistake. Anyhow great work!
White 12/2 is still available, I believe most people call it "automotive" or "marine grade" - higher strand count for flexibility...makes sense to use in an RV too. Not sure if that's what was used here, but it is available.
I'm pretty sure it was 12/2, but even 14/2 would be good for 15A... The wire was solid and not stranded. 👍🏼
We noticed the cutting board on top of your stove. Was that an add on or supplied by Grand Design? We are looking for one that might possibly be left on the stove during travel. Regardless, any idea on the manufacturer, and my +/-? Thanks as always. Kevin
I feel like I owe you an apology for
Laughing at the head light you were when doing projects. I recently bought one and it's amazing.
Oh yes! LOVE headlamps! 😊
C'mon... really going to recommend getting a linked $300 brad nailer as a must have for rv'ing? Don't get me wrong, great tool if you wood work, just not a needed piece of rv equipment.
I specifically stated that ANY nail gun, even the inexpensive mechanical kind, are great to have.
Don't get your nickers in a twist. Still managed to link the one "as big as your head"
What bit do you use in the Dremel tool for cutting the paneling when adding the outlets? Also, what size brad nails do you use for reattaching trim?
I use this bit: amzn.to/3qx0m75. And this is our nail gun (18GA): gear.changinglanesrv.com/product/dewalt-20v-nail-gun/
Hey Chad. What was that attachment to your drill when you were moving the latch on the bathroom mirror move? That is so cool. And what is it called? Love your mods.
Its this... SUPER handy! amzn.to/3oQjlJm
What kind of nailer is that you used
This one: gear.changinglanesrv.com/product/dewalt-20v-nail-gun/
Did you fill the holes left from moving the hinge on the medicine cabinet?
No.. but they're hidden with the door closed and barely noticeable when open.
Why 12/2 vs 12/3 or 14/3 (14 gauge is rated for 15 ams)? Other wise great suggestions?
12/2 was what lowes had on hand. 12/3 is one too many wires (the ground isn't counted).
@@ChangingLanes As a electrical contractor I would not agree without a ground the gfi will not protect the circuit totally. Good video.
@@ChangingLanes I got it 12/2 w ground. Good Video
Nice mods.
I always find it odd how "straight out" these awnings are. If the arms were lowered, they would have more of a slope to shed rain, as opposed to it pooling. These Soleras are different, I guess, than the Carefree versions our 399 has, in that the Carefree don't have "corner drop" feature.
Why didn’t you take the bathroom cabinet down and flip it upside down?
On the awning shade, are you able to roll up the short section that you fit into the track, or do you have to remove it before retracting your awning?
We roll ours up with no issue, after about 2 years it still goes strong
The 3 ft section rolls up in the awing.
I thought 12/2 Romex was yellow. The wire you used looked white.
What size nail gun?
18GA. gear.changinglanesrv.com/product/dewalt-20v-nail-gun/. 👍🏼
Are those outlets an RV specific item?
The amazon listing says they are RV outlets, but I'd imagine they'd work anywhere.
why would you use those cheap trailer outlet when you could use a normal one we replaced ours because we had some of the wires come loose which caused a ground problem
Regular outlets need to be attached to something.. Yes.. you can screw it into the very thin material but one good tug on a plug and you risk stripping it out.
You can use a cut in box they have the ears on them just like the RV plug but the outlet is separate and come in different depths and are used with romex wire
Well the window isnt needed in a bathroom as you have the skylight for light so they could have given you a full length 3 piece mirror on that wall with a counter top under it for the Mrs .......just an observation
Looking for a channel name. I met a group of rvers on a cruise to Canada last week. Apparently they where all part of a rv group that follows a certain channel that invited everyone out. Alot of them also said they know yall and follower your channel. Do you know the channel I'm talking about? Thanks for your help! Love your channel!
Yes.. That was our friends Phil and Stacy (Today is Someday). www.youtube.com/@todayissomeday
@ChangingLanes that's it thank you so much! Great group of people! My family and I have been vacation rving for a year and a half now. Our next big trip will be from Virginia to Montana and back, we love this community! It's so cool to randomly run into people and find out the rv to and your like best friends after that.
👍
Little details separate Champions from also rans
ET here. I thought you were an Airedale, didn’t you call your “inspection tool” a Borescope? 😜
I don't think I ever used a borescope in the Navy.. Oscilloscope, yes.. 😊
Chad...Please stop these mod videos!!! YOU are creating too much work for me!! I will use 2 of them. Always great stuff. Thank you
LOL. At least these were cheap. 😉
All Stores Please Lower the price of all Military and Local for all Brands of Rv Products and Accessories and Production Cost Now That's too much $$ The Whole World Now 🙏🙏🙏
them dewalt tools r starting to look real cheap n nasty being made in china
That punch down tool is for a 110 block. The bit might even be double sided to also be used on a 66 block. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_block
Great Mods