 We’ve seen more of the underside of our RV in the past couple of months than in the six years we’ve owned the fifth wheel. Since removing the covering over our RV underbelly, we learned where our slideout motors are positioned, where our wastewater and freshwater tanks are located, and where rust accumulated on the I-beam spanning the length of the coach. That exposure also gave Bob the opportunity to attach a dangling leveling sensor to the frame, add an aftermarket sensor to our kitchen gray wastewater tank, clean away rust, apply rust protectant, and add a fresh coat of paint on the frame for increased protection.  After he completed all that, it was time to reseal the RV underbelly. Here’s what the experience was like. Purchasing a replacement Our rig originally had corrugated plastic underneath. On top of that sat a loose layer of foil bubble-wrap-type material as a radiant barrier to help with insulation. Bob’s research for an underlayment replacement revealed a newer material from RecPro with the foil layer attached to it for simpler installment. We purchased a 25-foot roll that measured 77 inches across and were surprised to find that the material felt more fabriclike than the original plastic. Despite that, it’s still water- and temperature-resistant and considered “extreme duty.” Preparing for installation Bob conducted more research to determine the best way to install the new underbelly. Because the original sat in very narrow grooves that spanned wider than the beams stretching from the front to the rear of the RV, we knew that getting the new material in without cutting it (our goal) would be a challenge. Someone had installed the same type of underlayment solo by using a 2-by-4 on top of jack stands to help hold it up as he forced the material into the grooves. Although we’d be working together on the project, we decided to follow that example. We secured a 2-by-8 (which doubles as a board for under our tires to help us get level at uneven sites), heavy-duty jack stands, a chalk line, a winding tape measure, scissors, self-tapping screws, and washers. Measuring twice, cutting once Once we designated Bob as the leader of this project, the first thing we had to do was unroll the new material. Bob’s brother Tom, a fellow full-time RVer, took on this task, leaving the expanded roll in the sun to help flatten it out. Next, we laid out the old pieces of the underbelly that Bob had cut and removed to help us determine the width and length we’d need. We had to cut off about 5 inches of width the entire length of the new material. That’s where the chalk line came in. We marked our desired width measurement at the two ends and in the middle of the new material, using blue tape that we could write on to see our nicks. Then we measured again and pulled out the chalk line, stretching it the length of the new material and carefully aligning it over our markings. We each snapped it, leaving a nice orange line.  I took the heavy-duty scissors and cut the material. They were the right tool for the job. Marking points of interest Tom ran to the store to secure a yellow marker that would help us see important points on the black material. While he was away, Bob and I positioned the pieces of old corrugated plastic on top of the new material to prepare to mark the areas we’d need to be mindful of for installation, such as the spare tire holder, water pipes, slide motors, and things like that.  Tom returned and helped us make our marks, including yellow dots to indicate existing screw holes. Installing the new material We talked through our plan for installation: pulling the material in from the back to the front. Once we were all on the same page, Bob and I crawled under our rig and lay on our backs on crushed gravel to try to drive the material into place. Remember how I said the grooves were wider than the beams spanning the length of the coach? Yeah, that caused a bit of a problem. We weren’t able to get the material into the slots at the start, so we decided to maneuver it under the hitch at the back of the rig and up over the axles and the board across jack stands. We had to force the corners and sides of the stiff material up toward the trailer for this to work.  I grabbed the axles and support beams above me and scooted on my back toward the front of the rig, pulling the material as best as I could as I went. I felt like an airman from WWII dashing through the tunnel of a B-25 to the navigator/bombardier seat while on a mission. Pulling the material the length of the coach proved cumbersome, but little by little, keeping our communication open, we were able to complete the task. Attaching the underlayment to the rig Getting the material in position the length of the rig was only part of the process. Next came forcing the material into the grooves on either side of the frame and securing it. Tom joined Bob under the trailer toward the front while I moved around to work the material into place. Once we thought we had enough in the grooves and had it pretty straight, we all held the piece up and in place while Bob attempted to attach a screw with a thick washer. The metal frame didn’t want to let the screw in. Finally, the screw made a hole.  We repeated this process. But as Tom tried to help attach another screw, he accidentally kicked the 2-by-8 above his legs, knocking it onto his shin. I crawled out from under the trailer to move the board off and out of the way, finding a rock in my back pocket from my scooting adventure. Tom got a surface wound on his leg but wrote it off as part of the experience. “Every scar is a sign of adventure,” he told me. Back under the trailer, I continued to push the material into the slots, holding it up while the guys secured what they could and cut holes as needed. Once we got to the axles, Tom left Bob and me to complete the project. It took a bit longer than we’d hoped. The hardest part was cutting off excess material so that we had just enough to fit into the end cap at the back of the rig. Bob secured the underbelly, and we celebrated a job well done with a dip in a hot tub to rest our sore muscles and bruised backs, behinds, heads, knees, and elbows. We finished the project just in time to insulate the bottom of our rig from cold weather. You might also like Removing an RV TV antenna. 
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 Our 42-foot fifth wheel, Tagalong, provides everything we need to live: a living room, kitchen, dining table, bedroom, bathroom, office space for me to work, and plenty of storage. Without a truck equipped to tow it, however, it’s immobile, even though it sits on four tires. When our Dodge Ram 3500 dually, Gulliver, started making whistling noises while towing Tagalong up a mountain in Montana, we didn’t like what we heard. We found the incessant, high-pitched sounds annoying and disturbing. Clearly something wasn’t right. We recently picked up Gulliver from Copperhead Diesel Performance in Chandler, Arizona, after 2.5 weeks of his absence. (To be fair, the 2.5 weeks included Thanksgiving weekend, when the shop was closed so that the employees could enjoy time with their families.)  Since the $8,000-plus repairs, Gulliver sounds much different than he did when we took him in — and even than he did when leaving the Phoenix area last year. It seems that’s when our issues with the truck really began, on a climb to Flagstaff, Arizona, at the start of our 2025 travels.
We thought adding a tuner to Gulliver would fix the problem — and it seemed to — but now we’re not so sure. Here’s why. Exhaust leak When the shrill whistling continued to be apparent in the cab of the truck, seemingly located on the passenger side, we figured we were dealing with some sort of leak. As it turns out, Gulliver had a cracked exhaust manifold, a common issue in Dodge Ram trucks. A technician replaced the single-compartment part, which is known to shrink and crack over time, with a dual-compartment piece. This should help prevent the possibility of another leak and reduced engine efficiency. Maybe that’s why Gulliver sounds different. As part of the project, the technician had to remove the exhaust gas recirculator (EGR) cooler, clean it, and install new gaskets. He also had to take off the turbo and put it back on, which meant a coolant change as well. Transmission tune To get to the exhaust manifold required removing the tune we installed on the transmission and draining its fluid. That went off without a hitch. The initial evaluation of the truck this time around revealed a broken transmission control module, so we had that replaced too. But when the technician reapplied our transmission tune after the fix, it broke. It seemed that the manufacturer of the tune sent the wrong code. Could that have been the cause of our original problem? Proactive repairs Regardless of the answer, an assessment of Gulliver’s fluids under the hood found a deficit for the power steering pressure hoses, so we had the shop proactively replace the lines and steering fluid. When you’re towing 18,000 pounds, you need all the steerability you can get. Since the shop already had the truck and had to take off at least one tire to get to the exhaust manifold, we also had the technicians give Gulliver an alignment to correct his pull to the right. We knew it would save us time from having to take him somewhere else to get that done. Back in action Although we’re not convinced the initial tune to our diesel engine was needed, we trust the guys at Copperhead Diesel and the work they perform. Gulliver is better than ever, even if our checking account isn’t. We’re grateful we were able to use a family member’s vehicle while he was in the shop, but we’re more thankful to have him back in excellent working condition. And we’re certain he’s in better shape to tow Tagalong on our 2026 adventures. You might also like Gulliver gets a face-lift.  Since we’ve been living in close quarters for the past six years and fixing issues as they arise, you might think we’re great at doing projects together. Oftentimes, that’s true. But there have been plenty of times to the contrary. Bob and I both like a good project. Since transitioning to full-time RVing, we’ve helped others paint, renovate a bathroom, replace ceramic tiles with laminate flooring, and more — and enjoyed each experience. But when it comes to our own projects, let’s just say they’re not always enjoyable.  Each of us holds expertise in different areas and, for that reason, we each like to lead. Add to that the fact that we both have our Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications, and you have a recipe for potential disaster. After nearly 35 years of marriage, however, we think we finally figured out the key to doing projects together successfully: having a designated project leader. One chief too many When each of us is fighting to lead a project, it produces contention. One of us wants to do things a certain way, and the other wants to do them a different way. Both ways may work just fine and bring about the same results, but not agreeing on the method results in conflicting views, frustration, irritation, and arguments. Connecting the truck to the trailer is one example. Bob sits in the driver’s seat of Gulliver to steer him into place under the fifth-wheel kingpin while I stand on the driver’s side of the rig at the leveling controls to help align the height of the kingpin with the truck hitch.  I think Bob should back up a certain way, and he thinks he should do it a different way. Fortunately, he can’t see or hear me talking to him behind the open door to the leveling controls. I don’t think he’d like what I have to say in that case. Our PMP training taught us that a project leader needs to be a servant leader. Many times when we work on projects together, we forget that mindset. Neither of us tries to serve the other because we’re too busy trying to lead and get our point across. Project leader vs. apprentice It finally dawned on us that we need to identify who’s going to lead a project from the start. The leader doesn’t always have to be the same person for every project, but there needs to be a specified manager and subordinate, or apprentice, much like the relationship and hierarchy between an executive chef and a sous chef. The apprentice isn’t precluded from sharing their opinions and thoughts, and the leader doesn’t dictate. Otherwise, we just have a different form of conflict. We can enjoy working together on a peaceful project when the designated apprentice feels free to make suggestions, knowing that the leader has the responsibility to make the final decision and face any consequences from it. A successful project example We tested this approach on a recent project to add sunscreens to our RV to protect it from the intense Arizona sun and heat, identifying Bob as the leader. Having a designated project leader immediately put us both at ease. As the apprentice, I felt free to share my thoughts and opinions but knew that Bob ultimately had the final say. Some of my suggestions he took. Others he didn’t. But overall, we were calmer, had positive attitudes, and worked well together. And we got the job done — and felt good about the experience.  Sometimes we forget that we’re on the same team. There’s no need to fight each other. We’re both striving for the same result. We need to empower one of us to lead while the other supports that person, knowing they have to make the final decisions. When we do, it’s easier to enjoy the project journey. And we get better results.
You might also like How a flat tire helped us work together.  My feet vibrated under my desk in our fifth wheel, and a grinding metal sound assaulted my ears. I went outside and found Bob under the trailer, sparks flying. He was using a borrowed angle grinder to try to remove screws sealing the underside of our rig. Most RVs manufactured today include a corrugated plastic covering over the underbelly to protect its contents from dirt, dust, debris, and rodents. We’re grateful our 2018 fifth wheel came with that. Despite that protection, for years, Bob has wanted to pull off the corrugated plastic to see if we had any issues and to get a better idea of where things are under our rig, such as slideout motors. He finally made his wish come true this year — and managed to catch dust directly through his nostril and into his sinus cavity in the process, thanks to previous sinus surgery that removed his upper and mid turbinates. Gratefully, he recovered after a day or two and didn’t develop an infection. Here’s what we discovered after removing our RV underbelly. Loose leveler We’ve had challenges leveling our 42-foot coach for a number of years, even though it came equipped with a Lippert auto-leveling system. Multiple times, we’ve had to retrain the system on what constitutes level. And we’ve learned to put plenty of leveling blocks under our mid and rear stabilizers before attempting the autolevel function to give the system the best chance at success. It never dawned on us that the issue could be something inherent to our rig — until we removed Tagalong’s underbelly protection and discovered a dangling leveling sensor, as well as an empty shelf made specifically to hold it. Now we know.  We’ll secure the loose leveler to the rig before resealing the underbelly and will retrain the Lippert system for, hopefully, the last time on the true state of levelness. Chewed wiring Although the corrugated plastic is designed to help keep out rodents, some have been able to find their way into the underbelly of our rig, and even into the interior. We managed to trap those that made their way inside, so we were surprised to find a wide swath of chewed wires in the belly of our rig. To our amazement, the culprit didn’t chew all the way through the conduit and into the wires. That could have been a bit exciting for all parties. Not wanting to leave bare wires exposed, Bob already wrapped them with electrical tape.  Dried mushrooms Speaking of rodents, remember the squirrel Twitchy that managed to get inside our rig while we were in Alberta on our way back to the contiguous states after a summer in Alaska? He hadn’t stashed nuts in our fifth wheel like we had thought. We found dried mushrooms instead.  Shocked, I did a Google search to see if squirrels eat mushrooms. Sure enough, they do. I learned they can even eat mushrooms that are poisonous to humans. And they do indeed store mushrooms for the winter. Who knew?
Ignorance is bliss. Discovery is a reason to act. In addition to addressing the issues we found, Bob took advantage of the exposed underbelly to add aftermarket sensors to our graywater tanks, as the sensors that come with a rig from the factory quickly lose accuracy. He had successfully added aftermarket sensors to our fresh and blackwater tanks years ago by cutting openings in the corrugated plastic. When resealing Tagalong’s underbelly, Bob will also mark the locations of key items, such as slideout motors, to aid in any needed maintenance in the future. You might also like Removing an RV TV antenna.  One warm May day in Larkspur, Colorado, I turned on the fan in the kitchen ceiling of our fifth wheel and opened the roof vent and some windows to bring in cool air and push out heat. When it came time to turn off the fan and close the vent, the blades kept spinning and the vent remained ajar. No matter which button I pushed on the wall controller, the fan didn’t get the message that it was supposed to stop revolving. Bob identified the fuse that controlled the fan and removed it from the RV’s circuit panel. The fan went off…and so did the refrigerator. Clearly, that was not a long-term or even short-term solution.  Troubleshooting Bob got out his tools, climbed onto the kitchen island counter, and removed the screen over the fan blades, as well the shroud in the ceiling, to expose the motor and wiring. He disconnected the wires powering the unit, put the other parts back in place, carefully got down, and reinserted the fuse to run the fridge. We’d have to function without the vent until we could fix it.  Internet research revealed we stood to risk the least by ordering a replacement wall controller for $40. If that corrected the issue, we’d save about $200. The part arrived, Bob replaced it, but the fan still wouldn’t turn off. He took apart the unit again and, using his multimeter tool, determined the circuit board was bad. We could replace it for around $170, or we could change out the entire roof vent fan for about $200. We opted for the latter. We liked the roof fan the factory had installed in our rig. It featured a rain sensor that signaled the vent door to close when wet. So we ordered the same thing from etrailer.com, a Maxxair MaxxFan Plus 4-speed roof vent, and had it sent to an upcoming stop. Removal Before we could install the new unit, we had to remove the old one. That meant pulling up existing self-leveling caulk from around the exterior of the vent. Early on a June morning in the middle of Louisiana, Bob climbed onto the roof and put his oscillating multitool to work to break apart the gummy caulk.  The buzzing overhead pulled me from my dreamy slumber. I rolled out of bed and went to help Bob, serving as his apprentice. Once he cut through enough caulk, we were able to lift the old vent out of place, exposing a large hole in the roof. More caulk clung to the rubber membrane surrounding the hole and had to be removed to create a level surface for the new unit.  The oscillating tool helped clear away the outer portion of sticky substance from the rubber roofing while I used my fingers to painstakingly pry the tacky residue from the inner square, where the vent had been attached. We swept away any remaining debris, and Bob added a fresh layer of non-leveling caulk around the inner square, in preparation for attaching the replacement vent. Installation With that done, we put the new unit into place. It fit perfectly. Bob reinserted the original screws to secure the vent to the roof. Using a caulking gun, he covered each of the 16 screws with a dollop of self-leveling caulk. Then he traced the edge of the vent unit with caulk and continued adding the substance until every portion around the vent cover was concealed.  Inside the fifth wheel, Bob removed the fan screen and shroud to expose the wires, connected them to the circuit board, and turned on the fan. The test proved successful. We could turn the fan both on and off with the wall controller. Bob put the shroud and screen back into place, and we have an operative roof vent fan once again.  In hindsight, we should have verified that the new unit worked before we sealed it to the RV roof. Thankfully, it functioned as intended, with no issues. You might also like Removing an RV TV antenna.   After our diesel turbo issue en route to Flagstaff, Arizona, our friend Ron posed a great question: “What are you doing to avoid a repeat of the turbo fault?” he asked. “Limping with a big rig behind doesn’t sound like fun.” That didn’t sound like fun to us either. Although Bob had successfully reset the codes the truck had pulled, we wanted to make sure we didn’t have a repeat incident. Having sensed some issues with our two truck batteries, we decided to proactively replace them — in a Walmart parking lot in Page, Arizona. After all, they were more than three years old. We parked near a collection of RVs and got to work. About 45 minutes later, we returned the old batteries to Walmart to regain our core charges and stock up on supplies.  Finding a fix We knew that wasn’t enough to correct the turbo fault. When we had our truck’s turbo replaced in December 2024, the shop that completed the work had recommended tuning the diesel engine as well. That would have been another couple of thousand dollars on top of the $6,600 we were already forking out, so we opted not to pursue it. After our turbo issue near Flagstaff, however, we thought the tuner might be worth the investment, especially once we realized we faced an 11,000-foot mountain pass on our route across Southern Colorado. We had the tuner shipped to a Boondockers Welcome host’s site in Yellow Jacket, Colorado, near the Four Corners, and paid for expedited shipping to ensure we’d receive it in time. It arrived a day late but was nowhere to be found after the UPS driver had called us and confirmed he left it at our rig. A stressful hour later, the host’s grandson delivered the package to us. He had picked it up thinking it was for his grandmother, whose name appeared on it in addition to ours. Installing the tuner The next day, Bob installed the tuner. The process required inserting a bypass cable for the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) sensor under the truck’s dash to allow the tune to take place. Bob loaded an app onto his phone and then downloaded the tune settings the company had made specifically for our Dodge Ram 3500 dually through the app. He applied those to the vehicle following the guided instructions in the app. After that, Bob attached a switch under the dash and connected it to the OBD port. It enables us to manually transition between five tuner settings:
With the installation complete, Bob took Gulliver for a test-drive to see if he could detect any performance increase. Assessing the new tuner We knew the real test would come when towing our 18,000-pound fifth wheel, Tagalong. A couple of camping stops later, an 11,000-foot peak and the Continental Divide loomed between us and our next destination. With snow in the forecast, we were eager to get beyond the summit. We set out, trying to stay ahead of predicted windy conditions. But our stop at a gas station to dump our wastewater tanks, refill our propane, and add air to a tire with a slow leak turned into an hour. The tire wouldn’t take air. Bob put in as much as he could as the wind picked up. Butterflies in our stomachs, we headed toward the pass with the tuner set to heavy tow, hoping and praying we’d make it up and over with no issues. The climb started gradually, with two lanes for ascent. Faster vehicles passed on us on the left as the speed limit dropped, making the wind less of a concern.  We reached the summit safely with plenty of power and successfully began our descent, noticing the truck automatically downshifting, something it hadn’t done before. As we passed small towns with flags flapping in the wind, we counted our blessings.
We’re pleased with the tuner and glad we invested in it. In addition to increasing our truck’s performance, it gives us diagnostic data about the operation of the truck. You might also like Our top RV lessons in 5 years of RV travel.  The RV life has a lot of appeal: adventure, new sights, amazing scenery. After five years as full-time RVers, we certainly enjoy those perks. But what about the day to day? I still work full time. Here’s how I balance work and life in 400 square feet. Work in a designated space When we were looking for our RV home, one of my stipulations was that it have a separate room with a door that I could use as my office. I wanted to be able to close the door at the end of my workday and be home. We found a few fifth-wheel models that fit that requirement — most with the inclusion of what’s called a mid-bunk room. We narrowed down our choices to two Jayco models: Pinnacle 37MDQS and North Point 377RLBH. After inspecting both RVs, we opted for the Pinnacle because it offered more desk space and a slightly wider body. The mid-bunk room, measuring about 80 square feet, quickly became my office. Bob replaced the TV above the desk with a large computer monitor, and then we added another vertical monitor to give me two screens. I open the main desk drawer and place a removable shelf on top of it to create a keyboard tray. This helps me work ergonomically, as does a comfy, height-adjustable office chair. Forget about work after hours While raising our five kids, I worked from home as a freelance writer. During that time, I found it extremely difficult to separate work from life. With an unpredictable workload, I always had to be “on” in case a job came through. I couldn’t afford to miss an income opportunity. It took me some time to get past that mindset. The fact that my current office door is mirrored on both sides made it easier.  Now when I close the door at the end of my workday and transition to being home, I’m able to forget about work. With the door shut, I can’t see into the office. As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Move on the weekends Because I work all week, we do our best to relocate only on the weekends, when I’m off. That way, I can focus on my job responsibilities during the week without having to worry about packing up and moving my things to close the office slideout.  There have been times when we’ve had to move on a weekday for some reason or other and I had to work in the truck. It’s doable, but I prefer to look out the window at the sights going by. Plus, in RV life, things often don’t go as planned, like the weekday we moved and got a flat tire between stops. As a result, I was forced to sit outside in the sweltering South Carolina humidity to conduct a business meeting. Make time for fun Another key to my success in balancing work and life is prioritizing time for adventure. Part of the reason we embraced RV life was to explore what this great country has to offer. When we’re in a location, we take advantage of my free time on evenings and weekends to check out points of interest.  This has led to some unique experiences, such as touring Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, hiking to waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, enjoying a sunset dinner cruise on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, taking a dog sled ride in Alaska, and eating fresh-off-the-boat lobster on a pier in Maine.
I work hard so that I can play hard. Full-time RVing makes it possible for me to do both for a balanced and fulfilling life. You might also like Confessions of a full-time RVer.  Following a successful climb to a remote spot in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the turbo on our truck continued to give us problems. It became obvious that our desire to stay in higher elevations and cooler temperatures as we worked our way southwest would be risky. Not feeling confident our truck could get Tagalong up mountainous roads, we rerouted our course to stay on interstates in lower elevations. That took us to Albuquerque, where high temperatures were in the 80s in mid-September, definitely tolerable. While there, however, the air conditioner (A/C) in our main living area started making strange vibrating noises that rattled the whole rig. The unit continued to work, so we didn’t think much of it. To give it a break, we shut it off in the evenings and relied on the bedroom A/C or opened windows to keep cool. We normally wouldn’t have ventured into the Southwest until October, but it appeared our first grandchild wasn’t going to wait until her Oct. 10 due date to make her entrance into the world. For that reason, we thought it best to keep making progress toward Arizona to help ensure we didn’t miss the special arrival. Warming Up That decision took us to a remote campground in the desert near Deming, New Mexico, where high temperatures hovered around 90 degrees, giving us a very warm welcome to the Southwest.  Despite running both A/Cs, we didn’t feel cool air in our fifth wheel. With sweat beading on his forehead, Bob turned off the main A/C and restarted it. It blew cold air for about 5 minutes, but that was it. With Arizona — and 100-degree temperatures — in our near future, we needed working A/C. After doing some research, Bob climbed onto the roof and took our main A/C apart to troubleshoot. He checked all the simple-solution items. None of those repaired the problem. It didn’t appear the issue would be an easy fix. Meanwhile, we reverted to leaving the windows open and toughing it out, running fans to circulate the warm air and opening our awnings to minimize sun hitting the windows and heating the rig. On hot afternoons, we’d drive a half mile to Dairy Queen for a cool, refreshing treat. But this stop gap could only last so long. It became clear we needed to replace the A/C. Hitting Snags Bob ordered a new Coleman Mach unit from Camping World in Mesa, Arizona, and made arrangements for us to do the work ourselves at an organization we’re affiliated with to save on labor costs. This would also give us access to tools and equipment to help us get the old unit off the roof and the new one on. Our trip to Arizona went smoothly — until Tagalong sent smoke signals on the freeway about an hour from our destination. That incident and the ensuing damage derailed us for five days. When we finally picked up our fifth wheel from Cliff’s Welding, with practically a completely new underside, we drove straight to the location where we had permission to change out the A/C unit so we could get to work. We wanted to have a working A/C before parking and setting up for a monthslong stay. Bob opened the box the new A/C came in and discovered it was not the low-profile one we thought we had ordered. The closest Camping World that had the size we needed in stock was an hour away. Bob loaded the unit into Gulliver and headed out to trade it for the right one. Replacing the A/C After returning more than two hours later, Bob ascended the ladder to our RV roof to disassemble the existing A/C so he could remove it. He took off the shroud and traced around the edge of the unit so we could easily line up the new one in the right place. Then he removed four lag bolts and unplugged the wire harness, setting the factory-installed unit free. Years of dirt had accumulated in the thin space under the A/C. Bob took time to clean the area before installing the new one. We hoisted the new unit onto a scissor lift, only to discover the lift didn’t have enough juice to do the job. It needed to be charged.  Our friend Tim hopped on a forklift and raised the forks up to the roof height of our RV. Bob and I loaded the old unit onto the forks, and Tim lowered it to the ground. Then he reversed the operation and lifted the new unit to our roof.  Bob and I unloaded it and positioned it in place. Reinserting the four lag bolts into the original holes on the roof proved challenging. After struggling for a bit, Bob got three of them to line up correctly. Aligning the fourth required drilling a new hole to ensure the unit would be secure when traveling 70 mph down the freeway.  After straightening the unit’s fins and plugging in the wire harness, Bob had me turn on the A/C from inside the trailer to see that it operated properly. With that confirmation, he installed the cover, cleaned up, and descended the ladder. We relocated, got both A/C’s cranking, and completed our setup in the nick of time. Our granddaughter, Chloe Elizabeth, entered the world about 33 hours later. We couldn’t be happier. You might also like Removing an RV Antenna.   Our Jayco fifth wheel came with a charger converter — a device that converts shore power to DC power for use by the trailer’s battery-operated devices, such as the roof vent and fan, lights, and water pump. It also charges the batteries, if needed, when connected to shore power. Before we set out on our first RV adventure, we replaced the factory charger converter with one compatible with lithium iron phosphate batteries — another upgrade we had done for greater power and reliability. Had we not updated the charger converter, the unit wouldn’t have been able to charge our batteries, as it was designed to work with standard lead acid batteries. Replacing the factory charger converter involved changing out the guts, or wires, at the power distribution center. This enabled us to operate our rig from the batteries alone for boondocking ease. The converter allowed our essential appliances and normal household outlets to work off the batteries. That came in especially handy during our summer in Alaska. Powering Up In our fifth year of RV travel, we decided to head east. With limited boondocking options in that region due to less forest and Bureau of Land Management land, we took advantage of more moochdocking opportunities — and quickly learned that not all moochdocking power setups are the same. (We already knew this, but it became more obvious in the hot, humid months of June and July.) When we found ourselves driven out of the RV in Massachusetts, we decided the time had come to combine our trailer’s power charging, converting, and inverting functions into a single device. That would allow us to take advantage of solar power, shore power, and battery capacity all at the same time. Preparing for the New Unit Before Bob could install the new system to manage all of our RV’s power, he had to rig up three battery trays that would allow our batteries to securely lay on their sides. This enabled him to lower the shelf above the batteries, a necessity to ensure the new unit, which would rest there, would have ample air and space around it.  He also installed a fan in the RV compartment door, triggered by an electronic thermostat, to release heat produced by the batteries and power system. Most importantly, Bob had to secure everything in place for travel. We couldn’t have anything bouncing around, which could create a fire hazard. The new unit needed complete power control, including up to 50 amps of shore power. To make it work, Bob had to install a high-tech 50-amp circuit breaker. He also upgraded our three DC battery buses from something that could handle 150 amps to 500 amps. And he installed fuses for the DC system — two 300-amp DC fuses.  Rewiring an RV The bulk of the project, however, involved completely rewiring our rig to connect our power cord (for shore power) to the distribution box (charging station) to the new power system. Previously, shore power ran from the rear of the trailer to the distribution center in the middle of the coach. With the new system, we needed to run new six-gauge cable (⅓-inch thick) from the distribution center to the new unit in the front of the rig and then also run wires from the new unit back to the distribution center, like an artery and a vein from and to the heart.  Bob and I had to feed two sets of red and black wires through two 25-foot flexible conduits. He pushed, and I pulled until we got the wires through. In reality, that was the easy part. The more complicated part was running those two conduits through Tagalong’s belly. The heavy cords proved bulky and awkward, yet somehow we managed to weave them into place. Bob drilled holes in two different locations to feed the conduits through, securing the tubes as he went to keep them from moving around in transit.  With the job complete, we’re able to run one of our 30-amp air conditioners, our refrigerator, and our microwave all at the same time when plugged into a standard household outlet. And Bob can easily monitor our power usage from his phone.
You might also like 7 Best Boondocking Hacks.  Our Jayco Pinnacle fifth wheel was built in 2018. Although online streaming had become popular by then, including a TV antenna on an RV roof was standard practice. We moved into our fifth wheel in April 2020 and never used the TV antenna, relying on streaming channels for our watching pleasure. For us, the antenna proved problematic, creating a contact point toward the front of our rig for low-hanging trees to easily grab and turn it. When that happened, the metal part of the unit faced sideways or forward, making it even easier to catch on leaves and branches. Bob had wanted to remove the RV TV antenna since we became full-time RVers. It led to some major issues, such as pulling our roof membrane out from under the rig’s nose cap — which resulted in roof leak issues later on — and leaning off our roof. Out with the Old After another roof rip while traveling from Mississippi to Georgia, Bob decided the time had come to do away with the antenna once and for all. He consulted YouTube to see what might be involved in the process. We already knew we’d have to remove the self-leveling caulk around the unit on the outside. But we didn’t know what needed to be done on the inside. The TV antenna controller was attached to our bedroom ceiling. When packing the rig for travel, we always checked to ensure the antenna faced the correct way. Bob removed three screws to disassemble the controller. An 8-inch or so PVC pipe dropped out of the ceiling. Climbing onto the roof of our rig, he painstakingly peeled away the caulk around the TV antenna, a blister-creating process. That revealed four screws holding the unit in place. After removing those, the antenna didn’t easily let go. It held securely in position.  Bob broke the seal around the unit and was able to separate it from our roof and disconnect the coaxial cable, exposing about a 3-inch hole that matched the one in the bedroom. With the unit out of place, he carefully removed the rest of the caulk, a necessary step before we could effectively cover the hole.  In with the New We had found some 0.032-inch aluminum at Lowe’s that we thought would work great to repair the new roof opening. Bob spray-painted it to keep it from getting overly hot on bright, sunny days. Then he cut it into two even pieces to ensure coverage of the screw holes left from the antenna. In the process of covering the hole, he managed to rip a new opening in the roof from his shoe rubbing on the membrane. Undeterred, he took off his shoes to avoid introducing additional holes and applied Eternabond tape, a staple on our rig, to hide the hole.  Bob positioned the first piece of aluminum and screwed it into place. Carefully matching up the seam with the other piece, he repeated the process. Then he spread new self-leveling caulk around all edges, making sure to cover the screws and middle seam. We’re relieved to be rid of the antenna from our roof. The topmost items on it now are two air conditioning units, conveniently located away from the roof’s edges.
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AuthorThis is the travel blog of full-time RVers Bob and Lana Gates and our truck, Gulliver, and fifth wheel, Tagalong. Categories
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