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OurElkhorn.itgo.com

Below, listed by date the modification/additions to our camper with a description & link to separate page if created.

Add air springs to truck.
When I left the waiting room to see our newly installed camper on the truck....Oh-Oh, sure is a lot bigger on truck. "Oh your truck will handle it fine" (yea well the salesman didn't have to drive it), trip home with our new camper was SCARY. I had ordered air bags when we decided on camper but hadn't installed yet. Got home and installed air bags. This helped tremendously with the camper bouncing on the springs, and virtually got rid of the really bad lean going around corners. Pretty straight forward install. [update: add in dash control, 02/04 see below]

Raise main wardrobe closet door 2" over bed and add spacer to bottom of opening to allow more room between door and bed. Lying anything on bed or extra blankets got to be a pain.

removed under bed storage (was flip up platform entire bed X 6" deep ~75#). More headroom & this allows us to sit up in the bed +plus got rid of weight especially off nose of camper. I've used some of the wood in other mods. Kinda defeated the raising of the closet door.

added several shelves in various cabinets, the cabinets by the bed didn't have any. Add shelf & spring loaded rods in front of under sink cabinet, Stuff was always falling out when you opened the door. Added shelf in tv cabinet. (We were using a 5" tv and the cabinet was wasted space.) Used simple "L" brackets that plug into drilled 1/4 holes & pine boards wrapped in wood grain shelf vinyl

Installed folding Alum scissor steps (our 4X4 diesel with basement camper is a LONG ways off the ground)

Install new Swing out TV shelf to outside of TV cabinet (freeing up cabinet for supplies). Had to move cable plug to outside of cabinet which involved cutting hole thru wall and installing receptacle from outside. Shelf swings over small bed cabinet, resting on trim and latches to wall for traveling.

Add a fold out hand rail to aid walking up the steps.

Add a second battery to camper with Perko switch. Enlarged existing cabinet in rear of camper for larger door. Add battery box, rewire for both batteries to main switch. One camper battery didn't cut it plus now I turn them off (or select 1,2 or both)

add Rancho 9000 shocks to truck-unbelievable difference in the sway and the way the camper rides.

add bullet reading lights over bed.

Add second water pump switch and pilot light in bath,.... rewire so that either switch can turn on/off the water pump from either location (Sometimes we now play dueling switches) Just 1 to many times had to go back to kitchen to turn water on.

Change light over dinette to Florescent (see also 12/04 added over kitchen area)

Rotate spare tire hoist so it points to right rear fender well, reinstall. With the over hang of the camper and too close to bumper for other options I couldn't insert the rod to lower spare tire. Others have used flexible cable, left rod in and use ratchet, if you do a search on the forums you'll find lots of post. I seem to be the only one I can find that simply rotated the hoist assembly. It was pretty simple on our 01 F250. All of the other options I've seen would require me, at least on our unit, to lay on the ground to access the hoist, and still would be difficult.

Camper slides, underbed rail lights. Cut strips of PTF and attached to bottom edge of camper. Also pics of under bed rail lights for loading camper at night, SST tailgate pillar covers & reinforced bed cargo tie downs

Install exterior 110 volt weather proof receptacle to rear of camper

Add a slide out topper, our camper didn't come with one. Made a HUGE difference in the amount of sound. Now we can actually sleep when it rains. Before the rain was soooo loud hitting the slide out roof. It also keeps some of the debris off.

Changed generator door screen to louvers.

Screened all vents. At same time changed gen screen I hot glued window screen to all vents, water heater/refer/heater etc. We were camped some place and got invaded with these lil brown beetles. They literally filled up the gas tube of the water heater, couldn't get it to light, when it finally lit -whooommphh, and blew out a cloud a lil fried beetles. I don't know why they were in there but they caused the gas to build up before the ignitor. I've had wasps in the refer vents.

Install back up lights-rubber tractor style mounted to rear camper bumper.

Painted bottom of camper & rear over hangs ,flat black & textured.

Add Tork-Lift camper tie downs. I had removed Happy jack mounts to have re powder coated when we lined bed of truck and noticed they had started bending up the outside of the bed+plus rear Ford bumper you had to tighten turnbuckles till the bumper touched truck to get any resemblance of being tight. This style of mount is the only way to go for a heavy and especially a tall camper. Its now tied to the frame and not mounted to sheet metal. It feels much more secure.

Add air bag compressor and in dash controls to truck. After airing down to level truck last winter- re airing rear air bags in major storm convinced to put on in dash controls. Added kit with 2-gal air tank. This project took 2 weekends. Its a 2 hr bolt in but I did a custom fab'd mount for tank and compressor (with the help of a good friend) up between walls of bed. Cut dash to install switches and rout air intake behind seat.

Add "special temporary" CB Antenna mount I was using a magnetic antenna on truck that was chewing up the paint. Decided to finally fix so I could use radio with camper on or off.

Cut dinette blinds scalloped foo-foo valances to minimum. They arched down toward the corners-some one was real proud when they designed these and they kind of interfered with the viewing area out the window. Looks a lot cleaner- you can see modified valance in cushion pics. I had already cut the one over the bed, was always banging my head on it. Pic of modified valance on dinette (next) page.

Built a LARGE back cushion for dinette. Now you can lean back comfortably-almost recline. Biggest gripes with truck campers is no place to sit very long comfortably. Its a separate cushion so we can move it. I've noted on some new campers you can actually get recliners.

Change light over sink to Florescent

Built camper stands Camper is real unsteady on just the jacks. I didn't trust it at all plus cant be good for the structure. These camper stands take most of the weight when parked in the drive.

Add Pur water filter to kitchen. Simple unit that screws to faucet. Seems like most places the water isn't that great. We carried a lot of bottled water

Add switches to power supply for Atwood jacks The only way to turn them off was to shut down whole camper, Plus I didn't know how the jacks were wired or where the fuses were.

Picked up a small 50cc step thru scooter add Hidden Hitch front receiver & built rack.

The dreaded Dometic refrigerator "check light" syndrome.
Finally got tried of refer check light -every time you turn around it'd be on. Forums clued me to the "Dino" control board replacement. Worth the money-.

Replaced old AC/DC VCR combo tube tv

Added a rear awning to camper. Keeps the water out in the rain, offers a bit of shade for back of camper.

Added a small accumulator after water pump. WOW HIGHLY recommend this

New door glass Replace opaque glass in rear door.

Install Wave 3 heater in camper. Replace furnace that used way to much power.

Installed an additional drawer & modified seat box for more cabinet space.

Reading lights, updated-added Littllites 18" flexible gooseneck reading lights.

Solar Panel
We bit the bullet and added a solar panel  

Replaced camper batteries-yes a maintenance item. Now have 2 group 29 batteries-kinda hard to find. My solar controller is actually reaching float stage, never did on old batteries-and max holding was 12.2volts, for bout 2 hours. Yup, time to replace.
I also rewired entire system. When I added second batt previously (06/01) I just ran + to batt selector switch and - to common ground. Though it worked, batteries probably never really equalized (plus stock batt was a 27). Since solar made selector functionless I decided to rewire for true Parallel, tieing both the batteries together, + to +, - to -. Camper & solar each now grab pos. from batt 1, neg. from batt 2.

Install Torklift superhitch We picked a boat so needed a extended receiver, plus now I can tow.

Adding some adjustability to our scissor steps for unlevel ground, plus be able to raise when camper is way off the ground and steps don't reach.

Pick up a portable tote along auxiliary holding tank, added a mounting bracket.

Dual Rear Wheel Conversion with Arrowcraft kit.

Water filter Relocate added exterior filter, new mount.

Add entrance light by the door, 12V receptacle, add switch to bathroom light.

Saved by Valley Ford, mechanical breakdown on road almost ruined our vacation but for the efforts of the folks at Valley Ford In Hanford CA.

Install weather proof antenna connection box When installing new DTV box discovered I had no antenna, replace problematic roof coax connection.

Installed insulation, on 'tin' boxes, sealed wall penetrations, generally try to make more cold weather tight. (15 pics)

Increase slide step storage While doing the Insulation I had to access area in slide step box. Hey I could move that lil divider....easy 10 min job (lil heavy on pictures)

Add refrigerator relay controlled by truck to turn refrigerator on/off while on the road.

Wire in a constant duty solenoid for new 12V charge line.

Rubber tires for portable tote along waste tank.

Modified wire rack for dvd storage to hang on wall at foot of bed.

Upgrade Carpet Replace multiple throws on linoleum with a single piece of indoor/outdoor

Upgrade Converter Replace Magnetek 6345 converter/charger with Progressive Dynamics PD4645 3 stage converter.

Added a "deck lid" water tank access port. Cut a hole in our water tank and add the screw in clear lid. For cleaning, just looking at the inside but mostly for refilling the tanks in those far away lands

Replaced stove vent hood fan motor with CPU muffin fan/motor assy. quiet

Replaced Slide out topper fabric Margaret & I replaced our delaminating slide topper fabric in bout 30 minuets

Repair roof seams with sealing tape Cover front edge seam and redo rear seam.

Paint rear door window frame. Use spray paint for plastic to freshen up yellowing plastic window frame. There's no real information here, just spray painting. The ONLY reason I added to this page is for some (like me) it just may not have occurred to simply paint the offending piece(s) of plastic....

Added a drawer utilizing unused space under slide & above generator box.

Redesign the Pantry Remove the wire rack replace w/3 drawers and a shelf

Replace fridge heater Refer 110v heater element, also pics of Dometic recall fix

Remove radio to utilize cabinet though I may reinstall elsewhere, I'm reclaiming the 2/3 of cabinet space.

add 110v receptacle opposite dinette for elect. heater

add a shelf removable & rotatable, outside by the door, to sit stuff on going in or out of the camper

Change rod in closet replaced slotted metal affair with round rod. Quickie project.

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Plans for the future-

I'm sure something will come up.

Comments/question/suggestions: ... contact Mark:

AnEv942aol.com