Mods and upgrades to Thunder Cat so far:
12Volt receptacle in entertainment center so I can run the TV off a small 100w inverter. This receptacle is sharing power with the factory radio/dvd unit which is wired/fused for 15amp, but the TV (even with inverter losses) is only about 3 or 4 amp, so it should be pretty safe even with the radio going too.
I added an additional 12Volt receptacle next to the bed in the bedroom for charging the laptop, or running 12volt fans at night. I have also added two USB QC sockets, one on each night stand, which is super convenient for phone/watch charging.
For the 2020 season we’ve upgraded to a Valence Lithium battery with 138amp-hours of capacity. I have relocated the battery from outside on the tongue to inside, underneath the bed, I have also installed an auxiliary fuse block to power the 12v and USB outlets in the bedroom, as well as fusing the 30amp solar charge controller, I have also installed the battery shut-off in the same location.
In-counter mounted soap dispensers in both bathroom and kitchen ($5 each on clearance at Home Depot). We were tired of hand soap containers taking up valuable counter space and having to stow them securely every time we traveled. These are fixed in place, and have a smaller footprint than counter top dispensers:
Low flow sink aerators, a fixed 0.5GPM in the bathroom, and a selectable 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5GPM aerator for the kitchen.
Marinco Park Power conversion kit, which replaces the typical “mouse hole” shore power inlet with a high quality marine grade locking removable plug. As an extra bonus I ended up with about 2-3 feet of extra cable that was previously secured as “extra slack” in the electric service panel bay, I purchased a few feet of 8awg wire (I really only needed 10awg, but I figured I would go bigger to be safe) to run from the service panel to the Marinco plug socket at my local home depot, other than that wire, the kit included everything I needed.
Camco screen door closer spring set for main entry door, don’t have to worry about closing the screen door, this will keep it closed for us, which is nice for keeping bugs out.
Camco door window cover for the window on bedroom entry door to block out the sun.
JackQuick 3000 power tongue jack, rated to 3250lbs (we are under 1000lbs). Not the fastest jack, but it sure beats hand cranking this heavy trailer. Easy install with basic hand tools (wrench or socket, size will vary based on bolts used on your trailer, and a wire stripper/crimper), it does NOT come with all the hardware you need to wire it, I bought a ring terminal for the battery lead, and a butt-splice for splicing on the included fuse leads (and a 4 pack of spare fuses, one spare WAS included), I used heat-shrink tubing over all the splices to protect them from the elements.
Sewer cap with 3/4 hose connection for draining gray water (to the ground where permitted, or to a nearby gray water drains). Useful when boondocking (off grid camping) easy way to dump some gray water away from the camper, the gray water can also be useful to snuff out camp fires. Gray water is not sewage, just used soapy water from sinks and shower, so in many areas you are allowed to discharge it on the ground, but PLEASE check with local park rules before attempting it.
Solar power install. I have installed two 100 watt flexible panels onto the roof, ran the wiring down the fridge vent, then followed water lines under the kitchen cabinets to bathroom, then outside below the shower following the factory low point drains, then drilled some holes up into the front compartment and mounted the MPPT solar charge controller, and ran cables down through the holes I drilled, and up to the battery on the tongue, its about 20′ of cable from panel to controller, then about 1′ of cable from solar controller to the bedroom fuse-block/battery, all 10AWG cable.
Supco SPP6 Hard Start Capacitor for the Dometic 13,500BTU air conditioner. Before installing this hard start kit, the air conditioner would overload our Champion 3100 watt inverter generator, now with this capacitor installed it will run the air conditioner with ease. Dometic cheaped out and did not install a start capacitor from the factory.
Champion 100204 Dual-fuel Gasoline/Propane 3100 watt inverter generator. I am quite happy with this generator, it will run my air conditioner, and its very quiet at doing it, can hold a conversation right next to it without shouting.
CCTV Backup camera. I used an old security camera, and ran cable through the enclosed underbelly of the RV. Then I installed a power switch for the camera, and additional 12v outlet, tapping an unused fuse location in the fuse box.
I finally got around to re-wiring a few oddly placed switches, from the factory, the porch light and inside lights were combined onto one switch, with the awning light on another, this never made much sense, so I swapped it around so now the awning and porch lights are combined, and the inside light is on its own.
Previously the bedroom light switch was combined with the bathroom fan switch, inside the bathroom, not a great setup. So I bought two single switches online and drilled a hole through the wall and mounted the bedroom light switch inside the bedroom now. Unfortunately the new switches I ordered were beige, not white, I might have to replace these later on when I can find some in white.
