Post trip update on the truck and camper.
The cargo bed mod was not completed in time to put it on for the trip (and it got set aside during my absence). I was really bummed by that and it would have been very nice to have it - oh well. The cargo bed mod is back in the queue at the shop and should be complete around the end of the year. The side boxes are in and the bed sides fold down but there is clean up and paint to be done yet. I will post pictures upon completion.
I was not able to replace the OEM seats before we left on the trip. I was able to get the broken driver seat frame welded and a repair made to the fabric. However, the recline ratchet wheel on the passenger seat failed on the trip and now the recline on both seats are broken. While these may be repairable (the ratchet wheel is welded on) these seats are 25 years old and tired. Leaning towards Scheel-Mann Vario seats as replacements (unless I can find a good deal on Recaro Expert M or Recaro Orthoped seats).
I did install a 4-hole dash mount gauge pod with ISSPRO EGT, Turbo and Fuel Pressure gauges. I will add an ISSPRO transmission temp gauge before the next trip. (already had an ISSPRO Tach). I was nice to have these and in particular being able to see when it was time to down shift (climbing EGTs) when pulling the loaded trailer up the grades.
The sound damping I put on the floor, ceiling and back wall of the truck cab worked great and I will be adding sound damping material under the hood and the doors soon.
I added two USB outlets to the passenger side of the cab area and I added two USB outlets and a 12V cigarette style outlet to the extended cab behind the driver seat. We were able to plug in and charge two phones, time lapse camera and 12V Dometic refrigerator simultaneously whiole driving. Nice additions.
The Dometic CFX-35 refrigerator fit behind the center console (barely) and worked great! No more messing with ice.
I bought a Brinno TLC-200 Pro time lapse camera and mounted it low on the dash (does not obscure any view of the road - only my view of the top of the hood). I really like it and it worked great and is easy to use. We continuously recorded 720p images every second for the entire trip. It has a removable SD card which swapped out once a day and used to transfer the files to a portable 4TB hard drive connected to my laptop. I was able to get 10 hours of nearly continuous recording onto a single 32 GB SD card.
I built some removable shelves behind the seats in the cab and while handy for storing things - without a third door it is a PITA to get stuff out from under the shelves. I am planning to modify the shelves to have a hinge so we can pull stuff of the shelf and lift them up to get at the crates we use beneath the shelves to hold stuff (maps, books, binoculars, tire chains, jumper cables, etc).
The hard wired backup camera i added to the truck makes connecting the trailer easy for me without any help. It came with an "over the rear view mirror" monitor that works well and has input for a second camera. However, I did not get the wireless backup camera I bought to put on the trailer installed and while backing the trailer a couple of times on the trip
I wished I had gotten it installed . Installing the trailer backup camera is on my to do list this month.
I wired in a Blue Sea ML-ACR relay and installed the overide switch in the dash of my truck but still have never engaged it.
I installed a RAM Mount RAM-VB-181-SW1 Vertical Dual Arm Laptop platform to the passenger side of the center console. I bought both a laptop as well as a tablet holder to attache to it. Wendie would up using the tablet mount like a desk which could be swiveled out of the way. It gave her a surface to lay out the Milepost or a map or set her phone on. She rarely used it with either the tablet or the laptop but could have easily. It was a good addition for her.
I already had an Arkon flexible mount in the truck to hold my iphone at dash height above the shift lever and I love it. I can put up a driving map and be able to see the map.
The 200 W of solar on the camper with the Victron controller and the Concord 110 A 6V (two) battery bank worked great. We always had charged batteries. That written we did not experience multiple days without driving and no Sun. In fact we were very fortunate to have only about 4 days of rain during the entire 45 day trip.
I installed a dual USB outlet in place of the one of the two OEM 12V cigarette outlets in the camper. That was a good mod. I also bought a low cost plastic 4 drawer unit and using a couple of pieces of plywood to stiffen it up fastened it into the passenger rear of the camper (where the cassette toilet and shower would be - but this Keystone did not have that option installed). We each got two drawers for clothes. That was a really nice mod!
We will probably take another big trip in 2019 so I am pushing forward with completing more mods and upgrades from my list as well as new paint on the truck (to match the new cargo bed) by Spring of 2019.
Craig
Edited by ckent323, 03 December 2018 - 09:36 PM.
