Convenience Modifications to Unity

waynelentz said:

Was on the forum today and saw the modification on the compartment door. Did you do it to all the doors? Where did you get the parts? I tried to get some from Leisure but they said theirs would not fit my 2014 MB.If you could give me the info I would appreciate it.
Wayne Lentz

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Your question has no context, What specific post # on this thread are you referring too? What compartment modification specifically are you asking about? I have a 2014 and might be able to help if I knew exactly what you were questioning.

Changed out Door roller shade, kitchen window blind, and bathroom sun panel curtains with thermal blackout roller shades in a light gray that matches an element in my valance pattern. The one I installed on the door is long so I can completely cover the door which helps block heat/ cold infiltration. The bathroom curtains were terrible and virtually unusable, so this roller shade is wonderful for using with that nice large window.

SSTraveler said:

Changed out Door roller shade, kitchen window blind, and bathroom sun panel curtains with thermal blackout roller shades in a light gray that matches an element in my valance pattern. The one I installed on the door is long so I can completely cover the door which helps block heat/ cold infiltration. The bathroom curtains were terrible and virtually unusable, so this roller shade is wonderful for using with that nice large window.

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Where did you get the gray shades? Any issues switching the blinds for the roller shade?

I bought them at Home Depot, I bought them at different times. I'm guessing Lowe's carrys as well. They come in several colors. I think the door is a Bali and the kitchen and bathroom are Levolor. They aren't smooth like vinyl, they have a fabric like texture. They cut them to fit at the store just give them the width you want. It's not hard to cut yourself with a new snap blade utility knife. I actually found a long one on clearance and cut the bath and kitchen from it myself. I took them apart and cut their length as well to be the right length for each window. I bought a cheap Levolor roller shade, $8, so I could take the ends off to make the 2nd one from the same long shade. In the kitchen, you remove the valance (4 screws) and can easily screw the new roller shade brackets into the valance, which is fabric covered wood and then attach it back to the wall at the top. Leave the bottom screws off so you can have some movement to get the shade up and then attach the bottom screws on the valance. The bathroom was the hardest because it is so tight, putting the brackets up works best with a stubby screw driver. You do have to cut the shade to fit the vertical length so the roller/shade when rolled up fits in the space of the old curtains. I re-taped the shade to the cardboard tube of the roller frame with clear gorilla tape.

SSTraveler said:

I spliced a strip of LED waterproof lights, https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-F...51518&sr=8-1&keywords=waterproof+led+lighting, to the light on my steps. I never could see any effect from that small orange light under the steps. I also added the same lights down the side of my coach and connected them to a dimmer switch, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C4BFH7I/ref=psdc_507840_t1_B00KVFG9S6, just inside the door about the battery disconnect. I hate the porch light because its to bright and really draws bugs. I also wanted some outdoor accent lighting with out having to carry extra lights to put around the campsite. These lights really make it easier to take out my dogs when its dark and not bother my neighbors with bright lights.

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I just wanted to update my post on adding LED light strips down the side of my coach so others can factor my lessons learned into their modifications. When using long runs of LED light strips, such as I down both sides of my coach. I discovered over time either they would dim, half a section would go out, or they would stop working completely. At first I thought the LED light strip went bad but later I discovered that voltage drop comes into play when your LED strip runs, your wiring, or both, are too long. The resistance in these conductors adds up and your LEDs start to operate below their optimal voltage range, resulting in dimming or cutting out. Once I rewired the LED lights in strips of 4-7 ft and now they all work as expected again. I really love having lights in the utility compartment and under the coach. The ones on the passenger side I can dim and leave on all night if we are in particularly dark sites. It's also great to leave on when you are out at night and want to leave a light on. I like the under coach lighting much better than the porch light.

I pushed a piece of rolled up and folded in half screen material to the vent hole of the Cabin Air Filter box to ensure it drains when water get inside it. That works great to keep the water draining no matter if bugs and leaves get in. But recently I saw another good idea posted on Leisure FB to keep debris from getting inside the box altogether. Lift the cabin air filter box gasket and lay a piece of screen over the top of the box and push the gasket back on top of the box. Now large debris items, bugs and probably nesting animals can't get inside either.

SSTraveler said:

I pushed a piece of rolled up and folded in half screen material to the vent hole of the Cabin Air Filter box to ensure it drains when water get inside it. That works great to keep the water draining no matter if bugs and leaves get in. But recently I saw another good idea posted on Leisure FB to keep debris from getting inside the box altogether. Lift the cabin air filter box gasket and lay a piece of screen over the top of the box and push the gasket back on top of the box. Now large debris items, bugs and probably nesting animals can't get inside either.

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YES! I like it! I have my filter box uninstalled right now due to packrats chewing up the insulation material around it. Replacing the insulation and reinstalling. I'm having fits getting it back in. Do I need to remove the support for lines just in front of it and even the washer fluid reservoir? I will install the screen. I've been using a shower cap when the hoods open. Put a paint roller screen over that. Too much trouble. THANKS

Someone posted this on the Leisure Facebook page and thought it was a nice idea for a modification to the screen door, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0024E5XOS/ref=twister_B00FDQMGVM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1. I added it to my to do list!

We added a 4'x 2' acrylic mirror to the back of the Murphy bed to give our cabin more light and the illusion of an extra window and space. The mirror weighs 5.5 lbs and installs in minutes with the 6 pre-drilled holes.

@lvuman
What year is your Unity? Our 2016 Leisure Lounge has a factory mirror that hides the fold down table. Now wondering if they used acrylic.?

For some mods on our 2016 MB new to us last year:
ALUMINUM STEP COVER/STEP
I added a small piece of self adhesive foam weatherstripping on the wall where the aluminum cover for the step folds up- It stops the rattling. I have it on the side close to the outside door. It is only 3" long installed vertically.
I noticed that LTV has added a finger hole on the 2020 models to pull it up.
I added an outdoor vinyl backed carpet on the bottom step; left it loose to get to the battery but it also helps to shake out the dirt. It is tight fitting, with the vinyl backing it has not slipped. Similar to: https://tinyurl.com/wwmakrun
LP DETECTOR
I had read about checking the date on the LP detector (ours is at the bottom of the kitchen cabinet) It was past the recommended 5 yrs date but the light was still green when power was on. Like a spare gas regulator I decided to get a replacement just in case. The just in case was only 1 week after getting the spare. At least it did not go off in the middle of the night.
PANTRY
For the pantry I was going to pull the whole thing out to put in new screws in the track as seen on a post. I found that the problem was the latches did not line up; I lowered the one on the wall so it would line up. There was that much difference that it was not close to the old screw holes. I then took out the first screw on the top and bottom track and reinstalled them using a wood plug/glue. It now works as intended but we still use a spring rod between the pantry and kitchen cabinet when travelling with a fully loaded pantry.
NEW TV/SOUND BAR/DVD
We changed the TV - we got a 32" Skyworth Android - I needed to lower the back bracket one notch to make it fit below the cabinet cover. The outside bracket has both the 100mm and 200 mm spacing so attaching the TV did not need any changes to that bracket.
There is still room below the TV for a sound bar; went with a Bose; used velcro to attach to the back bracket. Then abandoned hooking up to the Jensen as we do not have the remote and the app does not work with that model. The Jensen still works as a radio with the ceiling speakers.
I got a new Sony BDPS6700 DVD/BlueRay player that can play music or videos from a USB stick. It sits on the shelf where the satellite box used to sit so it already had the HDMI plug on the wall outlet and the inverted plug.
Of course most the wiring is on the opposite of where it needs to be so it took a while to clean up the wiring so it would not interfere with lowering the TV.
Same weatherstripping used on the Step Cover was added on the TV bracket so it would latch tighter and not rattle.
BATHROOM DOOR
We have the sliding door. It is latched for travel with a plastic strap and snap. The bottom guide rail is flimsy vinyl so it rattles. I looked at a few options using different latches or foam but at the end of the day I will be using a quick grip clamp that I will put on when the pantry bar goes in.
BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS
I saw a video where someone used plumbing pipe insulation to hold open the compartment doors instead of changing the gas strut. When the insulation is cut to the same length as the rod it works really well to hold it open. They are easy to take off and store in the compartment when done. One of these days I should get some new struts - I already had the pipe insulation left over from another project (-:
LEVELLING (no jacks)
I installed the app Clinometer (android). When laying your phone or table flat on the floor it has a bubble level that show degrees with 0.1 accuracy from the centre. It fills up the screen of your phone or tablet. It is easy enough to see it from the drivers seat.
Best site we had so far on a gravel pad was 0.4 degree off in one direction. That was an easy setup (-:
I have tri-level ramps; just figured out by chance when I was setting up on my own that if I place a wheel chock at the same distance as the length of the ramp length I do not have to worry about driving off the ramps at the high end so no need for a partner to tell you how far to roll.
SLIDE MAINTENANCE
Most videos that I have seen talk about lubricating the Lippert components. I used the same lubricant on the 2 vinyl rollers under the platform when lubricating the slide. I used a S/S straw for the tube extender to reach the rollers. It is now very quiet.
VICTRON SHUNT 500a
That has been the best investment so far. Be aware that checking the Victron app could be addictive (-: I am now ignoring SOC readings and using the battery voltage to compare to the tables that have been published on this forum. The Ah reading is the more telling info as we can easily figure out if we need to run the LP generator during the hours allowed at some campgrounds based on how much we have been using power or if the solar panels helped that day.

Re: LP detector. How does the 5 year timer work? Does it only count down when it has power from the house batteries, or does it have an internal battery? My first one set off the replacement alarm after 4 years. The current one is 6 years and counting. I don't want to buy a spare if it is going to be counting down before I install it.

This is what I got from the manual -
End of Life Signal –Sensor has a 5 Year Service Life All 30-441/442-P models include an End of Life (EOL) Signal indicating the sensor has reached the end of its service life and you must replace the alarm. The signal is the LED flashing RED RED GREEN GREEN with a beep every 25-30 seconds. The EOL Signal may be reset by pushing TEST / RESET button on the alarm. This will reset the EOL Signal for a period of 72 hours (3 days) for a total of up to 30 days. After 30 days the signal cannot be reset and the alarm must be replaced.

There is a date on the back of the detector. Mine was stamped October 14 2015 so I was not going to push it and hope that I could get a replacement in 3 days. I did not make note of what date is on the new one that I got from an RV dealer.
So of course I had to open the old one to see what was inside - using the break it method first, I was able to see that the back was held in place with 2 phillips screws under the back label. There is nothing inside to give a clue to the non electronic person about the manufacturing date.

We replace ours every 5 years regardless. We also change our smoke detectors in the RV and at home every 10 years as recommended. Cheap insurance.

The First Alarm manual for the SCO5RVA; downloaded using MyLTV owners website; recommends replacement of the CO/Smoke Alarm every 7 yrs. The date is stamped on the back side of the detector. Changing the batteries before the 7 years is a really good idea.
Saw they mentioned EOL which will beep and flash when that happens.

We test all alarms before each trip and write the Mo/Yr on the face of the device with a sharpie for quick reference.

cbaarch said:

@lvuman
What year is your Unity? Our 2016 Leisure Lounge has a factory mirror that hides the fold down table. Now wondering if they used acrylic.?

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Our coach is an early model 2015. The new changes like the removal of the rear window, larger bed, smaller, higher window behind the Murphy bed were made in late 2015.

blue said:

Re: LP detector. How does the 5 year timer work? Does it only count down when it has power from the house batteries, or does it have an internal battery? My first one set off the replacement alarm after 4 years. The current one is 6 years and counting. I don't want to buy a spare if it is going to be counting down before I install it.

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I bought a replacement to have on hand. The date on the back is October 5, 2020. I expect that they have an internal clock/battery that is only activated after the first application on 12 volts.

The ducted air in the ceiling of our 2016 MB has 2 types of plastic grilles. The back ones have a slide over to control the size of the openings whereas the 2 front ones have a flap that swivels. The depth of the front duct is too shallow to have the flap fully open. I took out the flap in the one next to the coach door (near the controls) to get full flow. Left the one behind the drivers seat the same as that is over the bed so I can still control the air from blowing on our face when the bed is down.
and outside: the windshield wipers have the poorly designed washers. One broke off and the other slid down the shaft when driving last time. I used a small zip tie to secure them to the shaft as the electrical tape solution was not working. There is a solid piece where the tube goes into the sprayer part. The latter is a good place so the rubber tube does not get squeezed.