Bad Foot, Can't Camp, Did Mods Instead

[dewey02]

This spring I tore my achilles tendon and have been in a cast and a boot and could put no weight on my foot. So spring/early summer camping was out. So I did a few mods on the trailer instead. We have a 2011 Starcraft 235fb which is a twin to the Jayco 23fb.

1. Added a 12 volt outlet for fan, USB charger, and voltage meter by the bedside. I ran this off of a pass-through storage light that I don't ever use and added a fuse to be safe. I also included an on/off switch so I can turn everything off to eliminate parasitic drain and turn off the red and blue lights on the meter and the USB port. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1



And here's the fan and ipod attached:



2. Added LED reading lights on both sides of the bed. We do a lot of reading in bed and the overhead lights seemed to shine right into our eyes. The reading lights can direct the light right onto the book. I fished the wires from the overhead lamps through the side cabinets so the wiring is completely out of site. Lamps are from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Stars-GW...+reading+light




3. Added a drawer to the nightstand to store reading books. This extends part way into the pass-through storage area, but still allows room in the pass though for long objects to be stored behind the drawer. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1




4. Installed a Camco kitchen counter extender adjacent to the sink. No photo of this one, but I think most folks know what this looks like. Link to Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-43421-A...unter+extender

[dewey02]

And Mod #5 - the biggest one. Last week I was able to shed the boot and can now stiffly walk on my foot. So I decided to do a mod that I'd been thinking about for 2 years. I wanted a tongue-mounted bike rack for our two bikes. I'd looked at the Arvika, but it was WAY too expensive. I also looked at the bike bunk, but didn't like the price or the lack of versatility. I finally settled on getting a Stromberg/Carlson Trailer Tray and mounted a Maxx-Haul bike rack onto it. The Trailer Tray was actually cheaper than the Bike Bunk. Total cost for Trailer Tray and Bike rack was about $280. Less than 1/2 the cost of Arvika. I also like the versatility of the Trailer Tray. If not taking the bikes on a trip, I can remove the bike rack by taking out 4 bolts and use the Trailer Tray for anything else. I had the propane tanks filled, so they should last the season. Only bad thing is that I have to remove the top of the trailer tray to remove and refill the propane tanks, but only have to undo 4 bolts to take off the tray.

The Trailer Tray was under $200 with free shipping from RV Upgrades:
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Trail...-p/92-1577.htm

The bike rack was $78 from Amazon. I like the fact that the rack supports the bikes by their wheels and also clamps them at the crossbar. Much better than a hanging rack, in my opinion. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1





This was a fun mod. The bikes are up high, but are fairly easy to load and unload by standing on the pickup's tailgate which puts me pretty level with the bikes.

[need-a-vacation]

Sounds like the recovery is going well!!! Hope it continues to do so!

Mods look great!!! Enjoy!!!

[Duke_26]

Glad your healing well!!!! Nice job with your mods. Thanks for sharing.


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