Matteo's 2008 Jayco Select 14HW

[Matteo]

My Daughter is only 2 and she feels she must be independent already. problem is that she can't get in or out of bed. haha.

Made this small ladder up and mounted it permanently. Works great as she can get in and out of bed but also is easier for when needing to make the bed or get on.

[distracto]

Great work on your trailer! Love the floor and all the upgrades. Sometimes I get nostalgic and miss our pop up. Super easy to tow and small enough to get you into any site or off grid boondocking space you want. But then huge once opened up. Ours was much older and had no kitchen...basically a tent on wheels!

Next you'll be upgrading your battery bank and getting solar

Keep up with the updates, these passion projects are fun.

[Matteo]

On today's dose of "What Needs Fixing?" I took on a couple items I have been putting off.

First up was the awning tension-rafters. Previous owner had wrapped so much tape around the ends to hold the pegs in. I finally unwrapped them to find the rafters just needed to be hammered cylindrical again and then punch new pinch points in to hold them. Good as new!



Second was the furnace. Most of my camping has been with shorepower and since I paid for the electrical hook up, I always chose to use it to the fullest meaning I used electric heaters instead of the furnace. The furnace had not been working as the flame sense would not keep the burner lit. The furnace would light (you can hear it) and then the controller would cut it off and try lighting two more times. I took the furnace apart and found the culprit. The burner head had a burn through which would not allow for an even flame. put it back together and we are back in business.

[Felgar]

Nice thread on your experiences with the 14HW Matteo. I'm looking to buy a similar model but all the floor plans posted just say "Queen Bed" or "King Bed"... Could you post the actual dimensions of each? It would really help us settle on which model to pull the trigger on.

[Matteo]

Originally Posted by Felgar

Nice thread on your experiences with the 14HW Matteo. I'm looking to buy a similar model but all the floor plans posted just say "Queen Bed" or "King Bed"... Could you post the actual dimensions of each? It would really help us settle on which model to pull the trigger on.

It’s closed up for the winter but if my old notes are right, believe it’s a King (69”x74”) and Queen (59”x74”)

[Matteo]

And so it continues. Getting ready for the summer season, I need to address a few items.

First up, I am starting to work on the jack. Since it has bent over twice now, I have opted to remove the existing steel and plan to weld in 3/16" sheet steel on the upper and lower section of the tongue frame. Will cut a hole large enough for the jack to fit down through similar to original design but the lower guide will help with stability.

So far I have only cut the old steel out and ground the area smooth. need to prep the area and move the trailer to my shop so I can weld in the new plates.

[Matteo]

Funny enough, I have not actually taken any pictures of the plates actually welded in for the front jack. I added two separate plates and drilled a hole through each plate to allow the jack to fit through. This is sturdy now and I don't believe it will be going anywhere.



I will update this post when I take a picture of the finished product soon I hope.

[Matteo]

Next up, I wanted a way to carry a couple bikes on camping trips without compromising my overall height. (I plan to take ferry on a trip this summer and would prefer to stay on the cheaper decks and not pay for overheight)

I welded up two cross members with a receiver and bolted that to the frame on the rear end.

Before all the keyboard warriors get excited, I have dealt with the tongue weight by moving the spare tire, and a few things inside. I had a weight change of near 10lbs of tongue weight. Tows great too still.

[Matteo]

What do you know, another furnace issue.
This was the last straw for me and I needed to figure this one out.

Symptoms:

1. Fan runs (purging combustion chamber)
2. Gas valve opens
3. Igniter clicking
4. Lights and then extinguishes
5. Attempts to relight two additional times
6. Ignition Lockout error

So, what I tried:

1. verified propane flow, no change
2. replaced copper line as it had kinks in it that could restrict propane volume, no change
3. replace the electrode, no change
4. verify electrode gap between prongs and burner head, no change
5. replace high tension wire, no change
6. removed entire furnace and cleaned all components and chambers, no change
7. verified sail switch and limit switch functioning, both working (gas valve was opening)

I was getting frustrated until I started playing with the ignition module board. The spark was intermittent at times and when it did light, the flame would go out before attempting to relight. When touching the coil for the electrode, it seemed as though there was a loose connection possibly as when pushed on, the result would be potentially no spark or good spark.

I ordered a new ignition module board, installed it and voila! furnace worked without skipping a beat. I went out camping last weekend and it was cool at night, I had the furnace set to temp and through the whole night it ran as expected. Happy to finally have a consistent working furnace again.





I must say I am happy that I have cleaned the furnace parts, It was pretty nasty with hair, dust and bugs.

[Matteo]

Latest thing I did was convert two cabinets to drawers. I know this cuts down on the overall space of the cabinet but we were not using it very well. The open space allowed for many things to roll around and then we would waste time on our hands and knees trying to find whatever it may have been.

Built two drawer bases, removed door hinges, mounted doors to drawers to be fronts now and moved the handle and latches.

We are much happier with this design and have added a few baskets/boxes to help organize/contain smaller items in the drawer.

[Matteo]

And then we camped...

[Matteo]

Welp,
This show is coming to a close. Trailer will be up for sale.

The wife and I have always wanted a Airstream and one popped up for sale in our area. I will miss the pop up but we shall see how long the Airstream renovation will take.

[Red Wing]

Mateo, Thank you for all of the tip on the pop up. Wish you well with the Airstream and happy camping.

[spark of insanity]

We went looking for 2nd homes in NC and found one in a terrific little town and now trying to get it inspected before we head home. Back to Michigan. What a wild week this has been.

[Matteo]

Originally Posted by Red Wing

Mateo, Thank you for all of the tip on the pop up. Wish you well with the Airstream and happy camping.

Thank you!
I’ve really enjoyed it and hope to bring some learnings to the new project.

Still have a few trips in the pup left. One being right now. [emoji1303]