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​DIY 

Overhaul of our RV Plumbing

7/8/2020

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Since the pandemic kept us stationary for a while, we had plenty of time to upgrade our RV Plumbing.  During our first year on the road, we discovered a lot of shortcomings with our system. While everything worked, it wasn't efficient or convenient and didn't meet our standards for comfortable living. 
We found ways to improve each step of our plumbing from the water coming in to the water leaving and everything in between. 

For example, while we were happy to have a hot water heater, it was incredibly slow to heat up our water.  In order to allow for more comfort and the luxury of instant hot water, better water pressure, more efficiency and less waste we had some work to do. 
What We Replaced:
  • Water pump
  • Accumulator Tank
  • Water heater
  • Showerhead
  • One way valve for the shower
  • Shut off valve for the showerhead
  • Outdoor spigot 
  • Water filtration (indoor and outdoor)​

Water Pump

Our old pump was tired. The water pressure was lousy, it was low and constantly pulsed so it was very inconsistent. The pump was also loud and vibrated the entire back half of the RV when it was on. 
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​New water pump and accumulator tank.
The water pump got an upgrade. We went with SeaFlo 42 Series Water Pressure Diaphragm Pump with variable flow. This water pump is a significant upgrade from our last. The pump has increased water pressure and is a lot quieter and vibrates a lot less. The pump also has a variable flow for reducing cycle feature which is an added bonus. The allows the pump to handle low pressure without turning itself on and off. 
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In addition to the water pump we added a SeaFlo Accumulator tank (Model # SFAT-075-125-01).  So we have a much more consistent flow.  The water no longer pulses with the pump. 
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Water Heater

Our old Atwood 6 gallon hot water heater worked but was impractical.  We found turning on the hot water inconvenient in terms of time and gas.  It was a traditional hot water heater, so it heated all six gallons of water before we could use it. This took a long time (about 25 - 30 minutes) and took some foresight in order to use.  This wasn’t bad if we needed to shower because we would turn it on and wait until the water was hot. But you cannot wait that long every time you need to wash your hands or the dishes.  More often than not, we'd end up suffering with the cold water. 
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On-Demand Hot Water Heater
Our most expensive plumping upgrade is our on-demand water heater. Here we went with the Girard RV Tankless Water Heater GSWH-2 2GWHAM.  This is a far superior system than our old one. If you are looking for hot water within seconds of turning on the hot side of the faucet, you really can’t beat a on-demand system. The install was pretty easy and straightforward. There are plenty of directions online and on YouTube.  We highly recommend this upgrade. 
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Shower

We quickly learned our shower had a lot of drawbacks and showering in the RV was not enjoyable. We had to contend with inconsistent shower temperatures, lack of water pressure, leaky shut- off valves. Taking Navy Showers was also a pain. A Navy shower is a method of showering that conserves water by shutting off the water during the lathering phase.  Shutting off the water was done by a shutoff valve on the showerhead. This is where we faced a lot of our problems.

​First of all, the shut-off valve really didn’t shut the water off. It still leaked water out of the showerhead. Apparently, this is how RV showerheads are designed to prevent you from being scalded when the water is turned back on. What it really did was leak cold water on to you while you were lathering, wasting water and making you cold. But the worst part was when you did turn the water back on you were blasted with cold water. The shut-off valve would allow the cold water to mix in with the hot water and the temperature of your water would drop significantly. Knowing this, we had to grab the shower head and point it down the drain and let the shower run the drain till the water even temperature evened out. This is obviously contradicting the purpose of a navy shower. This wasted water and filled our gray tanks unnecessarily  Overall, I would rank our shower experience a 3 out of 10. It got you clean but you didn’t look forward to it and actually dreaded it at times. 
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Big Improvements
For the shower, we replaced the showerhead and added a cutoff valve, and one-way valve on the hot water line. We went with Oxygenics PowerFlow RV Handheld Shower Head Kit in White. We wanted a shower head that would maximize water pressure without using a lot of water. The showerhead only uses 1.8 gallons of water per minute. The Oxygenics PowerFlow RV Handheld Shower Head has a shut-off valve built in but this showerhead also leaks by design. To combat this, we installed a shut-off valve between the hose and the showerhead. We used KES Shut Off Valve Brass Shower Head Valve with Handle Lever G1/2 Water Flow Control Valve Regulator in Brushed Nickel. Now the showerhead completely turns off without any leaks. To avoid a shot of cold water when we turn it back on, we installed a one-way valve on the hot side of the shower line. This stops the cold water mixing into the hot water line whenever we use the shut-off valve.
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Access to water outside the RV when boondocking

Many RVs have a built-in outdoor shower to give you access to clean things outside. Our RV didn’t have this feature. This isn’t a big deal when you are connected to city water because we use a splitter at the city water connections and you can connect a hose to get water. The issue lies when we are boondocking and need water outside the rig. We would have to fill a bucket of water in our kitchen sink and bring it outside. ​
Outside Hose Spigot
From the water pump, we ran a ½ inch pex line to the outside wet bay. We attached a ½ inch quarter turn hose spigot. We now have running water outside the rig when we boondock. 
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​Water Filtration

We used a combination of Camco TastePure inline water filtration and a Brita Stream Water pitcher filtration system. The idea was to filter it coming into our tanks and filter it before we drank it. This is probably the most common and practical setup. It’s easy, fast, and  has a cheap starting price. The filters were readily available at any local Walmart. This setup is ideal for weekend warriors and part-time RVers. The drawback of this combo were the filters for us didn’t last longer than 2 to 3 weeks for the Camco and a month for the Brita Stream before they clogged up. Changing the filters every couple of weeks added up in price. A new Camco TastePure is about $17 per filter and the Brita Stream is about $15 -$20 for a 3 pack.   Another drawback was set up for the Camco TastePure, while most RV city water connections were easy to hook up to occasionally we had trouble.  The Brita also had drawbacks, the pitcher was cumbersome and took up valuable counter or refrigerator space.  ​
New Water Filtration system
We went with the Clear Source RV Water Filtration System. We chose this system based on its great reviews and ruggedness. This two-stage filtration system is far superior to the Camco TastePure single stage. The Clear Source also has better water pressure than the Camco. The filters didn’t have to be changed as frequently and it fits in our wet bay. Keeping the filtration system in the bay makes hooking up faster and keep the filtration system clean. We reorganized a bit to make room, moved some piping and hoses around and cut a small part of out the wall.  We installed a quick connect fitting in the inlet side for fast setups and for the outlet side we pexed the lines for a more permanent and leak-free install. We also put a filter by-pass so when we disinfect the tanks we didn’t have to go through the filters. 
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While we didn't initially intend on replacing all of this, once we upgraded one thing we saw the next was lacking and/or insufficient. We went through the entire plumbing of the RV, from point of entry and to dumping. We finally feel the plumbing is up to the task of a full time rving. 
Who else has made big overhauls to their RV plumbing? Leave a comment below and share your plumbing overhaul story!
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Upgrades To The Closet and Nightstand

6/5/2020

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Most projects we start stem from problems or annoyances we experience while living in our RV. Whenever we say ”I hate” or “I wish”,  the brainstorm part of our brain comes alive and we focus on how we can fix the issue or make it better. 
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This week we updated our bedroom closet with a more functional layout and a built-in a nightstand with charging capabilities. 

RV closet space is obviously small, but the setup in our RV was inefficient and didn’t maximize clothing storage. The original setup was a single rod across the top.  We were initially happy to have a hanging closet and while we hung some clothes and stored some baskets in the bottom, in the end the closet was wasted unusable space. 

Another issue was the closet side of the bed had no nightstand.  This was super annoying. I didn’t have anywhere to put my glasses, charge my cell phone, or have a drink while laying in bed. There is a nightstand on the opposite side of the bed with an a single outlet, but that's obviously not convenient for me and charging devices back there was a pain. 
So we redesigned it.  We built 3 big shelves for storage and left a small rod for hanging jackets.  We also borrowed some closet space to make a night stand cubby. 

This project was easy and cheap, it cost less than $50 in material including all the charging outlets and wiring.
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Buy List
  • 8 x 4 x ½ inch sanded plywood
  • 12 x 36 x 5/8 inch thick All Purpose Composite Shelf
  • A box of 1 Inch screws
  • A box of 2 inch screws
  • Charging outlets
  • 12 volt wire
  • Butt Connectors
  • Sand paper
  • Paint

Nightstand Cubby with a Charging Station
1. Plan out where your nightstand cubby should go.

In our case, we wanted it to occupy the back half of the closet in one corner. Measure and cut out a hole exposing the closet.  We used a multi-tool to cleanly cut the hole out.
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2. Build the cubby to fit inside the hole.
  1. Cubby Requirements:
    1. Fit my cell phone while being charged, a drink, and my eye glasses
    2. Take up the same footprint as a basket
    3. Be as small as possible
  2.  The cubby is a simple box made from a piece of PVC shelving. You can find the shelving in any home improvement store. The box measures 9" wide x 7" tall x 12" deep. We put a wall inside the box to attach the charging outlets. We put the back wall 7" inches deep. This gives me enough room to place my cell phone attached to the charger inside. We enclosed the wiring and the outlets to prevent them from being hit when baskets were put in and out of the main closet space.
3. Test Fit.

​After you make the box, place it in the hole and see if it fits. Ours needed some coaxing because our hole was a little too small. Again the multi-tool helps a lot here.
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4. Install the outlets and figure out cable management.

​There are many options and combinations of outlets on Amazon. We went with a 5amp usb C outlet with a voltmeter on one side and a cigarette lighter charger on the other. I felt this combination would give us the most flexibility. I really like having the voltmeter option as well. I am always paranoid about battery life. This gives me another way to quickly see how my batteries are doing. My other check is my Victron BMS App on my cell phone, but that takes longer to bring up.
​
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5. Level and secure the box.

​Put the box back in the hole and level the box by placing legs under the cubby to level it.  To secure the cubby, I screwed 3 2.5 inch screws through the cubby and legs and down into the floor of the closet. This box isn’t going anywhere. 
6. Add trim and caulking.

​To give it a more finished look, add trim and caulking. I placed the bottom trim piece a little higher to give the cubby a little lip. This should help things from sliding out when driving.
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7. Adding power to the outlet.

​First you need to investigate where you can bring 12 volt power to your box. In our case, we have reading lights above the bed. I traced the wires from the overhead lights. Luckily the bundle of wires ran through the wall near the box. Next, identify which wires are the light wires you need from the bundle. I used the process of elimination. Next to the reading light are speakers. These had smaller gauge wires compared to the light wires. This helped identify the correct ones. Then remove the fuse to stop power running to the light. Cut positive and ground wires in half. Splice in your outlet wires to the light wires. I used crimp style butt connectors to make the connections. Use electrical tape to secure the connectors and bundle the wires neatly.
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8. Test and enjoy.

​Plug the fuse back in and test if your wiring is done correctly.
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New Closet Layout ​
1. Measure and plan out our closet design.

​We wanted to add shelves and retain some hanging options for clothes. This gives us a lot more storage in the closet. We also have some baskets that fit nicely on the bottom which we wanted to keep. The bottom shelf was set at XX so the basket has space to move in and out of. The 3 right shelves measure XX wide, XX tall and XX deep.  The hanging side measured xx wide. We installed  doubled up plywood ledgers to support the shelves.
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2. Plan cut list.

​ We had 3 shelves and a vertical divider and all the shelf supports which came out to ¾ of a 8 x 4 piece of plywood
3. Buy material.

​We used a sheet of ½ inch sanded plywood because it was one of the cheapest options and 1 inch drywall screws and 2 inch drywall screws
4. Cut out pieces from your cut list.

​We used a table saw to make our cuts but you can easily use a circular saw.
5. Test fit.

​Make sure your measurements and cuts are right.
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6. Sand and Paint.

​This step is a lot easier if you do it before installation. We sanded down the edges and went over it quickly with 220 grit sandpaper. As for paint, we used leftover paint from a previous project. I recommend keeping the color as bright as possible. The closet is a dark space so keeping it a bright color will help.
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7. Install shelves.

We started with the bottom shelf and then added the vertical divider. Next in were the 2 upper shelves. Finally, we cut the hanging rod down and reinstalled with the old brackets in the hanging portion of the closet. 
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By: Kevin Quiambao
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How To Fix Your RV Slide Yourself

6/6/2019

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Has one side of your slide completely stopped working? Are you thinking of taking it into a repair shop?  Well STOP! We can help you avoid that costly trip and repair it yourself.  A broken slide is a pretty common occurrence and depending on the problem, it isn't that hard to fix on your own.  As long as you are somewhat handy/mechanical, have a couple of tools, a partner who is as fearless as you are and these instructions you should be set.  
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From the moment we purchased Wanda, our used 2007 Winnebago Vista, we anticipated a problem with the slide one day.  While it did work, every time it went out or in it sounded awful.  The sounds of rubbing, scraping and clunking predicted that one day it would cause us a lot of stress on the road.  And it sure did, at  a very inopportune time.  But luckily after some troubleshooting and research we figured out how to fix it. 

These directions are specially for those who have a DigiSync Kwikee slide made by  Power Gear and are having the following issues:
  • When you push the button on the control panel, one side of the slide doesn’t move in either direction;
  • You verified both motors are running;
  • When you try to manually crank both sides of the slide, the problematic side still doesn't move; and
  • Resetting the DigiSync Room Slide System does not fix the problem, as one side is still stuck.  
These were the symptoms we had with our slide.  You might be having 1 or more these issues or none, it could be a different problem altogether. After this happened and at a loss for how to fix it, we called Power Gear directly and spoke to their support. They were extremely helpful and knew what the problem was right away, the Acme Nut. This plastic nut keeps the acme screw in place in the slide housing. He asked for my email and sent me instructions on how to remove the nut and replace it and fix the issue.  The nut can be found on Amazon, but we found it online from Lichtsinn RV.  The part only cost $14 dollars. So we bought 3 spares and upgraded the clevis pins which hold the acme screw in place.

Lichtsinn RV Part Number: 
62832-01-702 Acme Nut                $14
162832-01-700 Clevis Pin              $1.50 x2 

Amazon Link
​Time: It took us about 4 hours, but if we had to do it again we could probably do it in half the time.

Tools:
  • A set of sockets wrenches
  • Automotive Pry Tools
  • Flat head screw driver
  • White Grease
  • Drill 
  • Drill Bits
  • Flash Light
​1. Park and level your RV.
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2. Remove Covers exposing the slide assembly. ​
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3. Using the provided slide cranks extend the slide about a foot. Make sure to keep both side of the slides coming out evenly. It’s important that the slides come out evenly, you can damage other components if brought out unevenly.

We were unable to move our slide out a foot but we were still able to work around it and continue the fix, it's just a little harder to remove some of the bolts.  
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4. On the broken side, remove the bolts on the mounting bracket securing the room. 

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5. Remove the four (4) 1/4" bolts securing the actuator from the inner tube.

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6. Remove plastic motor seal covers held in place by plastic tee rivets. Do this for each side. 

Be careful when removing the plastic tee rivets. They break really easy. The perfect tool would be a trim removal tool but a flathead screwdriver works well too if your careful.

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7. Slide inner tube assembly back into the outer tube assembly until the pins
anchoring the acme nut are clearly visible.



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8.  Remove both of the hairpins and clevis pins securing the acme nut to the inner tube assembly. 



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9. ​Remove the cotter pin securing the clevis pin and then remove the clevis
pins from acme screw/actuator drive point.

In our case, the acme nut was sitting on top of the clevis pin, so we held the acme nut with a pliers and used the slide crank to thread it off the clevis pin. 

Remove actuator from the screw and unplug the two cables. Make sure to label the plugs so you know which one goes to each other. We used a zip ties on one set.  
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10. Remove the four (4) 5/16" bolts securing the room mount to the inner tube assembly.
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11. Carefully slide the acme screw out of the inner tube assembly. You will have to guide the acme end carrier out of the inner tube assembly so that it is not damaged. Do not twist the acme screw during this step.
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12. Note the measurement from the acme nut to the drive-end of the acme screw.  

We couldn't note where our nut was because we had to slide it off the clevis pin a couple of steps ago. 
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13. The original pins diameter were smaller than the replacement pins The new pins are 5/16. Using a drill and a 5/16 drill bit make the 4 holes larger. 
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14. Remove damaged/broken acme nut from the acme screw. Inspect the acme screw for damage. Don't forget to clean inside the inner tube as well. 

In our case, the nut was in a lot of pieces and it took a while to clean inside the inner tube where most of the damaged pieces were. Also clean out the drill shavings from when you enlarged the 4 holes. 


​
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15. Apply white lithium grease to the threads of the new acme nut and install
on acme screw to the same position as the old acme nut.  

​In our case we put it near the front of the screw. We then carefully spun the screw while holding the nut in place. This moved the acme nut into place.
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16. Slide acme screw back into inner tube assembly making sure to depress the acme end carrier tabs when you slide it into the tube. 



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17. Then you will Re-attach the room mount to the inner tube assembly. 

Use the markings left by the bolts before they were moved. This will align the room to the original alignment. 
18. Re-Install both of the hairpins and clevis pins to secure the acme nut in the inner tube.

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19. Install both motor seal covers onto the outer tube.  Since we broke a couple of the rivets, after we put this back in place, we further secured it with some gaffers tape. ​
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20. Slide inner tube back out aligning mounting bolt hole with the holes in the room mount & install room mount bolts.
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21. Install the four (4) 1/4” bolts securing the actuator to the outer tube & attach wiring from actuator to harness.

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22. Depress the service button (center button) on the touch pad until LED’s flash, then using the IN & OUT buttons, bring the room in all the way.
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23. Wait for 60-seconds. Hit the out button and watch it slide out! You did it! 

We got some error lights that the slides were out of sync after the first time we moved it out. Move the slide in and out a couple of times and the slide re-teaches it self and will clear out the codes. 
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Congrats you fixed your own slide and saved yourself a ton of money. This repair probably would have cost you anywhere from $300 to $600 to fix.  

If you have any question, feel free to reach out to us and leave us a comment below if this helped you. 
By: Kevin Quiambao
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How to Make an L Shaped Dinette with a Versatile Table Top, Plenty of Storage, Pull Out Drawer and a Full Size Bed

2/27/2019

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​Wanda's old dinette really didn’t fit our needs and was a waste of space. By re-configuring the layout and maximizing the space, our new dinette meets all our requirements and works much better for us. 
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The original booth style dinette, which is built into many different RV layouts is designed to accommodate 4 people with storage under the seat and can be converted into a small bed. The drawback to this design is it takes up a lot of room and interferes with the layout of the whole kitchen.  The walkway is tight, the seats are tight and there is no usable counter tops. Even after adding a flip up counter top and cover for the stove on the other side of the kitchen, we still did not feel there was enough room. 
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Features of the New L Shaped Dinette

Seating for 4 or More
Under Seat Storage
You can't have to much storage. Lift the seat on either side of the L and you have plenty of deep storage.
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Table for the couch
The old design the dinette was separated from the couch. If you wanted to place something on the table you had to reach over the seat. Our design is multipurpose and allows you to use the table at the couch, which is great because we do not have a coffee table. 
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Upgraded electric
We upgraded the outlet to also have USB chargers built into the outlet. We also moved the electric closer to the couch since there wasn’t one near the couch. Now, we can charge several devices from the couch or dinette.
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Spare Bed
The original dinette was able to turn into a bed as well, but was smaller because you were restricted by the seat backs. The L shaped design allows a taller person to fit comfortably and stretch out. 

We used the bench cushions to act as a mattress but since they tend to move a bit we bought an egg crate to go on top and then wrap in a sheet.  This holds it together, prevents the cushions from moving and makes the bed more comfortable.  
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The Pull Out Dog Cabinet
With limited pantry space for us, we struggled to find a spot for all the dog food, bowls and their stuff.  While lifting the bench cushions occassionally for long term storage, it is annoying to have to do everyday.  We needed a way to store the dog food that was lot easier and convenient. So we created a door at the end of the L shaped dinette and gave it a pull out shelf. This is really handy and allows us maximize the space. The shelf pull out two feet. This gives us plenty of access to their food. 
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Easy access to get in and out of the dinette 
With traditional dinettes the inside person needs to scoot over into their seat. The nice advantage of having a mobile tabletop is you can swing the table out  to allow easy access for everybody to be seated.
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Tucks away on travel days or when the slide is in.
When the slide is in,our RV in substantially smaller. Any way to increase space makes a big difference. When we are not using the table we simply push it towards the wall, which makes more “hallway” space.
How to Make an L Shapped Dinette with Versatile Table, Pull Out Storage, Converts to a Full Size Bed
Step 1: Remove/Demo the Old Dinette ​
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Step 2: Measure Dimension
We wanted to use the existing footprint of the old dinette. On average bench has a height of 18 inches and a depth of approximately 17 1/2 inches. Depth should not exceed 20 inches for comfort.  We made the backrest as tall as the bottom of the window. We didn’t want to obstruct the window. ​
Step 3: Design in Sketchup
SketchUp is great tool to design 3d rendering of your plan. It has an easy learning curve and really helps visualize your design. 

Below is a copy of my Sketchup File. Use it as a template to help create yours.

dinettelight.skp
File Size: 71 kb
File Type: skp
Download File

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Step 4: Make a Cut List
I use MaxCut to make my cutlist. This is also a free application you can download. You simply type in the dimension from your sketchup plan and it automatically lays everything out and provides you with cutting diagrams and an estimated cost.
Step 5: Purchase Lumber, Screws, Drawer Slides, Piano Hinges and Stain/Paint
Go to Home Depot or Lowes and bring your cut list. The cut list will tell you how much material you will need to complete your design. For our design we use ¾ inch birch plywood. It is a little heavy but I wanted to ensure that it would last forever.
Step 6: Cut lumber
Following your cut list. Systematically cut all your pieces out and label them in pencil. I made all my cuts using a table saw.
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Step 7: Finish and Paint Lumber
After a quick sand around the edges, finish the each piece in paint or stain. We stained ours and gave it a distressed rustic look. We first applied gray stain and layered in white stain over it. After we got the desired look we wanted, we applied two coats of matte poly.
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Step 8: Lay floor (If necessary)
Since we ripped all the carpet out of our RV (Wanda), we needed to install our new flooring before assembling the dinette.

Step 9: Move electric (if necessary)
The original electric box was on the back wall. Since we were going to cover that location we needed to move it to a more convenient spot. If you are moving it, you might want to update the outlet to one that has USB outlets on it.  You can also add another outlet if needed.
Step 10: Assemble and screw down Dinette
Assemble the back pieces together first. This way the screws are not seen. Then screw the long back piece to the wall and then both pieces to the floor. Continue to attach the rest of the walls to each other first then screw them to the floor. Next attach the seat pieces. I used a piano hinge for the seat so they can flip open. For the doggie door I used flush opening hinges and added a cabinet pull to easily open the door. For the pull out shelf, I made wooden brackets to mount on the drawer slides so the shelf can clear the doors. 
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I used combination butt joinery and pocket holes joinery . I made sure you couldn't see any screws when putting it together. 
Step 11: Order Cushions
For the cushions the best/cheapest/fastest place we found to get them done was through Esty.  Our cushions are 3 inches thick and have zippers so we can wash them easily. We also used Sunbrella material so they can stand up to camp life.
Step 12: Install Lagun bracket
Our L shaped dinette was planned around this bracket. The Lagun Bracket provides so much flexibility. Install the wall bracket first and then attach the table to the bracket arms. We didn’t center the bracket because we wanted to be able to flip the table around to the couch as well. Find a location that will benefit you the most. For the most stability, make sure most of your weight is centered towards the center of your table.
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Note: Our table is actually a piece of wall art that was hanging in our original house. We re-purposed it to use as our table.  The wood is warped and very heavy. Our table tilts because of this. We are definitely maxing out the capabilities of the bracket. If you use a the same ¾ plywood from the benches as your tabletop, you shouldn't experience this problem and you can use the same piece to complete the bed. We carry a separate piece to complete the bed.  We just really like the look of our tabletop so we deal with the tilt and carry the extra piece of wood in a bay underneath.
By: Kevin Quiambao
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Looking to Get Rid of Your Outdated TV Cabinet in Your RV?

1/15/2019

2 Comments

 
Do you have old school CRT TV or a spot where one used to be in your RV? These cabinets which housed the monster sized TVs are no longer useful with today's flat screen TVs and waste a lot of space.  There are ways to modernize the housing by installing plywood and mounting a TV outside the cabinet (what the past owner of Wanda did) but the problem is, the TV placement isn’t great for watching TV and the cabinet blocks the view out the front windows. Our solution was to move the TV in front of the couch for better viewing and make additional usable storage space by turning the TV cabinet into an open shelf. ​
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Step 1: Remove the Old TV, Label all the wires that run into TV and reroute them to the new TV location
The new location was 10 feet away from the existing location. We extended the coaxial cables to reach the new location. 
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​Step 2: Carefully Remove the Old Trim, Leather and Carpeting. 
 You will be reusing these pieces later on.
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Step 3: Using a Reciprocating Saw Cut Out The Metal Bracket That Held The Existing TV
The bracket is welded in so the only way to remove it was to use a saw and cut it out. I only cut out the portions of the bracket that would obstruct with the new cabinet. I left the rest in for some additional support for the new cabinet. 
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Step 4: Frame  In The New Cabinet with MDF to create a box
Carefully measure and cut out each side of the cabinet. 
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Step 5: Use the Old Trim, Leather and Carpeting to Finish the Box
I reused the wood for face trim, glued down the carpet on the bottom and wrapped leather around scrap wood and screwed it in underneath the box for continuous coverage to match the existing dash.
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Step 6: Sand and Paint
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Step 7: (Optional) Make a Cabinet Door
We opted to skip this as we liked the feel of the open shelf, but you can certainly close it in if you prefer.
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Does your RV still have an old school tv? Let Us know how you removed it in the comments below? 
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