Over the course of the last nine years RVing in our Keystone Cougar Fifth Wheel Trailer I have made a fair number of improvements. As you live in a trailer full time you begin to want to make it better suited for your unique RVing lifestyle.
I like to call these “Mods”. Here is a list of all my mods and upgrades I’ve made to the rig so far. The more time we spend in it the more I start to come up with things I can change to improve it. I’m sure this list will grow.
Our Boat’s Off Grid Power System as of Sept 2023 – Complete Look
When we bought our CHB trawler “Vestri” in June 2023, its off-grid power system was relatively limited. It consisted of two 100W solar panels, a 15 amp solar charger, and…
Magnetic Bug Screen Door Installation and Demo
Our 1976 vintage CHB trawler has a teak sliding entrance door to the main cabin, but unlike our RV, there isn’t a screen door. Since there isn’t any obvious way…
Raymarine Autopilot Hack for Broken S100 Wireless Remote
The other day, I heard a thunk on the cabin roof as we were cruising along in our CHB trawler. Anne had dropped her wireless autopilot remote control for our…
Installing Haloview Wireless Cameras for Engine/Rear View Monitoring
In this video, I repurpose a Haloview RD7R Wireless Rear View Camera System for my RV for use on our old CHB trawler boat. I hooked up three cameras to…
EZ Snap Boat & RV Window Shade Screens Installation
In the video, I go through the process of installing EZ Snap window shade screens onto our 1976 CHB trawler windows. The boat came with custom stitched shades covering the…
Rewiring Our Boat’s Starter Battery Bank System – CHB 34″ Trawler
I’ve begun the DC battery rewiring upgrades I have planned for Vestri so we can spend more time at anchor and improve the electrical system safety. I installed a new…
Inverter/Charger Installation – Xantrex FREEDOM XC PRO 2000W
I install a new 2000W Xantrex inverter/charger in this video into our 1976 CHB trawler boat. The new inverter replaces a 13-year-old 1800W Xantrex that has seen better days. It…
AC Smart Plug Installation – 30 Amp Power Plug & Outlet
In this video, I upgrade my boat’s old 30 amp twist lock shore power plug and outlet to a safer type called a Smart Plug. I am happy with the…
Jabsco Electric Macerator Toilet Installation – 37010 Series
In this video, I upgrade the toilet in the forward head of our 1976 CHB trawler. The new Jabsco is an electric macerator design replacing the old pump style. To…
RV Entrance Door Repairs/Upgrades – New RV Lock, Screens & Hinge Replacement
In this video, I do a couple of repairs to my RV screen door: replacing the bug screens and a broken lower hinge. Then I attempted to repair the cracking…
DIY Truck Tool Box Off Grid Power System
In this video, I show you my roughed-in version of a project I’ve been puttering around with lately. I’m utilizing various spare off-grid electronic components and batteries to build a…
Haloview BT12 Install & Review – Wireless Rearview Camera + Dash Cam
In this first video, I install the new Haloview Byte Tango 12 (BT12) wireless RV rearview camera system, featuring a dash cam, Carplay/Android Auto, a 10″ touchscreen display, and much…
Blackvue Cloud Dash Cam System Review – Model DR750X 3CH Plus
In this video, I unboxed and installed a premium Blackvue dash cam system into my 2018 Ram 3500 pickup. The DR750X-3Ch Plus model contains three cameras: a front camera, a…
New RV Gas Stove Installation – 21″ Furrion 2 in1 Oven Range
In this video, I swap out our 12-year-old Atwood RV stove/oven for a brand-new Furrion 21″ stove. New features will include oven light, knob lighting, oven remote lighting via sparked,…
ActiveStart Soft Starter & RV Surge Protector Review
Last month a relatively new company Active Controls LLC contacted me to enquire if I’d be willing to test out and review one of their products called the ActiveStart. The…
TPMS Update – Guta Booster Installation Needed
In this video, I demo and explain the installation of the Guta TPMS booster device that came in my 8-sensor kit. When I first reviewed the Guta tire monitor, I…
Incandescent to LED Trailer Tail Light Mod to Keep OEM Lens Assembly
In this video, I take a new set of LED trailer tail lights and tear them apart to cannibalize their flat light panels. Then with a few mounting and wiring…
Replacing Squeaky RV Shower Faucets in Our Keystone Cougar Trailer
In this video, I replace squeaky white RV 1/4 turn shower faucets with new brushed nickel ones from Dura Faucet. Then show how to fix the squeak and explain the…
Progressive Industries EMS Alerts Me to Low RV Park Voltage Problem
Today I found myself staying in an older RV park campsite with relatively low voltage on the AC power pedestal feed. If I ran anything more than about 1500 watts,…
Replacing 7 Pin (RV Type) Trailer Tow Cable Assembly
The other day, I replaced the 12-year-old 7-pin towing cable on my Keystone Cougar fifth wheel. I elected to buy a new one that includes a plastic junction box with…
Furrion Chill 14.5k BTU AC Installation and Review – Replacing Old Coleman Mach
The other day I removed our 12-year-old OEM Coleman Mach 3 air conditioner and installed a new Furrion Chill 14.5K BTU unit from Lippert. The Furrion replacement model comes in…
RV Roof Reseal & Refresh – Alpha Systems Top Coat, Lap Sealant & Roofing Tape
Our Keystone Cougar fifth wheel recently turned 10 years old. Over the years, I’ve always done a decent job of cleaning and maintaining my roof. Spending a lot of time…
Thinkware X800 Dash Cam + Multi Camera (Side and Rear) Installation
In this video, I installed the newly released X800 Thinkware dash cam along with 3 other cameras by utilizing the Thinkware multiplexer unit. With the multiplexor, you can install up…
7 Pin Tow Cable Charging Tests using Lithium RV Batteries
A few years ago, I installed a Renogy DC-DC charger for improved charging power from my truck alternator to my trailer batteries. My truck has an optional 220-amp alternator, so…
Handy Mod to Keep My Truck Starter Batteries Charged Up When Parked
In this video, I use a spare 40 amp MPPT solar controller to help cobble a system together to keep my truck batteries topped up. I utilized an existing 100W…
Haloview BT7 Rear & Side View Wireless RV Camera System Review
I recently replaced my existing Haloview Ultimate RD7R wireless RV rearview camera system with the new Byte Tango model BT7 Plus. The RD7R system has worked perfectly for almost two…
WFCO Auto Detect (Lithium or Lead Acid) Converter Charger Review
Recently WFCO Electronics contacted me and asked if I’d like to test and review a new product they are releasing. It’s a power converter charger that can auto-detect whether the…
How I Handle Our RV Boondocking Fresh Water and Waste
We have been full-time RVing for 11 years now and love it! Early on, we embraced dry camping, aka “boondocking.” Off-grid camping allows us to stay in the most picturesque…
Our RV Boondocking Power Systems – Current State of Things 2022
Over the last 11 years of full-time RVing, our off-grid power system has evolved and changed quite often. Early on, I slowly increased our power input and output options and…
Wireless RV Blind Spot Radar – Haloview Sens 3 ADAS System Review
In this video, I install Haloview’s new Sens 3 Wireless Blindspot Radar System onto my 30 foot Keystone Cougar fifth-wheel trailer. I show how I hook up the power to…