Recently a reader and fellow RVer named Rick emailed me three smart little RV tips. He has kindly allowed me to reprint and share these handy tips on Love Your RV! Thanks, Rick. 🙂
Crappy Cell Service?
Got this little unit for our trailer and mobile use. Stuck the yagi antenna on an 18′ telescopic painter’s pole and raise and lower when deployed. I picked up a paint roller handle and cut off the metal bits leaving only the threaded handle. That gets “U” Clamped to the antenna. and screwed on when deployed.
I was up in the Pemberton Valley in September doing Comms for an event. No bars on my phone. raised the antenna and full signal strength. Search eBay for a “850-1900MHz-Cell-Phone-Signal-Booster.” Less than 100 bucks. $500 if you buy locally. The booster I ordered came with a 120v wall wort with the micro USB connection to the booster.
If you want to go 12v all the way, you need the Buck Boost adapter with the 12V in and USB out to power the booster to run of the 12v system.
Pin Box height stick
I haven’t seen anyone else use this method for determining pin box height when hitching up. Lean 1 x2 against pin box plate. Start cranking. When stick falls over, you are at a correct height to hitch up.
The stick also doubles as my “Slide Ruler”; get it”? haha…
Wall insulation
I recently cleaned up my pex piping in the basement and found gaping holes where the pipe chases are. Rather than just stuffing pink insulation into the voids, I stuffed pieces of pink into Ziplock bags for two reasons; no moisture absorption and no ability to hide critters.
Rick Coles, VA7RKC – Rick is another RV’er from sunny Vancouver Island. Former Northern Telecom Field Engineer, Electrician, System Analyst, and Advanced level HAM radio operator. He is a tinkerer and putterer that has owned ½ dozen campers and is working on his second 5thwheel. RV systems are just another form of therapy for him.
