Winnebago View Upgrades and Mods

This post will be of interest to some and of no interest to others. It is all about the changes we have made to our 2019 Winnebago View 24D. If that is of no interest, I completely understand. We will get back to travel and outdoors adventures ASAP.  We have done some great hikes recently.

Our rig modification focus has been to enhance our full time living experience and extend our off grid (boondocking with no utilities) capabilities. Since my list is quite long I will include only the bare minimum about each change. If you are a fellow View or Navion owner and want more details just drop us a line and I will try to help

To be clear, I think it is important to emphasize that our modifications are not a result of Winnebago shortcomings. No RV, or home for that matter, is 100% perfect for everyone. Were that the case, I suspect there would be no Home Depots or Lowes. These modifications are truthfully 'personalizations' that make our RV do more closely what we need from our home on wheels. None of these are required or appropriate for everyone. In fact the standard unit off the assembly line is an incredibly well designed and implemented vehicle.  

Anyway, nuff said. On to the list.

3M Command Strip broom holders above the shower to store the hanging rod out of the way.

Absolute water shut off added in addition to the one at the shower head. This one doesn't drip when in the off position and helps with water rationing when boondocking.

3M Command Strip shower mirror and holder. 

3 compartment dispenser for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. 

3M Command Strip basket. Beside that is our Camco electric toothbrush holder. Both mounted with Command Strips.

Homemade counter extension that folds down against the side of the vanity when not in use. Made from 1/4 Luan plywood coated on both sides with truck bed liner. Incredibly durable and waterproof.

His and hers towel hooks added. Again 3M Command Strips used for attachment.

Tension rods in medicine cabinet (and others) with water bottle caps attached to side walls to keep them from sliding. A small piece of double sided tape is used to hold cap in place.

Command Strips basket on inside of bathroom vanity door.

Added permanent under sink soap dispenser.

Camco tooth brush holder. Mounted with Command Strips.

Upgraded Bluetooth thermostat. 

Note, almost everything in our coach can be controlled from our smart phones.

Cabinet over refrigerator where I have added 1) Low power propane switch 2) Victron 712 Bluetooth BMS, Victron 100/50 Smart Bluetooth solar charge controller.

Circuit breakers / disconnects for solar to charger and charger to batteries.

Office Depot mail holders, one on each side of bed, to hold cell phones and Kindles at night. Attached with Command Strips.

Dual 12v usb charging ports placed overhead on both sides of the bed. Wired directly to 12v so we can charge without the inverter when boondocking.  Beside the port is a switch which controls power to our Weboost cell booster so it can be easily turned off when boondocking.

Switch tapped into radio power lead so parasitic drain from radio can be turned off when boondocking.

Extra switch added as override for Bluetooth control of awning lights. We can't dim them with this, but can turn them on without launching the phone app.

Carefree Bluetooth awning controls for both awning and light. The upgrade also included a wind sensor for automatic retraction of the awning.

Sunglasses holder beside door. Made from a single Command Strip and a separate piece of velcro.

Small pepper spray beside the door. Attached with a Command Strip and some velcro.

Camco screen door pull rod.

In-coach router for wifi.

Wobbler Bluetooth leveling system.

Sponge holder and collapsible dish drainer mounted on left kitchen sink cabinet door. Mounted with Command Strips.

Dishsoap holder and collapsible broom with dustpan mounted to right kitchen sink cabinet door. Mounted with Command Strips.

Filtered water dispenser with under cabinet filter. I installed a "T"  after the factory filter and added a second filter for this dispenser.

I installed a simple paper towel holder under the cabinet. This one is designed to not unroll on its own.

HDMI splitter/switch mounted behind tv to allow connection of DVR, Roku and Fire Stick.

IR remote repeater so I can control all functions of DVR, Roku, Fire Stick and HDMI splitter with tv cabinet closed.

Bluetooth transmitter connected to tv headphone jack so I can broadcast anything on tv to cab radio (see our seating setup below). Note, I used a "Y" cable so I can still amplify tv output with rear radio.

We turn our cab seats around and use them like theater seating. On the 24D the tv swings all the way toward the front of the coach making for a perfect viewing angle from the seats.

The console table between the seats is actually our trash can. We purchased a ready-made shelf at Home Depot and I added cup holders. This is screwed to the lid of the trash can. 

We use it as a table when viewing tv and can still open the lid (hinged on the rear) for depositing trash. And there is no smell!

My wife took the factory curtains that surround the bed on the 24D model and sewed them into full length curtains that close off the cab area.  We use the at night for privacy, and also when driving so that we only have to heat / cool the cab. Makes a huge difference.

I hung a second track on the ceiling so they move independently of the bunk curtains.

I moved the factory speakers (1 over dinette and 1 over bed) to be both over the bed.

I then installed a larger set of speakers over the dinette so we have true stereo on both locations. I wired them in parallel and we have plenty of volume at both sets.

I moved the couch base to the outward most mounting holes to provide a slightly deeper seat base. Much more comfortable and does not obstruct access to bath or fridge when slide is in.

I installed my Trik-L-Start on the passenger seat base and wired in a power switch so I can turn it off when boondocking.

2 Battle Born LiFePo 100 ah batteries installed in the original battery space with only slight modifications to the tray. I was even able to use the factory hold downs. 

The little blue box in the picture is a Victron Bluetooth temperature and voltage monitor that feeds temperature information to all the other Victron components.

I added a 2 port usb charging location on each side of the dash. This is wired to ignition side of 12v service so they only charge with the key on.

The switch in the picture (kind of behind wire) allows me to fully power off electric the brake controller (Brake Buddy Stealth) when boondocking. The factory MB wiring harness kept it in standby mode.

Installed arm rest pads on both cab doors. These make it much more comfortable. Note, the chair is swiveled toward the back in this photo.

NOT PICTURED: Victron 12/11/30 Smart Bluetooth battery to battery charger mounted under the passenger seat. This picture is the a/b switch which allows the boost function to work should I ever need it.

TST TPMS system covering coach and toad with flow through sensors.  Note, rear duals on coach have extended metal stems installed.

I installed the the TPMS booster under the bathroom floor in the drain pipe chase and included an on/off switch so I can turn it off when not driving. Note, all of the switches I used throughout the coach have lighted paddles to quickly tell when they are on.

Bug screens installed on all exterior openings. This one is the Truma which is actually one designed to to fit a tank type hot water heater. Also have furnace in/out covered with appropriate screens.

Installed a Carefree zip off awning shade.

Added a window awning with "View Through"  fabric over dinette window.

Added 4 inch drop extension with anti-rattle clamps to level out tow bar pull to toad (Jeep Wrangler JK).

Added base plates to electric stabilizers.

Added Thetford tote tank mount to ladder and carry 26 gallon, 4 wheel unit.

Added 360 swivel vent to tank vent stack.

Added a Weboost directional cell antenna mounted to the ladder with woodworking clamps.  Easy on and off.

Modified the water gravity-fill door to route Weboost antenna cable and keep it water tight.

Added full width sewer hose carrier under the rear of the coach. Also installed a semi-permanent 1 foot hose that stays on the city water inlet all the time. The actual water hose connects via a quick connector..

Removed the outside shower hose and adapted a 50' pocket hose. I can reach all the way around the coach and have actually rinsed her off at a rest stop after a particularly muddy back road. 

Installed a Progressive Dynamics automatic transfer switch. Note, I wrap power cord and city water hose with brass wool to keep critters out.

Added RV Airflow System which increases A/C (and heat pump) air flow, quiets system and improves efficiency.

NOT PICTURED:

1) Sumo springs front and rear. Black on the rear and blue on the front

2) Hellwig sway bar on the rear

3) Agile Off-road Fox shocks on rear

4) Bluetooth Mopeka LP tank monitor

5) Thermo Plus Bluetooth temperature senders in fridge, wet bay and patio.

6) 480 watts Renogy solar on glued down tilt brackets on roof

7) The original 200 watts of Zamp Solar panels are now mounted on frames for ground set up. I plug them into the prewire port in the electrical bay

Next mod:

I will be installing a 2k Victron Hybrid Inverter Charger and a sub-panel for the A/C. Also adding 3rd Battle Born battery.

That's it for now. I hope you are doing well, staying safe and making the best of this situation.

Thanks for reading! 

_______________________________________

Cindy and Terry

Wanna see a map of where we have been?

Click here for map

Check out our YouTube channel:

The Next Hundred Miles

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Continuing in Texas (and Oklahoma) Plus an exciting announcement!

We completed our stay at Lake Texoma Thousand Trails and loved every minute of our time there.

I have to say that this is one of the nicest Thousand Trails properties we have stayed at. Incredibly well manicured and maintained. And our site was huge!

As usual we did our daily walks around the property when we weren't hiking someplace. The route around the outside of the park is about 3.2 miles, but on the 100+ degree days it felt more like 10 miles, all up hill 🥵

Our first week there we had a cold front come through and had to deal with frozen pipes and scraping the ice off our windows (because everyone knows Texas water freezes at about 85 degrees 🥶). 

But seriously, we did have low humidity and daytime highs in the low to mid 80s for a full week. That was great, but we knew it couldn't last. Soon we were harshly reminded that this is July in Texas. Overnight the temps roared back to the upper 90s with "feels like" temps around 105.

We took advantage of the cool down and did a bunch of sightseeing and hiking. We visited Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and did some cool hikes. This is a sanctuary for migratory birds, famous for the thousands of Canada geese that come in the fall. This time of year it is quiet there but still very enjoyable hiking.

We also visited Eisenhower State Park for some more incredible hiking and beautiful lake views.

The area in the photo below is called Lovers Leap. It is sheer cliffs that are breaking away in huge chunks. If you were standing on the edge when a piece let go it could give "falling for you" a whole new meaning, if you catch my drift 😁.

The hiking trails were impressive with deep woods alternated with huge lake vistas.

We also took a ride into Oklahoma for a world famous Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pie. 

Now there are fried pies and there are FRIED PIES, and Arbuckle Fried Pies are definitely the latter.  OMG were they good. If you have never had one, add this to your bucket list as a must do.

In case you have not seen one, they are flakey pie crust wrapped around a mound of fillings and then deep fried until golden brown. They make fruit pies, cream pies and breakfast and dinner pies, and each is incredible (I know because I had one of each 😁).

We have now moved to another spot on lake Texoma in a COE park. Juniper Point is probably the most incredible lakeside COE park we have ever visited.

The sites are all concrete, water and electric (30/50) and most are overlooking the lake.  Some like ours are perched high above the lake with views across and into Oklahoma. Others are down at lake level where you could almost jump off your RV into the water. Everything is impeccably maintained and outfitted.  The only downside for our time here is that the temps have been in the 100 degree range. Still it has be tolerable with the shade of the big trees and the breezes off the lake.

And I also have some incredible news!  My youngest son Jon and his wife Amber just had their 2nd baby. This is our 5th grandchild, the 3rd boy and there are also 2 girls. Kaiden Young was born 2:54 pm Monday August 10th weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and 19 in long. Mom and baby are doing excellent and we are very proud and happy for Jon and Amber!  Exciting times!

That's it for this post. Tomorrow we continue our time in Texas, moving to a park outside of Bridgeport. Again this park is on a lake and we are looking forward to exploring the area, and maybe even some of our old stomping grounds.

Until next time, thanks for reading. Please stay safe.

_______________________________________

Cindy and Terry

Wanna see a map of where we have been?

Click here for map

Check out our YouTube channel:

The Next Hundred Miles

Follow us on Instagram: the_next_hundred_miles

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@hundrednext

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Cry baby and something cool 😁

So right off the bat let me say that I  am not posting this seeking sympathy. This is strictly to explain why the infrequent posts.

To base line it, I am rapidly getting old. Over the past couple of years I have developed a couple of health issues. 

The first is what we believe to be BPPV which is an ear issue that causes extreme vertigo. 

I have had this for probably 2+ years but until recently it only affected me when I would try to lay flat on my back. Typically I would experience it when attempting to do work on one of our vehicles which required me to be on my back under it.  Recently it has become significantly worse, lasting for several days after an attack. 

I have been working through several well published manuvers which are touted to have great success, but so far have seen only mild improvement.

The second is an issue with my left shoulder. 

About 2 years ago I had surgery for a torn rotator and nerve issue in my right shoulder. Now it seems I have the exact same thing in my left. Were it not for Covid I would have already had this looked at and likely have had surgery. But with my high risk profile, I can't imagine walking into a hospital today. I deal with the pain during the day, but it gets worse at night and keeps me awake. I don't think I have had a full night's sleep in 6 months.

So not to belabor the subject, between being extremely tired with a hurting shoulder and a spinning head, I just haven't felt up to blogging much. But that's enough of the downer stuff.

We are still in Texas, currently up near lake Texoma. We are in a beautiful park here and the weather has been pretty nice.  I am writing this while sitting outside under the RV awning with blue skies and temps in the mid 80s. It's pretty hard to top that for an August day in Texas.

We are still discussing where we go from here. We had contemplated going North, perhaps into Colorado, or west into New Mexico. But honestly, given the continued Coronavirus issues, we will probably stay in Texas for the rest of the summer. That would have us here at Texoma for 1 or 2 more weeks before begining our migration south again.

Regardless, we are both healthy, eating right and exercising daily, doing our best to keep the corona beast at bay.

I promised something "cool", so let me tell you about this week's shopping trip to Walmart in Sherman TX.

We have been posting on the incredible curbside pickup service at most Walmart stores. You order on the Walmart app, the store picks your items an hour before your pickup time, and loads them into your car when you arrive at the store. 100% touch free from begining to end. And if you haven tried it, you should. 

The veggies they pick for us are the absolute best, the meats are amazing, and if they substitute something, they upgrade it at the original price. So I order Great Value Oatmeal and if they are out, I get Quaker Oats at the Great Value price. We have not been disappointed even once. And the service is free. 

So on to this week's experience. The way the program works is that you go into the app and select the store you want to pick up from.  Not all stores have this service but the vast majority do. Then you shop using the app which has everything grocery in your selected store as well as most of the non grocery items in the store. The app works from the real store inventory so you won't be shown items your selected store doesn't carry.

When I selected the Sherman TX store there was a notation beside the address that said "Automated Pick Up". Not knowing what that was, we called the store to find out.

It turns out it is something akin to a giant vending machine with individual kiosks and elevator looking doors that you back your car up to. You simply go up to the kiosk and scan a barcode that has been emailed to you, and then step back.

Inside this machine there are two areas, one refrigerated and one frozen.  Everything you have ordered is inside, in plastic bins, and when you scan your barcode, they are shuffled to the doors you are parked at. We had a relatively small order this week so we had a total of 6 bins. We unloaded the first 3 and then clicked "Next" on the kiosk and the next 3 bins were delivered.

This is pure Jetson's stuff. 

We don't even see a person in the entire process. I'm sure there were real humans doing the shopping for us in the store, but we didn't have to see or talk to anyone. This was an incredible experience.

As we drove away, Cindy commented that this could be the way we all shop in the future. They could have a big warehouse on the back side of this where no customers actually go inside. How cool!

Oh and yes, the success rate continued. There was nothing missed, nothing picked incorrectly, and the meats and veggies were excellent. It may have taken corona to get us to try this, but I doubt we will ever go back to in-store shopping unless we just want entertainment.

That's it for now. I hope you are doing well, staying safe and making the best of this situation.

Thanks for reading! 

_______________________________________

Cindy and Terry

Wanna see a map of where we have been?

Click here for map

Check out our YouTube channel:

The Next Hundred Miles

Follow us on Instagram: the_next_hundred_miles

Follow us on Twitter:

@hundrednext

Follow us on Pinterest:

thenexthundredmiles

Questions or comments email us at:

NextHundredMiles@gmail.com