Wednesday, December 3, 2008

What I've Done So Far

While at first I didn't think there'd be that much that I'd want or need to add to my Safari SE 25' FB, it turns out I've done a fair amount. I'll try to compile my list here:

added a solar panel and charger (see earlier post)
added Xantrex 400 watt pure sine wave inverter--while I don't use it a lot, it is good to know that I have 120 volts available at half the trailer's outlets when dry camping if I want it; I put the remote switch on the galley wall, using the pre-wired cabling
replaced the stock 10 watt recessed halogen bulbs with 5 watt for virtually no discernible difference in light output but reduced power consumption by 50%
added a 19" 16:9 Polaroid LCD/DVD player TV to the bedroom, mounted on a Peerless articulating wall mount; this draws 3.5 amps on 12 volts and doesn't require an inverter since it comes with an external power 'brick' that converts from 120 volts to 12 volts, perfect for dry camping with relatively low power drain
added an AppleTV with 160 GB hard drive; I keep this at home and have it automatically sync new movies & music and pop it into the trailer when I go out
I am in the process of replacing many of the incandescent bulbs with LED's, warm white in color though it still is a little 'cool', slightly warmer than fluorescent but not quite halogen or traditional incandescent in color/temperature but uses 10 - 15% of the power
added a TriMetric battery monitor; since we usually dry-camp, this is an indespensible device for monitoring charge state, power consumption, and percentage of power left
replaced the stock water pump with a ShurFlo Extreme 4.0 pump; it's almost silent and no more pipe rattling!
I just ordered custom fitted flannel sheets

There's still more experimenting to be done with LED lighting on my end, though I may wait to replace the halogen lights until the color is better tuned
I like the idea of another solar panel but I'll have to find room on the roof
Probably going to replace the factory vent in the bedroom with a second Fantastik Fan but I'll wait until it's warm out
The factory mattress leaves much to be desired so at some point I'd like to replace it with something more akin to the Tempurpedic we have at home but hopefully lighter and nowhere as tall

We've made at least 15 trips with it since getting it at the end of March this year and have slept in it at least 30 nights and really like it. The walk-around perpendicular queen bed is a mixed bag--nice size (over the full size in the old trailer) but since I sleep on the side closest to the front of the trailer, it's a hassle getting in and out of it, not to mention making it is a pain, the 27' is mounted length-wise and is probably more convenient but adds weight and cuts down on the number of places you can take it


1 comment:

Karen said...

Nice trailer. You have what I have but more. No tv yet, still trying to convince the hubby. However, we do travel with my mac so movies aren't too much of an issue. The lights however, do interest me as we do a lot of dry camping aka boondocking so anything to conserve the power to extend the length is good.