Barko1
Senior Member
I have had my 98 Grandby for around 2 years now. It was pretty standard when OI got it, well used by things mostly worked fine. I put in on my longbed 4.6L 97 F150, added some air bags and took it on a few trips. It did OK but for my tastes it was underpowered and pretty close to max weight when loaded. It struggled on hills and I hated having it downshift and screech up the hills so I opted for a 99 F250 7.3L extended cab longbed 4x4. Made a big difference, added airbags, new shocks, new stock rear springs, and good tires and took it to Alaska last Spring, an 11,000+ trip, no problems, things worked but time for some changes. To the truck I added a 2" front lift, Firestone 285/75/16 E rated, a DP Tuner 60hp economy chip, a larger Ford/Donaldson airfilter system, and generally have just tried to stay ahead on maintenance. It had 110,000 miles on it when I got it a year and 1/2 ago, just turned 156,000. Tires and suspension are good, the chip woke the beast up, an amazing difference, with the new chip running it is a bit louder, has a touchier throttle, but pulls so much better, night and day. Push a button it runs stock, push it for the performance and away you go. I just finished my 8000+ mile trip to Newfoundland and the motor just hums, rarely slows for a hill, and has excellent passing capabilities for getting around slow movers (I still like to drive it like a sports car even though it weighs about 4 tons loaded). The truck could use a paint job but I'm reluctant to make it all pretty only to screw it up somehow.
Now the camper. Decided to make changes, some just to try it out, some to improve function. I'm not a good craftsman but I'm willing to try somethings and am mostly too cheap to have someone else do anything. I admire the skill some have in doing the upgrades but I know what my limits are, nothing fancy, hopefully solid and functional. The front lifters were shot, the wood was all splitting so I thought I could replace it but after a good look I opted to have FWC put the new one on, a good idea, something I could screw up which wouldn't be good. Related to the lifter I added the shock/lifter/thingies as they seem to have been named. With 5 solar panels it was getting to be a load and given I have a worthless spinal cord I decided help would be good. They went on easy enough except they arrived about a day before I was leaving to Newfoundland but it was pretty straightforward. Only issue was the front didn't want to stay down on its' own. Solution for me was to add the 5th solar panel (11#?) which was just sitting in the garage. That did the trick and I figured an extra 15w wouldn't hurt in the Atlantic Provinces. One other thing that went wrong the day after I picked the camper up was that the fixed drivers side window flew out never to be seen again. Replaced with some plexiglas and caulk, still good 40k later albeit scratch to hell from narrow trails and protruding branches.
Electrical/fridge: I am plenty ignorant here and still not sure all that I have working as a local RV dealer created the connections from the truck to the FWC. I just plug it in the 7 prong connection in the bed of the truck and it charges the house batteries. A while back I added a 2nd RV battery that I wasn't using and originally I had them in the back closet but when I started changing the cabinets around I moved the batteries to a new compartment under the sideway bed, passenger side.
Too keep them happy I, in stages, have added 5 15w solar panels on the roof. Nothing fancy, Harbor Freight (45W for $150 when on sale), that all go through a charge controller that I think I got from Northern Tool, and then to the batteries. I also have an inverter next to the batteries that gets used for charging electronics. It also gives me a good readout of the current level of charge. The inverter is awkward to get to and I may move it but I have an extension cord plugged into it for easier access. I also have a cigarette adapter coming right off the batteries that I plug the Coleman/Stirling ridge into. If I have shore power which I did a couple nights this last trip I can easily plug the fridge into that through its' own adaptor. With the charge from the vehicle and the solar I never needed shore power as my batteries (which are a few years old and cheapies) never dipped below 12.3. I have plenty of heavy cloud cover and rain but never sat still for more than a few days. It surprised me how the solar would charge even with good cloud cover. Back home here in the desert they really charge things up. In the future I think I will go with 2 6v batteries, Sams' club has them for about $80 each. I wasn't a big fan of the 3 way fridge, too inconsistent, maybe needs a good cleaning but I don't like to fuss with getting the truck level so I opted for the Coleman stirling since is was very efficient on 12v and a lot cheaper than the Engel. On this trip it worked like a charm meaning I never gave it a second though, no switching or checking temps. It gets a thumbs up.
Heat: I had the standard furnace and it worked fine in some cold temps but what I didn't like was the noise, squeaked like crazy at start up, of course some blower noise but not a big deal but it also consumed a good amount of 12v and being an obsessive every time I'd hear it switch on during a cold night I'd concerning myself with how much juice it was using. Also the thermostat has advantages a downside is the temp goes up then the temps go down and I didn't want it cycling more, less efficient. So I got a Wave 3. Takes me 90 seconds to get running and only has high or low, I used high 1x this trip when it got to freezing but that really wasn't needed. Downside is that I have it sitting on its' legs by the back door so it is something one has to move around. Also no thermostat so heat regulation is less precise although wasn't much of an issue. I now do have it warmer in the camper than I used to, kind of a luxury, don't need to crawl so deep into the bag. I used it most nights i was in Canada, about three weeks. Sometimes I'd turn it on as soon as we hit the campsite if it was nasty, sometimes right before bedtime, and a few nights I'd turn it on in the middle of the night. I still have some propane in the tank but did not do much indoor cooking just morning water heating or making some soup. I like the Wave 3.
Water pump: $20+ 12v with a rocker switch, works great, a big bang for the buck.
Cabinets/Dinette: My FWC had particle board and it was loosing its fake wood covering plus I wanted a dinette so as I posted before I used Oak 3/4 and some 7/16th (I think) to raise the cross and side bed platform, to make deeper storage, and provide higher seating for the dinette. I also replaced all the particle that made the rear closet (which now holds the fridge and other storage) and on the other side replaced what had been around the furnace and fridge. Where the old heat was is a good cubby for the Wave 3, the rest of that space is now shelves, two shelves I put on drawer sliders. Funny I rarely used the sliders. What worked better were to simple plastic baskets that fit well on the shelves and were simple to pull out to get to the contents. One contained all the coffee press stuff for immediate access in the am. I also had some cloth mesh to cover the shelves and open cabinets that covered during travel. Worked pretty good but at times I found stuff on the floor. Best is to put a small lip on the edge of the shelf so that if things start sliding that way they get stopped and then the mesh can keep it in place. I did get rid of the sliding covers for the lower cabinets. They were not sliding to good and made it more difficult to see what was in there. Mesh covered the top area, on the bottom used wood for cabinet doors that hinged from the bottom. Worked well but I need a little stronger door holders.
Funny but I think we used the dinette 1x, maybe 2, during a month long trip. I liked having it on a previous trip and I like the option but unless the weather is really bad I eat outside.
Other bits: Just before leaving I added the power roof vent/fantastic fan. Didn't need it much, used it to get some moisture out, works well. Most of the trip was cool wetter weather. I needed a new curtain for the back window and solved that with some little bits of velcro and reflectix. Comes completely off when driving but can provide privacy and a measure of insulation. Two little pieces of velcro give me a place to have it when not on the window++. I also reversed the hinges on the back corner closet so I can access it easily from outside with the back door open. That is where I store all my dog equipment and I need that when out so it works well this way. Slider rear window, did this when I got the F250, it is great for passing stuff through and especially getting my 3 dogs from the cab to the camper when it is pouring rain out, no dirty stinky hounds!!!!!
Stove lighters, has required some adjustment but really a nice inexpensive mod that I use every day. No looking for matches etc., turn on the gas and press the button, thanks to whomever posted that one. Of course I put LED's everywhere, 4 in the ceiling and one outside. Do the job well and save some power. Also use led headlights. Have some led touch lights, one on the passenger side by the front bed which is great for reading, but they can get turned on inadvertently.
I have also been carrying a plastic water carrier that I use for grey water, I have some hose hooked to it and it rides on the back bumper. On the other side of the bumper is an extra water container I got online via Walmart. Fits well there and gives me more capacity and I can use it to fill the on board tank.
I've used a lot of reflectix insulating, anyplace that wasn't insulated (and there are a lot) got that stuff glued on.
Things I still want to change. I need to replaced the kitchen counter, it's crappy. The spout on the faucet is also crappy, too short, so those will have to go. The water inlet to the tank leaks a bit and it is really hard for me to see how much water is in there, suggestions??
So I guess I have done a lot of changing. Vinyl has been good, rear lifter is fine, been in wild storms and never a leak. I am also an idiot, tried to lift the top with one latch still connected, added some personality to it. In the time I have had it it has been to about 35 states and 8 Canadian Provinces and probably 50,000 miles. This year maybe 60 nights.No bad changes that I can think off, no fatal flaws in the camper except that front lift and it was 12 years old. I guess I have gotten good use from it
This pic show the Segway on the front rack, the lifters locations, the three solar panels on front, and the personality bend in the roof by the right latch.
This pic shows the rear lifters, the grey water tank (note the kinked hose that travels in the bed, it had to be shortened), also the other water carrier and the lines from the solar panels into the rear closet and the charge controller/monitor. (Cape Breton)
Now the camper. Decided to make changes, some just to try it out, some to improve function. I'm not a good craftsman but I'm willing to try somethings and am mostly too cheap to have someone else do anything. I admire the skill some have in doing the upgrades but I know what my limits are, nothing fancy, hopefully solid and functional. The front lifters were shot, the wood was all splitting so I thought I could replace it but after a good look I opted to have FWC put the new one on, a good idea, something I could screw up which wouldn't be good. Related to the lifter I added the shock/lifter/thingies as they seem to have been named. With 5 solar panels it was getting to be a load and given I have a worthless spinal cord I decided help would be good. They went on easy enough except they arrived about a day before I was leaving to Newfoundland but it was pretty straightforward. Only issue was the front didn't want to stay down on its' own. Solution for me was to add the 5th solar panel (11#?) which was just sitting in the garage. That did the trick and I figured an extra 15w wouldn't hurt in the Atlantic Provinces. One other thing that went wrong the day after I picked the camper up was that the fixed drivers side window flew out never to be seen again. Replaced with some plexiglas and caulk, still good 40k later albeit scratch to hell from narrow trails and protruding branches.
Electrical/fridge: I am plenty ignorant here and still not sure all that I have working as a local RV dealer created the connections from the truck to the FWC. I just plug it in the 7 prong connection in the bed of the truck and it charges the house batteries. A while back I added a 2nd RV battery that I wasn't using and originally I had them in the back closet but when I started changing the cabinets around I moved the batteries to a new compartment under the sideway bed, passenger side.
Too keep them happy I, in stages, have added 5 15w solar panels on the roof. Nothing fancy, Harbor Freight (45W for $150 when on sale), that all go through a charge controller that I think I got from Northern Tool, and then to the batteries. I also have an inverter next to the batteries that gets used for charging electronics. It also gives me a good readout of the current level of charge. The inverter is awkward to get to and I may move it but I have an extension cord plugged into it for easier access. I also have a cigarette adapter coming right off the batteries that I plug the Coleman/Stirling ridge into. If I have shore power which I did a couple nights this last trip I can easily plug the fridge into that through its' own adaptor. With the charge from the vehicle and the solar I never needed shore power as my batteries (which are a few years old and cheapies) never dipped below 12.3. I have plenty of heavy cloud cover and rain but never sat still for more than a few days. It surprised me how the solar would charge even with good cloud cover. Back home here in the desert they really charge things up. In the future I think I will go with 2 6v batteries, Sams' club has them for about $80 each. I wasn't a big fan of the 3 way fridge, too inconsistent, maybe needs a good cleaning but I don't like to fuss with getting the truck level so I opted for the Coleman stirling since is was very efficient on 12v and a lot cheaper than the Engel. On this trip it worked like a charm meaning I never gave it a second though, no switching or checking temps. It gets a thumbs up.
Heat: I had the standard furnace and it worked fine in some cold temps but what I didn't like was the noise, squeaked like crazy at start up, of course some blower noise but not a big deal but it also consumed a good amount of 12v and being an obsessive every time I'd hear it switch on during a cold night I'd concerning myself with how much juice it was using. Also the thermostat has advantages a downside is the temp goes up then the temps go down and I didn't want it cycling more, less efficient. So I got a Wave 3. Takes me 90 seconds to get running and only has high or low, I used high 1x this trip when it got to freezing but that really wasn't needed. Downside is that I have it sitting on its' legs by the back door so it is something one has to move around. Also no thermostat so heat regulation is less precise although wasn't much of an issue. I now do have it warmer in the camper than I used to, kind of a luxury, don't need to crawl so deep into the bag. I used it most nights i was in Canada, about three weeks. Sometimes I'd turn it on as soon as we hit the campsite if it was nasty, sometimes right before bedtime, and a few nights I'd turn it on in the middle of the night. I still have some propane in the tank but did not do much indoor cooking just morning water heating or making some soup. I like the Wave 3.
Water pump: $20+ 12v with a rocker switch, works great, a big bang for the buck.
Cabinets/Dinette: My FWC had particle board and it was loosing its fake wood covering plus I wanted a dinette so as I posted before I used Oak 3/4 and some 7/16th (I think) to raise the cross and side bed platform, to make deeper storage, and provide higher seating for the dinette. I also replaced all the particle that made the rear closet (which now holds the fridge and other storage) and on the other side replaced what had been around the furnace and fridge. Where the old heat was is a good cubby for the Wave 3, the rest of that space is now shelves, two shelves I put on drawer sliders. Funny I rarely used the sliders. What worked better were to simple plastic baskets that fit well on the shelves and were simple to pull out to get to the contents. One contained all the coffee press stuff for immediate access in the am. I also had some cloth mesh to cover the shelves and open cabinets that covered during travel. Worked pretty good but at times I found stuff on the floor. Best is to put a small lip on the edge of the shelf so that if things start sliding that way they get stopped and then the mesh can keep it in place. I did get rid of the sliding covers for the lower cabinets. They were not sliding to good and made it more difficult to see what was in there. Mesh covered the top area, on the bottom used wood for cabinet doors that hinged from the bottom. Worked well but I need a little stronger door holders.
Funny but I think we used the dinette 1x, maybe 2, during a month long trip. I liked having it on a previous trip and I like the option but unless the weather is really bad I eat outside.
Other bits: Just before leaving I added the power roof vent/fantastic fan. Didn't need it much, used it to get some moisture out, works well. Most of the trip was cool wetter weather. I needed a new curtain for the back window and solved that with some little bits of velcro and reflectix. Comes completely off when driving but can provide privacy and a measure of insulation. Two little pieces of velcro give me a place to have it when not on the window++. I also reversed the hinges on the back corner closet so I can access it easily from outside with the back door open. That is where I store all my dog equipment and I need that when out so it works well this way. Slider rear window, did this when I got the F250, it is great for passing stuff through and especially getting my 3 dogs from the cab to the camper when it is pouring rain out, no dirty stinky hounds!!!!!
Stove lighters, has required some adjustment but really a nice inexpensive mod that I use every day. No looking for matches etc., turn on the gas and press the button, thanks to whomever posted that one. Of course I put LED's everywhere, 4 in the ceiling and one outside. Do the job well and save some power. Also use led headlights. Have some led touch lights, one on the passenger side by the front bed which is great for reading, but they can get turned on inadvertently.
I have also been carrying a plastic water carrier that I use for grey water, I have some hose hooked to it and it rides on the back bumper. On the other side of the bumper is an extra water container I got online via Walmart. Fits well there and gives me more capacity and I can use it to fill the on board tank.
I've used a lot of reflectix insulating, anyplace that wasn't insulated (and there are a lot) got that stuff glued on.
Things I still want to change. I need to replaced the kitchen counter, it's crappy. The spout on the faucet is also crappy, too short, so those will have to go. The water inlet to the tank leaks a bit and it is really hard for me to see how much water is in there, suggestions??
So I guess I have done a lot of changing. Vinyl has been good, rear lifter is fine, been in wild storms and never a leak. I am also an idiot, tried to lift the top with one latch still connected, added some personality to it. In the time I have had it it has been to about 35 states and 8 Canadian Provinces and probably 50,000 miles. This year maybe 60 nights.No bad changes that I can think off, no fatal flaws in the camper except that front lift and it was 12 years old. I guess I have gotten good use from it
This pic show the Segway on the front rack, the lifters locations, the three solar panels on front, and the personality bend in the roof by the right latch.
This pic shows the rear lifters, the grey water tank (note the kinked hose that travels in the bed, it had to be shortened), also the other water carrier and the lines from the solar panels into the rear closet and the charge controller/monitor. (Cape Breton)
