WIFI

Most places we go have WIFI. But the ROKU receivers are cute, little, with a little antenna and usually tucked in a corner so they need a LOT of signal. Easiest way is to mount a receiver/repeater somewhere. Best place is up high. So on top of the kitchen cabinets is ideal. But there’s no power there. On our unit there are outlets on the underside of the cabinets. One had wires going up through the corner (there was a trim piece on it which you have to remove) and there was enough slack in the 120V wire that I was able to splice in a box with an outlet up top. I did have to make a cutout for the box. Some paint and you can hardly see it, plus it’s in a cabinet already!

Can you spot the router and the outlet in the bushes?

TPMS

Keeping an eye on your trailer tires is a no brainer. Pressures and temps will indicate a slow leak which could lead to failure if not addressed. The tire will overheat and poof. Now a structural failure resulting in blowout is what it is. Sounds like a large gun being fired right behind you….. By the time the TPMS starts screaming you already knew all that. But, I’ve been saved from a slow leak before. So, I like it. There’s a bunch of brands out there. I have TST with a repeater in the battery compartment. Works like a charm.

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BACKUP CAMERA

The unit came “Furrion backup camera ready”. Smart marketing. I suspect they don’t even charge the manufacturer for the opportunity to say that after installing a plastic empty housing for the “Sharkfin” camera and a two wire power supply. So the path of the least resistance is to buy a Furrion. They are very proud of their $tuff. Good news is that it works 99% of the time. Sometimes the reception is disrupted but never for long.

Installation is simple. Remove 4 screws and the filler plate on the housing. Connect the camera wire plug to the power wire plug already in the housing, and put the 4 screws in. Done. If you buy the camera with the screen they come already paired.

TIP: On the RW 430 (and other Heartland products from what I hear) the power for the camera comes from the battery compartment 12VDC distribution. (Not the marker lights). So you can have it on without having the running lights on, for night time security. THERE IS AN IN LINE EMPTY RED RUBBER FUSE HOLDER IN THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. Put a fuse in there (I used a 10A) and viola, the camera works. Thank you to the RW owners on the FB page who pointed this out. I would have never found it.

NOTE: The smallest Furrion screen (forgot the size) does not allow for side cameras. So I got the medium size which does. To be installed in the future.

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RVLOCK ON BACK DOOR

The unit came with one regular lock on the back door with one key, and an RVLock remote/electric on the salon door, also with one key. For not too much ($225?) I got another RVLock and put it in the back. Also came with a remote so now both remotes control both doors, and we have two keys for the back and one for the front. That’ll work.

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KITCHEN CABINET DOORS

Specifically the horizontal ones, that open UP and then have no way to STAY up. Not very practical, and I’m trying to be nice. Now, later on I realized that in the excitement I missed the fact that the same style doors in the bedroom DO have “struts” to keep them open. Why…..oh why they decided to save a few miserable dollars and have the doors in the kitchen whack my fingers I will never know.

So I found a fix. (Again, I didn’t realize it’s readily out there for a few $$) My fix came from old Dutch wooden pleasure boats where they had doors just like these. And they had a spring which bends in when you close the door but stands rigid when the door is open…… All from the hardware store. I kinda like it.

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We like fleurs….. And the knobs were a little contemporary. So we did this: