Two Month Update-How It’s All Working

 May 2010
Tony loves the way the Ford handles. It has a better turning radius and better brakes than the Scotty’s Dodge. We were hoping for a least 10 MPG but so far ,with about 4000 miles on the odometer ,we’re getting a little less than 9. We spotted a closed truck weigh station in Oregon and tried out the scales. We were very pleased to find that we’re still underweight by 2000 pounds and well balanced side to side and front to back.
  Some of the changes that we made didn’t work quite right but most have been improvements over the Scotty.The pipes to get hot air into the waste valve compartment and holding tanks proved to be too small and Tony has replaced most of it. Picture of small piping.

  The computer desk/dinette table has been one of the best improvements. The laptop that we use the most stores safely in the desk for traveling and we use the extra space for all of our recharging units and small electronics. Having the power strip inside the desk has made everything much neater looking.

  The wooden blinds were a little noisy but we solved that problem by using some velcro on the window frame and the lower bars of the blinds. They stay quiet over the bumpiest roads when they’re raised and secured in place by the velcro.
          
I don’t know how to clean the copper sink. The finish has come off and has been scratched in a few places. It was made in Mexico by a street craftsman so we have no information on the proper care. I’ve been cleaning it with hand soap and then lightly coating it with mineral oil to get rid of hard water marks. I think that I’ll have to refinish it eventually.
     
The Red Dot Auxiliary heater does a good job of heating the motorhome box as we are driving but it’s extremely noisy. The one that Tony built for the Scotty was pretty quiet so he’s going to remove the fan from the Red Dot and replace it with a computer fan.
We really like the solid oak framing on the cabinets. We’re not sure how much extra weight they added but we’re about 2000 pounds heavier than the Scotty. Some of this , of course, is the heavier truck chassis but it’s also because of the heavier materials – insulation , plywood , framing and outside fiberglass.
The additional fresh water gives us an extra day of dry camping. We won’t know how much more power the third solar panel is giving us until winter because right now we are fully charged all of the time.    
The commercial grade flooring looks good and seems like it will stay in great condition for the life of the motorhome. The removable carpet isn’t fairing as well because when it turn in my wheelchair it pulls on the yarn and sometimes rips pieces out. We probably get a lower pile when this carpet wears out.