Well, my sister Cory spent the whole summer using her Compact Jr., and so she had a whole list of desirable modifications. My standard Christmas present to her is labor, so now the Compact is parked at my house and she's collecting her present early.

The big items on her list are to add some sort of positive locking for the cabinets so they don't pop open during flight, add a porch light, install a microwave, and add some sort of sliding platform to the big compartment she keeps her enormously heavy & awkward steamer trunk in. I added a couple items to the list myself: some kind of increased counter space, which would make it much easier to cook, and new curtains, since her old ones are, um, tired. And there are a number of smaller items to do too, little refinements and damage repair.

So far I've got the porch light added:
Click to view attachment
Nothing really special about it; it's a standard RV item. I wired it so that it could either be turned on from outside (switch on the bottom) or inside (rocker switch below the sink)--that way she can identify someone knocking at her door before opening it.

And I beefed up the attachment points for a towel bar--it was originally screwed into the very thin aluminum inner door skin, so I built some admittedly-crude-looking plates to mount the towel bar to the door frame instead:
Click to view attachment
Strength is important since she uses it as a handle to close the door.

Last bit so far was the addition of a folding countertop. I lucked out; the previous owner had reduced the size of the tabletop, and the cut-off piece (which was covered in Formica matching the existing countertop) was just about the right size. So I built a prop mechanism, and now there's a bit more counterspace for a cook to "spread himself":
Click to view attachment

Oops, out of space in this post--more later.

...and here's the countertop in the folded position:
Click to view attachment

The last thing was the addition of a 110V light to the kitchen area. She found this nice and not-too-far-out-of-period spotlight at Home Depot, and I was able to simply punch through the wall into the back of the electrical box for the existing light, so the wiring was easy:
Click to view attachment

The next big projects are the microwave (which will be located below the icebox, eliminating a drawer currently there), which should be a fairly straightforward carpentry job; I'll have to add a 110V outlet for the microwave to plug into. There'll be a big wasted space behind (outboard of) the microwave, which grates on my sensibilities and I'm contemplating ways to make it useable.

And then the positive locks for the cabinet doors. I have a scheme for the door locks which should be reasonably clean-looking--but if anyone out there has any good ideas, I'd love to hear them!

My idea is that I'll park my Campster at your house around Dec. 20 and leave it there to get my upgrades done. I always wanted a brother!

I did the microwave the same way, taking out two drawers; it needs a little tweaking as it can't slide out but can slide back the way I currently have it. (Already had the 110.) Actually, my sister did it (she's almost as good as a brother but unfortunately she lives in Alaska.)


Bobbie

Steve, you and Cory make a good team. Keep up the good work.
Tom Trostel

Thanks, Tom! Yeah, my brother's pretty special. And no swell head.

About ideas for using the space behind the microwave---how about a cabinet accessed from the sleeping/eating area? I think the bulkhead is plywood, isn't it?

Or even accessed from the outside? At the Oregon Gathering we met those that had put in doors on the outside. (Tom, were you one?)

One thing for sure, from Bobbie's experience--that microwave space needs a back on it, or a jam, to keep the microwave from becoming an accessory to that back cabinet!

Great idea- I wonder how easy that would be to put in? There is a LOT of space behind the microwave. I put a shelf over the microwave which I really like; it holds odds and ends, keeps them handy, and they stay put when I travel. But the space behind IS wasted. While I don't particularly need the space myself, having a storage compartment handy to the bed would be useful. You'd have to leave some room for air circulation, though, behind the microwave.

Bobbie

Wow, some great mods there, I'm VERY envious of the porchlight!. That's a mod I've been wanting for a while... Im curious, was it very difficult to run the wiring for it? Did you have to disturb the wall padding stuff very much?
I THINK I could handle the install myself, I'm usually fairly handy with stuff, but I don't want to mess up something that can't really be replaced/repaired easily...
Hey, while Im thinking about it, my Compact has the original tail lights, and the housings are getting a little weathered and cracked. Has anybody found OEM replacements for the Monarch types? I've seen several different retrofits of other styles, but I'd like to put the OEM stuff back if I could.
Well keep the GREAT mod pics coming, they're great motivation for us fellow Compacters! hehe

Cory,
The bulkhead between the kitchen and sleeping area is plywood. That was not me with the outside hatches for access to under bench storage. That was Chuck Hagen. On his Compact II, he installed a hatch on each side.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=75763966

Tom Trostel

Joseph,
The tail lights on my Compact Jr. were Reflect O Lite 650. I think they were original and were in poor shape with many cracks and repairs to the red plastic.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=70959861

On a trip this spring I lost one lens. I searched the net, but was not able to locate replacement lens. So I purchased a pair of Bargman 92 and replaced the entire tail light assembles. They were the closest in size and shape that I could locate. I'm happy with the brightness.

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-lights/55-8245.htm

Tom Trostel

I've been thinking about the behind-the-microwave space. Does anyone know how much space is needed behind the microwave for ventilation? I think it would be more in a completely enclosed space like that than in a kitchen where it is sitting against a wall but open to the room. But one option that I was thinking about last night was just a narrow vertical slot that would hold my laptop, accessible from the other side of the bulkhead. I'm not going to cut a hole in the bulkhead, though, the wood is thick and I think it needs someone with more woodworking skill than I have to do a neat job.

I'm going to pull the microwave today because I need to take it back to Target- the glass plate moans and rubs as it turns and I have the exact same model at work which does not do that. Once it is out, I'll put a stop behind it so it can't keep sliding backwards. I'll also get a measure of how much space is behind it.

Bobbie

Mine does that if I don't get the glass plate sitting on the turntable properly. But since it has to come out to get cleaned once in a while, I've finally figured out exactly where on the turntable it has to sit. You'll see grooves on the bottom of the plate, the turntable portion has to sit in those grooves. Mess with it a bit, you might find your own solution.

I've messed. I even brought the plate home from the one at work and tried it to see if it was the plate, and the new plate did the same thing. I'm going to pull it out, set it on the perfectly level floor, and see what happens. If it groans, it goes back. If not, it may be something to do with how it sits in the trailer.

Bobbie

The wiring wasn't much trouble. The wires for the porchlight run down between the outside shell and the fiberglass kitchen enclosure. There were 12V and ground wires already present in the undersink cabinet for the electric water pump the trailer used to have, so I tapped into them using side-by-side crimp connectors. Click to view attachment

The light is just screwed to the fiberglass trailer shell using sheet-metal screws. It may sound a bit half-a$$ed, because repeated removals and reinstallations would eventually mess up the holes, but I figured it'll probably never be coming off.

The inside switch was purchased from an RV store, and it's a standard automotive rocker switch in a nice chromed mini-panel; it's mounted with two screws through the panel. The two switches are in parallel, so either can turn it on.

I think a good rule of thumb is that any household appliance needs a minimum of 1" of ventilation space next to each surface. Hopefully, the 1" of space behind it is contiguous with 1" of space on top and to the sides, which in effect will vent it to the front. One idea I can think of would be to plumb in a 2" in diameter vent thru to the outside with a louvered cover on it.

I plan to leave about half an inch behind the microwave, based on the fact that our kitchen microwave seems to work fine with about that much space.
For the area behind it, right now I'm thinking that a tall narrow deep (odd proportions, I know) drawer, facing the dining area, would be best-- a cabinet behind the microwave would be very deep (19 inches or so), and it'd be hard to get to stuff at the back. A drawer, you just pull out, and the stuff at the back is perfectly accessible.

(What a lot of carpentry I'm signing up for! I'm gonna have to lug my tablesaw out to the carport, or I'm going to exhaust myself with repeated trips up and down the stairs, in and out of the house! )

I'm also going to end up with a narrow slot right next to the microwave (the existing drawer is 21" or so wide, and the microwave is only 18 1/2"), and I haven't quite decided what to do with that, either. Perhaps a slot for a cutting board?

There is plenty of space behind and on the sides currently, none on top since I set the shelf right over the microwave. But I know that's okay because a microwave can be mounted under a cabinet with no top space. I looked at the space behind the microwave- there is not as much as one might think, because the cabinet frame is not exactly flush to the trailer wall. But there would be room for a nice little cubby.

Another option for using it would be to just cover the drawer supports so it is a ledge back there, and you'd have a hidden place for things like purses, wallets, etc, reached from the bottom cabinet. Awkward to get to, but that would make it a safer hiding spot.

Bobbie

On Sis' Compact Jr., the cabinet faces slope back somewhat (that is, the aisleway is wider at shoulder level than at ankle level). That means that if the surface your microwave sits on is perpendicular to the cabinet face, it's sloping down at the back, which might account for your groan.

The stock drawers in the Compact Jr. are installed perpendicular to the cabinet face, that is, they slope down towards the back.

I tried it on the flat, same problem. I think the unit is just defective-same model at work does take some fiddling with the plate to get it right, but eventually it works. This one does not seem to have a "right' position.

Steve, what are you doing to keep the cabinets from popping open? And did Cory have problems with the door popping open?

Bobbie

Well, here's my current plan:

Each cabinet door will have a brass pin extending from one edge. When the door is closed, the pin will fit into a notch in the door frame, and a slide-bolt will cover it, holding the door closed. Here's a picture of a mock-up I made:
Click to view attachment
..and here it is, with the door closed, but the slide-bolt not yet in the latched position:
Click to view attachment
(Pardon the blurry pics)

It ought to be really secure, and not too obtrusive.

The drawers don't have any problems with inadvertent opening (they're designed so you have to lift them slightly to pull them open) so no slide-bolts for them.

The main door doesn't seem to have any popping-open problem; there is a separate lock, not built into the doorknob, and it's a big old sliding bolt type.

That looks like a great idea. I only have a problem with the closet door opening- the smaller ones have not opened in transit. I may try it there and see how it works. I know my parents used child-safety latches on their camper to keep doors shut but they are more annoying in use than your design would be.

Bobbie

I finally got the cabinet "travel locks" finished; here's a picture:
Click to view attachment
They're the brass sliding bolts below each door. The closet has one, too, installed above the door. Here's a picture of it, unlocked:
Click to view attachment

Next project: Microwave installation!

I really like those. How did you cut the grooves for the pins? Those are larger pins than I imagined.

Bobbie

I bought a little router base attachment for my Dremel tool:

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-565-DREMEL-MU...395&sr=8-22

and a 3/16 router bit. Made a wooden guide, so the tool didn't go charging off across the vast unmarred expanse of the cabinet frame. Clamped the guide to the cabinet frame, zip, zip, zip. Worked very well.

The pins are 5/32" brass rod. The sliding bolts are 2-inchers, from Ace Hardware.

Steve forgot to mention that I was VERY motivated to get some sort of cabinet-door-locking thing, as MY closet door would swing open, too, despite bungee cords across it. There's a long mirror on the door, and finally I decided it was the weight of the mirror (rather than what I put IN the closet) that made the door want to swing so much.

Steve had put a strap on the inside of the door to keep the door from opening too far (and thunking into the back cabin door's trim).

But had so much trouble with that door opening itself and swinging around, during my road trip to Yellowstone the closet door fell off completely, only kept from tumbling to the floor by the strap & a couple of loose bungees!!

Believe me, it behaved itself much more nicely packed away in a bench compartment the rest of the trip!

Well, the microwave carpentry is finished. The installation looks like this from the front:
Click to view attachment
The slot just to the right of the microwave is officially a cookbook niche. It'll hold useful books like "1001 Tasty Meals You can Prepare in a Frying Pan" and "The Frying Pan and I" and "Fear of Frying".

This view from above shows the cookbook niche and the Secret Cabinet behind the microwave:
Click to view attachment
The cabinets won't have ceilings; with the icebox above them, there didn't seem to be any point to it.

And this last pic is the sliding door access to the Secret Cabinet:
Click to view attachment
Well, actually it's just the sliding door's tracks; right now the sliding door itself--a piece of 1/4 birch plywood--is in the workshop being varnished. I got a really cute frog handle for it, too. The door will be partially blocked by the sofa cushions, so if Sis wants to get anything really large in or out she'll have to disarrange the cushions. I stuck up an LED tap-light inside the S.C. to light it up when you're trying to find something.

And one last pic for now. This Decorative Element was added at the request of the trailer's owner, and the Chief Engineer, Carpenter, Plumber, and Electrician takes no responsibility for its tastefulness or lack of same.

Click to view attachment

I love the secret cabinet. I may have to do that. I'll wait and see how the sliding door works out. It seems like a great idea. I was thinking about having a folding table fold down over the opening. Where did you get the Samsung microwave? I really hate the microwave I got at Target but it fits the slot (very hard to get the rotating plate not to make horrible noises.)

Bobbie

Steve, how are you venting the microwave. That particular model has vents on the sides (???) the moisture has to go somewhere....

The cooling air vents are on the bottom and back, and there's an inch or so clearance there. The platform it sits on is drilled full of holes to help with ventilation. There's also good clearance on the left side and top. The only real snug fit is on the right-hand side, but there're no vents there. Plus I expect Sis to only use it for short-duration stuff, like heating a cup of coffee, which should also minimize the heat load.

Moisture. Hmmm. Although I suppose that a cup of water or a baked potato would steam somewhat, I don't recall seeing any ventilation of the cooking compartment. I think the steam just stays inside until you open the door. But it wouldn't hurt to take another look at the microwave when I pull it out preparatory to painting the cabinets.

Bobbie Mayer asked where I got it from. It was no problem at all; when I opened the door of the trailer, there it was. Actually, Sis bought it at a garage sale for some trifling amount, and brought it up when she brought the trailer.

I think your space there must be longer than mine in the Campster. I didn't have anywhere near room enough for a cookbook slot. Either that or the microwave is substantially shorter.

Bobbie

Look on the ceiling (inside) of the microwave, you'll see vents and a fan. My Sharp in the house, says a minimum of 2" all around. The microwave over the stove is vented into the range hood. Microwaves get hot too, and can be a fire hazard. Just trying to save you from grief later on. If moisture is allowed to drip down inside the wood cabinet... well, you know .... it doesn't take a lot to get the ole mold stuff going. And this moisture is full of fungi from the food.

Okay, you got me thinking. Sure enough, Sis' microwave has vents, just as you described. So over the last few days I've done a couple things. First, I did a test. I figured that Sis' most common use of the microwave would be heating water for coffee in the morning, so I heated a cup with a paper towel draped loosely over the vents. The paper towel didn't seem to get damp at all (which kinda makes sense if the water's not actually boiling), so I concluded that usually there wasn't going to be much moisture.

But I hate mildew as much as the next man, so I did another thing--I had the paint store mix a packet of mildew poison into a quart of Kilz, and I painted the entire inside of the microwave compartment with it.

So I have confidence that it's not going to be a problem, but we'll keep an eye on it anyway--and I thank you, Donna, for bringing it up.


And now for a progress report:

The carpentry is all done. The cabinets are repainted, the microwave and the icebox are back in, and the sliding door to the Secret Cabinet is installed.

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

And I spent a little time making a moose-themed accent light (110V) out of a stained-glass votive:

Click to view attachment


So the only big bit left is the new curtains! Hooray!

Hey, Steve, those all look fantastic!!
Good place for that moose! Maybe you forgot to mention that the upholstery came with moose on it (redone by a previous owner) and now there's moose signs to-boot.

What did you use for stops on the sliding door for the "secret" (or, shall we say, ex-secret?) compartment?

Sister Cory

Nice work Steve!

Can you tell me a bit more about the "mildew poison"?
I've never heard of it before.

Roy

Paint stores have it. It's a little packet, you buy it, the paint store dumps it into the can of paint and shakes it up. It's supposed to stop and prevent mildew growth. I've used it a couple times when painting bathrooms, and it seems to work fine.

Hello! I also did a few modifications to my little Compact. For added storage of lighter items, I am using a board that fits across the bottom part of the pop up in which I've added a lip so it snuggles just in over the outer edge where the canvas starts. It gives me enough room for a small lamp, kleenex box, books, spices... I use two of these shelves, one situated to the rear and one toward the beginning of the bed area. These I remove when moving. The other change was taking out the old table, using two PVC drains turned upside down (so I could mount to the floor and new table top using screws in the metal holes), a length of PVC pipe, and a lightweight, narrower board for the top. I mounted the table closer to the door end so I could leave a bed area up to the back of the trailer and still have a sitting area. The table swivels to get in and out from plus is easy to remove if I don't want it in at all. For my porch light I used large stick on velcro pieces attached to a solar light that Menards sold. It looks about the same size as what you mounted, I remove the light during travel but have forgotten and it was still there after a five hour haul! Being a thrift store junkie I found a little clear plastic stick on shelf that I use for stove items like my lighter. Since the trailer has no oven I found an old oven that looks like a covered cake platter which has a thermometer in the lid and use that on the stove top! I've looked at the Coleman ovens but hey, this was 5.00! Does your sisters trailer have an icebox? Or a real fridge?

This sounds like what I want to do. Can you post some pictures?

Bobbie

Sis' trailer has a removable shelf like you've described, and it's darned handy while cooking.

Your PVC flange setup for the table sounds lightweight. Sis' has aluminum sockets and a tubular post. One advantage of the aluminum socket setup (which is standard RV hardware) is that the sockets and post seem to be tapered slightly so that they fit together very snugly, providing a very steady table. I'm currently making her a hollow-core tabletop, which should be lighter than the existing slab of 3/4 inch plywood.

She and I had discussed a bed and table setup like yours (perhaps she had heard of or seen yours?), and it wouldn't be hard to do, for sure. All I'd really have to do would be to move the big round aluminum table socket on the floor a couple feet further aft and build a smaller table top. She's single, so a narrow bed and a more-or-less permanent table makes some sense.

Her trailer has an icebox. She's dissatisfied with it, and one of the items on the Winter Rework list was to improve its insulation, so I pulled it out and wrapped it with about an inch of fiberglass insulation, then covered that with brown paper to make it easier to slide back into place without tearing up the fiberglass. Worked great. (The brown paper to make it easy to reinstall, I mean; I don't know if the additional insulation will resolve Sis' dissatisfaction. )

Just another update. My wife sewed the curtains last weekend, and now they're installed. Sis about went nuts trying to pick a pattern, and then get enough of the material. Here's a picture:
Click to view attachment

The rework session is rapidly drawing to a close!

Looking good.

Very nice, Ya know Olympia isn't THAT far from Portland... sure hope to see this trailer in person someday How about the Spring NOG???

I'm eager to hear how the icebox insulation works. I could have stuffed insulation up around mine when I was putting the microwave in, but didn't. Wrapping it seems like a good idea.

Bobbie

What Spring NOG?

Steve & I, and next to us Karen Langlois, just signed up for the July (Bandon) Oregon Gathering!

Tami, can you come? Would love to see your trailer's interior!

Steve did a great job making a decorative lamp for me out of a stained-glass moose, by the way. . .even made a little shelf for it in one corner of the Compact Jr.!

Cory

You don't know? Why one of the most fun gatherings on the planet!

Check out the newest topic (it's been 4 days since the Fall NOG and we already have 19 trailers signed up)! Northern Oregon Gathering - Spring Event, April 25-27, 2008

and if you want to know how much fun we've had check out the Fall NOG here: Northern Oregon Gathering, Fall Event, October 12-14, 2007

This past NOG was our 5th gathering, and ya gotta check out the pictures Dave & Kathie put up here: Champoeg NOG

Another update. I hope you guys don't mind me blathering on and on here....

Here's the new tabletop. It's hollow-core; I made a frame out of 1 1/2 x 3/4 stock, with a routed recess to receive the upper and lower skins. Added a couple crossmembers to support the table leg socket, assembled the whole thing with lots of glue. I lucked out at the local builder's surplus store and found a piece of Formica which matches the colors in the upholstery. Just as sturdy as the old chunk of 3/4 plywood, and much lighter.

Click to view attachment

Here's a picture of the underside; I'm including it only because I was trying to describe the table leg and its socket to Tami up above and a picture is worth a thousand words. But, as I said, it's a common piece of hardware and Tami probably has seen one already.

Click to view attachment

No Problem with updates----Keep them coming. Thats how we all learn.

Please don't stop showing us your work. I'm pickin' up some great ideas.

One last update (although I suspect Sis will keep coming up with new ideas until Thanksgiving, when she's scheduled to pick it up )

Sis was concerned that once during a meal yellowjackets had shown up at her table, and so she wanted to seal off any yellowjacket entry points. She determined that the canvas top boot was sagging away from the inside of the pop-top at the corners, so she had me make some little metal strips to push the canvas up tight against the inside of the pop-top. Here's a pic of one, installed:

Click to view attachment

I also used two-sided foam tape to secure the long straight sections of canvas to the inside of the pop-top. Whether it'll completely eliminate flying insect intrusions or not is anyone's guess; but it ought to help.

Steve,
I like your solution. The factory top had a 1" x 1" piece of open cell foam in each corner to fill the gap. Don't know how long they will hold up.
Tom Trostel

Tom: Open cell foam? And Donna D. thought my FOOD had fungi in it!
Of course, maybe Texas is drier than Seattle--sometimes.

Bobbie, did you ever get your answer about where to get the kind of microwave I got at a garage sale? The original box was with it, stamped "K Mart".

Now guys & gals, thanks for giving Steve some nice feedback. I could tell he really DIDN'T want to do any prevent-bugs-from-entering-the-pop-top project. But with my bugging him enough with ideas on how to do it (pun unintented), he succumbed.

(In fact, he got busy as a bee with it. What a honey!)

Told my smallfiberglassRV buddy Karen about it & of course she was thrilled, as we certainly had a lot of bees in the bonnet--er, poptop--last time we ate in Jr.! We had to eat in her double-walled Burro instead. (The picnic table was absolutely out of the question.)

Cory, Steve's lucky sister