Galileo

We actually like the Velcro. I don’t know if others had this small storage area shown to them as a “secret compartment” - but I think the Velcro is more apt to keep it that way. Anyway - we go in that compartment so seldom that there’s not a huge convenience or time saving benefit for us. I’m also fond of leaning on that surface or putting quite a bit of body weight on it while extricating myself from the (king layout) bed. So making it readily movable will make it easy to bend those slides at least, and likely to send me crashing to the floor in the middle of the night at worst.

I don’t think I’ve seen any white plastic (PVC) pipe - only PEX. Where is there PVC?

My windows may be a bit different. Mine font really have much of a “felt” liner. They have a rigid plastic inner track that is inside of the frame channel. I tried to (gently) pry it out, but it started to crack. I do have the pick set similar to what you used. I guess I could see if I can draw the sides of the plastic track in, the whole thing may lift out of the channel. It isn’t a “U” channel - more of a squared off “C”

Hanging out at Glacial Lakes State Park (near) Starbuck Minnesota. Our second time here as the campground hosts. Been here since the first of July and leaving the 29th. I saw a camp host at another campground that put out hummingbird feeders, so I thought I’d give it a try. This isn’t “elegant” by any means. I grabbed an old fishing rod and secured the handle end under the edge of the A/C - twist-tied it to the TV antenna to keep it from coming loose. (Extreme vibration of our love-to-hate Dometic Penguin 2) Hummers showed up less than 24 hours later. I have it rigged just outside of the rear window so we can relax in bed and watch them come and go. IMG_9854.mov

I think I mentioned in a previous post that the shades staying tightly attached to the frames is dependent upon two things: The clips The channels on the back side of the shades On our problem child shade, one of the “fins” molded into the plastic frame of the shade is cracked. So there is no firm channel for the clip to snap into. I attempted to remedy this by moving the clip to a different position behind the shade. Unfortunately, once the crack on that fin is started, it creates a stress point that causes the crack to grow and extend to wherever force from the clip is applied. If the clip can be moved far enough away from the crack, you -may- solve the problem at least for a while. Though the shade doesn’t -always- fall off while towing, to make it stay up reliably, another method to hold the shade to the window frame is required.

Wow. Seems like OTT still hasn’t found a decent window.

That’s kinda my next thought. With the inner/plastic “track” in place, you really can’t get too the hole where the screw holding the stopper is. Unless you’re an endodontist and used to working down inside small, wet areas. 😂 I figured I could cut off that end of the track as the stopper & screw fit down inside of it. That would give me a better look at the hole in the frame and the option of either replacing the stopper & screw and having better access to seal it and having the screw length be able to get a better grip. Or - just doing as you suggest with some waterproof sealant. And a pain? By all means. These windows are a disaster from design to operation. WHY in heaven’s name would someone design a window that is so fussy that a little dirt or some bits of tree cause it to leak? Even worse - making holes in the wet part of the frame to install things that are GOING to get bumped and dislodged. (Slide the window a bit too far open? You just compromised that weak seal. It really makes me wonder about Oliver’s selection of these windows - and some other accessories as well. The fiberglass hull is great - but not many of the things bolted onto it are equal to the hull.

The ones I got don’t have that. They’re just a simple on or off.

We all have our priorities. There is a definite advantage to not adopting the latest and greatest technology. If I tore the P2 out when the -first- “so much better” Air Conditioner (which I think was the Truma) - I’d be kicking myself now wishing I’d waited fir the Houghton. Oh wait, the flavor of the month is now “Chill Cube”. Who knows, maybe by the time I get around to replacing our original A/C - the ChillCube with be a couplea hundred bucks cheaper. More likely - something even better will be on the market by 1Q27 - which is the first opportunity I’ll have to rework anything. Same with my “obsolete” flooded cell lead acid batteries. Lithium is cheaper NOW that it was when we first purchased our trailer - and there’s more options. My original batteries still have some life left in them. But - WHEN it’s time to retire them, I’ll consider the options and likely have a bigger selection and the lower prices that come with not buying when everybody’s rabid about the latest and greatest. We did replace the OEM television - but only with another same size television that’s a bit less flaky. But come to think of it, we didn’t buy a travel Trailer to sit inside and watch television. Word is - that people go to different places to go outside and look around. We’ve even “hiked”! (Can you believe it?!) OMG! I never realized you were so addicted! Don't people go “camping” to disconnect? Maybe even commune with nature?! Put aside the “devices”? (BTW - the folks who accused us of “glamping” consider “camping” to be that thing that people do with tents and sleeping on the ground in “sleeping bags”. Camping apparently isn’t a black or white proposition.)

I thought it was “all boots” but - I’m not a native Texan. 😂

Not sure if this is the same one we bought. Also from Amazon (where all good things come from) and has a physical pushbutton as well. As @Boilermaker Chemist notes - a real ‘switch’ means that when the power is off - it’s off. With the touch light, they’re always “on” and waiting to sense your finger. We had some weird ‘on’ conditions on the same (over the sink) light that preceded full failure: flickering, inconsistent operating, half-brightness. That kind of behavior always worries me. Maybe it’s obvious, but the most frequently used fixtures are the ones failing. I wouldn’t expect that with a “switch” that shouldn’t “wear out”. Of course, the second most commonly-used light - over the dinette - is showing signs of failure. Luckily, the package from Amazon had two lamps. Replacement as @Boilermaker Chemist describes are similar to my experience - except I did soldered splices with heat shrink tubing to insulate.

We’ve been accused of “glamping” because we have a nice trailer. I’ve heard of ‘glamping’ obviously, but didn’t think we qualified. Now, if you’re cruising around in one of those 4mpg 40 foot coaches with a laundry room, hot tub, 4 slides and a 50” TV - THAT’s “glamping”.

Our old/original lock has an obnoxiously loud lock/unlock sound. The new one is much more subtle. It even had voice guidance. Just putting batteries in gives you a “Welcome to RVLock!” Anyway, it’s the only part of the “Electronics Package” I’d buy again. I actually just disconnected the power from the cell booster. We keep spare bedding in that compartment - and having anything remotely flammable pressed against something that looks like a heatsink is obviously worrisome.

So long as your keys for your manual lock are always in you’re pocket, you’re golden. I never have to carry a key. Even when the lock “failed” it didn’t fail in a catastrophic way. We got the keyless lock as part of the electronics package. Honestly, the lock is the only thing in that package I’d buy again. We never use the backup camera, the cell booster is a joke, and the “auto-vent” isn’t really “auto”. I guess if someone wanted to be truly “manual”, they’d still have a knob on the dash for the choke, you could makes the same argument for that. Automatic chokes would frequently fail open or closed - causing a no start/hard start - or flooding. Maybe even a lever on the steering column for spark advance. (Let’s see how many know that reference!) Like I said - I’d gladly deal with the RVLock failing every six months than to have to put up with windows that can’t be opened - even a crack - when it rains - and leak even when they’re closed. It’s all a matter of scale. I can deal with RVLock via email and they do the right thing. Of the things that vex me about the Oliver - the RVLock barely merits a mention. I only bring it up because we’ve all agreed the windows inhale deeply and with great force, and the Dometic A/C is like putting a class D fluorescent ballast in a library.

Just been daydreaming about the subject and wondering about alternatives. I’m definitely with @jd1923 as far as 7’ v 8’ width. Extra room comes with a price and I don’t want anything wider. I don’t find the 7’ width confining or anything. I’m feeling like the Oliver “bones” is really about all it has going for it. If I were modification happy, I could see myself changing a LOT of things. (Like everything we all ***** about here - and a few more of my own.) I guess when we park in one place for four months this winter (Texas) I’ll see how I feel about reworking some things. Not sure I want to spend the $$$ it will take to remedy the Window and A/C woes - much less rework the heating and hot water systems to make sense.