Electrifying events

Finding a location for the WFCO power converter in a 10ft camper is not an easy task. There are certain requirements: A flat vertical space at least 7" tall by 11" wide,with a depth of at least 8". It must be easily accessible in case of a tripped breaker or a blown fuse. It must be near the majority of existing electrical wiring. That left me with really only one choice. the left side of the sink cabinet. Not optimal, but it'll have to do. The converter has a flip open cover that in this case butts up against the dinette's seat cushion ( and thus the bed).
Initial installation required cutting the hole into the fiberglass cabinet. Not something I really cared to do since the cabinet in the Scamp is a structural component. Much like a fiberglass boat, the interior fittings on the scamp help provide structural integrity. The two black straps you see in the photos are metal rods that are attached to the upper cabinet which itself is attached to the roof. The rods prevent the weight of the upper cabinet from stressing the roof and causing it to sag. I'm hoping that once the converter is installed, and reinforced with wood and epoxy backing, the integrity will be as before.
Note the duplex 110 outlet to the left...I replaced the existing one with a GFCI version. It ain't the way I wanted it, [but] I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!
God I love a good Godfather II reference. RIP Fredo.

Instant Expert

Batteries have become a passion of late. I have become an instant expert on battery types, relative costs, pros and cons, and the problems that arise when you have no clue how big a battery really is. After months of research and advice from fellow RV owners I decided to go on a gut hunch and ordered the Exide Orbital 34XCD Sealed Maintenance-Free (AGM) Deep-Cycle Automotive Battery. Available from Amazon for $142.00. It seemed to me to be a good compromise between a $85.00 Wal-Mart battery and a seemingly overpriced $190.00 Optima battery. Contrary to reviews on Amazon this battery came with both top and side connectors. This comes into play as the story continues.

I wanted to mount the battery on the inside driver's side compartment of my 13 ft Scamp for a number of reasons. Theft, Weight distribution, easy access to the battery, and access to storage. Try as I may I could not find a locking battery box to mount on the tongue of the camper.  I have heard tales of campers returning to their site only to discover that someone has liberated their battery...Keeping batteries outside used to be the norm, but since AGM batteries are sealed there is little possibility of it venting hydrogen gas, so I decided to mount it inside under the front bench. Initially I wanted to put it on the driver's side in order to balance the weight of the water tank, but for some reason the battery was about 1/2" too tall to fit there. It did fit on the passenger side though.
My idea was to use top mounted cables with wing nut connections to enable me to easily remove the battery for in-between use charging. However the wing thing wasn't working. The battery case wouldn't allow them, so I thought about it...I really only need to remove the battery during the winter. The converter will charge it between uses. Realizing that, I went with side mounted cables and covered the top lugs. This gave me the extra 1/8" clearance I needed. Otherwise I would have had to rout out some space on the storage area cover.

Next I wanted to mount the DC to AC converter as close as possible to the battery. They seem to work better with a shorter cable length. The converter is mounted on its side, and I made a cut in the fiberglass seat to access the receptacles. Not the most convenient spot, and had the battery fit on the driver's side as intended the outlets would have been tucked in the corner. However since these will rarely be used it seemed an acceptable compromise. Now I am looking for something to dress up the hole I cut. initially I thought I could use one of those outlet covers that people use in the garden or garage, but the converter's front plate is too large. maybe just a bead of caulk, unless you can think of a different type of outlet cover.

Three Fails in a row.

Yesterday it hit 65 F. so I went to uncover the Scamp and start work on some of the electrical and other minor things. This led to a series of failures and facepalms.

My first discovery: Blue tarps are not waterproof. I had all good intentions last Fall and purchased a canvas drop cloth and blue tarp to cover the Scamp. The idea was that the canvas would prevent any scuffing of the fiberglass while the blue tarp would keep things dry. Things did not go as planned, as when I removed the blue tarp the canvas was soaked, and some green slime had taken over parts of the top of the Scamp.


My 2nd discovery: The replacement handle I purchased for the tongue jack isn't a 100% replacement. It fits, it cranks, but it doesn't fold properly. The built in stops prevent it from folding more than about 60degrees.  It'll be fine, and certainly makes it easier to adjust the jack.

Also I made a feeble attempt to add some storage for hoses and drains. I built a 4 ft long by 4 in PVC pipe with screw caps on either end and attempted to mount it to the underside of the tongue. In concept this is a good idea. However the failure of it all is that I spent $18.00 on a 10 foot section of PVC pipe, and another 25.00 on fittings and brackets only to discover that A. I had 6 ft of PVC pipe already in my basement that has been sitting there for 25 years. (this discovered immediately after cutting the newly purchased 10ft pipe as I went to store the unused section -right next to where I stored the previously unused section 25 years ago.), and B. The brackets aren't quite right, and the pipe is not a snug fit against the frame. I think I'll have to fashion some U shaped brackets out of threaded rod. I've seen that done on the FiberglassRV forum.