De-winterizing checklist

I was thinking on something that would not gouge into mattress. Do my best inventing when just about to go to sleep. As you said, something that can be blown up , like a big beach ball! Just use 2 times a year, so would not be a bother.

 

All I have to say is are you all stark raving mad?  David -- buddy -- what in the world are you smoking?  And Tech, I live on a farm so there are plenty of tractor tires -- but I just can't picture 6 of them stacked under the bed in the RPod (and oh, Lordy, what WOULD my husband say! -- just a rhetorical question mind you).  What's REALLY got me worried is that I think you both are perfectly serious.  Well, that's the resourcefulness of pur Podder inventors for you!  And by the way Mountain Mist, I don't have a basketball -- sorry.

 

I have a much simpler idea.  The bed in my 5th wheel had storage underneath.  All I had to do what lift the foot of the bed (and yes, the mattress was on it), and it stayed up by itself.  So just tell me -- what kind of hinge do you think was used to do that?  Wouldn't somthing like that be MUCH simpler? 

 

 

Sadly or happily (depending on one's point of view) I don't have to smoke or drink anything to be a little wacky.  The drug lords of the world make nothing from me. 

 

With that said, if I understand Mountain's problem correctly, she needs a solution that does not require any tools, special knowledge/skills or help from anyone else (and preferrably low cost).  A solution within these parameters is not easy.  The easy, most straightforward solutions (such as yours) all seem to require some amount the above.  Something like you mention could be accomplished by adding a piece of plywood or OSB with common hinges and the pneumatic lift struts; such was on the rear lift gate/door of my old 2005 Dodge Caravan.  One would only have to work out the correct mounting points for the struts.  Do do this, I believe one would need to remove the matress first - in order to have room to work.  My old fifth wheel had an arrangement similar to yours.

 

If I were faced with is situation, I would just re-plumb the water heater bypass valves to the pass thru storage compartment.  But, I have the tools and ability to do it and am confident it could be done for $25 or so, in parts.  Or, just do as Outbound.

 

Even easier still, just resign one's self to buying an extra 6 gallons of RV antifreeze and skip messing with the bypass entirely.  This is still way cheaper than paying someone else to winterize the unit.  However, one would need to go to extra measures to flush the system completely, in the Spring.

 

Even easier, easier still, just pay someone to winterize and de-winterize the unit. (Or, become friends with someone who is in good physical condition - able to manhandle the matress for you). 

 

In much the same spirit that you have tackled some of the storage issues in your Pod, with creativity and thinking outside of the box, many of us enjoy exercising creativity to try to come up with solutions to other issues that we or others may have.  What interests me in the situation is that there may be a few "challenged" individuals (due to handicaps/health/age, etc.) that may have similar problem(s) - and wouldn't it be great if a simple solution could be found?

 

Personally, I don't have problems with matresses because I look like this guy:

 

Though I do wear my hair a little differently.  I just pick my camper up and shake it until the matress falls out the door!

Here you go Hodge-PODge... a simple and fairly easy way to get to the plumbing center in a 171 or 177, altho it would work for other units as well. 

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a pair of 1x4 boards, 6 feet long, quality is not a question - #2 is fine.  Tape a piece of cloth over one end (or use duct tape) of the boards -you want a smooth end so you don't tear up the mattress cover.  Slide one board under the mattress next to the shower stall and the other next to the frig in the 171 or 177.   Lift up one of the boards and rest the free end on the wall of the shower and the end of the other on the wall of the refrig area of the 171. On the 177 you will need to support the board on another piece of wood or a mop or similar support.  You now have raised the mattress to a level that you can work under it.  My pod -used one trip - already had the screw removed from the plumbing section cover, so it wasn't necessary to remove them or it - I only saw one screw hole in mine. 

You can now work in the plumbing area easily.  Don't worry, the plywood on the rest of the bed area will support you. 

I actually removed the mattress in our pod to the outside to sit it in the sun to freshen up.  It folds in half like a slice of white bread and is very light weight and although awkward because of its size, two people can handle it easily.

I have removed all the screws in the plywood supports for the bed.  They are fit together such that they don't move around and having them loose isn't a problem.  I don't know if I would do that if we were boondocking, but we plan to do mostly road work and developed campsites.

I hope this works for you.  I am always willing to discuss and change approaches.

-Walt