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ouR escaPOD mods

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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: ouR escaPOD mods
    Posted: 24 May 2018 at 12:46am
My confusion. It was late. If your batwing breaks, definitely consider this one as a replacement. I am very happy with it if for nothing else than it does not have the wings. The fact that it does seem to pick up better also is a plus. However, it is not enough of an improvement to replace a functional batwing. If you are in an area with strong signals, you will be happy. If, however, you are in an area with weak or no signals, you will find as I did that it still won't pull in signals.  We are content to not watch a lot of TV. A tablet loaded with movies or DVDs for the Jensen unit or alternate player suffice in such a case.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
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jimandclare View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote jimandclare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2018 at 4:00pm
No I'm sorry, maybe not clear. I have the standard omnidirectional batwing style you had to replace. I was hoping your new antenna was a step up in performance because I dont really want to cut another hole in the roof just for a directional antenna. Like i said its a "maybe" project for the future. Thanks
Jim & Clare
2016 R-pod 178
2014 Ford Edge
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2018 at 1:23pm
If you already have a directional antenna, then don't mount this one. I had to have an omnidirectional antenna. Your directional is definitely better as it can be aimed to pull in signals better. My comparison is between two omnidirectional antennas since I don't have and can't easily install a directional one.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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jimandclare View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote jimandclare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2018 at 1:18pm
Thanks Steven. We're not big on watching television either except in the evenings when we travel with the grandkids. Was hoping for more positive review since we have the same problem installing a directional antenna on our 178. Don't relish the thought of adding an additiinal hole in the roof if I don't absolutely have to. Guess I'll put this on the "maybe to-do" list instead.
Jim & Clare
2016 R-pod 178
2014 Ford Edge
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2018 at 12:42pm
We don't watch much television. However, my impressions are that this antenna is an improvement over the batwing design. We got to our daughter's house in Tempe, AZ and I did a scan for channels. I got  a lot of them, so I was able to pull up a weather channel. I am very happy with it. At home, my first impressions were positive. I did try scanning when we were in Tucumcari, New Mexico, far from any city and as expected, got no channels. The new antenna is an improvement. However, if the batwing is working, I don't know if it is enough of an improvement to switch. I changed because mine broke. If something like that happens, then definitely go for this one unless your antenna base is accessible enough to be able to install one that can be aimed. In our case, the base was such that there was no easy access without modifying the area behind the Jensen stereo unit. I did not want to do that, so this was the best solution.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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Post Options Post Options   Quote jimandclare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2018 at 11:31am
Stephen, I'm really curious.  How has the new television antenna been working for you on your trip?  Is there any change in the quality of the signal reception that would make this a worthwhile upgrade?
Jim & Clare
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2018 at 10:11pm
Hensley Cub and towing day 2 of long trip.
I should have gotten this hitch when I bought our RP179. Towing is a dream! It isn't that I don't feel trucks passing or the effects of a strong cross-wind. It is just that it is much more predictable and there is not that little wiggle as they pass. Some trucks have come up alongside without me knowing. Others, like RVs with the flat front or busses do give the trailer and truck a little push, but there is no wiggle to it. It is more of a straight-line push, easily dealt with with very minor steering adjustments.

I'm still working on getting the WD dialed in, but even so, towing is good and more relaxing than with the Equal-i-zer which, in turn, was more relaxing than no sway control. So far on this trip, we are averaging a little better than 12 mpg. That includes the Appalachians, the Ozarks, and a strong head/cross wind today ahead of a front that was coming through. We are in Alabama tonight and expect to be in Oklahoma tomorrow. It should take another couple of days to get to our younger daughter's house in Arizona where we will spend several days and likely make a camping trip with her to Sedona if she can get reservations.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2018 at 10:32am
This one is a small one with some creative recycling. The Hensley hitch specifies greasing the WD bars every 500 miles. The problem is that of how one carries a grease gun without having a big, greasy mess from leakage and without getting grease all over things where it does not belong. Since I had done a previous modification to make a larger sewage holder carrier, I realized I had a suitable candidate for making something to hold the grease gun already--the original sewage hose carrier.

The original carrier was 26" long, which was too long for the grease gun. While extra space would not have been a problem, it would not have worked where I wanted to mount it which was under the Stromberg-Carlsen Trailer Tray and allow room for the door to open without blocking the ability to remove the propane tank cover. When I knocked it off one time and broke the mounts, I had ordered replacements. However, one time previously, I had also gotten a replacement door that broke and that came with a mount also.

Since the mounts were glued on to the tube with ABS cement, it would not have been possible to remove the mount without breaking it. Since I had a spare mounting bracket, I decided to cut the tube to the length I wanted (21") which was enough room for the grease gun to fit with a little room to spare. I taped a piece of paper around the tube so that I could get a straight line for the cut and then used a hacksaw to cut it to length. Using ABS cement, I glued the new mounting bracket on and VoilĂ ! a grease-gun tube.





It is long enough to hold the grease gun, wide enough to carry a spare tube of grease, and short enough so that I can open the one door to get to the grease gun when needed.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2018 at 11:26pm
Addendum to the Hensley Hitch mod above: I really did not like the factory cover. To me, it just did not fit correctly. $85 is a lot to spend for something with which I was not satisfied, so after an exchange that verified that it was not just one that was cut wrong, it went back for refund. I decided to make my own. It is not as heavy a fabric as the Hensley factory cover, but it uses material I already had on hand from my previous awning and slide-out cover projects It isn't a simple box since there is a taper. However, it is very box-like. I used grommets so I could use bungee cords to hold it in place. This was a quick fix. I may like it enough to keep using it or I may decide to make a 2.0 version sometime down the road.



StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Joined: 15 May 2017
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Post Options Post Options   Quote GlueGuy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 May 2018 at 4:06pm
Originally posted by geewizard

I just finished my install just as Fred did above but used this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VAXQF8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Otherwise, I followed StephanH's method.  Works great.
GeeWizard. Where did you mount the spark generator. I got the very same one, and the generator is kind of "chunky". I'm guessing there might be enough room on the face of the cabinet, but I'm considering mounting it on the stove top near the front.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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