March ‘RV Enthusiast’ Issue Looks at Upgrades for Spring

The March issue of RV Enthusiast magazine is now available. The highlight of the issue is a rundown of several upgrades RV owners can do to their rig for this camping season. Also in this issue: 

Sine Language – Boondocking is easily the hottest trend in RVing today — but owners must ensure that their rigs are equipped to provide enough power for going off-grid. Power-hungry appliances and accessories don’t run on 12 volts, so a reliable DC-to-AC inverter is a “must-have.” Here’s what you need to know about inverters — and a look at the top inverters available.

Cooking With Gas – There’s a lot to be said for retaining ownership of an older RV, but aesthetics generally isn’t their strong suit. Interiors, in particular, tend to age badly — and appliances of yesteryear were also a lot less efficient. When the owner of this 2008 Monaco Diplomat began experiencing problems with its cooktop, the crew at Carriers RV Service swapped it out in about an hour’s time.

No Strings Attached – Actually, “no strings attached” is how you definitely don’t want to be, especially when they control your window shades. As RVE Technical Director Bill Gehr illustrates, however, when the cords controlling day/night shades give up the ghost, you can easily replace them — even while on the road. It’s a DIY-friendly fix that just requires some time and attention to details.

Down the Drain – Dumping holding tanks is one of those necessary evils that all RV owners deal with on an all-too-frequent basis. It’s tough enough when the valves are readily accessible. Cable-actuated dump valves used for more remotely located tanks get a bad rap for operational difficulties. These complaints, though, can be mitigated with the right products and proper installation.

Don’t Get Unhinged – Screen doors on an RV take a lot of abuse — and not surprisingly, the hinges may eventually give out. One solution — albeit a relatively expensive one — is to simply replace the door assembly. Here’s another option: craft new brackets out of angle aluminum acquired at a local hardware store. This will restore full use of the screen door for a fraction of the cost of Option No. 1.

The Gate Keeper – A pickup truck’s tailgate is not a lightweight component — and when it freefalls when being opened, it takes a toll on the hinges and can damage the gate. Knowing that a “tailgate-opening assist” is one of the coolest features of new trucks, we set about creating a similar system on an older 2017 Ram 3500 dually — aided by an easily installed kit.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/march-rv-enthusiast-issue-looks-at-upgrades-for-spring/