In Part 5 of our LED Your RV series, we’re replacing our RV’s docking and patio lights with cool, bright, low-power LEDs. We’re also excited to announce our newest RVgeeks Contest! On September 15, 2014 at 8pm Pacific Time, one lucky RVgeeks viewer will win a $250 Online Shopping Certificate, which they can use to outfit their RV with brand new LEDs!
Watch the video for details, then enter for your chance to win!
By definition, “boondocking” means there’s no external source of electricity for your RV. But camping off the grid often means there’s no external source of outdoor light either. If you need light outside your RV at night, you’ll need to provide it yourself, at a time when you’re least likely to have power to spare.
We’ve been upgrading our RV’s interior lights to LEDs, but we also want plenty of exterior light available, while using as little power as possible. That means upgrading our incandescent patio and docking lights to LEDs, which are much brighter, but use only 1/4 to 1/6 the power. This video will show you how easy it is.
We don't pretend to be experts on any particular RV topic, and mostly know about maintaining our own rig. But many systems are the same on different RVs. The advice we give works well for us, but be sure to consult a professional technician if you're unsure about working on your own RV.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
How To Install an RV Window Awning
Window awnings keep your RV cooler and they're easy to install, too! We'll show you EVERY step needed to perform this simple DIY task with confidence.
Like many RVs, ours came from the factory with some awnings already in place. Of course we have a large main patio awning, one over the door, one over the bedroom window on the curb side, and a long one covering both living room windows on the driver's side.
The only large window without a dedicated awning is in the living room on the curb side. Obviously, the manufacturer assumed that the patio awning would do the job of blocking the sun from that window.
There are times when it's imprudent to have our main awning out, like on really windy days, or when we're away from the RV and don't want to risk damage in the event of a sudden weather change (considering the consequences, we'd rather not rely on our awning's wind sensor).
The worst scenario is a hot, windy day while we're dry camping, as we generally try to avoid running the generator for A/C unless it's absolutely needed. Blocking direct sun by using windshield screens and awnings makes a major difference in the comfort level inside the RV. As we always want the option of blocking the sun from the right-side living room window (especially since we often face that side of the rig to the south when we're boondocking), we need an awning specifically for that window.
Before placing our order for a matching A&E / Dometic awning, we noted the color code of the fabric and hardware from our original awnings and measured the window to determine what size we'd need. We're taking advantage of the extra space on each side to order one that's wider than usual, extending 9 inches out on each side of the window. That will keep more sun off the side of the RV and prevent it from raining in if we leave the window open on wet days.
We've had our rig for over 9 years, and we're finally installing that awning that we've always talked about. It's the perfect DIY project and we’ll show you exactly how it’s done. It's such an easy job that we're not sure what took us so long to finally get around to it!
We don't pretend to be experts on any particular RV topic, and mostly know about maintaining our own rig. But many systems are the same on different RVs. The advice we give works well for us, but be sure to consult a professional technician if you're unsure about working on your own RV.
Like many RVs, ours came from the factory with some awnings already in place. Of course we have a large main patio awning, one over the door, one over the bedroom window on the curb side, and a long one covering both living room windows on the driver's side.
The only large window without a dedicated awning is in the living room on the curb side. Obviously, the manufacturer assumed that the patio awning would do the job of blocking the sun from that window.
There are times when it's imprudent to have our main awning out, like on really windy days, or when we're away from the RV and don't want to risk damage in the event of a sudden weather change (considering the consequences, we'd rather not rely on our awning's wind sensor).
The worst scenario is a hot, windy day while we're dry camping, as we generally try to avoid running the generator for A/C unless it's absolutely needed. Blocking direct sun by using windshield screens and awnings makes a major difference in the comfort level inside the RV. As we always want the option of blocking the sun from the right-side living room window (especially since we often face that side of the rig to the south when we're boondocking), we need an awning specifically for that window.
Before placing our order for a matching A&E / Dometic awning, we noted the color code of the fabric and hardware from our original awnings and measured the window to determine what size we'd need. We're taking advantage of the extra space on each side to order one that's wider than usual, extending 9 inches out on each side of the window. That will keep more sun off the side of the RV and prevent it from raining in if we leave the window open on wet days.
We've had our rig for over 9 years, and we're finally installing that awning that we've always talked about. It's the perfect DIY project and we’ll show you exactly how it’s done. It's such an easy job that we're not sure what took us so long to finally get around to it!
We don't pretend to be experts on any particular RV topic, and mostly know about maintaining our own rig. But many systems are the same on different RVs. The advice we give works well for us, but be sure to consult a professional technician if you're unsure about working on your own RV.
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