2017 Sport 22 - Some possible changes

[SilverLife]

You are correct. I just spent 15 min with my elbows propped on the closet floor, starring down at that blasted black tank leering at me on top of the floor. I'm still thinking......[emoji53]

[SilverLife]

I'm not sure I get it either, but I've been called weird all my life, so no offence taken. [emoji58]

[Boxite]

Not certain about the factory step light on a '17 model, but the one on my '08 sucked. It was a plastic "oval" that stared straight out into space... failing to illuminate the steps but successfully blinding anyone looking downward hoping to see the steps in the dark!

This week I removed it and replaced it with a quality LED license-plate fixture which sends the light downward onto the steps instead of blinding a person approaching the AS. Available at Amazon, Walmart, O'Reilly etc.

I got mine at Tractor Supply. Very brite illumination of the steps only.

(BTW, to remove the OEM light one must pry the metal cover off by it's ends, then remove two mounting screws. Fill the holes with weatherproofing or silicone, etc before mounting the new light. They will be covered by the gasket of the new light but the new light will not exactly fit the original holes. New holes must be drilled to accept mounting screws, but the finished product looks OEM.)

[austinuebele]

Howdy guys - We are about to take ownership of our new 2017 22fb Sport! Woohoo. Problem is...I hate the lights that come in the sport. Not just the color (warm or blue), but the casing. Can someone show me what would happen if I removed the light casing and tried to replace it with something?

Also, what ideas do you have for replacing it with something better? We have a modern decor in our current AS and will continue with the new guy!


Help please!

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by austinuebele

Howdy guys - We are about to take ownership of our new 2017 22fb Sport! Woohoo. Problem is...I hate the lights that come in the sport. Not just the color (warm or blue), but the casing. Can someone show me what would happen if I removed the light casing and tried to replace it with something?

Also, what ideas do you have for replacing it with something better? We have a modern decor in our current AS and will continue with the new guy!


Help please!

I have not replaced ours.

For sources consider marine products, and Ikea if you want to keep with the LED. I have an older model without the LED, but I understand that the LED uses less power and throw less heat, making them more suitable for boon docking use.

You might also consider adding in some battery lanterns or a plug-in table lamp.

[Boxite]

I have an idea.... Why don't you pop off the clear lens covers.... then unscrew the four screws to let the fixture drop... then look at that hole the fixture is hiding so you can decide what fixtures you might find on the marketplace which will hide that ugly hole.

(The reason for the well-intentioned sarcasm is.... it all depends on how careful the Airstream worker was when he cut the holes for YOUR airstream. If he and his girlfriend had a really bad argument that morning you might find a huge hacked-out ragged hole there. If he had a good morning, maybe he only made a small hole with a hole-saw and you can have much better chances of finding something that will fit. If she kissed him goodbye that morning he may have even installed a rubber grommet to protect the wiring.)

My 22' Sport assembler got pizzed-off during the work-period... The foremost ovhd lamp has a 1/2" hole with a grommet. The others have approximately 3" x 4" irregular, ragged, hacked-out holes. I've learned to ignore the OEM lighting fixtures. (The Sport is a great little trailer but is aimed at the "economy minded" Air-sDreamers. We've customized things to our liking but left the ovhd lights alone other than to replace the LED lamps within them to some more to our liking.)

[SilverLife]

Originally Posted by austinuebele

Howdy guys - We are about to take ownership of our new 2017 22fb Sport! Woohoo. Problem is...I hate the lights that come in the sport. Not just the color (warm or blue), but the casing. Can someone show me what would happen if I removed the light casing and tried to replace it with something?

Also, what ideas do you have for replacing it with something better? We have a modern decor in our current AS and will continue with the new guy!


Help please!

I am going to make custom LED overhead as well as wall sconce lights for our Sport, but they're not at the top of the list presently. I have sourced some cool square ss bezel LEDs that I'll set in walnut frames. Our custom made mattress "California Queen" arrived this morning so the new bed platform is foremost. This weekend I'll be adding the Dexter 3" frame riser kit. First camping trip is on the calendar and the clock is ticking...[emoji12]

[kelsieps]

Ohhman,
May I ask how you ended up attaching the extension to the dinette? Was it sturdy enough with the dowels and the corner cushions?

Before I go on our next trip, our son & daughter share this bed and they have gotten a little larger...and where we camp most of the time, they don't allow tents.

TIA
Kelsie

Originally Posted by ohmman

In process...
Attachment 280045

[ohmman]

Originally Posted by kelsieps

Ohhman,
May I ask how you ended up attaching the extension to the dinette? Was it sturdy enough with the dowels and the corner cushions?

Hi Kelsie.

It is surprisingly sturdy with the dowels and the corner cushions. I'm about 160 lbs and it is sturdy for me. However, while the dowel solution was fine, it's a bit of a rigged setup. I may replace with folding locking legs. Something like this, meant for shelving but could be rigged up to hold legs that fold flat. The downside is that it won't be storable against the window wall with those in place.

Either way, it's a good enough solution for now that we're sticking with it on our month-long trip up to Glacier, Banff, and beyond.

Good luck!

[SilverLife]

Ohmman- consider a couple of screw on leg plates (LV item # 00H33.75) to add to the bottom corners of your dinette bed extension, which I think looks very functional BTW. You could use wooden closet rod for legs with a hanger bolt screwed into the end of the dowel (LV item # 00N44.15). You may have to cut the end of the machine thread off a bit to fit flush into the leg plate, but quickly removable, sturdy and easy to make.



Link to the screw on leg plates:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/Pag...98,41306,41309

[ohmman]

Originally Posted by SilverLife

Ohmman- consider a couple of screw on leg plates (LV item # 00H33.75) to add to the bottom corners of your dinette bed extension, which I think looks very functional BTW. You could use wooden closet rod for legs with a hanger bolt screwed into the end of the dowel (LV item # 00N44.15).

Great idea; thanks.

Today I'm working on extending my car's HD backup camera to the back of the Airstream. I've taken off the panel next to the toilet, which reveals lots of wasted space (per my original post here and also SilverLife's work in his thread). I have been able to route the cable under the toilet into the closet access but am currently at a crossroads on what to do. The cleanest installation would be to somehow fish it through the entire shell to the front of the camper. That also seems terribly time consuming. I am going to look into fishing it under the kitchenette cabinets and coming out in the kick near the bed. Then I can go under the bed and come out at the front of the camper somewhere to tie into my vehicle. Photos later if I'm successful.

[SilverLife]

Originally Posted by ohmman

Great idea; thanks.

Today I'm working on extending my car's HD backup camera to the back of the Airstream. I've taken off the panel next to the toilet, which reveals lots of wasted space (per my original post here and also SilverLife's work in his thread). I have been able to route the cable under the toilet into the closet access but am currently at a crossroads on what to do. The cleanest installation would be to somehow fish it through the entire shell to the front of the camper. That also seems terribly time consuming. I am going to look into fishing it under the kitchenette cabinets and coming out in the kick near the bed. Then I can go under the bed and come out at the front of the camper somewhere to tie into my vehicle. Photos later if I'm successful.

With a flexible fish tape, ( I prefer fiberglass over the metal ones) it's really not that bad. Pull up the closet floor, pull the microwave (only 6 screws), pull the sink doors and kick panel below them, pull up the aluminum cover plate on the floor between the bed and​ sink cab, pull up the platform over the water heater and bingo! You now have a clear run from the toilet to the wiring harness to the seven pin connector. Honestly, not that bad.

[ohmman]

I did as SilerLife suggested above and agree that it's quite straightforward. However, digging into the bones of the Airstream always tends to reveal disappointments. In this case, check out the holes behind the aluminum cover plate next to the bed. Clearly they removed it a few times and instead of lining things back up, just self-tapped new holes. Sigh.

[SilverLife]

Originally Posted by ohmman

I did as SilerLife suggested above and agree that it's quite straightforward. However, digging into the bones of the Airstream always tends to reveal disappointments. In this case, check out the holes behind the aluminum cover plate next to the bed. Clearly they removed it a few times and instead of lining things back up, just self-tapped new holes. Sigh.

Attachment 286182

How did the back up camera install work out?

[ohmman]

Originally Posted by SilverLife

How did the back up camera install work out?

I've done nothing more than run the cable at this point. Part of it was a sourcing issue; I needed to source more cables from Tesla. Part of it is that our Model X is at the body shop after a little bumper crunch. I don't want to permanently mount the camera until I'm sure that it works at the length of cabling I'll have connected. Once I've verified that I can plug and play, I'll permanently mount it. My plan is to drill a sizable hole in the shell and mount the lens straight through the shell, with weatherproofing around it. My other idea was to 3D print a plastic housing for it, but I think it's easiest and most protective to just point the lens out of the shell of the AS.

X is back on Tuesday and I hope to start making strides at that point. We leave in less than 2 weeks on a 4-week trip to Glacier/Banff and beyond. I really want this in place before we leave.

[ohmman]

I'm in the middle of my long trip right now but a couple of things. First, the camera setup is great, if still unfinished (I don't have a proper mount at the back of the Airstream for my Tesla camera). Attached is how it looks from the 17" center screen on the car. Very useful.

The second thing is the shower accordion door. I'm not a fan. Has anyone else considered a replacement for this? I searched but didn't find anything. My door leaked quite badly initially but a careful application of caulk mostly solved that problem. I'd be interested in aftermarket solutions to replacing the door.

[Boxite]

The shower door lower-channel is notorious for being improperly-sealed by Airstream and will leak water down/between the cabinetry and the floor. It will appear that a drain-leak exists beneath the shower and will frighten someone who does not know that the problem is actually that the ends of that channel is not sealed.

After carefully drying and sealing with tub-n-tile silicone the ends of the channel...and being certain the drain-slots toward the shower-pan are clear...everything is just fine. (Airstream is obviously ignorant of and not listening to this common complaint.)

"(True) Listening requires a willingness to change." -Alan Alda

[jsfranchek]

Originally Posted by ohmman

Today I spent a little time vetting out a plan for extending the dinette bed on our 22' Sport (more on that in a future post). While I was in the AS, I started looking at the generous "variances" that were given to mechanical and electrical runs. I realize GVWR is a limitation, but in some cases, more storage would be welcome. One of the areas that I found to be very poorly utilized was the space where the "magazine rack" in the bathroom sits. This is a cutout in a piece of MDF with a plastic backer. The backer is, at most, 4" deep. Looking through from under the sink, I see the following space behind that backer:



That's 3-4x the space that we're given. One could relatively easily design and 3D print a new backer that would allow the toilet paper roll to be mounted in this space, and still allow space for toiletries. We're very fortunate in the 22' Sport to have such a great bathroom, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be better. I plan to look into expanding this space. Has anyone else taken a look or done anything here?

Hi. We are trying to buy a teak floor for our 2016 Sport 22 from Teakworks4you. I see that you have made an inventory of some possible changes to your 2017. Do you have a template for the bathroom floor by any chance? I bought what they said was a floor matt but it was incorrectly laid out. I can make one but that looks daunting and I am fearful of the curve around the sink cabinet. Can anyone help?

[ohmman]

Checking back in.

We have continued to use our dinette extension with good results. That said, I continue to hate this dinette. I'm a slim guy, so it's not the size issue; it's just uncomfortable for me. The seats are too shallow and the foam in the cushions compresses under my 155 pound self to the point that my back hurts after 10 minutes of eating.

We typically eat outdoors for lunch and dinner, but breakfast or on-the-road meals are indoors. I am considering a complete removal and redesign of the dinette with the following thoughts/priorities:

* Completely removable table, preferably with pop out legs so it can be used outdoors if needed, and a fixed mount to keep it secure in the camper and in bed mode.
* A deep bench across the back window wall that is comfortable to sit on and lounge/read.
* Built in extensions for a full sized bed, so that we can eliminate my full size mod.

I think I'm fine if the bench across the back seats 2-3 at the table and nobody fits at the sides. I can have a small folding chair and someone can sit in the aisle of the galley. I already do this with a camp chair when we play games indoors, because I cannot stand to sit on the existing dinette seating. A camp chair is tight, but it fits. I'd probably pick something more appropriate for the space.

I've done searches here to see if anyone has done anything similar but I haven't found it. There used to be a gaucho in some of these, right? A futon-like sofa that folds out to make a full-sized bed would be preferable to having to use the table as a base for the bed. If the table is removable, I could just move it outside or against the door when we made the bed.

Any ideas/photos/links are appreciated!

[waninae39]

i added a 3rd power cutoff switch for the jack

here is my post and schematic
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f37/...ch-195332.html