My BC16FK improvents/mods beginning

[swbc150]

[p]Nothing real special but I installed the Camco Smoked Vent Covers (3) Today. Now I can leave the roof vents open during any weather or even direct sunlight. While traveling I now have better ventilation for the gasoline fumes to escape.[/p][p]
[/p][p]While up on the Roof of my BC16 I noticed the roof is not painted, it is just the shinny Aluminum, that may be ok for Winter use but not the Summer heat.  I have used a product called "Kool Seal" on RV roofs, works great. It is like a Layer of protection that you paint on and really keeps the Roof cooler.[/p][p]
[/p][p]My Tech-Edge iSeries Tanks Monitor (326 level alert) $202 came in Today, that project is schedule for next week.[/p]

[thudd3r]

good choice on the iseries monitor...i really like mine.  i found that on the black tank i had to double up on the width of the tape strips since the side was so short.  the instructions go over it well.  oh, get some of the wire loom to protect the wires that you will have to run all the way back to the fresh tank.  on my vrv there was already a run of wires that went most of the way and i was able to just add the sensor wires to the current bundle.

i ended up drilling a pass through hole with a grommet in the floor of the storage compartment to get the wiring from the back of the panel out to the sensors and the power

[swbc150]

Thanks for the tips on the iseries monitor install/already have the wire loom.
After looking over what was available I decided the Tech-Edge iseries I liked the best.

[swbc150]

Been a bit busy and finding no spare time to get to my Bearcat.
Today I was able to get the Roof painted with the Kool-Seal, Looks like it will take 3 coats to give the coverage I want, presently there is 2 coats on. This stuff goes on thin and you are suppose to do 2 coats anyway.
One 1-gallon can of the Kool-Seal looks to be all that will be needed for my Roof, even with applying 3 Coats as long as your Roof is the Size of Mine.

I did get up on the Roof to apply the Kool-Seal with Brush and a Roller.

[swbc150]

[p]Before every trip even a short one I always check over the Trailer. Shorty after I bought the Bearcat I replace the cheap stock rv battery with a better battery, still not what I really need but this one is way better for reserve power. The Battery mount was fine back then (2 months ago) but just yesterday I noticed the battery mount was unstable. After taking the battery out of the battery box(Mount)I could see the problem. LL  had 4 screws through the plastic battery box bolted to the metal battery box frame and directly to the center frame for the battery holder was only two bolts and one of those bolts was broken off, I have no idea how that could happen. Without noticing this I could of very easily lost my Battery on the next trip or very soon after that.[/p][p]
Fix: Angle steel (1-36" piece was enough to make 2-pieces), weather stripping, Threaded Rod 5/16" - 18 36" long(2), rubber hose.[/p][p]
I made 4 clamps 2" wide x 13" long/6.6" long on each side out of the Threaded Rod, I used a vise to bend the Rod to size, placed the weather stripping under the angle steel where it sits on top of the LL framing, cut 2" long rubber hose to fit over the Threaded Rod where it contacts under the frame, I didn't want the threaded rod 2" section to dig into the Aluminum frame when I tighten down the clamps.
Hacksaw off the sharp angles, used some black trim over the bare ends on the ends of the angle steel.[/p][p] [/p][p]The Stock Battery tray is bolted to the Angle Steel (4 corner bolts), the Plastic Battery Holder is held in place with the ratchet tie down with a bungle cord over the top of the ratchet arm.
Now I feel way better knowing no matter what Battery I have mounted will still be there when I arrive to wherever I am going.
[a href="http://s774.photobucket.com/user/SWBF750/media/2015%20Livin-Lite%20Bearcat%20BC16FK%20ToyHauler/Mod%20Battery%20Holder%20LL_zpsnx6pv2ze.jpg.html"]

[swbc150]

Having a Aluminum Trailer does have it pluses but negatives too. The floor as you know can be very cold, laying just carpets down didn't help as much as I was hoping for. I now have R3 foam insulation directly on the floor with the carpet on top of it, the results is amazing. Overall the inside temperature is always 15F degrees warmer than outside, during the night the floor is not cold to walk on if needed to get up.
The Trailer also stays warmer after the furnace cycles off and runs less.
I'll leave it in to see how it affects the inside temperature during the Summer Months. The R3 was purchased at Home Depot, I used the 3/4" thickness with the interlocking edge, the carpeting I bought at Walmart and then cut it to size.I then use duct tape to seal the carpet from the cut off sections.
I place a sheet of plywood on the floor over the carpet so when I load my atv it won't damage the R3 insulation. Being this is a Toyhauler Trailer I still need to be able to wash out the entire floor if need be, so all of this comes out easy.

[billmoore]

You mentioned above the venting of gas fumes... Not sure what toys you are hauling, but if they are carbureted, something that really helps minimize the smell is to shut off the fuel petcock and run the carburetor dry. On our bikes, it takes about 3 or 4 minutes of idling to empty the carb, so I crank the bike in the driveway, turn the petcock to off, ride it over to the trailer ramp, wait at the bottom of the ramp until I think it is getting close, then ride up the ramp until the front wheel is inside and the back wheel is almost inside (so the exhaust is still pointed outside), and wait for it to stall. Then push it the rest of the way into the trailer.

And extra gas cans go in the bed of the truck, not the trailer...

[peislander]

The foam on the floor is an interesting idea. Does it feel spongy underfoot?  

[swbc150]

The foam on the floor is an interesting idea. Does it feel spongy underfoot?  

None at all,firm but still soft feeling. The R3 insulation gives enough when you walk on it to make it comfortable with bare feet but you must have carpeting on top of it or it won't last.
The R3 comes in 4'x8'sheets and cuts easy with a sharp utility knife, very easy to work with.

The gas smell is only on really hot days, even if the gas tank was empty the gas tank vent would still vent, it is efi. No gas petcock and you should never run a EFI gas tank dry even more so with this atv as the fuel pump is inside the gas tank. Installing the Camco vent covers has helped 99% of allowing the gas smell to stay out while in transport. The spare gas containers are never stored inside the Toyhauler or any extra propane bottles.