Archive for the 'Upgrades' Category

Gutted Apple PowerMac G5 becomes great hitch storage locker

Published on June 1, 2010 in Airstream, Tips and Upgrades. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

A month ago I decided to gut an Apple PowerMac G5 that was long broken. Since my profession is being an Apple Macintosh Computer Consultant, I often have dead or old Macs hanging around. Any of the Macintosh towers post 2004 will look like this so even a MacPro will work. They are all aluminum so they won’t rust.

The PowerMac tower enclosure is simply beautiful and matches the Airstream very well. I didn’t know what to do with it at first but then after I went through the effort I suddenly realized that it could make a great storage locker for all those dirty parts like the greasy hitch, the wheel chucks, the hitch lock, the hitch stand and the hitch stand blocks. All this stuff is dirty, greasy, full of spiders and ants and I no longer wanted them in the car.

So here it is: Looks great, holds all I need and acts as a primary tier for holding your drinks. The secondary tier (the propane enclosure) is for empty bottles.

Apple PowerMac G5 enclosure - hitch locker - closed
Apple PowerMac G5 enclosure - hitch locker - open

Upgrading the Stereo Head Unit on the DWR Airstream

Published on April 13, 2009 in Airstream, Tips and Upgrades. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .
DWR Airstream with Sony CDXGT930UI head unit replacement

DWR Airstream with Sony CDXGT930UI head unit replacement

So, after I upgraded the TV with a built-in DVD player, I no longer needed a stereo head unit that had DVD playback and a video out.  What I did want was a head unit with iPod integration, so I went on a quest and after much research found the Sony CDXGT930UI car receiver.  It was quite easy to connect since the previous model was also a SONY (MEX-R1) and the connectors were the same.  It took me about 30 minutes to swap them out.  The sound difference was substantial and is so much better than before.  I tested many of the EQ settings and can now make “the Daemon” rock without having all the Airstream panels rattle.

Sony CDXGT930UI head unit with green lights and iPod integration

Sony CDXGT930UI head unit with green lights and iPod integration

The new unit also looks quite nice and has green lights that fit the DWR’s lime green interior design motif. The interiors of the overhead storage units of the DWR Airstream are painted lime green; and when the lights are turned on, there is a nice lime glow from behind the sliding metal doors. iPod integration is quite good although more cumbersome than actually selecting music on the iPod itself, but it certainly is nice to to have a digital audio connection via USB to the head unit (that also charges the iPod) and to be able to see what is playing from a distance without having to have the iPod visible.  Also, I can now control the iPod via  Sony CDXGT930UI’s remote control and turn them both off with one press of a button on the remote. I used to have the iPod in the Apple Universal Dock but the connection to the Sony CDXGT930UI head unit only succeeded intermittently, so I have to connect the iPod USB cable directly to the iPod.  Now I will create a pocket in which the iPod can rest and be out of the way in the overhead storage compartment.

DWR Airstream over head compartments

DWR Airstream over head compartments

A Howling Beast: Replacing the Loud Refrigerator Fan on our DWR Airstream Trailer

Published on March 31, 2009 in Airstream, Tips, Trips and Upgrades. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

My first modification to our DWR Bambi Airstream was to replace the refrigerator fan that howled. Imagine finding a quiet campsite, cuddling up in bed and then the fridge starts making this annoying buzzing sound. Since the fan is controlled by a heat sensor, it turns on and off at intermittent intervals. But, if it is warm outside, the fan never stops. I can’t believe Airstream would ship this beautiful travel trailer with such a cheap, energy-sucking, loud fan.

Airstream external refrigerator access panel with replacement fan by Noctua (NF-S12-800)

Airstream external refrigerator access panel with replacement fan by Noctua (NF-S12-800)

I read the forums and found out that other people had the same problem. So, I ordered a fan by Noctua for $50 (Noctua NF-S12-800).  I installed it and added some rubber spacers to isolate the fan from the wood panel that it connects to.  The Noctua NF-S12-800 is a 12V fan that only uses 0.60 watts and was meant to be used as a super quiet cooling fan for a computer enclosure. The new fan works well to keep air moving through the fridge cooling fins. And, I can’t hear a thing. I have to hold my face near the vent to feel that air is moving. As a trained recording and audio mastering engineer, you could argue that my ears are super sensitive. But, the fan also annoyed my wife as well. So, now, both of our ears are happy campers!

When attending a hiking retreat with Robert Thurman at Menla Mountain Retreat & Conference Center the staff kindly let us boon dock on their beautiful grounds

When attending a hiking retreat with Robert Thurman at Menla Mountain Retreat & Conference Center, the staff kindly let us boondock on their beautiful grounds.

I’m sure the old fan moved more air and made the refrigerator more efficient, but the noise was unacceptable. There is another benefit as well.  When boon-docking, the battery didn’t drain nearly as fast. In fact, we dry camped at Menla Mountain Retreat Center in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York for four days and the solar system kept the battery levels around 60%.  That would have never happened with the old fan. We would have been lucky to eek out one or two days and would have had to turn the fridge off at night, so that we could sleep.

Reasons to replace the Airstream stock refrigerator fan:

Pros: super quiet; uses much less energy

Cons: makes refrigerator slightly less efficient

HDTV arrives in the DWR Airstream – Toshiba 19LV506 19″ HD TV

Published on March 30, 2009 in Airstream and Upgrades. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .
DWR Airtream with HDTV upgrade

DWR Airstream with Toshiba HDTV upgrade screening Monty Python's Flying Circus

HDTV came to our Airstream. The DWR Bambi Airstream came with a 15″ Sony. It was heavy, had no built-in DVD player, looked dated, no HD, used an external power adapter, used more energy, and the picture wasn’t very good. So, I went out on a quest to find a more beautiful display. We don’t really watch TV much while camping, but it certainly is nice to watch some movies when it is cold and rainy outside. Having the built-in DVD is important since the Sony DVD/car stereo doesn’t upscale to a 720p display, so the video from the DVD player upfront would look quite bad.

Old power-brick cover box is now shorter to fit the wider TV and conceals the 12v to 110V inverter

Old power-brick cover box is now shorter to fit the wider TV and conceals the 12v to 110V inverter

Another benefit of HD is that I often don’t even have to elevate the Antenna to get a perfect HDTV broadcast picture within a metropolitan area.  I didn’t have to alter the VESA mounting system that held the old TV, but my brother Mark Thomas from Thomas Design/Build cut the power-brick cover plate, that used to house the AC adapter for the Sony TV, back by a third, since it was too long and in the way of the wider TV.

The reason I kept the AC adapter box was because I am using it to conceal a 12V to 110V inverter. This means we can finally use the TV when dry-camping.

Original Sony stock TV

Original Sony TV

The white Toshiba 19LV506 19″ HD TV looks much better with the DWR Airstream styling, uses less energy, and has a much better picture. I wish Airstream would have thought of this during production. Then they would have not have had to build a custom wooden box to conceal the AC adapter. I also wish Airstream would have run a HDMI and Cat5 ethernet cable from the stereo to the television, just to future-proof the trailer.

With our HDTV upgrade, we can watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus on rainy camping days!

Winter Camping + Condensation = Yucky Mattress Mold

Published on March 23, 2009 in Airstream, Tips and Upgrades. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .
Airstream mattress platform - moldy from condesation

Airstream mattress platform - moldy from condensation

We just returned from a 3100 mile trip to the Florida Panhandle with our DWR Airstream, and to our dismay, we discovered that our mattress was starting to develop mold on the bottom. Moisture sans air flow is a breeding ground for mold. This was bound to happen if one looks at the construction of the mattress platform. Airstream decided to use two plywood sections to lay the mattress onto.  There is no air flow to the center of the mattress, therefore in cold and damp weather, the colder storage compartment develops condensation between the mattress and the plywood platform.

Airstream bed platform - with moldy panels removed

Airstream bed platform - with moldy panels removed

This is certainly a design flaw. We have discovered that our DWR Airstream trailer is an interesting combination of great design and somewhat shoddy carpentry. So, my brother Mark Thomas from Thomas Design/Build and I created a solution, so that we can get out of town without creating more mold build-up. We purchased pine slats for $8.50, an aluminum strip to complete the rear support structure, a box of screws and a galvanized metal sheet to isolate the heater compartment from direct contact with the mattress.

Mark Thomas - replacing ply-wood mattress platform with pine slats to improve air circulation below mattress

Mark Thomas - replacing ply-wood mattress platform with pine slats to improve air circulation below mattress

Three hours later we had replaced the plywood panels with a breathable wood slat system that lets air circulate under the mattress between the storage compartment and the rest of the trailer. My brother is an architect who actually has the skills to build a house himself. Due to his excellent upgrade, we’re ready to travel mold-free!

Airstream with slat system for mattress breathability

Airstream with slat system for mattress breathability