The gang at Sportsmobile say you normally get everything perfect on about your third Sportsmobile build. I think that is probably about right. Today a added a shelf to the space where we store pots and pans, salad bowl, hot water pot, etc. It was just a big cave with the wheel well taking up the back half. It held a lot of “stuff” but was definitely disorganized.

I cut a cardboard template just to check out the concept and when it went in ok it was time for the real thing. I cut a 16-1/2″ x 24″ piece of plywood and covered it will some wood grain paper I had left over from a disastrous idea. Cut three legs from a strip of plywood left over from the bathroom tile project (in the house, not the bus) and stuck everything together with some Elephant Glue. The whole thing took a little over an hour and I had to only cut the legs twice to get them right!

The shelf rests on the wheel well and has 5″ of clearance so holds the salad bowl and short pots and pans nicely. I doubled the space and have room now for my tiny crock pot (1-1/2 quarts) we can cook dinner in while heading down the highway. It will go into the sink when we are cooking in motion.

With the addition of an authentic airbag cover on the steering wheel, all Mercedes Benz modifications are finished. Everything that needed converted was, including Mercedes Benz owner’s manual, radio guide and maintenance manual. Only the VIN, which when checked will show Dodge, remains.

Having a bike rack for your RV is almost a cliché but the time has come and I needed to add one. I wanted one that I could still open the back doors without dropping the bikes so I ordered a GlideAway. It came as far as I could find out in just a four bike configuration. The GlideAway lets you pull a pin, unscrew a bolt and then glides out of the way for opening a door or doors.

I am always sensitive to the weight and length of the bus. Just under 20 feet is an ideal length and the hitch was going to add over 2 feet to that – time for some changes. I picked up 2 inches by shortening the piece that goes into the hitch. Converting the four bike configuration to a two bike and drilling new mounting holes for the arms cut off more length. All in all I shortened everything down by about 14 inches and the total length of the bus is under 21 feet with the hitch and bikes attached.

I have ordered a hitch tightener to take the slack out of the hitch. I don’t understand the sloppy tolerances in hitches. You have a 2 inch receiver then you should have a piece 1-7/8 or 1-15/16 to go into it. Instead you don’t get anything close so the hitch has play in it. A 1/4 inch play at the receiver translates to about 6 inches at the top of the rack. This is one time it should be rocket science.

Today I got the stove top functioning again. I picked up a couple of brass fittings and cut the 3/8″ brass tube with a tube cutter. I one of the fittings on the tube and used a flare tool to finish off the end of the tube. Now I just had to connect the tube running to the stove with the regulator and hose for a canister using a 3/8″ pressure  coupler.

My first couple of tries I had gas leaking at the new fittings. It is pretty easy to see if you spray the fittings with Windex – you start getting soap bubbles. Finally I figured out the fittings had to be wrench tight not had tight and in checking had no more leaks.

BTW, the water heater you see is electrical powered.

Now the only thing to do is to test and see how long a 1-pound canister lasts with the stove on high.

After installing the Espar heater the only thing left propane was the 2-burner stove top. I think it would be much easier to supply it with the 1 gallon disposable canister.

The tank (1/2) full weighed about 49 pounds. I used a jack to hold it up while removing the bolts. I also pulled off the regulator thinking I might use it for the new set up but I don’t think so now. I also pulled all the copper tubing from underneath which on the open market, will probably get me a cup of coffee!

In the space left, since there is a door, I will mount a storage box that will hopefully hold my hoses and electrical cable. Then I can use the space where they are now stored (in the back doors) to store something else.