When I pulled the propane system I was left with a panel that opened into mostly a big hole. My fresh water connection and electric connection were here but otherwise it was a space to be used.

I diddled (technical term for just thinking about a project) around a few months and finally made a prototype. I took that to a friendly machine shop and for $120 had my box. The box is made of .016 aluminum and measures 18x12x10 with the lip extending 5 inches.

Getting the box into the space was a little different than getting a cardboard prototype into the same space. I had to shorten the extended lip by an inch but finally got it in position. It is held up primarily by the same steel bracket that held the propane tank.

Now I have a good place to put the gray water hose and maybe even the black water hose as it’s storage location makes it difficult to get it in and out.

In case you haven’t heard SMBers will be gathering at the Valley of Fire for what looks like one of the largest events we have had.

If you can make it, post here http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6159.

Imagine broad, sandy beaches, secluded coves, rugged headlands, natural arches, a craggy coastline with fertile tide pools and offshore reefs—this is Sonoma Coast State Park, one of California’s most scenic attractions.

A series of beaches separated by rocky bluffs, Sonoma Coast has 16 miles of some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. The weather here is often a chilly combination of wind and fog. During the summer months, the morning fog usually burns off to create pleasant, sunny afternoons. Even during the summer, however, visitors are wise to dress for the possibility of wet, cold and windy north coast weather.

We dropped in for one night after checking some of the beautiful coastline. The campfire was needed both for warmth and to cook our hobo stew packets. Presley had a great time sniffing around and there were lots of other dogs to check out. The next morning we stopped in Bodega Bay for some souvenirs and some scallops and were home by 1pm.

Did you know there is a upgrade out for the ScanGauge? Version 4.02 was the first release with the updated menu system and performance monitoring and if you don’t have it you can upgrade for $25.00. http://www.scangauge.com/support/upgrade/

I use mine for water temperature, load, manifold pressure and miles per gallon. I love it when going down hill and the mpg shows 999999.

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.