Jeff's Revel Mods: October 2021

XM Antenna Relocation & Roof Port

I needed to relocate my XM antenna by about 6 inches, so I went up on the roof to pull a little bit of extra coax through. In order to do that, I had to remove the antenna and the steel plate below it.

I removed the lap sealant with a heat gun and a putty knife, finding that the steel plate had rusted in a few places. It was affixed to the van with 4 self-drilling screws and a thin layer of lap sealant.

After removing the screws and prying the plate up, I found a 3-inch hole in the roof with the XM antenna wire running through it. I also found another 6 inches of wire that I was able to pull through the hole, thus giving me enough slack to relocate the antenna. Success!

I also found a fair amount of rust on the exposed steel that Winnebago left untreated. Based on what I could see, I think that the rust was caused by moisture/condensation from inside the van, rather than water penetrating the lap sealant from the outside. However, unlike Winnebago, I couldn't leave this steel untreated, and the 'port lid' was in poor shape, too.

Look familiar?

I used sandpaper to clear the rust off, then covered the formerly rusted areas with Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing Compound. I also coated the 'port lid' with a rubberized spray that is used for wheel wells.

Finally, I completely covered the port lid with Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant. The one piece that I didn't fix was the self-drilling screws that Winnebago used - - I should have replaced them with slightly larger stainless steel screws, but I was in a hurry and didn't do it. Shame.

27-Oct-2021

WeatherTech Wind & Rain Deflectors

We liked our WeatherTech Wind & Rain Deflectors on our Eurovan Camper, and found them to lower the wind noise when the windows are down. We're giving them a try on the Sprinter from EuroCampers.com.

26-Oct-2021

Stronger Magnets for Privacy Screens

After 4 years, I've gotten tired of dealing with the weak magnets on Winnebago's front privacy screens. I decided to try adding some bigger and stronger magnets to the screens, and attached them with black Flex Tape. First impressions are that they work better now, but I'll be trying them out for 6 months or so to see if they work and to figure out how they can be improved.

26-Oct-2021

Hinge Eye Bolts

It can be useful to hang clotheslines, tarps, and other items from the back of the van when camping, so I've added eye bolts to the rear hinges to serve as attachment points.