Wind Speed Gauge (Anemometer)

We frequently camp in places where winds and storms come up quickly, and are always curious to know the wind speeds during those events. After looking around for a simple solution, I found the La Crosse 327-1414BW Wind Speed Station that works pretty well for us. 

The wind sensor (anemometer) is not suitable for traveling on the roof of the van, so I permanently mounted its mast on the roof, and then mount the sensor on the mast when I want to use it. The mast is a black steel broom handle, cut to size, and then mounted in a black aluminum flag pole holder. I fold the mast down when traveling, then erect it when we're in camp.

The sensor/anemometer is battery-operated, so I put the batteries in it when I want to use it, and take them out when I don't. (I've looked into adding a switch, but found that it's probably more trouble than simply taking the batteries in and out.) I added a small thumbscrew for quick & easy attachment.

The wind station itself is also battery-operated, without an on/off switch, so in order to save battery life when I'm not using it, I built a no-solder battery interrupter and attached it to a simple external switch. 

We decided that it should reside near the rest of the instrument cluster in the dinette area, so I mounted it to a folding under cabinet TV mount, and attached that to the bottom of the dinette cabinet. It's about the perfect size, and folds away when we're not using it.

It's admittedly kind of unusual looking, but it works well!

11-Feb-2022

Ceiling Fan Repair

One of our MaxxAir 8501K ceiling fans recently started making a banging noise and was unable to fully raise the lid. After looking into it a bit, it became clear that the operating mechanism (part number 10A20281K-1AF) had broken, which is apparently a fairly common problem. I was able to get replacements for both fans (one kept in reserve) through Panther RV Products. (Pro tip: find the model and serial number for your fan under the screen cover - - remove the screen and you'll see a paper label affixed to your fan on the inside.)

The replacement took about 30 minutes, following their short instruction manual, and is somewhat greasy due to the operating mechanism itself.

8-Feb-2022

Clothing Storage

After spending a year or so with RB Components' Fabric Stuff Bags 24 x 10" Deep, we've supplemented them with a new set, the Fabric Two Compartment Stuff Bag 38 x 10". I mounted them in the passenger side flare where they'll be easily accessible when the bed is either up or down, using the screws that RB components provided.

2-Feb-2022