Exhaust tips come in a variety of materials but chrome and stainless steal are common. Chrome has the ability to be easily polished, is inexpensive and produces a mirror shine when properly maintained. Stainless steel doesn’t produce quite the shine, but unless your rocking a chromed out Harley it is pretty hard to tell the difference. Stainless steel is for the most part.. stainless!! Meaning it does a much better job resisting rust and other corrosion which makes it worth the extra money in our opinion. In this video we replace our chrome exhaust tip with a stainless steel model that is much more resistant to corrosion and rust!

Onan Generator Exhaust Replacement Tip

Amazon Links Below!

• Exhaust Tip: https://amzn.to/2q9TPgt
• 2″ to 2.5″ stainless exhaust adapter: https://amzn.to/2qa4pEf
• Generator Exhaust Tip Option (Cummins Generators):  https://amzn.to/2Sgje4S
• Anti-Seize Lubricant: https://amzn.to/2qaqpPm
• Ridgid Jobmax Cordless Tool: https://amzn.to/2D307GV
• Ridgid Jobmax Corded Tool: https://amzn.to/2D5tGYL
• Ridgid Jobmax Complete Head Kit (individual tools can be purchased at home depot): https://amzn.to/2SgsTbt

The post Aqua-hot Exhaust Upgrade – Stainless! appeared first on LivinLite.net.

Yea big deal, I’ll just go buy a shower head.

Actually that is what most people do and it isn’t that bad of an idea, especially for folks that like to stay primarily in campgrounds or locations where they have full hookups. That said, if you are like us and you like to boondock (camping without hookups) then a residential grade shower could mean you have 3 days worth of water instead of 2 weeks worth of water onboard. Shower heads can vary dramatically in the amount of water they use ranging from 1-4 gallons per minute in most cases and the ones on the lower end of that spectrum tend to provide depressingly low pressure output.

Oxygenics Body Spa RV Shower Head

Enter the Oxygenics Body Spa Shower Head (~$40.00, links to Amazon below). We first head about this from some friends out in Quartzite as part of the Xscapers Convergence which is held in January of each year. The claim was that the shower head provided increased pressure, while using less than 2 gallons per minute. Users also reported that while it was similar to cheap water saver shower heads from the 80’s that the experience was much improved. The head also sits a bit higher than our previous shower head making the experience better for taller folks. That said, if you low ceilings in your shower this could be a problem so make sure to check heights first.

The Bad

The product is plastic, which is our only complaint but plastic does have advantages, especially in Florida and other areas where hard water can be damaging to metal components. The shower head itself is also a bit larger than the one that was replaced. This can mean that it wont fit into mounts that already exist in certain showers. We think this is easily remedied by replacing the hose with a metal, standard size shower hose which can be purchased at Home Depot or a local hardware store but that will set you back an additional $8-$12.

Update: Response From Oxygenics

Worth It?

As you can see in the above video, the shower head is actually quite a bit better than the original unit that was in the bus. It provided increased pressure while not being overpowering and also came with a flow control unit that allowed us to dial in the pressure. Overall we think this is a solid RV product and worth the investment of $40.00 both for the improved experience and also for the water saving aspect of the shower head, especially if you are shopping for a replacement anyway.

Amazon Links

• Oxygenics Body Spa – Brushed Nickel Finish (plastic)
• Oxygenics Body Spa – Chrome Finish (plastic)
• Oxygenics Body Spa – White Finish (plastic)

The post End the Bad RV Shower For Good? appeared first on LivinLite.net.

Before we got started we inspected a Anthem and Cornerstone factory LED installation and felt confident we could near replicate what we saw.

Before we got started we did some research online on what LED strips we were going to use. We found there were all white LED strips and RGB LED strips that allowed you to change the light colors. We assumed that if we had a choice, we should just purchase the RGB color lights to give us some variety. After inspection however, we found that if you want a true white LED light, you’re best off using white only lights which are brighter and more of a pure white light.

Ok, so here is a complete material list of everything you’re going to need including some optional items.

Materials List

• Waterproof LED RGB Light Strip (16ft) or White Only Strips
• Optional Android/Iphone LED Controller
• LED RGB Extension Wire
• LED Strip to Wire Connectors
• LED Strip Mounting Brackets
• White Silicone (or whatever color your prefer)
• Optional fancy On/Off Switch

Installation

The installation can be broken into these major steps which are demonstrated in the video at the top of this article.

Cleaning & Surface Prep

We used household cleaners and alcohol pads to clean and prep our service for the LED light installation. Make sure your surface is completely clean and free of dust or you’re lights wont stick to the bottom of your slides.

LED Light Strip Installation

Before you install your LED strips plan out your wiring route and make sure that you’ll be able to easily get access to a power source to power your lights. You can also power them with portable battery packs if you want to simplify the installation, but they will need to be recharged frequently and will only run your lights for about 8 hours.  Measure the length of your slide and determine how long you want your LED strip light. Once you’ve measured, make sure to subtract a few inches to ensure you’re slides will close without interference. Cut your LED light strip to length. There are copper points every 3-4 inches where you can cut the strips safely which are shown in the video. Once your strip is mounted make sure to secure it using strip mounting brackets. It may not look like you need them but after a couple hot summer days you will and the last thing you want is your LED strip falling off while operating your slides.

Disassembly & Finding Power

Every coach is different so this section is going to vary with your coach. If you are not comfortable dissembling your coach, a qualified RV accessory installer or dealership should be able to help you with the installation. If you are an Entegra owner then you are in luck as our video details your installation.

Wiring & Power Hookup

LED lights run on 12 volts. The hit you purchase will likely come with an AC adapter or “brick” but it converting 110v AC power down to 12v DC power. You can safely cut the wire between the “brick” and your LED light controller and splice those wires into a 12 volt power source. If you have an outdoor TV or an outdoor TV system then you are in luck as you’ll be able to tap 12 volt power at that location. If you don’t don’t worry, there are plenty of 12 volt power sources in your coach, especially in the basement area. Use a multimeter or test light to find a power source or run you’re own power source from the house battery bank. Remember to fuse any lines you run to prevent issues should you have an electrical short or frayed wire over time.

You’ll also need to mount your LED controller and IR receiver in a location that will allow the remote to work. If you wish to hide your installation completely you can install an RF controller which will control your LED lights without line of sight. Make sure to seal up all of your connections with silicone or another water-resistant sealant to prevent leaks.

Reassembly & Testing

Take your time during reassembly and testing. Make sure your lights are working properly while on shore power and also when disconnected. If you find that your lights are flickering or not turning on you may need a voltage regulator to ensure your LEDs are getting clean 12 volt power. Most of the times you wont, but if you have a solar setup or something that pushes 14v or more into your battery bank you may need one.

Questions? Comments? Please let us know below and we’ll be happy to help out!

The post Motorhome & Trailer Slide LED Strip Installation appeared first on LivinLite.net.

First, it is mounted very high and unless you like watching TV standing up, it’s a bit of a bear to watch unless you’re half reclined in a zero gravity chair pointing half at the sky!. That location also lends itself to be very susceptible to glare from sun making it difficult to watch anytime but at night. Second, its a fixed mount, which means unless you are sitting directly in front of it it can be a bit difficult to see if you are at any angle.  These are not huge problems and to be honest if this was a big job to fix or one that required a large investment we probably wouldn’t have even bothered fixing but some things fell into place for us that we’ll explain below.

We were at the Entegra Oktoberfest Rally in Las Vegas in 2016 and got to see quite a few coaches from a variety of years. New for 2017 was an articulating outdoor TV arm that tilted down for easier viewing. Nice! Just what we wanted but… I had a pretty good feeling that if I called Entegra and asked for the part I would have paid well north of 250.00 to buy the parts from them.. That is where our friend’s from Great-Escape.us come in!

Now i’ve installed quite a few of these over the years being in IT. Our clients frequently have us mount TV’s or large monitors in offices so I can tell you first hand that there are BAD mounts and GOOD mounts that vary greatly in price and quality. Glenn from Great Escape had done quite a bit or research as his 2016 Entegra Anthem has an arm installed but not the “tilt” feature to point the TV down towards a more acceptable viewing angle. Glenn  called Entegra and found that they were purchasing their tilting TV arms from a manufacturer called Crimson who claimed to make the world’s thinnest TV mounting arm that tilted. In fact he had one in his coach that was left over from his research! Score for LivinLite! We’ll take it!

I took one look at the TV arm and knew the quality was good. It was well built and suitable for automotive applications. The TV mount has plenty of resistance to ensure it wouldn’t be swinging back and forth in the wind banging into our coach or rattling itself to deal while we were driving down the road. We also really like that it had a locking feature meaning it locked into the flat position which would come in quite handy when stowed for driving.

Installation

The installation was pretty straight forward. I won’t bore folks with a lengthy written explanation of the install since it is all detailed out in the video at the top of this post. We’ve included a material list below as well as Amazon links to all of the tools and items mentioned in the video. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to post them here!

Tools & Materials:

• Cordless/cord drill with drill bits – (you may want to consider the stepper bit set mentioned below and in the video)
• Screw Driver Bit Set – Complete with security bits for Entegra factory screw removal. (see below link under Amazon links)
• 15”-18” piece of 2×4 or other suitable wood to strengthen mounting plate backing
• Cable ties for wire management
• Flat black spray paint for matching trim behind TV
• A helper! (much easier with 2 people)

Amazon Links:

• Crimson World’s Thinest TV Mount for up to 42″ tv: http://amzn.to/2funD3X
• Crimson World’s Thinest TV Mount for up to 65″ tv: http://amzn.to/2esdHny
• Neiko Titanium Step Drill Bit Set: http://amzn.to/2eS5SI7
• Neiko Safety Bit Set: http://amzn.to/2f3cCDA
• Flat Black Spray Paint: http://amzn.to/2fnVg8e
• Cable Ties (We love these one because they are reusable): http://amzn.to/2f1RMXI

Thanks so much for checking out our post. If you have any questions, comments or questions you can post them here. If you like the article please share it with friends on Facebook or other social media using the links below!

The post Outdoor TV – Tilting TV Mount You Can Install Yourself! appeared first on LivinLite.net.