As has been mentioned and can be seen in the main blog pages, i have a 2009 Jayco Expanda 16.49-2. This is the Bunk version since we have two children, one of which, Bianca, is taller now than i am. The 16.49-2 allows us to sleep up to 6 people and i would suggest 5 off those could be adults only because you would not catch me trying to climb into the top bunk.
During the ordering process with Jayco i relied heavily on the yahoo Expanda Forum, expandaownersaustralia, which is a great source of information on anything Jayco Expanda. Since delivery i have, with the help of the forum, made more changes to the van to suit our needs.
Photos to follow...
Pre-Delivery
1. Bayonet Gas fitting for the WeberQ
When we purchased the van we had expectation of eating outside due to our use of the campertrailer. As i did not want to be carrying a second gas bottle around we added the bayonet fitting for the gas to the van. Now, when we stop, it is a simple matter of plugging in the WeberQ and drawing off the main van gas bottle.
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| Travel protection against dirt |
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| WeberQ in use |
2. Upgrade of the soap draw under the sink to a full cutlery draw.
We saw this draw in the showroom and immediately wanted it upgraded as it seemed a useless addition as delivered. The addition of the draw gave us a total of 3 cutlery drawers to use.
Post Delivery
1. Privacy Screens for bed ends.
I am fortunate in that my Father can sew with canvas and has the correct machinery. Therefore when we saw the price Jayco was asking for Privacy screens for the Jayco, we decided to make our own out of shade cloth. This has been a great addition to the van, allowing us to have the windows open during the day and maintain some level of privacy from people looking in. It also seems to keep the bulk of heavy rain off of the canvas. Rather than use press studs i have used toggle clamps to hold the screen up.
2. Privacy Screens for Awning.
Similar to the Privacy screens, Dad made me some awning privacy screens which increase the shade under the awning and also help to build in the awning when we want to have the side wall up.
3. Drawer under Microwave.
This was originally a drop down flap. The draw now gives us better access to the space down there.
4. Drawers under bottom bunk.
This is one of the latest additions, installed just prior to my last large trip (Perth). This upgrade is great. Prior to the drawers i had to move whom ever was on the bed/lounge to access the space under it. Now, the bulk of the space is accessible via the drawers.
5. LED light strip for bottom bunk (Reading Light).
I added this light to enable Bianca to read at night comfortably.
6. LED lighting upgrade for main van lights and entry light.
This was really a change for change sake. We don't do much in the way of unpowered camping so current draw does not normally effect us, but i had the opportunity to put LED lights in so i did. These lights are from DealExtreme and work well. The entry light is the best addition as with the Jayco supplied lights, if you have the lamp on for any length of time the fitting gets very hot. Now it can be left on all night.
7. 100A/H 12v Battery.
When we had the van delivered we had the fridge upgraded to a Waeco 12v fridge, in lieu of the standard 3 way fridge. Our main reasons for this was the increase in fridge size for the same space, and the ability to run the fridge from 12v. My plan was to install a 12v battery and run it from this whilst driving since i did not have the ability to power 12v from the car. Up until the Colorado, all my tow vehicles have been lease cars where minimum changes are allowed. The battery has proven invaluable for this use. Now that i have my own car i plan to wire in a hot wire, via an Anderson plug.
8. Battery voltage monitor.
A simple battery voltage monitor to see what voltage is left in the battery and if it is charging.
9. Shelving in wardrobe for clothing.
Another recent addition (2011) was shelving in the wardrobe. Since we received the van we have tried various baskets and drawers but this has been the cheapest and best solution by far for our van.
10. Clothesline Holder
Travel holder for the clothesline. We carry a cloths hoist with us for towels and things and as i did not want this traveling in the van, some hooks and bungee cord allow the cloths line to travel at the rear of the van. This has been here for the full time we have had the van with no ill effects.
11. Sink Drain
Due to movement and us storing pots under the sink in the van we broke the seal on the sink drain, resulting in leakage of water into the cupboard. This turned out to be an easy repair, whereby you simply remove the clear drain hose and unscrew parts A and B of the drain itself.
When i did this however i noticed that part A partially blocked the outlet of part B. Taking note of where the thread ended i was able to remove about 25mm of part A which massively improved the sink drainage. The red line indicates where i cut.
The reassemble process was simply the application of some new sealant to the hole and a reverse of the removal process.
If i can remember, or make any more upgrades i will include them here. Feel free to contact me for any questions
1 comment:
That's very impressive makeover... almost all parts of the basic house will find in your caravan. I'm sure you'll be having a great time riding on your vehicle. Two thumbs up!
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