Our modifications

These are the mods we've made to our 2008 17' Liberty Deluxe Casita. Photos of many of these mods are posted here.

Exterior
-Installed smoke Fantastic Fan cover for vent can be open when it's raining & still allow some daylight to come thru
-Got a BAL leveler to use at those very unlevel campsites
-Finally decided to get a PROPANE generator so we don't have to carry gasoline around, one big enough to run the A/C comfortably. It's not as quiet or lightweight as we'd have liked, but better for when we need it
-Red/white reflective tape along belly band and red/yellow reflective circles on top of front & back
-Blue vinyl 1'x3' numbers on upper front (last 4 #s of VIN)
-Replaced light lenses by door & at front with amber
-Screwed a rubber bumper on belly band where door hits — but it rotted off after 2 yrs so when the wind grabbed the door, it bashed a major hole in the door
-Screens over all exhausts vents and behind frig and water heater grills
-Wrapped blue duct tape around electric cord to stick outside the electrical door when not plugged in so that the plug is quickly accessible when the door is opened
-Wrapped blue duct tape around a fin on the water heater door with a 'tail' long enough to show above the door to indicate when the water heater is turned on
-Used a ruler to mark off 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 full fresh water tank
-Have used steel wool & milk carton plastic to seal off the mouse hole when plugged in, but the steel wool rusted & the plastic fell off, so now using a piece of insul-tube wrapped around the cord with electrical tape holding the tube in place when plugged in
-Use a small dowel stick attached with a wire tie to reach in to turn the water heater on
-We put two pieces of insul-tube between the awning & trailer to divert any rain from running down the side of the trailer. We're thinking of getting the RV gutter instead.
-Painted propane cover with black paint for plastic to 'hide' dirt & stains
-Printed name plate (ConEGGstoga) & used laminate sheets to stick next to door & on back windows
-Put a "peep hole" in the door
-Added a dab of silicone below broken range vent latch to keep it shut
-Wrapped step with a plastic, scratchy rug (to catch dirt), matching the cover on a Coke crate used as an additional step. The crate either rides inside the Casita door or under my feet in the pickup

Interior
-Cabinet handle on inside of screen door to pull it shut
-Strung a shoe string from screen door handle to a pull on the inside of of the screen door so that it can be opened with the slide shut
-Screen door hook at top of screen door to secure it from inside when the main door is open. It is now scotch-taped in place since it hooked itself once over a bumpy road.
-Put plexiglass over bottom screen in door to make sure dog paws don't cut thru the screen
-Put a 3-way switch inside to turn on porch light at night from inside to look out peep hole and not have to open the door
-Got a small, wet/dry vac to "clean house", lives inside closet door and plugs into the outlet below the door
-Used a chrome shelf inside large cabinet under stove to create additional storage
-Stuck a number of LED push on/off light pucks around for auxiliary lighting when boondocking
-Got an indoor/outdoor thermometer with humidity indicator too. We clip the ziplock back containing the outdoor sensor to the step so we don't forget it again. As much as possible is hung vertically.
-Installed a coffee filter dispenser above galley sink
-Removed paper towel holder inside upper galley door & installed a new one along side of range hood, easily accessible but out of the way
-Installed torn up awning piece under stink as a skirt to hide plumbing
-Moved fire extinguisher from inside closet to beside front door
-Used a tension rod above the closet door for addition, temporary hanging. Used some left-over shower curtain hooks to temporarily hang clothes on over night.
-Coat hooks on outside of closet door plus brackets for awning polls
-Installed rubber bumpers under microwave cabinet door to sit level when opened
-Wrapped rubber bands around mini-blind rod to keep them from coming loose when closing or opening the blinds  **Took mini-blinds down completely. The insulated curtains I made, along with tinted windows during the day, work great for keeping the light out. I'm currently working on perfecting the string thru the bottom of the curtains to hold them against the wall.
-Used a chrome shelf below galley for additional storage 
-Screwed a white cabinet handle over water heater switch to prevent accidental turning off or on
-Replaced water pump switch with a lighted one
-Got 3 large suction handles to use as a towel rack in front of sink [protecting water pump switch], additional towel rack in bathroom, and to attach to outside of trailer to hang trash and/or aluminum can bags
-Attached command hooks below bathroom door mirror to wrap small plastic shopping bags around for trash bag [the door opens even when the bag is close to full; easily tied & disposed of]
-Moved galley wire shelf to bathroom [mounted on command hooks] for additional storage
-Attached small bungey cords thru toilet paper rolls from the bottom of each wire shelf to hold paper in place when moving while easy to access & replace
-Made a false bathroom floor covered with indoor/outdoor carpet
-Hung a large mesh laundry bag behind stool, suspended from the same hooks used to extend full-sized shower curtain [keeps back of bathroom dry]
-Hung an adjustable round curtain rod (with string around the ends) on curtain hooks between the two back upper side cabinets to either hang clothes on (for up coming events) or to hang a large bath sheet on provide "privacy" if one of us is sleeping and the other is awake with lights on
-Multiple suction hooks and Command hooks on refrigerator beside door to hang kitchen utensils for easy access from outside while cooking
-Used hinges screwed over frig controls to attach left-over plexiglass for protection against undesired changes to refrigerator settings
-Plugged in an extension cord under closet door, ran cord over bathroom door (secured with drapery hooks) to allow an electrical plug in on right side of galley [instead of using the plug in on the left that's too close to the seat cushion]
-Attached a wire shelf in front of back window with long screws hidden inside small PVC tubes for additional shelf space when camped
-Replaced kitchen faucet with white, high-neck sprayer/faucet which allows filling a coffee maker without having to put a carafe in the sink under the faucet
-Attached a shelf to drawer pulls to slide over sink and provide additional counter space
-Used curtain hooks to hang metal coffee cups from the soffitt area
-Sewed denim pill pockets to hang from the soffitt area to easily access medications.
-Attached a large shelf to drawer glides attached on either side of the sink which slides over the sink or to the side for additional counter space
-Altered a maroon valance and tan insulated curtains to create curtains to match our colors of maroon and blue
-Purchased an Eva-Dry 300 passive dehumidifier from Amazon (it changes color when full of moisture) & is renewed by plugging it in [no water to dump]
-Taped photographs & a calendar to cabinet doors
-Sewed denim covers for the two side seats while bed is made up permanently
-Took bottom off the Casita sink cover to use as additional counter space when placed on pulled-out drawer
-While painting the propane tank black, also painted the foot pedal of the stool
-Place TV shelf & sink cover behind back cushions beside galley & frig to adjust the angle of the seat back
-Used two squares of MDF with an "upper" cup to insert metal post to have a stand-alone table between the seats or pushed back against bed
-Purchased spice holders [stuck behind sink] and refrigerator shelf bars [keeps items from falling out the door] from RV Upgrades

-Placed two rows of blue electrical tape in bathroom horizontally from sink along wall as decoration
-Used one of the frig bars along edge of shower pan to store items
-Experimented with bubble wrap taped around windows to prevent condensation during cool-weather camping but still let in light. It needs to be an air-tight seal to work.
-Installed tinting on windows
-Changed the shower curtain to hang on the closet side of the bathroom so that it drips into the shower floor instead of all around the toilet. All the things hanging on the 'shower head' wall are only used when taking a shower.
-Got a toaster oven, but then someone gave me a used microwave to replace the one that stopped working. So now the toaster oven comes out of the pickup bed whenever it's needed.
- Replaced four interior lights with LED bulbs (by door, over sink, & each side in back). They're great!
-Placed a light-weight plastic table on top of the cushion next to the frig to hold the DVR & television, with storage below. We have a tv arm to mount on the frig cabinet wall that hasn't been installed yet.
-Found a small rubber tub that fits in the sink (for dry camping) that hold an assortment of 'stuff' which lives on top of the range most of the time (along with the cat food dispenser).
-The best place we've found so far for the cat liter box is under the closet, next to the door. At least we clean it out often & the cats have their 'privacy' when using it.
-Still waiting for Jeff to install the MaxxAir window vents we have.

Additional mods & equipment on the "list"

-Put a vent in the gray water system
-Install HepV filter(s)
-Battery tender or smart converter to protect from overcharging battery
-Replace carpeting in front of door & galley with vinyl or cork (single sheet or tiles)
-Find a way to have the frig light up when the door is opened
-Wish for a bathroom light switch outside of the bathroom
-Wish for a water pump switch inside the bathroom

8 comments:

  1. Wow--what a lot of ideas! Especially like the denim pockets for meds and misc. items. I have wondering how to better utilize that area. Thanks!

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  2. We have followed your camping adventures for some time now and had been thinking of getting an Aliner with bath. Can you give us some idea how the Casita compares with the Aliner as to ease of towing, set up, etc. It is just the two of us camping now.

    Thank you.

    Henry and Trish Knight
    Columbia, South Carolina

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    Replies
    1. Henry & Trish, thanks for following my blog. Before we decided to buy our Casita, we researched & tried to look at lots of different trailers. Unfortunately, there were no Aliners or similar trailers around us to view. As much as we wanted a lightweight trailer with a low profile, we had concerns about having to "pop" up or open a trailer in the rain as well as when spending a quick night at a truck stop or Wal-Mart while traveling. And in fact, the 3rd night after picking up our new Casita, we did indeed arrive in Orlando during a blowing, going thunderstorm. An umbrella to jump inside was about all we needed until the storm let up. We were very glad to have the solid, one-piece shell of the Casita & felt it was worth whatever mpg reduction the higher profile caused. The Casita is so aerodynamic tho, it's easy to forget it's behind your vehicle on the open road. Any RV with straight walls connected to the roof will eventually develop leaks due to the stresses caused by moving and/or require regular maintenance. The Casita is VERY unlikely to have a leak, requires no checking or maintenance of seams, & has fiberglass cabinets which will not warp or rot. If you want a dependable, low maintenance camper, a molded fiberglass unit is the only option I know of. We couldn't be more happy with our choice of a Casita even after 3½ yrs & 8 months of full-timing living.

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  3. Hi Glenda, so glad you commented and I viewed your great blog! So much helpful info and great ideas, I am very impressed. We owned an Aliner and loved it, but the Casita is just about perfect in every way! Hands down, Casita is the better choice, and the Aliner is not cheap, so money-wise Casita is very competitive.

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  4. Oh wow, a Picasa slideshow too! Impressive :O)

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  5. Any thoughts as to which Casita? I am partial to the Spirit because of the side table and "possible" bed (I am a big guy). I like the barrel chairs in the Freedom. But the Liberty offers two sizeable people a side bed each, and they don't have to scramble over each over. Does it seem like I am answering my own question?

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  6. Love your ideas, Glenda. We're new Casita campers and added a few things too. I bought a over-the-door shoe holder. We had to bend the hooks, but it hangs on the outside of the closet door for shoes, kitty treats, and sunglasses. I had to cut off 1 column and 2 rows from the holder. The column I hung on the inside bathroom door and we use it for toiletries. The rows I've used curtain hangers and have hung it behind the table (bathroom side) to hold pens, pills, and other stationary needs. We then hung our reading glasses on a curtain hanger within reach.

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  7. What brand anb size is the generator.

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