Thursday, April 3, 2014

Bungalow Modifications–Part 1

Apache Junction, AZ  High 71  Low 51

First the really good news. Both of Jim’s biopsies came back benign. So no more trips to the dermatologist for him until next year. Hopefully my visit turns out as good.

Arizona Sunset

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Now for the Bungalow Mods. A lot of the ideas are mine. I come up with the idea and then expect Jim to figure them out. Thank goodness he can do that. A lot of the modifications are small but important to us. I’ll probably do this in a couple of posts because there are many.

P1070907I hate having to crane my neck to look at TV. And besides that, our TV wouldn’t fit in that corner cupboard. I ordered a cabinet mount that would allow the TV to be mounted under that cabinet. Jim reinforced the cabinet floor with another piece of wood to ensure the TV will not fall during transit.

We talked about putting a door on the TV cabinet but to make it easier and cheaper Jim added a piece of molding to the front to hold things in the cabinet. I’m not sure this is going to work so we are still thinking about it.

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None of the drawers worked in the rig. They were the kind that you had to lift up to pull out and even Jim had trouble with them. He modified the guides that the drawers slide on and added magnetic catches to keep the drawers closed and even I can open them now.

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The electric jack worked before we left the dealership. By the time we got to Casa Grande it died and Jim had to hand crank the rig into place. When we got back to AJ Jim called the dealership and in typical fashion, they weren’t sure what was wrong but told us we could bring the rig back down and they would look at it. Jim then called Atwood (the brand of Jack) and after a couple of phone calls, he figured out that one of the screws was loose so the motor was not grounded properly. Once he was able to get that tightened the jack works fine.

jack

The propane cover that came with the rig does not have an opening in the top. That means that you have to lift the cover off every time you want to turn the propane off or on. Doesn’t sound like a big deal but with the Hensley Hitch, it’s a really tight fit. So we replaced it with a cover that has a top opening. We try to make life as easy as possible.

Old cover

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New cover

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There were no towel bars in the bathroom. We talked about putting an over the door towel rack but decided to go with the rings instead. We also put up a new shower curtain and a shower head with a cut-off switch.

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New bumper caps.

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New clock and an indoor/outdoor thermometer. The clock is above the couch. The previous owners had put something up there and when they took it down it ripped the paneling.

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The next one definitely takes an explanation. The couch came with cup holders on each end. With the new mattress being so high the girl’s could not use their steps to get up on the bed. So we taught them to get up on the couch and then jump from there to the bed. It’s an easy jump. But they couldn’t get the grip to make the jump with the holes for the cups. Jim took out the cups, got a piece of wood, covered it with fabric and then nailed it down so the girls have a place to plant their feet.

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More in the next post.

28 comments:

  1. I am glad to hear that everything went well with the biopsies. I wish I was as clever as Jim is with all the changes. I am all thumbs.

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  2. Happy to see you're keeping Jim busy enough so he doesn't have time to get in trouble.

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  3. Must be bad fishing over there for Jim to get all that done.

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  4. Hooray for Jim!

    WOW...y'all are going to have a brand new Bungalow before long.

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  5. Tell Jim to take a rest; I'm getting tired just reading about all the work he's doing on the bungalow!

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  6. That's good news for sure on Jim's recent visits to the doctor. I love the name "bungalow"! What a neat title for it. You are definitely making it yours with all the changes.

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  7. Me too, Congrats on the results. Love the name bungalow. And I get ideas, Doug does them. Sometimes he just ignores me. I understand.

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  8. Sure wish I had a "Jim" around for a few days !!

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  9. nice job on your 'ideas'!! sometimes things may seem perfect but then you realize just by doing a few jobs you can make it even better!!

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  10. You're gonna' wind up keeping that bungalow... ;c)

    A visionary and a handy man, a match made in heaven!

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  11. It takes two--one to think up the projects and the other to do them! Good news about Jim's biopsies!

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  12. I wish Al was that handy.

    What we do for the critters, huh? Nice modifications.

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  13. Great the the biopsies went well.
    And the renos are coming along just wonderful, keep up the good work.

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  14. Glad that the results of Biopsy were good.
    Also good luck with your visit too. Take care.

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  15. Yay! So glad to see this post, Sandie! Hahaha, I know what you mean about your ideas & Jim's execution--it's like that here too! I made a list--clock, thermometer, towel rings, new shower curtain! Our TT came with a fabric shower curtain--I bought a vinyl one to line it. We have drawers instead of doors under the kitchen sink. Not sure how we get them out in case we need to get under there. Is your kitchen sink good-sized? Love the couch mod for the girls--brilliant!! Both our Jim's are very handy!

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  16. So glad to hear the biopsies were benign. That had to be scary. Your husband sounds a lot like mine - if I come up with an idea, he can do it! Like a solid oak Buffet, a solid oak computer desk, solid oak kitchen cabinets, and the list goes on. LOL (he spoils me).

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  17. Thanks for the update Sandie! Great news about Jim's biopsies. Hope you get the same great news too!
    Awesome mods on Bungalow. Isn't it just the little things that make all the difference? I so agree with you about the TV watching!

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  18. Great news about the doctor report. I'm so glad we had the chance to see the Bungalow before Jim's modifications. I can't believe all the great ideas you guys came up with. What did you do for the girl's treats?

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  19. Glad to read the great news on the biopsies. Nice modifications and fix-ups too! Well done.

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  20. Wow---you all are just so creative. Glad you like your new bungalow and can find many ways to make life easier --and for the best use of space.... congrats.

    Great doctor's report..

    Have a great weekend/week.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  21. Good news about Jim! Glad to hear it. I always love to see RV mods, they give me so many ideas!

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  22. So glad for Jim's "good to go" test results. And, yes, small changes to the living space make big differences. One suggestion for the TV cabinet... you have seen ours... we use refrigerator bars in that space... some I place vertical, and some horizontal depending what it is I'm holding in place. And the idea we originally got from Nancy & Dave using foam core attached with Velcro tabs makes a great cover and place to display art, photos or notes, etc. Or, to just cover the hole! Will be fun to share more ideas and see your bungalow when you visit this summer! Be well!

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  23. Wonderful news about Jim.

    You're bungalow is going to be wonderful with all your mods. I've been trying to figure out where to put my TV. As far as the cabinet opening I can tell you things bounce around in a trailer. Maybe some tension bars across as you travel?

    I didn't have a lot of closet space so I put a closet in my bathroom. I can still take a shower, but by sitting (lower than the clothes) and using the hand shower.

    I did what I think is a great mod--had a hot water heater that can be run on electric or gas with a switch inside the trailer installed. No more standing outside and blowing my eyebrows off! LOL

    Can't wait to see your other mods. Oh...once my jack quit working. I wanted to cry, but thought about it and figured it must have a fuse. The fuse was attached to the jack. Changed the fuse and voila, it worked. Of course, Jim wouldn't have had to think twice about that fix, but it had me wondering if it had died permanently.

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  24. You guys are way too busy. What kind of clock/thermometer did you install?

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  25. Great news on the biopsies. Its fun to read about the modifications you are doing to the bungalow.

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  26. Yes, Great News! So glad Jim's good for another year! Hoping you will have the same results.

    I really like that TV mod - I agree, my neck is always sore after watching TV for a while. I'd love to have that mod in The Palms. You guys have some good ideas. :)

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  27. wonderful news about Jim's biopsies.I see Ron isn't the only one who has to keep busy.

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Thanks for visiting today. I look forward to reading your comments. Have a beautiful day.