Sand-Free / Dirt-Free Multimat for Camping, Beach, and Picnic

We bought a CGear Sand-free Multimat (Amazon link: CGear Sand-Free Multimat) about a year ago and really loved it. I got the small 6 x 6 foot orange mat, the top side is a bright orange color and the bottom side is a lighter orange with gray color binding. It came with a carrying bag, which is made by same material. The mat has a dual layer weave which is tough and resilient. The material used could be a little rough for someone with sensitive skin like a small child, but for most people, it's not going to be a problem. If you prefer a softer top layer, you can opt for the CGear Sand-free Rug (Amazon link: CGear Sand-free Rug).

We used it on the beach, campgrounds, and picnics. But most of the time I just lay it outside the RV as a doormat to minimize transfer of dirt and sand from outside to inside the rig. Small dirt particles, dust and sand just falls through the mats top layer to the ground beneath, but not back up therefore creating a sand free outside area. If a big lump of sand falls onto the mat, simply wipe your hand over it once and the sand will go straight through. The only gripe is it does not work well when sand and dirt is wet, it sticks to the mat...well they stick everywhere anyway.

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Elk Prairie Campground (Orick, CA.)

Elk Prairie Campground @ Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Elk Prairie campground is one of the 4 developed campgrounds operated by the California Department of Parks and Recreation in Redwoods Forest Northern California. Enjoy the ancient coast redwoods, grazing Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer in Elk Prairie, easy access to over 70 miles of hiking and biking trails, and seasonal campfire programs.

• Location: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, 6 miles north of Orick, Calif. on the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway.
• GPS Coordinates: 41.361875,-124.025439 (Opens Google map in new window)
• Open: Year-round.
• Sites: 75 tent or RV (no hook-ups, no dump station); hiker/biker sites available.
• Facilities: Hot showers, ADA accessible restrooms, picnic tables, firepits and barbeques, food lockers and trash receptacles, visitor center, campfire center.
• Vehicle Length Limit: 27-foot RV or 24-foot trailer.
• Fees: $35 per vehicle, $5 per hiker/biker, $8 for day-use only.
• Reservations: January–September, ReserveAmerica or call 1-800-444-7275.

Elk Prairie Campground Map: Click here.

Video tour of Elk Prairie Campground (HD available):

DIY Solar Powered Holding Tank Vent Fan / Cap

There are times that the RV black holding tank creates a source of undesirable odor within the coach, especially during hot summer months. I needed something to help with the holding tank venting, so I searched the net for possible solution. I've heard good things about the Lil' Stanker vent fan device, but unfortunately it's no longer available anywhere. The Cyclone Sewer Vent device also has good online reviews, but it's not going to work with the Agile holding tank vent because of its location. The vent is located close to the awning housing preventing the Cyclone to freely rotate 360 degrees. Then I tried the solar powered vent fan made by Ultra-Fab available at CW, but found it to be noisy, big, and expensive. The Ultra-Fab fan motor makes clicking noise as it spins, which is really annoying.

So I decided to DIY a solar powered vent fan. Here are the materials you need for this project.

• One 2-inch diameter PVC coupling
• One 3-inch diameter PVC cap
• PVC cement
• One 60-mm PC case fan (rated 5-12 volts)
• One small solar panel (with at least 6-volts output)
• Stainless screws
• Spray paint for plastic (Optional)
• Silicone sealant

Using a Dremel rotary tool, I started working on the PC case fan by carefully cutting the 4 supporting legs from its square casing. I then mounted the fan facing down on one side of the 2" PVC coupling using PVC cement to glue the fan support legs on top (see picture below).

Suburban Propane Furnace Digital Thermostat Upgrade

My original plan was to upgrade both the AC and Furnace thermostats to digital controls, but after several camping trips, I realized that we barely touch or adjust the AC temperature knob. We usually set it on maximum coldness at all times, especially during summer months...so it's not worth upgrading it in my opinion, at least for now. In contrary, the furnace analog thermostat control needs constant temperature adjustment to make you comfortable inside your rig. It is very inconsistent in regulating the temperature inside the RT, you either get too hot or too cold in-between/during cycling.

I opted for the ICM SC1600L Heat Only battery operated digital thermostat with backlit (Amazon link: ICM SC1600L Heat Only Thermostat). It has a simple slide-on switch and big backlit LCD display, plus it's made in the USA. The stat measures 4.6 inch (W) x 3.75 inch (L) x 1.12 inch (H), it fits perfectly to the analog stat original location. The battery (x2 AA) should last for about a year as per owners manual, which isn't bad. It's a simple upgrade, all you need to do is connect the red and white wires from the furnace to the new stat.

Upgrading Dometic Fridge External Cooling Fans with Bypass Switch Installed

The 3-way fridge upper exhaust vent on Agile's and RS's is mounted lower than the top of condenser coil, making it not very effective in venting heat, an external fan(s) is really needed to assist with cooling. Our Dometic Fridge came with 2 (92-mm) external cooling fans forcing air to the condenser cooling fins, it runs rather noisy and draws too much power at around 0.36 amps each. The fans are controlled by a thermostat switch mounted to the condenser coil. The fans automatically turns on when it reaches a preset temp in the condenser coil , then turns itself off when condenser coil cools down.

I replaced both fans with a bigger (120-mm) and more efficient fans. I found one at our local Fry's Electronic store, it's made by Silenx (Amazon link: Silenx Effizio 120mm) . Current draw is only listed as 0.09 amp, very quiet at  12 dBA, and moves a decent amount of air at 44 CFM airflow (more specs. pictured below). I also added a bypass switch wired in parallel with the thermostat switch, this way I can run both fans continuously if I wanted.

Before starting, make sure to disconnect the fridge from 120-volt and 12-volt power supply. Measure if a bigger fan(s) will fit the back of your fridge, the 120mm fan is a perfect fit on mine. Remove the stock fans. Install a bypass switch and a 12-volt inline fuse (optional). Install the new fans using L-brackets (see pictures of install below).

Parts lists that you might need:

• SilentX Effizio 120-mm PC fans (Any 120-mm PC fan should work)
• Push On-Off Illuminated switch
• Dometic Thermodisc Switch with clip for Fan 
• ATO Inline Fuse Holder

2 Silenx Effizio 120mm fan