Quick Tips and Easy Mods (Monaco Style)

[RCG604]

WOW Myron! Great job! I would love to replace the wood-grain stuff on my Scepter.

Richard

[Captjake1]

Yes! Very nice! I love the cover to keep the animals off of the switches

[YC1]

I built the myself. Really quite easy. The most difficult thing is finding a supplier of 1/8 inch aluminum. I recently discovered a place that sells cutoffs etc from their main fabrication facility. Cutting holes for the switches individually is slow and tedious but I also found some plastic housings that the switches pop into so the hole does not have to quite perfect. You can get them individually or have them stacked side by side as shown in the pictures. They really dress up the outside edges of the switches

The next project will be the entry panel and the passenger panel. It is nice to move switches around to more logical positions. I will add a 12 volt outlet next to the passenger at that time and change out that funky cup holder that does not seem to hold any normal cups or drinks.

Ok, the panels are covered in marine grade vinyl. You could use paint or use any kind of cover. Powder coat etc. I like the look and feel of the carbon fiber look of the vinyl.

I have also moved the AC vents to much more effective locations.

There are places that could the switch holes out but it is not that difficult.. Getting the curved edge was not difficult either. I roughed it out with a jig saw and then used a belt sander to round it off.

[10Boomer]

Myron, super job! I like the cover for brake and switches. The material you used looks similar to my current dash bezel area on our 2008.
I was at a plastics vendor they have so many different patterns, colors and wood grains. What was your base material, did you overlay?

[YC1]

Perry, I used 1/8 aluminum sanded lightly and applied spray adhesive to the material and the metal. It sticks like, well glue of course.

Using the aluminum avoids any chance of a corner screw breaking like they do in the plastic originals. The mounting surfaces were repaired as needed with aluminum angle pieces. Hard to describe but basically lined the sides of the radio area and the dash area with angle aluminum. No more run out screw holes or ugly broken corners.

I considered plastic for a long time but finding the right product that would hold up and drilling my own mounting holes just did not seem to work .

As an example the parking brake flexed the plastic area it was attached to. The aluminum is solid and looks nice. My wife approves so it has passed the test.

The radio area had been rebuilt many times but this time starting with a blank slate allowed me to really lay it out for usefulness. The radio is now about 2 inches further out versus living in the large indent. That made it harder to reach and to read. The new radio has simpler controls versus the fancy touch screen I had installed.

I am very happy with the new layout and it has updated the area.

[10Boomer]

Originally Posted by YC1

Perry, I used 1/8 aluminum sanded lightly and applied spray adhesive to the material and the metal. It sticks like, well glue of course.

Using the aluminum avoids any chance of a corner screw breaking like they do in the plastic originals. The mounting surfaces were repaired as needed with aluminum angle pieces. Hard to describe but basically lined the sides of the radio area and the dash area with angle aluminum. No more run out screw holes or ugly broken corners.

I considered plastic for a long time but finding the right product that would hold up and drilling my own mounting holes just did not seem to work .

As an example the parking brake flexed the plastic area it was attached to. The aluminum is solid and looks nice. My wife approves so it has passed the test.

The radio area had been rebuilt many times but this time starting with a blank slate allowed me to really lay it out for usefulness. The radio is now about 2 inches further out versus living in the large indent. That made it harder to reach and to read. The new radio has simpler controls versus the fancy touch screen I had installed.

I am very happy with the new layout and it has updated the area.

Good to know Myron, definitely understand. Happycarz and have been discussing switch position changes, but I like your approach and reasoning.
I'm going to TAP plastics again next week for a couple other items.
I will pick up a couple of nylon plastic samples, take pictures for you to see.

For future reference, the screw holes are a big issue, epoxy can be used, something I used are aluminum with hard rubber inserts, its installed like a river. ( similar like nutsert)

Like your work!

[YC1]

Since I am rebuilding the passenger area here is an example of the switch holders and a DC outlet and usb outlet that will make things easier for the Navigator.

They make a usb connector the same size as one of the switches but I want a regular 12 volt outlet so she can use her lap warmer.

Why she needs a lap warmer is a mystery to me since she usually has a fur baby on her lap most of the time.

If you buy these switch holders don't get confused as I did at first. It looks like you can just order them individually and stack them together but they do not seem to come apart even though they have been slid together. I think they are gluing them or maybe I am just a wimp. It would take a good knock to take them apart in any case so order them carefully.

[Vanwill]

Myron, I am in the process of (slowly) fabricating an entire new instrument panel and left-side console panel for my coach. Even though I own a machine shop, we are a machining-only facility--that is, I do not have shears and press brakes or equipment for handling sheet-metal projects. I've decided to make my four-panel, one-piece dash in separate pieces and come up with some way to make the joints look good. I think I would have liked to do it this way even if I were equipped to bend the large pieces to the angles necessary to fit my dash. The reason I choose to do it that way is that when you need to get to one single component behind the dash, if it is all one piece you end up with a huge, unwieldy piece that is hard to work on. Having three separate panels would make it much easier.

I'm using 3/16 aluminum sheet (we had some in stock and it's easy for me to get) and will have it black anodized when I'm done. I'm not sure what I'll do at the joints where the dash sections will abut one another. I can machine-miter the joints so they are very accurate and smooth, and fit together well, but I suspect I am still going to want some kind of "joint cover".

I'll send pix when I'm further along. Nice job you are doing!

[Mrb1ll]

Originally Posted by 10Boomer

Carpet cutout and fitted for front side. I left it same height as floor for now. When I get the mirrored SS next week, I will cut 5" off top. They will overlap and the carpet will need to be bound and edged, before adhering to side of step box.
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I like how you added the lights and the color of the tread cover used. My Tiffin Phaeton has what looks like the exact same steps but in black. Carpet and tile are beige so your treatment looks much nicer. Got me in the mood to do the same.

Explain, or show, how you connected to power source PLEASE. I have step light switch and assume that is the best place to connect. I've not used LED strips before and do you need a transformer? Do you simply connect to a 12 volt source? Electricity, and most things related, seem to be a challenge for me. No matter how simple it appears, I somehow have trouble.

Thanks and good job!

[10Boomer]

Originally Posted by Mrb1ll

I like how you added the lights and the color of the tread cover used. My Tiffin Phaeton has what looks like the exact same steps but in black. Carpet and tile are beige so your treatment looks much nicer. Got me in the mood to do the same.

Explain, or show, how you connected to power source PLEASE. I have step light switch and assume that is the best place to connect. I've not used LED strips before and do you need a transformer? Do you simply connect to a 12 volt source? Electricity, and most things related, seem to be a challenge for me. No matter how simple it appears, I somehow have trouble.

Thanks and good job!

Mrb1ll, thx for the nice comments.
The LEDs are 18" long with pig-tails attached already. My steps are 24" wide so I centered them.
I originally had two step lights on the front side stair panel. I use only one of the original light connections to power the 3 LED strips. Back in the thread you will see various pictures showing this process but I will include a few for illustration. I drilled a 1/4" hole right adjacent to bull nose of each tread, it disappears below it. Last picture you can see the old hole for light it was filled in before carpeting sides.
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[YC1]

Hi Van,
I split the console next to the drive into two pieces because as you say it is difficult to work with such a huge part. Moving things about and getting the leveling controls oriented correctly makes it really nice. The flip down cover is a real bonus. I had built a wooden one and now have one that works instantly and looks better.

I did not replace the instrument section but did rebuild the mounting structure and covered it.

The radio stack is now really neat behind it. I spent hours straightening things up in there.

I would love to see your pictures when you get to it.

[Golfer Guy]

Myron, outstanding job on the panels. Piece of art. Those broken plastic corners where the screw holes are drive me nuts on my coach too. Your pictures get me thinking about trying to do something on my dash and instrument panel also.

There is some incredible talent and ingenuity on this forum, just unbelievable.

Steve

[bama49]

I have a 1995 Monaco Windsor that I am going to replace the carpet with either hardwood or cerimic tile. I have been told that ceramic tile is not a good choice because it would crack over time due to the floor flexing. Has anyone else replace their flooring with ceramic? If so have you had any problem?

Thanks
Bama49

[10Boomer]

Our Camelot came from the factory with ceramic tile. The grout seems to start cracking out, simpler fix is to use polyurethane grout. No issues since.