Investigation of new RV

[Forest Grump]

I need to see, find and investigate every nook and cranny of the RV. Get the square driver out, load it into my Dewalt electric screw driver and I am a happy camper for a few hours. If something has a baseboard, baseplate, lid cover etc. and 4 screws it comes off and I take pictures. Then I spend an hour looking for the dam screws and trying to put it back on.

Gems I have found.

Under the fridge in the slide a huge compartment with a really heavy duty bag containing a wire/piping bundle.

Under the bathroom sink a small long rectangular area with wire bundles, air ducts and a unplugged hole to sewer bay and a 8 x 8 inch opening into the electrical compartment under L shaped couch.

Under L shaped couch the electrical compartment and of course entry into under bathroom sink area and unplugged hole into sewer bay. Under long arm of L shaped couch a huge area available with the exception of about 1/4 of it for air ducts.

Under bedroom closet air ducts, water lines, electric bundles and direct above entry into rear cargo hold contains the furnace and hot water heater.

Pulled the lid on the 12v 120v power center, everything you need to know. The converter can be changed out even to other replacement brands that slide in.

To be discovered, under the dash.

[ctpres]

While you are in all those holes - make paper notes on what is there in the way of fuses, valves, modules etc. I put all mine in a word processor document that has a PDF export function. That gives me a SEARCHABLE inventory.

[Forest Grump]

I tend to be a picture guy so I take pictures, often with a ruler.

[Doggy Daddy]

Those magnetic bowls work great in keeping the square screws from crawling away.

[Skillet]

When I got mine I opened everything I could. At one, I stretched my arm all the way back in a floor cabinet that has a safe. Well behind the safe was a 5yo (expired) package of Raman noodles. Couldn't tell if it's bad or not! Tossed it tho...

[MikeandClaudia]

You might consider filling all of those holes in with expandable foam to discourage the mice. I hate those meeces to pieces!

[Forest Grump]

I did.

[Mr_D]

Yep, need to do that with the Magna. Seems CC put a lot of thought into covering up the storage areas! I took out a false panel under one of the bath sinks and found enough room to store all the cleaning supplies. The two interior breaker panels take up one whole cabinet area. I bet there's a lot of storage there even if I have to move wires and build some bulkheads. Seems like the 45' Magna has 30% LESS storage than the 40' Dutch Star, they just covered up so many good areas!

[Bad Bolt]

When I discovered the damaged flooring in the bathroom supporting the toilet in an eight inch radius, I needed to see if there was any further damage. Coaches are not like houses that are level and usually completely flat. So, any water leak from a plumbing system can go most ANYWHERE.

I pulled the little vent cover from the shower, the false floor of the vanity and any other cover that would gain me visual access to the deck.

With smartphones having such great flash/camera systems, I took quite a few pictures. The great thing also is that you can just stick your hand and camera phone into dark recesses and take full flash pictures to review. Most phones have a zoom feature that allows you to REALLY look closely.

Fortunately, I discovered no further damage to the subfloor....Thank God!!

[Forest Grump]

Cell phone cameras are great for my snooping. Can't see stick ur camera/phone in and shoot away.

[Crankshaft]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

Cell phone cameras are great for my snooping. Can't see stick ur camera/phone in and shoot away.

Or get one of those selfie sticks. Use the self timer and then put the phone down or in where ever you can't reach. I did this with our bathroom vanitiy. I noticed that the back wall of the vanity was almost 10 inches away from the outside wall. Cellphone and selfie stick went over the wall to see what they could see. Came back with wires, plumbing and a lot of construction junk. I'll post the pic later.

Fred

[Forest Grump]

I have one of those areas in mine too. Was thinking of running the solar wires down it but that required too much thinking so I went down into the bedroom wardrobe closet. A little longer but I used 2 g wires.

[Betr2Trvl]

Originally Posted by Bad Bolt

Coaches are not like houses that are level and usually completely flat. So, any water leak from a plumbing system can go most ANYWHERE.

I'd sure like to find a house that is level and flat! I don't think a contractor has been allowed / and or knows how to use a level or square in 30 years!

[Crankshaft]

Originally Posted by Crankshaft

Or get one of those selfie sticks. Use the self timer and then put the phone down or in where ever you can't reach. I did this with our bathroom vanitiy. I noticed that the back wall of the vanity was almost 10 inches away from the outside wall. Cellphone and selfie stick went over the wall to see what they could see. Came back with wires, plumbing and a lot of construction junk. I'll post the pic later.

Fred

Here's one pic from the selfie stick