Roadtrek Play Upgrades...Part 4

 Upgrade Posts List:

Part 1 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

In Part 4 we'll cover a few more of our Roadtrek Play upgrades, including:

• Slider Door Handle 
• Exit Step Down Handle
• TV Mount
• Stove & Sink Covers
• Utensil Drawer Storage

Slider Door Handle Upgrade

The slider door OEM handle always felt like it could snap off. When we saw that an upgraded handle was available from 3D Tech we installed this one. It's a big, beefy handle and is easier to grab and there's no feeling that it will break off in your hand.   

Exit Slider Door Handle

I was a bit insecure stepping down out of the slider door, and the OEM handle on the right side is great for entering the van, but it's on the wrong side for me to step out.
We installed this great handle  from Amazon on the sink cabinet from inside the cabinet and it's made the step down much more secure. It's almost like that corner of the cabinet was made for a handle....LOL. 

TV Mount

Our Play did not come with a TV, so we purchased a 24 inch Roku TV and used this Rotating Mount from Amazon to install. The TV can be rotated to use in vertical position if desired. 

Stove and Sink Covers

One of the first realizations with our Play was that without covers, we would quickly drop something on the glass stove & sink lids and shatter them.
I looked at a couple of solutions, and ended up buying a molded foam kitchen mat and cutting it in half. Because the inner foam is "crumbly, I sealed the cut edges with some silicone. The mats are sturdy enough to hold our induction burner or coffee maker, and they provide great protection for the glass lids. When not in use, they slide into the "Pizza Oven" shelf. 

Utensil Drawer Storage

I really like keeping our cooking utensils protected. We haven't had rodent issues so far, but I worry about the possibility of one breaching our Play and contacting utensils. A Rubbermaid 4.4 Liter Take-Along fits nicely in the under stove drawer. The outer edges of the container need to be trimmed with utility scissors a bit to allow the contain to sit down into the drawer and allow smooth opening and closing. 

That's all for Part 4!

Upgrade Posts List:

Part 1 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Roadtrek Play Upgrades (Part 5)

Upgrade Posts List:

Part 1 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

In Part 5, we cover:

• Battery Disconnect for the Chassis
• ScanGauge III

Battery Disconnect (Chassis)

We had the misfortune of depleting our chassis battery. Once, I inadvertently left the rear door light on. 
After it was depleted, even with fully charging, it didn't seem to hold a charge. 
We winterized the van, and even with everything turned off (chassis) the battery was still dead within a week. The battery tender didn't even keep it charged. 
After exploring reasons for this, we found that there are several Promaster components that can cause a parasitic draw. The U-Connect system is one, and another is the door locking system. 
Our battery was replaced under Ram warranty, but we were concerned about further draws. To resolve this issue, we looked at a chassis battery disconnect. 
We chose one which had been used by a fellow Roadtrek owner and which seemed to be working well for him. 
We ordered and this Remote Battery Disconnect from Amazon. Within a few minutes it was installed by removing the negative battery cable, adding the disconnect, and attaching the negative cable to the device.
Now, when not using the van for a week or more, we have no worries. We simply lock the van and use the provided remote to disconnect the battery. There's minimal (5milliamp) draw from the device itself, and it performs flawlessly. 
Our Promaster chassis is the second half chassis, which has the upgraded U-Connect radio and navigation system. Even when using the disconnect, the U-Connect immediately synchs upon turning on the battery. I've read that older chassis need to be re-paired. 
We'll add pics soon. 

ScanGauge III

We wanted to be able to monitor some performance gauges in our Promaster. After researching, we decided the ScanGauge III was the best option for us. With it's bright screen and touch interface, it's easy to view and edit as needed.
We are currently monitoring the variables listed in the image below, but they can easily be swapped. 
It can be mounted with the shown suction cup mount. The mount has a silicone sticky pad under the suction cup and is super secure. The ScanGauge attaches to the mount magnetically and can be lifted off easily to hold if adding or removing gauges. 
We purchased ours at Advanced Auto Parts with a 40% off coupon. 
More info on the ScanGauge site.

Upgrade Posts List:

Part 1 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Short-eared Owls at Killdeer Plains

     Monday was a gorgeous day! Beautiful sunshine and best of all....NO WIND!
That made it a great day to watch and photograph Short-eared Owls. "Shorties" usually begin hunting about 30-60 minutes before sunset. They don't prefer to hunt in windy weather.
    The Shorties begin moving north to their spring and summer locations around early to mid February. Some years they stay a bit later depending on weather conditions. 
    Last year, we skipped Killdeer Plains in favor of visiting Pickaway County. We had amazing opportunities there, but hadn't had an opportunity to go there. We've also watched them at Huffman Prairie....and watched as 7 Shorties launched out of the prairie within seconds of each other.
    I saw that the owls were still showing at Killdeer so we made the trip on Monday.
There's so much to see at Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area! I'll add a separate post on our other views.
    Here's some of our favorite Short-eared Owl images for this visit, and a clip of David's amazing capture of a Shortie Dive for prey. 
    I've included a map as well....our favorite area to see the owls is on Township Highway 108, along the two ponds. The area is boxed in red. While the Shorties can be seen almost anywhere at Killdeer, TH 108 offers the most reliable looks. 

Pileated Woodpeckers

    We were taking advantage of the unseasonably warm and sunny weather and happened upon this Pileated Woodpecker pair readying their nest cavity. Nest construction takes 4-6 weeks....looks like they have been working on this one for a while. Mom was doing most of the work, chipping out the interior of the cavity....she does not have the red facial stripe as dad has. He was staying nearby; keeping an eye out (he's the last pic). Once eggs are laid, both mom & dad take turns incubating the eggs which takes from 15-18 days. Hoping we can watch this family through the season. I'll share pics, but am not posting the location so the birds won't be distracted as they begin nesting.

Mrs. Pileated Woodpecker enlarging the nest cavity.

Chipping away...

Mr. Pileated Woodpecker keeping watch. 

Sandhill Crane Migration at Jasper-Pulaski

We took a daytrip to Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area last week to see large numbers of Sandhill Cranes as they travel south for the winter. The reserve had been on my list of places to visit, and when it popped up in my calendar notifications we decided to visit. 
Jasper-Pulaski is located in northwest Indiana....about 4 hours from us here in west-central Ohio. We elected to arrive in time to see the cranes socialize and then move to the marshes for the night. 
The Sandhill Cranes, with wingspans of up to 7 feet, breed in the northern US and Canada. They migrate to the southern US for the winter months. As they travel, they stop for the night to rest and feed. The Indiana  DNR posts weekly counts of the cranes ....during our visit, the count was approximately 13,000. 
Purdue University's Forest and Natural Resources Extension has some interesting data on Sandhill migration....showing  Jasper-Pulaski as a "collection point" where cranes meet up to continue migration.
The preserve has a "Sandhill Crane Observation Area" in which a raised observation deck allows great views of the cranes. 
We arrived about 3pm, and made our way to the Observation Deck, where we watched many cranes that were already in the fields. As sundown approached, more and more cranes kited in. All became quite social and active...."dancing" and vocalizing. 
We watched and flock after flock came in, settling in the marshes seen in the distance. The orientation of the deck allowed for wonderful sunset views of the cranes. 
What a great time we had....well worth the drive and one that we'll likely make in the future.  

Auroras and the Mighty Mack Bridge

This was our first visit to the Mackinaw area. We scouted yesterday knowing that the KP index (measurement of the strength of the magnetic impulse from a sunspot and predictor of aurora potential) was going to be up to 5. My dream was to get pics of the aurora over the bridge. We arrived at Old Mackinaw Lighthouse Point well before sundown last evening, and shot lots of pics of folks enjoying the sunset. We shot more of the bridge as dusk encroached, and darkness finally arrived. We captured some fireworks being shot off from the St. Ignace side. Then, just before 9pm, we caught our first glimpse of the aurora. It was a tear-jerking moment. It became intense enough for us to see some pillars (intense vertical streaks of light)! The auroras faded (as predicted) as the waning full moon rose....and using my fisheye lens, I was able to catch the moon with the bridge and the fading auroras. Thank you to David for fulfilling a dream and sharing an amazing night!