Phase IV: Toys, Toys, Toys & Completion

Click the Image for Full-Size Now, that all the major construction is actually completed all that is left is to install all the toys and other accessories. As I have mentioned many times in the past, I used to own a plymouth acclaim before I owned this truck, from the acclaim I had a various amount of salvaged parts.
Click the Image for Full-Size One was the old magnet mount CB antenna. On my truck, I have a REAL cb antenna, a nice Firestik II, so the old cheap magnet one became another piece of junk piled in the tool shed. I also had my TV signal booster and my little b/w TV sitting around. So I finally got to work and put the two in. I cut off the original CB screw on on the antenna and attached a standard Cable screw on plug in its place. I then fished the wiring for the line for the TV, the old antenna line and 12 volt cord for the TV and booster into the inside of the passenger side rear cabinet and permanently installed them.

Click the Image for Full-Size Click the Image for Full-Size When at camp, I simply have to open the cabinet, pull out the antenna and base, unwind the cord from the cabient and place it on the roof (or ground, depending on clearance) and get the TV out. To keep the antenna from blowing off the roof or all over the ground, I carry along a piece of scrap plate steel and just stick the magnet base to it before positioning. The nice thing about the CB antenna is that the TV can be used going down the road without worry of it being knocked off. I just stick it to the bumper and it stays put, the benefit of the old trucks having a steel bumper.

Once the TV was finished, I mounted my nice 12 volt occilating fan to the side of the right-side cabinet (Looking In). I picked it up some time back at our local truck stop for about $10. It originally didn't have an on/off switch, so I installed a cheap roll switch so I didn't have to plug and unplug the unit when I needed it. It puts out a lot of air movement for its size, but doesn't pull a lot of power. Some day I will actually get my brother's multi-meter out there and see how many amps it draws, I just know it got ran for about 20 hours on a camping trip to Diamond Lake and hardly drained the battery, but kept me and my lady nice and frosty cool in the 90 degree weather.

Click the Image for Full-Size Looking back at how this all began, I am amazed and delighted with how it turned out in the end. I am looking forward to going camping with my rig far into the fall and early winter with my setup. I like to thank all of you who have been such inspiration for my work, and for the advice and encouragement that I recieved, most of all I'd like to thank my buddy Kelly, who's featured in the last picture on the right. See ya all on the road!

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