Upgrades

However great a fifth wheel might be, there are always things that could be better. Here are improvements we have made on the trailer.

Opaque roller blinds added:
March 2004. At New Horizons RV factory. Traveling with cats we were concerned that the cats would shred the standard pleated blinds normally installed in RV's (this is a problem in our new house in the one case where we have such a blind). Horizons installed opaque roller blinds for us in place of the standard pleated blinds. The cats can get behind them easily to see out, and cannot damage the blinds. They have the added benefit of being more opaque than the standard day/night blinds.
Slide Toppers added:
March 2004. At New Horizons RV factory. When we went to pick up the trailer I asked that they add Slide Toppers. As it turns out, they had just started offering that option and had them on hand.
Receiver hitch added:
March 2004. At New Horizons RV factory. There is no place on the truck where we can carry a spare (many folks do not even carry one). The only place on the trailer for a spare is the rear compartment, and it already contained the trailer spare. We had a receiver installed under the rear bumper, and put a tire carrier in it. The smaller trailer spare is on the carrier; the larger truck spare is in the trailer compartment (it would not fit the carrier).
Installed Wi-Fi bridge & motorized external Wi-Fi antenna:
Early 2006. For more details see this page: Selected Systems: Wi-Fi WAN Connection.
Installed file drawer locks:
April 2007. At New Horizons RV factory. All three file drawers now have locks. New Horizons' cabinet shop did the touchy work of getting the holes in the correct place, and installed the same locks used to lock hatch covers, and taking the same keys. I immediately replaced them with better looking locks taking a different key so that someone with a hatch cover key cannot unlock the file drawers.
Add desktop cabinet:
April 2007. At New Horizons RV factory. Kay had a mess of stuff that she kept on wire shelves over her color inkjet printer to the right of her laptop. We had a cabinet with door made to fit over the printer to hide this stuff and make it more secure when towing.
Enlarged cat condo doors:
April 2007. At New Horizons RV factory. The openings to the two sleeping levels were too small; cleaning was very difficult; it was difficult to get a recalcitrant cat out. The openings were widened and new doors were constructed and installed.
Installed TV antenna:
April 2007. At New Horizons RV factory. We did not originally get a TV antenna because we had satellite TV. However, we could not always get satellite reception. Even when we did there were times when we could not get what the satellite folks refer to as "distant networks", and which we refer to as the old fashioned broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox). Some of Kay's favorite shows are on those channels, and she can get rather testy when she misses her shows. Got an amplified antenna installed to save my sanity.
Installed cell phone amplifier:
August 2007. For more details see this page: Selected Systems: Cell Phone Amplifier.
Upgraded satellite Internet:
August 2007. For more details see this page: Selected Systems: Satellite Internet.
Fluorescent Overhead Lights:
April 2008. Replaced the dim, energy hungry, incandescent overhead lights with brighter fluorescent lights that use half the power. Wow! What a difference. Should have done this one years ago.