MOTORHOME MODIFICATIONS - *M* is for Muffler and Front Porch Chairs

I am going to start off the new year with posting some of our motorhome modifications, a few at a time. I will post repairs, modifications, or neato things we have found for RVing.  I have lots of pics in my files so I will do them in alphabetical order.

Underneath that stuff, I will post my regular daily stuff..... kinda sorta fun, eh?

So here it goes, we are up to the letter M now!

MOTORHOME MODIFICATIONS 

STARTING WITH THE LETTER M

Muffler:
A while back (2009) our motorhome was getting a little louder and we realized that the salt on our Wisconsin roads is tough on vehicles.  Just look at where the muffler is all rusted out.  It was rusting around the holding straps where the salt gets trapped, even after we rinse things off from a snowy winter road drive.  Bummer, eh?    

We called around to a few Cat truck and parts places for a new one, and they ran in the $350 range!   So then we called our local CarQuest auto parts in our tiny town.  He was able to order the exact same muffler for us for only $170!~

Next he had to special order another part leading up to the muffler. It was the big snaky 4 inch diameter pipe and flange made up at a local exhaust muffler company.  That was more expensive than the muffler!

 MUFFLER  for our 3126 Cat

ORDERED FROM CARQUEST HEX M120598

DONALDSON M120598   5373160   $170

NEW EXHAUST PIPE

 CUSTOM FABRICATED

 AT EAST SIDE EXHAUST, GREEN BAY $228

A fellow Safari owner just supplied me with this information:
 Donaldson p/n H000349
for the 2 muffler hangers/straps/bands

Once all of the parts were in, it was time to head out and do some work. Steve does the hard stuff, and I am the tool gopher and picture taker.  Some of the work was able to be done from up above through the bedroom, where we can access the engine compartment.

Lucky that our king-sized bed lifts up for easy access to our engine compartment.

The old parts came out surprisingly well and in no time Steve had the big snake part bolted up into place.  We both crawled underneath so I could hold up the muffler while he bolted the straps tight to hold it.  It lined up really well, so Steve's measurements were correct on having East Side Exhaust make up the part from his drawing.

Here he is finishing up the job by hanging on the tailpipe. We were able to reuse the original tailpipe as it was still in good shape.

This is what it looks like from up above looking down from the bed compartment. See why he had to make a special piece that needed someone flexibility to reach down to the muffler area?

Whew… good job all done!    And now our Cat is purring along nice and quiet!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve noticed a couple rattan chairs the other day on Facebook Marketplace. (it's his hobby to sit and go through ads on Marketplace and Craigslist)   

They matched our couch and ottoman on the front porch!   We had bought the couch 2 years ago from Craigslist, and back then I painted the rattan frame and re-covered the cushions. 

We had always wanted a few more chairs out there....

 but just had the one rocker and the little kids set.

We contacted the sellers. They were wayyyy down in Madison, but would hold the chairs until we got there.  Steve said "Let's Go!" and we hooked our little trailer onto the Tracker and set out 100 miles one way to buy two chairs!  hahaha  They knocked $10 off the price because we were coming so far.  The chairs were only $20 each. 

Now instead of the single rocking chair on that other side of the porch, we will have 2 chairs with our little ottoman in between.  Sometimes the morning sunshine in the mid summer is quite hot over on the couch side...  but where these chairs will sit, it is shaded by the tall pine in the front yard. 

(the rocking chair was gifted to us from the people 

we bought the house from 5 years ago,

 so I just offered it back to them if they want it)

This morning I ran to the hardware store and got a can of primer and 2 cans of paint and got to work on the frames. 

 

Steve put the sawhorses out and propped up the chairs for me.  

He had to go and drive again for the handicapped folks,

but that is okay. He hates painting. 

We opened the windows and set up a fan, I wore my mask and got to work!  We have all the windows open upstairs too and turned off the furnace.  Good thing it's almost 40 degrees outside for fresh air. (otherwise I would have done this in the garage) 

I am about to go down after this and do a top coat.  I think it is coming out great. 

The fabric I had used on the couch, sadly, is discontinued at Joann's. I searched elsewhere online and it's from their own exclusive line of fabrics.  I did get a nice helpful suggestion from the clerk at the local Joann's to come and get some coordinating fabric in that same line, and make the cushions covers out of that. Then I can move 2 of the existing couch pillows over on the chairs as accents... and make 2 new pillows to add to the couch to tie it all together. 

I think I see a trip to Joann's this afternoon as soon as Steve gets done with driving????