# My First Mod!!!



## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Good Evening!

I just had to tell everyone about my first Mod experience. An experience it was







.

We decided to add Maxxair Roof vent covers. Let me say this.......They are a great product and I highly recommend them. Installation was a BREEZE! Literally!

Now for the funny part.























I decided that after dinner I was going to climb up on the roof and add two vent covers. No Problem...... I followed Camper Andy's advice and made sure that I had all of my tools with me when I went up. Well. I was working with my cordless drill and here is where the fun begins. I start to drill the first hole and (well, you guessed) the battery died.







Well, the DW was in the house giving the baby a bath and putting her to bed. I get her on the phone and tell her that I need her help, NOW! Well, she comes out and gives me my spare battery, then decides to walk into the TT. As she walks in, the breeze PICKED up......Well, you guessed again.....The ladder blew down the side of the TT.














Now for the fun part......It was a cheap extension ladder and seperated on impact.

Imagine this......You are on the roof, the ladder in on the ground with the DW diligently working to put it together........Now my 4 year old DD is crying because...DADDY CAN NOT GET DOWN
















Well, my DW got the ladder back together....DD stopped crying and the vent covers were flawless. The whole process took about 45 minutes
















Lessons learned......

1. Always secure your ladder!
2. Don't burn up your good electric drill adding rod holders to your Fishing Boat!
3. When you do burn up the drill, buy a new one, ASAP!
4. A 215 lb. adult male CAN safely navigate on the roof of the Outback. I would not want to try to watch a race up there, but for inspections and repair, no problems!

Sorry I am rambling, but I thought this was a funny evening around the Highlander 96 household and had to share!

Tim


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Congrats Tim. You will love those vent covers. I leave them open all summer long, even when on the road. Keeps the inside fresh. At the campsite, I have the TurboMaxx fan running on low the whole time. Hardly ever use the A/C.

Tim


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

That was the first mod that I did also...I added three too mine. Didn't have the problems you had but was very scared walking on the roof...I weighed 265 at the time (I have lost alittle)....I walked very, very, carefully.

Gary


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## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

That's a funnnny story. As a dad, I can completely see where that could all happen. glad you got it on. I'm skiddish bout bein on my roof as well, I'm 225, 6'3". I'd hate to just have a leg fall thru the ceiling! 
I guess I need to look into those fans tho, since everyone loves em so much. Are these covers? or fans??
Mark


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## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

campntn said:


> That's a funnnny story. As a dad, I can completely see where that could all happen. glad you got it on. I'm skiddish bout bein on my roof as well, I'm 225, 6'3". I'd hate to just have a leg fall thru the ceiling!
> I guess I need to look into those fans tho, since everyone loves em so much. Are these covers? or fans??
> Mark
> [snapback]33909[/snapback]​


Mark,

I put two covers (bathroom and bunk room) and a turbo fan on the main cabin vent. I keep them open all of the time and the trailer is never stuffy or hot. Among my first mods also.

Jared


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

I bought the covers. I figured that we would try them for now and see how it goes. I was just out in the camper and I can tell a difference already.

The roof is not bad.....I went up over the port side and the bathroom vent was right there. I never walked, but distributed my weight along the rafters. The roof did not flex or creak....The only thing I heard was the ladder coming down.

The best part is that a few "not so nice" words came out of my mouth and the DW thought I took the "express" off of the roof.

Check out the covers they were about $25.00 each at my dealer. I did not shop them. I was there, he had em', I bought em'

Tim


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

Tim

Congrats on your 1st Mod. In the process you have a campfire story.









Thor


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Great story! If it had only started to rain...


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## Paul_in_Ohio (Sep 29, 2004)

I have three waiting to go on myself. Just waiting for the snow to melt from the last storm we got here in Cleveland.


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## 1stTimeAround (Sep 22, 2004)

Highlander,

Did you install just the vent covers, or the vent fans? I am interested in the vent fans, but man they are expensive? What color did you get? And I thought that the vent covers did not require drilling, I thought they attached to the existing hardware from the vent?

Sorry so many questions!! Great first mod, it seems like only yesterday that I made my first mod, excuse me I'm tearing up!!!

jason


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Jason,

They were the opaque white covers, not vents.

However, they do require drilling.







The vents do attach to the existing hardware on the roof, but you have to drill four 3/16" holes in the vent frame to attach. After the four holes are drilled, it takes only moments to attach the covers. The existing vent frames are aluminium and are very easy to drill.









We are also very interested in the fans. I would really like to put one in the main cabin area. My problem is that I want a new CRT Fishfinder for my boat and I am trying to balance the funding for hobbies right now. This time last year, the boat was in the water and we were catching stripers already.









It is a really easy mod. You just have to be careful with a nice sharp drill bit on that rubber roof!

Tight lines,

Tim


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## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

Ensure when you attach the covers you leave a space between the cover and roof. If you attach the cover too low it will rub on the roof and may tear.

Jared


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Jared,

Good point......They stress that in the "destructions".







On my unit, they lined up perfectly and we have out 1/4" all the way around. The instructions say that is to allow condensation to dissipate.

Tim


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> Great story! If it had only started to rain...
> [snapback]33952[/snapback]​


Or hail!

Good story. For those of us who have kids, it brings to mind a very vivid image. Seems like those things all run together.

Note to self: self, get new drill.

BBB


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## McBeth (Feb 19, 2005)

Does anyone have any insight or preference between the white opaque vent and the smoke see though vents. The smoke color see though are @ $5.00 more is the difference worth the $5.00.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

McBeth said:


> Does anyone have any insight or preference between the white opaque vent and the smoke see though vents. The smoke color see though are @ $5.00 more is the difference worth the $5.00.
> [snapback]34152[/snapback]​


I installed the white ones as I liked the look of them. The Smoked ones only make sense if you have smoked or clear vents. Since we have white vents that you can not see through then the smoked would be a waste of money.


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## DANJOGAVINMO (Apr 17, 2004)

LOL, I was busting a gut. My kids would do exactly the same thing. "oh no, dad is stuck on the camper for life, whaaaaa, whaaaaa"


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## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

McBeth said:


> Does anyone have any insight or preference between the white opaque vent and the smoke see though vents. The smoke color see though are @ $5.00 more is the difference worth the $5.00.
> [snapback]34152[/snapback]​


I have the Translucent White on my TT and they let in light and match the top. The smoke might act as tint on sunny days but I doubt the price difference is worth it. I did not like the egg shell white.

Jared


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