All our mods and upgrades in 25,000 miles

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Let's start at the very beginning, in December 2020 when, after months of research, we placed our order for our very first RV, which would also become our only home for the foreseeable future. The pressure was high, but we felt that our research gave us a good grasp of what to look for in a full-time rig. Quality-wise, we wanted to rise above all the issues that are unfortunately all too common in the RV world. Design-wise, we learned early on that we are not fans of the typical RV aesthetic.

When we came across ATC toyhaulers, we knew that no other rig would fit our needs and tastes. We had already discussed renovating and outfitting a trailer, and an ATC would give us the ability to do that, without needing to start from scratch. We would get the high-quality bones and then be able to customize how we wanted.

The customizations started during our order process. Our ATC Gamechanger Pro was the step above the Gamechanger baseline model, and it offered more options for upgrades and add-ons. (Now, the comparable models are called Plā toyhaulers, and the add-ons and upgrades are listed differently).

Made-to-order customizations and add-ons

• We got to choose our color palette, opting for white exterior and interior
• No decals (except the logo)
• Tankless water heater
• Patio option with railings and a pull-down screen
• Additional upper cabinets on both sides
• Foldable countertop
• No Happijac bed (I suppose this is more of a takeaway than an add-on)
• Lithium ion batteries

We also got what we like to call "COVID perks" because we ordered at a time when supply chains were pretty broken, causing manufacturers to be forced into a "take what you can get" situation. This is when ATC upgraded their refrigerators from propane to 12V residential. They have stuck with this ever since. We also got Good Year Endurance tires which were much better than the Westlakes that used to come on the trailers. Also, because they were running low on stock furniture, we told them that we did not need any of it because we'd be getting rid of it anyway. They ended up sending us the trailer with only the table in it, which we took out, but no couches, benches, or chairs.

Our bare bones were there, and after we got the rig back to Massachusetts, it was time to get started on our original outfitting.

Flooring

We weren't sure if it could be done because the original floors had built-in airline tracks, but then we saw a couple of ATC owners who installed vinyl panels around the tracks. We didn't need the tracks, but this gave us hope that we could at least get flooring down in some capacity. We enlisted the help of the handyman we hired to do a couple of fixes on our house when we were getting it ready to sell. We had bought a specific kind of vinyl that was supposed to flex better in varying climates, and then Anthony decided on a cork subfloor for moisture-resistance. Handyman Paul was able to remove the airline tracks entirely, which left us with seamless vinyl flooring throughout the main area of our RV. We added area rugs on top for a decorative/cozy touch, and to add extra warmth. All the layers helped with insulation a little, but our feet still got quite cold. Slippers have been a must on cold days!

How is it holding up? A few of the panels have bent, and a couple of them have little chips, but we have not yet needed to replace any panels. We have, however, replaced our rugs quite a few times. RV life is very, very dirty, and those rugs really take the brunt of it.

Workstation

We had an idea early on of how we wanted to configure our workstation/dining room table. The stock table folds out in a way that juts out into the kitchen space, but because we use the kitchen often, we knew we would rather have a longer surface that sticks out less. I found a design plan by Ana White, where she built a side-by-side folding workstation over the wheel well of a tiny home. This would be perfect, but we didn't have the skillset, or the time, to build it from scratch. And so we ended up repurposing a bookshelf we bought on Home Depot's website. We secured the shelf over the wheel well by sawing off the back legs and bolting it into the tracks that came on our trailer. Then we bought lumber, which we had cut to size. We treated it and hinged each piece to the bookshelf. In the down position, they serve as cupboard doors, keeping our belongings secure during travel with strong magnetic clasps. In the up position, we screwed in plates underneath that fit adjustable IKEA table legs. We simply screw the legs in and voila! We have table tops. We can configure the workstation the way we want: both tables up, no tables up, or one up and one down. This gives us extra space when we need it, allows us to sit far apart when we have lots of work materials on the tables, or we can sit side-by-side or kitty-cornered when we're working together or playing a board game.

How is it holding up? We took some precautions during the build process, adding two hinges per table top instead of one, and putting two places for legs in case we needed more support. Turns out, the hinges and single leg do the trick. We have piled loads of groceries on those tables, and they hold the weight great. Besides a few knicks and scratches in the wood, this workstation is holding strong, and we are absolutely thrilled with the functionality and design.

Furniture

We added the rest of our furniture as we built our trailer out to have a residential design. We initially had a loveseat/ottoman combo with storage under each section. Across from the loveseat was Lily's litter cubby, another item we repurposed from an old IKEA cubby. During our stationary time this past November and December, we swapped out this furniture. Lily has a new cubby, we have an oversized chair and storage ottoman, and we've brought in a couple of other storage solutions.

How is it holding up? The old loveseat and ottoman had definitely run their course, but they lasted over two years. We actually started using the loveseat in our house before we launched. The great part of outfitting our RV is that we can change out our furniture whenever we want, shop anywhere we want, and it's never a hassle. Nothing is bolted down, everything is moveable, and we have always chosen furniture styles that fit our preferred aesthetic.

Stairs

Our stairs have been by far one of our favorite upgrades. We won't go into the whole story again, but you can read it here. Those stairs were a thorn in our side from the first day we got our RV, made even worse by our front door getting constantly stuck on the bottom of the door frame. We switched the steps out for Torklift GlowSteps.

How are they holding up? They are fantastic. Once in a while we need to WD-40 the brackets because they fold in and out accordion-style. We also at one point lost the cap to the legs, but we contacted Torklift and they sent us extras at no cost. Those are very small issues when compared to the life-changing capabilities of these stairs.

RV Lock

There were a couple of reasons for us to switch out our stock front door lock. First, stock locks are not that secure, and some RVs use the same key for several different RV doors. Not safe. Second, we had two experiences where I locked myself out of the RV because I didn't know that Anthony had left the inside lock locked.

We loved the idea of the RV Lock and it came highly recommended. It has a key, a fob, and a keypad, so there is now hardly any chance of one of us getting locked out. We can give someone the key code in an emergency, like if someone ever needed to get the pets out when we weren't there. And it's super convenient to not need to fiddle with keys when we're bringing in shopping bags.

How is it holding up? Unfortunately, we are seeing a lot of wear on the bottom half of the keypad. We're not sure if it's affecting the buttons themselves, but sometimes the buttons don't seem to react to our pressing. The torn plastic coating also pokes our fingertips, which is pretty painful. We're past the warranty, but we contacted RV Lock anyway, and they offered us a replacement for free if we pay the cost of shipping.

Wacko AC Silencers

This is one of those upgrades that we forget we did, until we hear someone complaining about their loud air conditioning units, and we go "oh riiiight." Those things really are deafening, and the Wacko silencers take care of the sound wonderfully. This is another great blog post to read because we even tested the decibel levels before and after installing the silencers, and that test speaks volumes!

How are they holding up? We love them. They protrude a little bit more than our original AC covers, but that's a small price to pay for the quieter sound. The filters and covers are also extremely easy to clean.

Solar installation

Solar was an upgrade we knew we wanted, and we actually got our installation pretty early on in our travels. We did a lot of research to find out what we wanted, plus we talked to Boondoctor John, the go-to installer for ATCs, and we came up with a game plan.

How's it holding up? We always say the more tech we add, the higher a chance something will go wrong, and sure, we've had some problems with our solar, but the bottom line is, we couldn't camp the way we want without it. This is another life-changing upgrade and, without a doubt, our favorite of them all.

We have tons of solar-related posts, which you can find in our Renos and Mods category.

Got rid of the TV and Jensen stereo

We mentioned in a recent post that ATC no longer puts Jensen stereos in their toyhaulers, and the whole customer-base is probably rejoicing. These things were eyesores, and even though we never tried ours, we heard they didn't work well. They were connected to a sound system that allowed people to play audio through speakers in the ceiling and outside. Now, our Jensen is gone, our speakers are connected to nothing, and a close look under our kitchen cabinets reveals the big white cover-ups to where we shoved the remaining wires.

As for the TV, the trailer came stock with a flatscreen, which was mounted in the kitchen where we now have our canvas art. There are also places to mount the TV in the bedroom and outside. We don't watch enough TV to even want it taking up space, so we got rid of it, but we especially hated its positioning in the kitchen, because it blocked our freezer door from opening entirely. To us, food is way more important than TV, so that baby needed to go.

How are they holding up? They're not, and that's what we love about it. Also, our art wall now has photos from our travels instead of the generic eucalyptus art. (The top canvas covers up holes from where we took down the TV mount, so it serves double duty).

Doorknobs

Not something we planned on changing, but when one knob broke, we replaced them both with a style that appealed to us.

How are they holding up? This style of doorknob in a small space does mean that sometimes belt loops and pockets get stuck when we're walking through, but otherwise, we really love these doorknobs, and they seem like they will last a long time.

Kitchen mods

We got a tip from other ATC owners to remove a piece of sheet metal that covers the heating ducts under the kitchen sink. This basically doubles the storage space.

A while back, we switched out our stock sink cover for a Tidy Board, which we sanded down to fit in our sink. We liked the look and the practicality of having a cutting board and strainer available as part of our counter space.

Most recently, we replaced our faucet. The old faucet was a little too small, so when we washed dishes, especially on a trickle when conserving water, the drips would get everywhere. We wanted a slightly larger faucet so that it would overhang a little more. We also chose one that matched our aesthetic a bit better.

How are they holding up? We weren't sure if removing the sheet metal would cause too much heat seeping through the ducts, but they're insulated anyway, so this hasn't been an issue at all. We barely even remember that we took that piece out, and we're glad we did. As for the Tidy Board, the aluminum oxide got to it, and we couldn't get it clean, so we tossed it and went back to the stock cover. Our faucet is beautiful and drips less, but the flow isn't as good when it's in spray mode. For us, it was a worthy trade-off, and it looks so classy!

Connectivity and Decor

Then of course, we did some major mods with our internet setup and other decor. We now have a cellular-based hotspot and Starlink, after a few iterations of internet setups to see what would work best. They work great and it's a very rare occasion when we don't have enough internet to get our work done, stream, or do anything else we need.

We have done a lot with our decor and continue to change it out from time to time. The biggest change is always when we swap out our ramp door curtains. The curtains turn the back into a type of accent wall, which we love. We've also added some art, new shower curtains, new bathroom and kitchen backsplashes, new bedding, the headboard we mentioned in the last post, and motion-sensor lights to help keep us from banging our knees and stubbing our toes when we're up in the middle of the night. The decorative additions are definitely what make our home-on-wheels feel like home to us.

Surprise! This is one thing we didn't upgrade

99% of RVers upgrade this as one of the very first things. Can you guess what it is?

It might sound scary, but we have not upgraded our mattress. How is this possible? ATC actually doesn't use the typical stock RV mattresses, which let's face it, aren't actually meant to be slept on. Instead, they use Sealy mattresses, and for a 6-inch, it's actually quite cozy. We have always added a mattress topper, first a Japanese topper we already had from home, and recently, the Dormeo topper. We also have a Froli system underneath, which helps to cushion and ventilate the mattress. Will we stick with this mattress forever? Probably not, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it! There are plenty of other things to fix, after all.

Browsing the new ATCs at the Florida RV SuperShow, we were reminded of just how much work we've put in to make our ATC feel authentically ours. We wouldn't have it any other way. We feel really special towing this sleek, gorgeous, unique toyhauler, and once people see how it looks on the inside, they're blown away that we can turn bare bones into something so homey. We're blown away, too. We're blown away by how reliable our trailer has been, and we're blown away by how much we've learned about renovating our space. All the little problems we've had over the years pale in comparison to all the awesome upgrades we've gotten, which have made our travel life better than we could have ever imagined.