No More Crappy Faucets! Plus Bonus Hidden Storage - Installing a Thermostatic Mixing Faucet in my Camper Trailer

This was written to install a thermostatic mixing faucet, but really, you could install any faucet using this method.

I decided to wait until we got home from camping to install the new faucet for the shower. You can see quite a few to choose from here (scroll down to mid-page) Some are really neat - square, or narrower than the one I got.

 I'm really glad I did! It was more complicated than I planned (isn't it always?)  For your convenience, I have posted affiliate links to the actual products I used.  Thank you for supporting this site with purchases made through links in this article. I really do appreciate it!

There are a couple issues with installing this faucet on a flat wall with flexible supply lines. The first is that the fittings that come with it are offset because it is actually designed to be installed into threaded copper pipes so it doesn't need any additional support. Since I am putting it through the side of a cabinet, I have to have a way to support it.

Table System - How to Finish the Tops of the Table Legs

You've probably seen the knock down tables I built for my camper. Oh, you didn't? Well, check it out - it is a table system that makes 2 snack tables or a dining/game table, comes apart, stores flat, takes up very little room and can be easily built with inexpensive materials! See it here!

When the dining table is up, the tops of the legs are visible. So, I thought I should finish them off a little nicer than just bare pvc. 

First I filled them with a wood dowel. This worked great, but when I made a second set, I didn't have another dowel.

I did however have a can of Durham's Water Putty.

Rolling Storage Trolley with 8' of Storage in 11" and FREE Landscape Pattern

More Found Storage - When I replaced the dinette with a storage couch, I ended up with about 11" of empty space between the couch and the bed.  I built a rolling trolly to fit there. It has about 8 feet of storage space!

How I Made a Soft E-Collar for My Small Dog for $1

Today's post is a little different. My little girl got spayed a couple weeks ago. 

She came home from the vet in a hard plastic Elizabethan Collar, otherwise known as an E-Collar. It was pokey and very uncomfortable. I looked online and found lots of variations of softer collars, ranging from $10 to over $30.

This one is under $20 

I'm going to show you how I made a nice e-collar for her from a $1 dish mat. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes start to finish.

oOOPS! Or the Saga of the Crappy Plastic Faucet

We are on the first week of our first 2 month trip for the year. I am loving all the mods I've done to my little camper. By the way, I need to have a name for our camper, any suggestions? I'm not coming up with anything good :(  If you have an idea for a name for our camper, please make a suggestion in the comments section below - thanks!

This is what this post is about, do you know what it is?

Campers come with crummy plastic faucets. 

Wow - Slow Cooker without Electricity!

We are planning a long camping trip through the National Parks this coming spring. I can't wait! It's going to be fantastic! The only not-so-fantastic part is that National Parks don't have electricity and water hook-ups. 

I have been looking for a "Thermal Pot" for a long time. That way I can cook a slow cooker meal without needing electrical hook-ups. They are normally over $100, $150 or even more. This is why I don't have one LOL.  Well, the other day I stumbled across this - 

It's a 5 Liter Thermal Pot that gets 4 1/2 stars on Amazon!! Whooo hooo!! Early Christmas for me! (if you appreciate my blog, please buy it through this affiliate link, and I will appreciate you.)

So, my son bought it for me for Christmas.

Isn't he nice?

To use a thermal pot, you heat the ingredients up to boiling and pour them in. Close tightly and let sit for 3-8 hours. Everything will cook up nicely because it is heavily insulated. It's also great to transport hot food to a tail-gating party or get-together.

If you have any experience with these, or have good recipes, please let me know in the comment section. 

I'll let you know how it works when we get a chance to use it.

Now go play outside!