Welcome to the eighth entry in October’s Medium Mod Contest. One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in October. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine October’s winner. Click here for information about the 2020 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Joseph Colasanto, Florissant, Colorado
Bedroom Remodel for an Eagle Cap 1165
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
2019 Eagle Cap 1165
When we bought our new camper we had transitioned from a fifth wheel with a king-size bed. We also have a king-size bed at home.
The queen-size bed in our Eagle Cap 1165 triple-slide camper felt tight and claustrophobic. With the wardrobes on either side, we couldn’t relax our arms or legs.
Above: Their Eagle Cap 1165 before the change
Furthermore, we really were not using the smaller cabover wardrobe. By removing the smaller wardrobe, we were able to move the mattress over.
Now we both have room on the sides and don’t feel cramped. Plus we can actually make the bed. The other issue was the shelf above our head.
We never used it and, if we got up too quickly, we were guaranteed to hit our heads. After at least a dozen times of hitting my head, I said, “It’s time to go”.
There are two built-in reading lights attached to the shelf, but only one is truly needed. So I repositioned the light in the ceiling with the existing light and wiring.
First, I removed the shelf taking care not to scratch or break any of it. I wanted for possible retrofitting in the future. After the shelf was removed, I removed all the screws in the smaller wardrobe and cabinet. With the screws removed, it just came out.
The second part was to drill a hole in the middle of the ceiling and pull the wire that was attached to the lights in the shelf that I removed. Taking one of the lights, I attached it to the wire and put it back up.
The last step was using a piece of the shelf and making strips to cover any screw or nail holes in the wall.
This mod has been great for us. It may not be a modification that appeals to the masses because you are losing some storage, but we travel with this camper for months and don’t use all the storage areas in the unit.
The part we missed was the extra bed space and now we have that. We also don’t hit our heads on the shelf when we get up. Sleeping has greatly improved and we feel refreshed instead of cramped when we wake.
Having one light above the bed makes for much easier reading and we’re not getting a tan from the original light that was so close to our head.
We have truly made this camper unique and ours.
It took me five hours to complete this modification. It cost me nothing because I reused the existing parts I removed. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is easy.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
Enter Your Mods Now!
If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time. Good luck mod makers!
