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| Insulated bubble. The plexiglass bubble is great for headroom and light, but it sure collects heat, even when the camper is folded. I bought a roll of Reflectix (insulating foil-covered bubble wrap) at Lowe’s and cut it with scissors to fit inside the bubble. It helps tremendously, and I roll the piece for storage under the bed. |
| Neat Sheet. Another Alite owner told me about the Neat Sheet - a washable, water repellent, paper-like material that makes a good lightweight outside rug. With plastic curtain rings sewed to the corners, it can be staked down in windy weather. |
Fridge.
I needed a way to keep food cool, but didn't want to deal with a drippy,
bulky ice chest. The Koolatron
12v 18-quart cooler is a perfect size and works very well. The
fan runs continuously, but I don't find that it disturbs me at night.
The AC power accessory adapter is expensive, but I found a bargain on Ebay.
With it, I can pre-cool it and pack it in the house before a trip.
Cooling ability is limited to 40 degrees below outside temperature.
I use a remote thermometer to monitor the temperature of the cooler, keeping
the sensor in the car. On my first trip, it ranged between 28 and
45. The warmest temperatures occurred while I was towing. I
filled a boating dry-bag with crushed ice and it helped. The Koolatron
isn't perfect, but it was a good choice for the Alite.
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Shelter.
I was delighted to discover the REI
Alcove shelter, which fits the Alite perfectly. The Alcove has
a sturdy steel frame with bungeed poles, weighs only about 18 pounds, and
covers a picnic table. The peak just barely cleared the camper door,
so I opened the short seam at each peak drop and inserted zippers.
Now I can bungee the peak frame to the camper roof handle. Wind walls
are also available for the Alcove, so it can become almost an extra room,
although it isn't screened..
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Awning.
For short or overnight stays, when I don't want to erect the shelter, I
made a small awning. I removed the plastic end from the door side
of the roof-rack tubing at the peak, and found that a Dollar Tree broom
handle fits nicely inside it, making a pole for the peak of the awning.
My awning is made of (2) 30" wide pieces of rip-stop nylon, one 59" long
(finished length) for the front and one 64" long for the rear. These pieces
are reinforced on the camper-side edges, sewn together to a separate nylon
channel at the peak, and hemmed at the other ends. Before popping the roof,
I pull the broom handle partway out of the roof rack and slide it into
the peak channel of the awning (a bit of velcro on the end of the broom
handle matches a small piece on the awning to hold the outer edge in place).
I velcro the front half of the awning to the front roof edge, including
a velcro tab at the peak, raise the roof, and secure the remaining velcro
tabs to the rear roof. Finally, I clip a tent rope to each loose corner
of the awning and stake it tight. The awning provides just enough cover
for the door and my camping chair. If the wind becomes too strong for the
awning, I lunfasten the rear-roof velcro and both ropes, use one of my
hitching poles to shove the broom handle into the roof tube as far as it
will go, and gather the loose rear awning material to the front, where
I bungee it all together on the roof handle. When the wind lets up,
I undo the bungee, pull the broom handle out, reattach the rear-roof velcro,
and refasten the ropes. Simple! The awning, ropes and stakes
all fit in a zippered 12x14 lingerie bag from Dollar Tree (2 for $1!)
Note: Cutting the rip-stop nylon with a hot knife means that you don't have to finish the cut ends. The nylon is manufactured to be water resistant and it dries quickly. It can also be sprayed or washed with waterproofing material as needed, |
Hanging
water jug. Since I won't always camp with a water hookup, I looked
for an easy way to use a water jug at the sink. The rectangular Expand-A-Jug
is just the size and shape I needed. I also found that I could hang
it on a chain over the sink by using a peg-board hook in the roof barrel-bolt
assembly, with an additional hole drilled in the aluminum edge of the A.
The hook can support a full jug, and I can position the spigot directly
over the sink. With the collapsible grey-water bucket outside, It's
almost as good as a direct water and sewer hookup!
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| Folding bike. The Alite doesn't support a bike rack, but I can carry my folding bike in the Corolla. I put it on a piece of carpet, pile side down, on the back seat of the car and fasten it with the seatbelt. Works like a charm! |
| Inflatable kayak. With a folding camper and a folding bike, a folding kayak was bound to be next! I'd been looking for something small and lightweight, and at 19 pounds, the Advanced Elements Dragonfly fits the bill. The storage bag holds the kayak, foot pump, paddle and life vest. It inflates quickly and is easy to paddle. It's been fun! |
| Propane campfire. The "real thing" has lots of atmosphere, but isn't always convenient or practical. The Little Red Portable Campfire is a pretty good imitation, and it's sure quick to set up and put out. It's compact to carry (in the car) and puts out decent heat for its size. It runs off the 5# propane tank I keep in the camper. It's sure nice to be able to have a 30-minute campfire with no worries about extinguishing embers or wasting wood. It runs off the 5-pound propane tank I carry in the camper. |
Spare
tire cover. I ordered an Aliner
Owners Club cover, specified for a 12" tire, only to discover that
it was too big for my spare, which is very tightly mounted to the camper
body. I cut apart both the OEM and AOC covers, trimmed the AOC logo
circle to fit, and stitched it to the elasticized edge of the OEM cover.
Even with a few wrinkles, the modified cover fits better and looks pretty
good.
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| Tire
blowout! Click
HERE for
the story and photos of what happened when a tire on the Alite blew out.
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