New Concourse Owner

[ngpsaki]

Hi All,
I recently acquired a 1998 Chinook Concourse. It is well-used, with about 214K miles, but overall appears to be in good condition. I am having a master mechanic do a complete Ford 150K-mile maintenance service and inspection on it; that will establish a baseline for future services according to the Ford E350 schedule. This will be followed by an "RV master tech" doing a complete inspection and repair of all RV systems. I joined the Chinook RV Club and I am delighted to have such a rich resource available to help me get the most out of my new "toy."

So far, there are two mods I know I want to make. First, I want to install a back-up camera, probably in conjunction with replacing the cab audio system. Second, I want to replace the old CRT TV and VHS with a flat-screen TV and a DVD player. I would welcome suggestions, cautions, and experiences about either of these projects! In addition, I would appreciate your thoughts (suggestions, cautions, experiences, and recommendations) as to other things I should know, do, not do, be ware of, or be aware of, in order to more fully enjoy the Chinook.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Nick

[caconcourse]

I won't go into a lot of detail, but these are the items I purchased to replace the TV, add DVD, and backup camera/head unit cab stereo/nav/camera display:

TV with built-in DVD player, We kept the VHS player, and use this for DVDs. Also designed to run on 12V so we could reuse the factory TV power wiring:

https://www.amazon.com/TVD1805-19-Featu ... b_title_ce

Mounting bracket for TV (made solid wood panel to cover old TV opening and attached this bracket to mount flat-screen:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I ... UTF8&psc=1

High End Pioneer head unit. (ours is NEX8200, but this is the newer equivalent). I wanted a unit that had a high quality touch screen like a tablet or cell phone and this one fit the bill. Has rear-view camera support as well as extra video input, so I split the rear view camera and put it in both inputs, so it is automatic in reverse, but can be selected for full time display if wanted. Has commercial quality GPS/maps, so it is very much like our (other) new car display unit:

https://www.amazon.com/PIONEER-AVIC-W84 ... way&sr=8-1

Cheap but very high quality backup camera. I have it mounted to the bottom of the rear step, with a cable run along the frame to the cab. I tapped into the driver side backup light wire for a reverse signal. I used a CAT-5 cable with a twisted pair in order to get the video reliably through the long wire:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081 ... UTF8&psc=1

These were my second attempts at TV, camera and Head unit replacement, and I am very happy with the quality and performance. I also rewired the speaker wiring and replaced the rear stereo with a unit that had an aux input in the back for the TV audio, so we can use all the speakers for TV.

[ngpsaki]

Caconcourse, thanks for the info! I will enjoy on reading up on the items you suggested.

[HoosierB]

Welcome, ngpsaki!
The "Search" feature is a huge help to get some history on other owners experiences. Because these are very popular mods/upgrades by most owners, you'll find loads of good info and different approaches on the subjects you listed for your Chinook.

Rearview Camera:
Depending on the state of your interior, some of us have exposed the inner electrical chase while doing remodels. This helps in "fishing" wire/cable throughout the rig with very little effort. With my passenger side galley walls exposed, I decided to run a hardwire (cable) for my full-time rearview camera (Sony, RV) to a TadiBrothers 9" rearview mirror monitor. I believe in separate, stand alone systems... rather than combinations (in case one system fails, it doesn't effect the others). Again, one of the advantages of the forum, is you'll get many different opinions on a variety of topics.
TV/DVD:
Different methods to adapt a flat screen tv/dvd are described in several posts. Caconcourse's approach is popular and one of the easiest to do. Removing the old CRT TV will open up the overcab storage A LOT! And with several types of TV mounts now on the market, getting a good set up will be easy.

[ngpsaki]

Thanks, HoosierB! I will make full use of the "Search" feature when I know what I am looking for. My first post was just an introduction, and a request for wise suggestions from experienced Chinookers like yourself. Thank you for taking time to reply.

[LosLaureles]

Also a new owner of 5 Months. I made use of board and did the following:
10 New Spark Plugs
10 New Ignition Coils
Track down an EGR error
Bilsteins on all four corners plus steering stabilizer
Remove Pumpkin, look for any metal shaving, clean and service
Flush Master Cylinder
Remove poorly install Brake Controller
New CO detector
New LP detector
Verify Previous Owner put new board in Fridge
Rebuild one sliding window lock
LED lights in house
New Thule box on Roof
Folding Solar Panel
New End Caps on Awning
RV Cover
Removed old VCR

Items still on list:
New Converter and Battery decision
New Stereo
Find a better solution for TV Antenna or remove
Winter project: may remove practically new carpet and replace with Vinyl. We have a dog
Remove Coffee Maker and mounts

[HoosierB]

LosLaureles...WOW! You've checked quite a few boxes of the typical "upgrades list"! Good for you.

Your "still on the list" includes:
New Stereo. Is it for cab or coach?
TV Antenna: lots of forum topics on removal of the OEM and easy patch techniques. New HD digital options everywhere.
Remove old coffee maker: 10 minute job, tops. We did the same...replaced with Keurig. Opens up countertop space.

Keep us posted (with pics, if possible)!

[ngpsaki]

LosLaureles, thanks for sharing your "to-done" list, it will help me focus my upgrade / update activities! I look forward to following your progress.

[ngpsaki]

Um, what is a "Pumpkin?"

[HoosierB]

Um, what is a "Pumpkin?"

Rear differential housing