I got two more mods completed today. First was doing an install of the 5 Star Tune and the other was to install an articulating mount for the outside TV.
The version of the 5 Star Tune I ordered is for the 6 speed Ford V10 3 valve engine that came in my Tiffin. Although the transmission is vastly improved from the old 5 speed version, it still suffers from too quick downshifting causing the engine to roar at high rpms on slight grades. This tune improves that behavior and claims to get more hp and better mpg out of the drivetrain. Well, time will tell on that one.
You can read all about their claims at thier website: www.5startuning.com
This blog post is only about the ease of install, not which one you should buy, or the value of this mod. I'll report back later on how I like it and the results I get.
I ordered the version of the device called Livewire TS+. Basically this is a small touchscreen unit that connects your OBDII port under the dash. It also has a usb port so you can connect it to your PC so you can update the software and download new tunes into it.
My device was current on it's software, so I proceeded to hooking it up. First step is to find the the OBDII Port. It's under the dash, up against the right side of the steering column. It has a rubber boot on it to protect the connectors.
Simply pull off the boot, and expose the pins, and push in your device's connector.
Do this with the key in the off position.
Next step is to connect your device. It will prompt you to turn the ignition to the "on" position (but NOT start). Then you tap on the icon for "vehicle information".
It then scans the engine computer and gives you the following results:
For 2015 models and later, 5 Star is looking for the "ECU SWPN" number. You write this down and now go back to your computer, pull up their website, and fill out the "calibration request form". There is other information to input about your drivetrain - you put that information in, along with the number you collected and then "submit". 5 Star then constructs your tune file and emails it back to you. You then connect your device to your PC and load the tune file into it. Now you are ready to load the tune into your engine computer.
You follow the same procedure - connect the device to the OBDII port, turn the ignition to "ON" (again, do NOT start the engine). Then on the screen, you tap on the icon for "Program". Then you tap on the tune file you want to install. Mine was named "RV Daily Tow". The device will scan you engine computer, download the existing tune file into the device (in case you want to return to stock). It goes thru a couple steps on it's own and then gives you the screen below showing a progress bar on loading the tune:
At the end of this, it give you a completion message. You can now either disconnect and store away the device, or leave it connected and use it for the gauges it has for monitoring, or for reading any error codes you might ever experience. You are also OK now to start the engine if you want.
It is fully configurable for the engine information, but comes with 4 or 5 pre-packaged schemes. You can modify any of these by tapping on the touchscreen.
As I said above, I'll play around with it and report on how it does. I'm expecting the results to be modest and subtle, not radical.
The next thing I did was install the Crimson AV television mount. The TV in the outside compartment was mounted to a flat bracket in this compartment. No ability to pull it out, or adjust the angle if you are getting glare or reflections. The fit is very tight, so I bought the Crimson bracket, as they claim it to be the "thinnest in the world!".
My opinion of the thing is that it appears to be well built and heavy duty. But at $186, I was expecting more. There is no way to tilt the TV down, which I would have preferred.
Here is a picture of the completed installation of the bracket with the LG 32" LED TV attached.
If someone asked me if this fit, my response would be "barely". The door will close, but I think it makes contact with the TV very slightly. I may put in some felt tabs to protect it a bit.
Here is the back side. The white board I had to install so I could bolt the mount to something substantial. Of course there was no plywood back here - it's open to the back side of a kitchen cabinet. I'm still mulling how I want to trim this out. I may try to find some black sheet plastic to cover this opening, or screw in some more boards and paint them black.
For those concerned, this TV weighs all of 5 lbs. The bracket weighs more than the TV. So I'm pretty confident all this will hold up structurally.
Update:
I installed two more boards to clean this up a little. Still may apply some plastic or paint it black.
No comments:
Post a Comment