Gateway Storage bay wall removed...Suggestions welcomed

Bones

Well-known member
I removed the storage bay wall today after my final trip. This will be part of my winter project after I winterize the camper. Look at the mess and the potential extra storage. Does anyone have anything that they have done that works well?

IMG_20151108_165045.jpgIMG_20151108_165051.jpgIMG_20151108_165125.jpg

I do plan on moving some of the electrical and securing it a little better than it is now. Do drawers work well in this area or would it be better to just section it off and use the plastic bins. I have to reinforce the steps as well. They sag when you step on them. Just not enough support but I do like the drawers in the steps. You can see the back of the drawers in one of the pictures. Thanks. //heartlandowners.org/images/icons/icon6.png
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
It does need some work, but what I see is that they have made huge progress with the area. We have a 2011 Landmark and it was far worse than that.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
If they wired and plumbed houses like that they would never pass an inspection. What a mess. I'd start with straightening out everything which might require disconnecting some things and rerouting them. When you're through with all that then you can start planning improvements. Don
 

Bones

Well-known member
If they wired and plumbed houses like that they would never pass an inspection. What a mess. I'd start with straightening out everything which might require disconnecting some things and rerouting them. When you're through with all that then you can start planning improvements. Don
Good point to wait and see what it looks like organized. It would have been nice to see some workmanship because this part is what shows the pride of the workers in my opinion. I was a little surprised to see no insulated flooring here I thought that floor was laid in one large section over the whole frame. I'm going to double check that but when I glanced I saw the black tank was right beneath the particle board.
 

shurack24

Member
We ended up just pushing the wall back as far as we felt comfortable without pinching anything.
I bought a yard of similar black felt that matched the existing fabric to cover some additional particle board required to push the walls back as far as I did.
Picked up a full 6 inches of floor space near the stairs there, and a little over a foot of additional floor space once we goet past the stairs supports.
We also neatened up the wiring, as much of that was all in a tangled heap, using zip-ties, things are somewhat neater now.
Some basic carpentry skills and a can of spray adhesive for the fabric, along with a couple of hours of time is all that's required, and you have a sizable amount of additional floor space.
 

rxbristol

Well-known member
I removed the storage bay wall today after my final trip. This will be part of my winter project after I winterize the camper. Look at the mess and the potential extra storage. Does anyone have anything that they have done that works well?

View attachment 41300View attachment 41301View attachment 41302

I do plan on moving some of the electrical and securing it a little better than it is now. Do drawers work well in this area or would it be better to just section it off and use the plastic bins. I have to reinforce the steps as well. They sag when you step on them. Just not enough support but I do like the drawers in the steps. You can see the back of the drawers in one of the pictures. Thanks. //heartlandowners.org/images/icons/icon6.png

After looking at your pictures, I really appreciate the work done in my 2014 Landmark belly area. I often think my rig was produced on a Tuesday.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
After looking at your pictures, I really appreciate the work done in my 2014 Landmark belly area. I often think my rig was produced on a Tuesday.

That's right! I had my complete basement wall out last week to do a little plumbing mod and the "stuff" behind it was not nearly as "busy" looking as Bones's Gateway.
There was 1 wiring harness I gathered together and used a couple zip ties to hold out of the way. And yes I used my shop vac but there was little debris to collect.
To gain that additional 6-8" of floor space I'd have to do some significant plumbing alterations as the top of the basement wall is right up against the water lines for the bath vanity and to the washer prep plus drain. Not worth it for me as I have more than enough room for the items we carry.


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justafordguy

Well-known member
I pulled my wall down a few weeks ago and it was the same mess as Bones's was. Heartland should be ashamed to send a unit out looking like this. I tried to tie some of the wires up and route them as well as I could but it's still a mess. I modified the wall and moved it as far back as I could. I gained about 10" x 5' of storage. I also mounted my water pump on a rubber pad to help with the noise and installed a switch for it in the UDC.
 

GWRam

Well-known member
I removed the storage bay wall today after my final trip. This will be part of my winter project after I winterize the camper. Look at the mess and the potential extra storage. Does anyone have anything that they have done that works well?

View attachment 41300View attachment 41301View attachment 41302

I do plan on moving some of the electrical and securing it a little better than it is now. Do drawers work well in this area or would it be better to just section it off and use the plastic bins. I have to reinforce the steps as well. They sag when you step on them. Just not enough support but I do like the drawers in the steps. You can see the back of the drawers in one of the pictures. Thanks. //heartlandowners.org/images/icons/icon6.png

We had creaky steps, with a little sag also. I ran screws from underneath the step through the stair frame and into the tread at approx 45 degree angels to the steps. Screws opposing each other to draw everything down tight. no more creaking and the much less sag.

On your electrical. Just rotating the 12v junction box 90 degrees so wires come out toward UDC and moving the wall floor bracket aft will get you an extra 3-4'' of floor space fore to aft.

Would you mind posting a photo of your UDC from outside the unit. Your tank pulls are in different locations than ours. I'd like to see what yours looks like. Thanks..
 

Bones

Well-known member
We had creaky steps, with a little sag also. I ran screws from underneath the step through the stair frame and into the tread at approx 45 degree angels to the steps. Screws opposing each other to draw everything down tight. no more creaking and the much less sag.

On your electrical. Just rotating the 12v junction box 90 degrees so wires come out toward UDC and moving the wall floor bracket aft will get you an extra 3-4'' of floor space fore to aft.

Would you mind posting a photo of your UDC from outside the unit. Your tank pulls are in different locations than ours. I'd like to see what yours looks like. Thanks..
Is this what your looking for?

IMG_20150701_162525.jpg

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We had creaky steps, with a little sag also. I ran screws from underneath the step through the stair frame and into the tread at approx 45 degree angels to the steps. Screws opposing each other to draw everything down tight. no more creaking and the much less sag.

On your electrical. Just rotating the 12v junction box 90 degrees so wires come out toward UDC and moving the wall floor bracket aft will get you an extra 3-4'' of floor space fore to aft.

Would you mind posting a photo of your UDC from outside the unit. Your tank pulls are in different locations than ours. I'd like to see what yours looks like. Thanks..
I was thinking of using some aluminum angle and screw it into the back of the main support. That should be just enough to stiffen up the step a bit.

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I pulled my wall down a few weeks ago and it was the same mess as Bones's was. Heartland should be ashamed to send a unit out looking like this. I tried to tie some of the wires up and route them as well as I could but it's still a mess. I modified the wall and moved it as far back as I could. I gained about 10" x 5' of storage. I also mounted my water pump on a rubber pad to help with the noise and installed a switch for it in the UDC.
That is good to know that I will gain some good usable space. I am probably going to frame sections out and have several removable panels if needed. Most all of the stuff I should not have to access once closed up. I may put a hinged area near all of the water supply and distribution stuff.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
If you push the wall back further, consider making the wall in panels or sections and make them easily removable. When reclaiming space back there, you also remove the ability to get back there, even with your arms to reach something or work on something.

Not trying to dissuade you at all. I'd go for this project!
 

JWalker

Northeast Region Director-Retired
You know Dave......the more room you make, the more crap you take. Just sayin.
 

Bones

Well-known member
If you push the wall back further, consider making the wall in panels or sections and make them easily removable. When reclaiming space back there, you also remove the ability to get back there, even with your arms to reach something or work on something.

Not trying to dissuade you at all. I'd go for this project!
That is exactly what I was thinking of doing. I was going to section of and put in framing so that I can screw different panels on and take them off if needed. The biggest area I definitely want to keep access to is the area where the pump and hose connections hide.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
You know Dave......the more room you make, the more crap you take. Just sayin.

Sayin' what I was a thinkin' !
When I decided to remove my wall for my plumbing project I thought I might move the wall back. But then I unloaded everything I had already in there and said "naw I don't need to". Then when I saw what I would have needed to redo it was a double "naw"!!!


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Bones

Well-known member
Here's some double floor track. There are triple tracks out there somewhere too.
View attachment 41344
LINK
Jim this looks good. I wonder how I can implement it. It may save on some areas being framed and instead sections just slide away. I wonder if I can use single track around the water lines and when needed just slide the wall out of the track completely to gain access and have no framing there.

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You know Dave......the more room you make, the more crap you take. Just sayin.
Yeah your probably right. I think I will start organizing the wire and see where it takes me. I'm off Wednesday so that will be a good day project while everyone is out.

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I'm trying to make more room for my outside stuff so I don't have to keep going in and out of the RV. I might make more room too by buying one of those under storage totes that mount to the frame of the RV to keep my sewer connections and slinky like plastic stuff
 

JWalker

Northeast Region Director-Retired
I'm trying to make more room for my outside stuff so I don't have to keep going in and out of the RV. I might make more room too by buying one of those under storage totes that mount to the frame of the RV to keep my sewer connections and slinky like plastic stuff

If do any storage upgrade, the under frame storage will be it.
 
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