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The Final Trailer Mods! Organized Obie Accessories

Jun 10, 2018RV Tech

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Anyone who knows me realizes I should never use “final” and “mod” in the same phrase.  But just go with it for a title…

If you’ve been following my Pimp My Trailer series, you already saw my first trailer mod of adding a bicycle repair stand, and then the most recent mod of rebuilding the slide-out storage tray.

This week, I put the finishing touches on Lance’s trailer ‘George’ to get it ready for summer cycling trips.  In this video, I add some storage accessories from one of our favorites, Organized Obie.  But the ones I use in this video are different from the Obie accessories you’ve seen us use before.  Have a look:

 

Most of the Obie accessories – nets, pockets, what have you – work great when you’ve got a surface like an RV wall to attach them to.  You can usually either screw the products down, or attach them with SNADs.  But neither of those would work inside our trailer because the walls weren’t solid; and they were fuzzy so they wouldn’t support an adhesive.  I called the walls “compressed rat fur” in the video, but I’m at least 50% certain it’s not actually rat fur…  Anyway, in the trailer, we only had framing members that would support a screw every 24 inches or so.

So I dug deeper into the Obie catalog, and found their slatwall storage system, which they call “HandWall”.  I ordered up several lengths of the PVC track, and a variety of baskets and hooks (and a paper towel holder) to use with it.

But while the slatwall accessories are nice, I didn’t confine myself to using it strictly as a slatwall system.  Since the PVC machines easily, I used it to support screws for one of their gear nets – where I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to mount one.  And I also used some of their clothes pegs, which I mounted directly through the HandiWall panel.

You can see all of this in the video.  But for those of you who like a shopping list, here you go.  None of these items are expensive, which we can all appreciate.

 

Now if this inspires you to try something in your own RV or trailer, do be sure to use the discount code THEFITRV at check out at Organized Obie, and you’ll get 5% off (and we get a bonus, too!).

That’s all for now.  Time to hit the road!!

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James is a former rocket scientist, a USA Cycling coach, and lifelong fitness buff. When he's not driving the RV, or modifying the RV (or - that one time - doing both at once), you can find him racing bicycles, or building furniture, or making music. In his spare time, he works for a large IT company.

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    23 thoughts on “The Final Trailer Mods! Organized Obie Accessories”

    1. Justin Brown

      James,
      We are moving to Oregon from Pennsylvania and driving our 2017 T 59K. We would like to buy a cargo trailer for our musical gear, household stuff, bikes, suitcases, etc. I am having a hard time finding out the basic guidlines… number of axles, dimemsions, preferred name brands, etc. The T Wannabee site pointed me to you two.

      Can you please point me in some good directions?

      Reply ↓
    2. Don Mulvey

      HI! Our new gravel bikes are getting shipped to Texas and I am still trying to figure out a good way to travel with them and maybe some mtbs too. Just too much $$ to leave outside on a bike rack. I see that you travel with a class B RV with a bike rack. Worried?

      I also followed your trailer mods. I like locking storage and thought about pulling a light trailer. Probably a bit bigger than yours. Maybe a 5×8.

      I am looking for a strategy for traveling with bikes. I also like to fly fish and sleeping in the back of my pickup is part of the charm. 🙂 But I need a more comprehensive strategy, i.e. travel, camp, bike, fish, …

      I’ve looked at YouTube channels for mountain bikers and they all seem to use converted full size vans with a garage in the back. Ok. If everyone is doing that then maybe they are onto something.

      Finally … what I am getting at … rather from you … what direction do you see yourself going with respects to traveling with bikes? Trailer? Class B with rack? Class B/B+ with garage?

      Leisure travel vans is about 3 hours from my place and I thought about visiting them but that is some serious $$ when a converted cargo may be the ticket.

      Thanks so much for listening to my ramblings. Greatly appreciate your insights. -Don

      Reply ↓
      1. James - Post author

        We do have a bike rack, but the bikes we keep out there aren’t ones we’re too worried about. We don’t cry when they get wet… lol.
        We don’t hate the trailer when we’re parked, but we don’t particularly like driving with it. (OK. Mostly, we don’t like backing up.)
        Ideally, we’d like indoor bike storage that’s not attached to the living area of the rig. Something very much like the “garages” they have on European rigs.
        Leisure Travel Vans has something approaching this with their Wonder RTB, but that’s a bit too big for us.
        Coachmen has recently thrown their hat into this ring with their Cross Trek. We’ll have a full review of that out shortly.
        So if something like that ever strikes our fancy, it would be hard to pass up.
        Until then, we’ll keep rolling in Lance!
        If

        Reply ↓
    4. David

      Well James, your wish came true with Leisure’s new 2019 Wonder on a Transit chassis with 2 rear twin beds and an external garage for two bikes. I believe 68 sq. feet. A class C with a garage.

      Reply ↓
      1. James - Post author

        I know! Dean called us out in their video this morning!
        (and it only took us 5 years to get someone to listen)
        Can’t wait to see one in person and give it a good once-over.

        Reply ↓
        1. David

          Unfortunately the Transit is diesel not gas, still has the archaic propane refridge and not the Truma Combi heat system. Max 400 watts solar, no Lithium package.

    8. Mike

      Nice modifications, will have to keep that Handiwall product in mind.

      Those blue gripper blocks/broom holders are handy; I mounted a few pairs horizontally on our storage area walls to securely hold the broom, sponge mop, and trailer jack wrench out of the way.

      Reply ↓
    9. John LeGresley

      Great job on the trailer James. Marina and I (Gaspe cyclists) are narrowing down our search for the perfect vehicle to take us into retirement. We have just eliminated pulling a trailer as the limitations on parking etc, seriously looking at a Sprinter van conversion… If you’re gonna haul a trailer, aren’t you back to square one w the whole type of vehicle??? PS Cabot Trail Nova Scotia is another great ride….

      Reply ↓
      1. James - Post author

        We don’t really consider it as going back to square one. First of all, we don’t take the trailer all the time – just when we take the cat along.
        Our trailer is small, but we do still have to consider parking and turning around while we’re pulling it.
        But the beauty of it is that when we get where we’re going, we can drop it. Then we’re back to being a class B.
        Another benefit of the trailer is at “first-come-first-served” campgrounds. We’ve got something to leave at the camp site that I can secure enough to make sure it doesn’t disappear.

        Reply ↓
    10. David Hoffer

      Trailer looks fantastic James! That slide-out tray and the accessories track are brilliant.

      I have to ask, though – how on earth did you get that UofR shirt? That’s my alma mater! 🙂

      Reply ↓
      1. James - Post author

        Lol!
        Years ago – before we were The Fit RV – we went through there on a RV trip across western Canada.
        We found a lot of multi-use paths in the city and rode all over the place. Had a blast!
        Cool town.

        Reply ↓
    11. Noel

      Alright, that’s it. We’re going to return our deposit on our Travato and just live in George! 😉 Love it, James! Well thought out, functional, and tidy – three of my favorite things! #bikelove

      Reply ↓
      1. James - Post author

        You could probably live in George. But all those WARNINGs I covered up said not to try to sleep back there!
        (You’d also have to be under 6 feet tall.)

        Reply ↓

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