We recently spend a week at the Buck Hall Recreational Area in the Francis Marion National Forest. This is a wonderfully small campground, 14 RV sites, that is situated right next to the Intracoastal Waterway. The area is primarily used for shrimp baiting, albeit out of season when we were there. The campground has a boat ramp providing access to the ocean. We saw many large boats, cabin cruisers and sailboats, mostly heading south for the winter, as well as a few schools of dolphin.
A section of the Palmetto Trail, leading from the ocean to the mountains of South Carolina, is accessible from the campground.
Buck Hall Campground viewed from my Phantom 4
Buck Hall is a pleasantly small campground with only 14 RV sites fitted with water and electric; there is a dump station available. It also includes 5 tent sites and a group shelter with electric. The bath house was a little on the "tired" side but it was clean, and the shower had plenty of hot water.
The historic city of Charleston, SC is a short 30-minute drive that offers plenty of options for sightseeing and gastronomic pleasures.
Being only a 4-hour drive from Charlotte, Buck Hall will definitely make our Top 10 list of "long weekend" campground destinations.
When we first got our Jay Feather I installed 2 Maxxair Roof Vent Covers, one over the fan vent in the bathroom and the other over the vent in the bedroom. They are a must have as far as I'm concerned; covers enable you to leave the vents open when it rains, during travel and when the trailer is in storage keeping it smelling fresh.
Maxxair (00-933066) White Vent Cover
A few months later we were on a trip and we stopped at a rest area to do what people do when they stop at a rest area. While walking back to our rig I noticed 1 of the vents was not sitting right. Upon further inspection I discovered that a couple of the clips that attach the cover to the vent had come loose, and I actually had lost one of the clips. I removed the cover totally so we could continue our trip, (with the vent closed). I figured I must not have had the screws tight and it vibrated loose; I'm sure there is a lot of movement while driving down the highway. Fortunately, I was able to purchase the Maxxair (00-225000) Roof Vent Zero Leak Mounting Kit without buying the vent cover.
I decided to reinstall the 2 vent covers using lock nuts as well as the lock washers to prevent the incident from happening again. Overkill? Maybe, but I'm all about overkill.
We have a perfectly sound roof on our Jay Feather 24T travel trailer, and I cut a 14" x 22" hole in it... that made me very apprehensive. Why, you ask? The kitchen in our Jay Feather, by comparison, is fairly large for an RV, with a lot of coveted counter space, which usually is a premium. Friends of ours have a much larger rig (and a lot more expensive), and they have "kitchen envy." But, the space is very dark and that makes it feel small, cramped, and not very homey. The solution to that problem was a skylight, and that requires a very large hole in a perfectly good roof. Nothing ventured; nothing gained.
BEFORE SKYLIGHT
I was able to obtain a framing detail of our trailer from Jayco; their Customer Service is actually quite good about that. I just sent them an email with the VIN, and an hour later, I was emailed a PDF. I then found a skylight that was the exact size of the opening required. Apprehension was starting to set in on the day of reckoning, but I persevered with my eye on the prize of sunlight.
I laid out the location of the 14" x 22" opening required, using the Jayco roof framing drawings, and proceeded to drill a 3/8" hole in each corner with a 6" bit... no turning back now. With my Bosch saber saw, equipped with a 6" blade for cutting PVC pipe, I needed the extra length to cut through the thick roof (rigid styrofoam sandwiched by 2 - 1/4" sheets of plywood and the EPDMroof membrane) I climbed up on the roof and made the 4 cuts, guided by the 3/8" corner holes. Let there be light! The skylight consists of 2 parts: the outer component is made of high performance thermoformed polycarbonate to be long lasting and easy to clean. I screwed the skylight to the roof using #8 x 3/4" stainless panhead screws, then taped the perimeter with 4" EternaBond Sealant Tape. To insure a complete waterproof installation, I edged the tape with Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant.
Exterior Component - RV Roof
The inner component, the garnish, is used to trim-out the rough opening to give it a finished took, and it is easily installed using the same #8 x 3/4" stainless panhead screws. The transformation is nothing less that amazing. "Let the Sunshine In." The skylight completely changes the feel of the kitchen: bright, warm, and inviting.
"Let the Sunshine In"
The installation is not for the faint of heart, nor an unskilled craftsman who is not comfortable using power tools, but it is not that difficult either. It is, however, well worth the effort. Below is my install video for those up for the challenge.
