12 volt doodads

A couple of 12 volt mods are the latest bit of tinkering I have been up to. Inspired by a mod completed a while back by fellow owner Vince, I decided it was time to make a couple of updates.

The 12 volt outlet used to power the television is in a bit of an awkward location. It is tucked low behind the screw jack housing, and has always been a pain to fiddle with. I removed the existing outlet, and fashioned a new bracket. The outlet is pretty cheap, so I bought a Blue Sea version, and it is a much better unit. One cannot go wrong when sourcing a Blue Sea product, as they are well made, and come at a reasonable price point.

how handy is that???

The new bracket is now mounted quite a bit higher on the wall, almost in line with the top of the bench. There is plenty of clearance, and it is now much easier to access and use. Not really certain why is was mounted so low in the first place, just kinda odd.

The second task was to add a USB charger below the front table, and while I was at it, replace the existing 12 volt outlet. A mounting plate was needed for the two new parts, and this did double duty by hiding any original holes that would be left behind. There is also a matching backing plate to add a little rigidity to the wall, as the aluminum the front wall is made from is pretty flimsy on its own. The new plate was sprayed and clear coated to match the Alto aluminum.

before...well sort of 

after...sweet

The USB charging will certainly be handy to have available, with so many devices needing to be juiced in this manner. This is another of those convenience features that are now included in the newer Altos...and now it is in ours as well!