A New Table:

The original table in the front area of the Aliner got wet at some point before we bought it. This had caused the table to delaminate, and any time there was humid weather it would swell up and separate again. I removed the legs from the table and fitted them to a new top that I built out of 7/16 maple finish grade plywood. Pat then added stain and several coats of polyurethane to give a durable finish. The resulting table looks good, fits just like the old one did, and is only about half the weight of the original one.

A New Junction Box
The battery box and connections for our Aliner are under the left front seat, as with most Expedition models, the only way to get in to check the battery was to lift the seat cushions, then the seat base, then take off the battery box cover. My wife and I had decided to put in an additional 12v hanging lamp over the sink, so we needed a switch, some wire, and a connection to the battery. I  decided to add a junction box in the locker where the battery is housed. I made two small terminals that protrude from this box and can easily be reached with my test meter through the outside door to that locker. I bolted two short sections of a breaker panel ground bar into the box, one to take connections to the hot side of the battery and one to the ground side. I ran the supply for the new lamp from this junction box to a switch below the left front of the sink front, then up to the lamp (see future post.). So far this arrangement works great for a quick test of the battery or to connect a charger.

                                                     The New Roof/Vent Pole:
Pat was having trouble reaching the roof vents, and putting the roof up as she just could not reach high enough. She was using the Swiffer mop that we use on the floor to do the roof and just waiting for me to open the vents, so I made her this gadget. I took a 4 ft piece of one inch dowel, and put a chair leg nob on the end to push the roof up with. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the other end and then cut a slot across that. this fits neatly over the vent winders. This makes them easy to open, for both of us. A cheap and easy fix! 

The Saga of the Faucet:
The one thing that did not work on our Aliner when we bought it was the sink faucet. This was not a huge issue as we have a nice 2 gallon carboy, with a spigot on it, that we sit on top of the air conditioner and which serves us just fine. However, an operational sink would be way better. Our 5 year old grandson was greatly put out that there was a non functional part of the camper!
I took the faucet apart and found that the rubber plunger washer was just too worn to lift water up the line. No problem, right? I'll just replace it. Not so easy! I searched everywhere for one, but to no avail. I called Aliner direct, called all sorts of dealers, and the best I could find was a replacement for $75 + S&H !!!  After almost a year of this carry on we went to Hushard's RV Center. They fitted a new faucet for under $60, They also re sealed the read dome window that had been a serious leak problem.

Big Shout out for them:
Hushards RV Center
831 Manitou Rd,
Hilton, NY 14468
(585) 392-8538

Our Aliner History
Ok, this may be of interest only to us and a few of our friends, but I hope that as I become more proficient at blogging, this site will be of some use and interest to other Aliner owners. During the late summer of 2013 we headed out for a camping trip, yes, by tent, for a couple of weeks in the South Eastern states. The first night was great, the second just a little to wet to tent, and each night after that got progressively worse. Finally we gave up on the idea and headed to Wilmington, NC to stay with my wife's brother for a few nights. While there we made the decision to get a camper. We saw Aliners for the first time at Wilmington RV Sales and Rental on Carolina Beach Rd, and immediately realized that one of these would be perfect for us.
We were not totally sure that camper camping was the thing for us, so were unwilling to commit the $s for a new Aliner, but when we got home (Syracuse, NY area) we started looking for a used model. We found it in Buffalo, NY, gently used and well maintained and an acceptable price was agreed upon. After completing the change of ownership we headed for Samson State Park on Seneca lake for our first night in the new camper. It went perfectly until we tried to move the next morning and found that the alternator on the RAV had burned out. We ended up having car and camper towed home. However, our first night of Aliner camping was so good that we were instantly hooked. 
We have made this blog to relate some of our adventures, pass on tips about nice places to visit, and share information about Aliner maintenance.
Happy camping,
Ranald and Pat

Fairhaven, NY State park.

Here's the first post to our new blog. Yes, I'm a raw beginner a this, so bear with me. this is our '08 Aliner Expedition towed by a 2014 Subaru Forester. This outing was to Fairhaven State Park, NY in the fall last year. This is a typical NY state campground, well run and maintained with clean facilities and good campsites. There is a nice sandy beach here on the shore of Lake Ontario and the estuary of the Stirling River which provides some great kayaking.

Paddling on the Stirling River