OK, we’re on our way toward a more comfortable trailer! First, we got Eleanor and Emma on the airplane for Vermont, so I ‘m on my own for the rest of the week. That makes plenty of room for Brett and I to get into some interesting upgrades on the Tour trailer!

(By the way, Eleanor started feeling much better within 30 minutes of getting in the air — no pollen at 30,000 feet I guess. She’s quite happy to be in Vermont right now, and she’s got an appetite for the first time in a week!)

This evening, Brett and I did some shopping, for a 20×16 HEPA furnace filter, some aluminum L-channel (1″), and a screen door spring. Then we rigged up a nifty filtration system for our furnace’s cold air return.

As you can see, the original system just had a wide-open mesh. It wouldn’t filter out anything smaller than a hampster. But a high efficiency filter will easily filter out pollen, without impeding normal air flow.

Here’s how we did it. First, we cut the aluminum L-channel to length and screwed it to the bottom of the cabinet. This provides a secure base to hold our HEPA filter.

Then I cut the 16×20 HEPA filter in half, to make two 10×16 filters. The cut end goes down into the L-channel, so it won’t crush.

The spring is mounted to the wood and provides tension on the filter so it can’t go anywhere. Replacing a filter is easy, and since we get two filters for $9 (by cutting them in half), it’s inexpensive.

Now, whenever we are in a place where it is cool at night during pollen season, as in Tampa right now, Eleanor will be more comfortable. When the furnace runs, it will be filtering out pollen rather than blowing it all over us!