The PICs came in today!
Putting the USB keyboard modified code in requires the original code to be in place and then it is treated as an update. The original code requires a supported programmer like a PicKit 3 and is put on using ICSP via MPLab. This step installs a bootloader which is then used to load the updates via a program in Geoff's update kit. A bit of a process, but it does not take too long once you figure out all the steps. The final version of the board will be able to handle all these steps. This time around, since V3 does not have the ICSP header I modified my V1 unit to be the programming platform.
In any case .. it lives!