Deteriorating vent caps

[Becky B.]

I used pond liner too. I used aluminum screen with a zip tie so nothing will ever deteriorate from the sun, plus, I put aluminum tape around & over the rubber that was exposed inside the vent so the sun can't get at it. I dunno how long it will last.....hopefully more than 2-3 years like some people say they should be changed

[perryg114]

Those square cone shapped vents are a pain and another thing like the bumper plate that are designed to fail. The older vents like this one would get rid of the troublesome rubber that cracks and lets water pour in.

Metal Roof Pipe Cover

Perry

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Those square cone shapped vents are a pain and another thing like the bumper plate that are designed to fail. The older vents like this one would get rid of the troublesome rubber that cracks and lets water pour in.

Metal Roof Pipe Cover

Perry

Perry, that definitely looks like a good solution.

I think I'll check out Pond Liner to see how easy it is to get and what it costs. Keyair has an interesting solution by mounting a cover over the vent. Not sure if I want to take the time to make something like that or just buy what you're suggesting.

For the time being I already have new gaskets and screen so they will get used this time around. Maybe by the time they need replacing again I'll have come to a decision for long term reliability.

Thanks!

Brad

[perryg114]

I am eventually going to come up with a cap for the square cone vents. What is commonly done with home sewer vents is there is a liner made of lead that fits down in the vent pipe and then you seal that to the roof. What I am thinking about is a inverted hat with a pipe nipple coming off it to fit down inside the pipe. The hat is then sealed to the lip of the cone vent. Unless you are really stuck on the square cone vent go with the round one like I posted a link for.

What I have done temporarily is get rid of the gasket and just use Trempro-635 to seal the vent to the roof and put a thick bead around the vent pipe. This has worked for a year with no issues. It will probably last as long or longer than the gasket. I am told this won't work because the tanks shift around and will break the bond between the vent pipe and the roof. The original gasket concept does not work either so at least I am not paying for something that DOES NOT WORK. It does not work because you are loading the rubber in tension and it does not like that at all. Gaskets should be compressed only.

Perry

[noreen&sal]

Someone on these forums has used gaskets made from inner tubes. Also rubber roofing material would probably work. I have seen it used for pond liner. Sal

[Becky B.]

Here is a thread about plumbing vent covers. The ones that Perry referred to are pictured in this thread in aluminum, so they won't ever rust like the galvanized ones. These vents are usually used on older trailers, but you can use them on whatever you like, since it's your trailer!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f478...ers-89212.html

[Keyair]

Clueless as to why I never posted the fitting pictures and leak seal solution to my original mod thread, but here it is..


I used a scrap of 25 year life pond liner, and some aluminum mesh..
Here is what I did.

Cleaned the roof...


Sealed the pipe to roof with Tempro 635.


Placed the square of pond liner over the pipe..
Made sure the hole in the liner was smaller than pipe so it was stretched tight forming a physical seal... you can see what I mean...



Then I formed a bead of 635 over it...
Missed a pic of that, but then I had a little brainstorm moment..
I cut another ring of pondliner about maybe 3/4" wide... tight fit around pipe again and slid that over the pipe above the primary seal..
My logic was that even if the pipe to roof seal cracks this little lip will shed water around the pipe, so it never gets close to the joint.



I then put the aluminum vent back on, used an Awl to find and punch the screw holes, and put a few in place, and cut off the excess liner with a utility knife.
Removed the vent again and put Tempro 635 under the liner, and under the vent and screwed that baby down!
After that, I ran a small bead of 635 around the vent..

Final view of the whole thing.

[bkahler]

I'd think you would have to go through a monsoon for that one to leak any I can't think of any reason why that approach would leak anytime in the foreseeable future.

Looking at your pictures did remind me that I need to get some more tempro ordered. I've got several uses coming up over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Here is a thread about plumbing vent covers. The ones that Perry referred to are pictured in this thread in aluminum, so they won't ever rust like the galvanized ones. These vents are usually used on older trailers, but you can use them on whatever you like, since it's your trailer!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f478...ers-89212.html

Becky, thanks for the link to the vent cover thread. I tried searching their catalog and couldn't find the aluminum vent cover. I guess I'll have to call them to see what they have. I do like that aluminum cover and it should be an install and forget about it type installation, which I like!

Thanks!

Brad

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Becky, thanks for the link to the vent cover thread. I tried searching their catalog and couldn't find the aluminum vent cover. I guess I'll have to call them to see what they have. I do like that aluminum cover and it should be an install and forget about it type installation, which I like!

Thanks!

Brad

You do have to phone them. No problemo.