Broken vent cover?

[IRV]

Hi,

My Wife And I Are New To The Airstream World. We Have Been Married 38 Years And The Airstream 22 Was My Gift To Us On Our 38th Annv, Im Told The Air Vents Are Not Covered On The Warranty, Im Handy Around The House,but Getting On The Traier Is Another Story.how In The World Do You Get On Top Without Breaking Your Neck Or Denting The Trailer. Any Sugestions Would Be Greatly Apreciated.

Irv.

[Janet H]

Hi and welcome. Several folks have posted info about working on top of the trailer. You might try the search tool on the uppperblue bar and hunt for some info. Why aren't vents covered under warranty?

[Zeppelinium]

take a look at the two-ladder scaffold here

http://www.airforums.com/forum...tos-20568.html

note that the boards that are under the ladders has a sheet of 1" foam on the side next to the shell. If you can find a 12' non-extension ladder, that would be perfect. I had these ladders from doing siding on my house--they are pretty cheap, regardless.

[AYRSTRM2]

And if it is a Fantastic Vent, look them up on the internet and call their customer service number. They will send you whatever part you need free of charge (at leazst they did last time I checked).

We have a 6 foot tall adjustable scaffolding that rolls and I can reach almost all of the roof from there and usually never have to get on the roof itself.

[Ganglin]

One of the first jobs on our A/S will be to replace the vent seals. I would have never thought climbing on the roof would be a problem (denting it)....? There seems to be 2 different opinions - maybe a phone call to Airstream..?

[Frank S]

Hi--Here is how I get on the roof of my A/S. I have a 2001 Suburban which I park close to the side of the A/S (driver side out board). Then I put my floor mats on the roof, long with a 2'x2' square of 1/2" plywood. Then I step on the rear seat, the top of the front seat, and pull myself up on the roof (not too hard, and I'm 70). The floor mats are positioned on the Suburban roof to prevent scratching, and sliding. Much of the roof work can be done standing on this platform. If I want to get on the A/S roof I place the 2'x2' plywood on the roof and slide myself up on it. It's low tech, and it works.--Frank S

[scotiabambi]

I have a 2005 19' Bambi which I love, but I am having to replace a shattered rear vent cover for the second time in only one year! Is there a better made vent cover than the plastic ones that don't seem to survive the Arizona heat very well.

[BIGED52]

Have you looked at the vent covers they sell at VintageTrailerSupply.com? They might work on an 05.Hope this helps... Ed

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by scotiabambi

I have a 2005 19' Bambi which I love, but I am having to replace a shattered rear vent cover for the second time in only one year! Is there a better made vent cover than the plastic ones that don't seem to survive the Arizona heat very well.

The problem with the factory cover is the material used.

Depending on what size cover you need, we have superior covers available.

Andy

[kevino]

We have a 2005 Safari 25 SS - also with crappy vent covers. We had the front cover replaced before we took delivery because the cover was broken. Now I just noticed this past weekend that the rear cover is broken and needs replaced. Fortunately I had Maxx Air vent covers installed or I'd be taking on a bit of rain water through the crappy broken cover.

Does anyone know what size covers are used on the '05 Safari?

[Phoenix]

We have a 2005, 19-foot Bambi and are having the same problems with one of our vent lids. Not sure about other Airstreams, but ours has the "new-style" Jensen lid with molded plastic hinges (without hinge pin). We are on our third cover in 18 months, and the local RV supply says that once-a-year is about normal.

I have searched extensively on the Internet for higher quality covers made out of polycarbonate, but it looks like the cheap ones from China made out of polypropylene plastic are all that is available at this time. If someone knows about polycarbonate or metal replacement lids, please post the source. I would be willing to pay extra for one that didn't have to be replaced every 6-9 months.

The FantasticFan on our front vent has a polycarbonate lid that is holding up fine; so I think that the only relatively permanent fix is going to be to replace the entire roof vent with one that comes standard with (or has a replacment) polycarbonate or aluminum lid.

By the way, I think the standard roof vents are 14-inches.

[tpi]

My '05 has the "new style Jensen" covers also. I used an extension ladder and leaned it against the door sill. I used some duct tape on the sill for protection. I sat on the roof and made my way around.

My vents lasted only a year. I painted the new ones with white Krylon plastic paint hoping to reduce damage from UV. If that fails to help, I'll try other coatings on them.

[flyfisher]

I use an 8' step ladder, but a 10' would be better. I either use cam straps to secure the ladder to an awning arm, to make sure the ladder stays in place, or have my wife hold the ladder, for safety. Make sure you stay on the rivet lines, otherwise you'll risk denting your roof.

I've put MaxxAir roof vent covers over my Fantastic Fans -- the kind designed for high speed fans. This was one of the smartest things I did this year. Now, we can leave the vents open whenever we want, without worrying about high winds, rain, etc.

If your vent cover broke due to a defect in material or workmanship, you're entitled to warranty coverage on it -- I wouldn't rely on what somebody at Airstream or a dealer may tell you, because in my experience they'll sometimes tell you whatever best suits their purposes, not what you may be legally entitled to.

John

[wlj1943]

My experience with vent covers tells me they are tender, or at least were until some years ago when better materials started to become available.

For some years I have been using UV stabilized polycarbonate replacements, and find they will outlast most all other plastics significantly in about any climate except for one small issue. That issue is even slight exposure to any chemical that contains any halogen (chlorine, bromine, Etc) will ruin this family of plastics. Halogens are unfortunately a common occurance in many commercial and industrial electrical and brake cleaning sprays and solvents(and dry cleaning liquids) and in many other other industrial and commercial cleaning solutions nd of course most refregerants; worse yet the presence of these is often not easy to deciper from the labeling unless you are well versed in chemistry. It takes little exposure to these to cause the polycarbonates to start to craze, followed by complete failure in some cases;I found this out first years ago when working for GE; and forgot about it until one of my replacement vent covers started to craze; then I knew immediately what mistake I made (using a degreaser); and replaced the damaged cover. Three weeks after, the replaced old crazed cover turned into plastic dust.
WLJ1943

[kevino]

The vent covers are crap. I had the front cover replaced on our 2005 25SS before we took delivery in May of this year. I noticed last month that the rear cover was cracked.

I called the dealer and ordered a new one. I inquired about warranty coverage and was told that it was covered but I'd have to bring the trailer in to have it replaced. My dealer is about 70 miles each way so I opted to pay the $20 or so for the cover including shipping and will change it myself.

Fortunately I had Maxx Air vent covers installed or my hi-dollar camper would be taking on a lot of water through the crappy vent covers in the roof.

Why a manufacturer would skimp on a product in such a vunerable location is beyond me.

[Colo_StreamN]

I just finished replacing my first vent cover on '05 19 footer today (bought it new in February). Not only is the plastic cover junk but installing a new one on a 19 footer is next to impossible because the AC is too close to the vent to allow the Jensen cover to be installed as intended. I removed the AC shroud and still did not have enough room to get the cover on. I had to bend the metal half of the hinge that is welded to the vent and still had a difficult time. BTW the AC cracks ever so slightly every time you touch it. From the sounds of all the previous posts I think that I had better get good at replacing the cover. I am thinking about how to modify the vent or just replace it. Any suggestions?