Check Those Vent Gaskets!

[Pick]

I just did mine, should have done them sooner, but saw no evidence of leaks until our last trip, when Diane complained of water under the sink, near the vent pipe. Now both are done, heres a picture of the old vs new.

[Pick]

Another photo, note the cracks!

[john hd]

pick

have fun getting the screws out?

we had to drill the rusted screws on ricks excella out. replaced them with oversized stainless steel ones.

what a pain.

john

[john hd]

the screen is supposed to be on the outside of the gasket.

looks like yours was the other way on the old one.

john

[thenewkid64]

According to the installation instructions they we installed correctly. Assembly is screen with the gasket to hold the screen down. The screen should be bedded into vulcem, rubber gasket over, and cap screwed back on. Trim excess rubber, and run a bead of Vulcem around the edge of the vent cover to finish. That is how I have done it but lets ask the one who knows..........

From Inland RV
Installation instructions are very basic.
1. Clean up the old residue.
2. Place the fiberglass screening over the vent pipe.
3. Place the gasket over the vent pipe and firmly push it down so that it is flat with the roof.
4. Apply "vulkem" sealer from the inner edge of the hole in the gasket, forcing it through the fiberglass screening, and onto the black pipe. That gives the installation a positive seal.
5. Reinstall the polished vent pipe cover.
6. Apply a small bead of "vulkem" sealer around the base of the cover.

[john hd]

brett,

i just went by how mine are on my '92, the screen is on top.

that way the neoprene is in direct contact with the vent pipe.

better seal in my opinion. used vulkem on the skin where the gasket contacts. then ran a bead around the outside.

who knows? perhaps they are installed both ways. the ones we replaced on ricks '74 had no screens.

go figure...

john

[thenewkid64]

Makes sense, but I would be concerned about the neoprene making too good of a seal and not slipping on the vent pipe as necessary when the plumbing/skin flexes. If there is too much movemenet could it not end up sealing with the part of the gasket that contacts the pipe reversing and acting as a funnel? I think the screen acts as a bushing, alloing minor slip without much chance of water penatration.

Just my $.02, if yours keep you dry that is all that matters!

BTW if any of you Argosy owners need a vent cover I have a few extras. The ones on the Argosy's were made of ABS and tend to crack and split with age.

[john hd]

brett,

good point, i'm certain the vulkem under the screen would seal it as you pointed out.

the other thing i wonder about is that the older caps don't have drain holes in the base of the cap. (my '92 has two drain holes near the base of each cap, just like the ones andy sells on his site)

we added them to the '74 caps. was concerned about the cap filling with water and having it sit in there. particularly when the water could freeze, possibly cracking it or forcing it off the shell of the trailer by the expanding ice.

i'm almost 100% certain the caps on the '74 are original judging by the condition of the screws and old sealer. no screens?

john

[ALANSD]

while on the subject of vents- the refrigerator domed cover gathers tons of stuff on mine. I put a small peice of heavy screeing on the back side and it has helped some, but I still get some stuff between the awning and the vent cover- any other solutions out there?

[Chas]

I have always done mine with the screen on top of the gasket, makes more sense to me as the screen has nothing to do with sealing, just keeps flies and trash out of your tanks. Wouldn't the screen pulled down between the pipe and the gasket affect the seal??

My 74 had the weep holes in the cast pipe covers but it looked to me like they would get plugged up easily. I drilled mine out a little bigger so they would drain better.

I also used some leftover commercial building roofing rubber for my gaskets, it is made by Firestone and should last for 20 years or so.

Chas

[Pick]

I put the screen over the pipe, then the gasket. That is the way the old installation was, so I assumed that was the correct way. I thought about doing it the other way with the screen on the outside, but my coach is not a submarine, so I did not think it was that critical. I still need to run a bead of sealer around the edge of the vent cover.

[overlander63]

BTW if any of you Argosy owners need a vent cover I have a few extras. The ones on the Argosy's were made of ABS and tend to crack and split with age.


__________________
Brett G

Me! Me!
I attempted to take mine apart and reseal, with disastrous results. "Crack" and "split" are understatements.
Mine disintegrated to powder...
Brett, let me know what you would like for two of them.

Thanks.
Terry

[53flyingcloud]

john hd

Drilling the two drain holes on the slant side is an,
"EXCELLENT TIP"~!~

Next weekend, I'm heading down to our place in Va to bring the A/S back home for several local rallys and...you can be sure that this will get replaced..
I meant to do this last year and, it slipped my mind...

Thanks again guys..

ciao

[Chuck]

I started on mine today...got the old covers off, cleaned up the old sealer, and....had to stop and go off to some kid's birthday party. So I'll do the install tomorrow. My gaskets looked just like Pick's; really bad shape...and no sign of any sealer around the pipe itself, as the instructions seem to indicate. There was no way this was stopping any water from getting in, although, oddly, I haven't seen any evidence of water coming in right near the pipes...and the rear one is plainly visible going up through the roof from inside my bathroom closet. no sign of water in there, but it must be going somewhere......

Anyway, I'm a little unclear on "step 4": Apply "vulkem" sealer from the inner edge of the hole in the gasket, forcing it through the fiberglass screening, and onto the black pipe. That gives the installation a positive seal.

should the new gasket actually be "glued" to the pipe with vulkem? It looks like a really tight fit, considering the hole in the new gasket is way smaller than the diameter of the pipe. should I squeeze some vulkem between the pipe and gasket, or just put a bead around the top?

Oh, and interestingly, I noticed on my covers (I assume they're factory..solid alluminum casting) there is only 1 hole for drainage, instead of the 2 that are in the replacement part photo.

[drboyd]

I haven't done mine yet, but I have the gasket and the screen. The screen is just to keep flies out, right? Then why not put the gasket on first, then just wrap the screen over the top of the pipe, and fasten it with a hose clamp?

I don't think the screen would do you any favors when it comes to making the seal waterproof....