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Old 04-18-2013, 10:44 AM   #1
RAG
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Hailstorms and A/C Shrouds

After a very recent hailstorm, we noticed a few holes were punched in the shrouds of both roof-top A/C units as well as the skylight/fan in the bathroom of our '04 Land Yacht 30. My question is this: is there a chance of water seeping in through the A/C shroud holes? Temporary duct tape, (what else would ya use), has been placed over the holes while waiting for insurance adjusters to show up, (these things are expensive!), but I'm still concerned about the possibility of leakage into the interior of the motorhome.

So, are the shrouds just there to protect the internal A/C parts from the environment while driving, or do they stop rain from reaching the interior of the coach?

As always, thanks for your help.

Safe travel and regards to all,

Randy, Pam & Kobi
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Old 04-18-2013, 11:07 AM   #2
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You will get arguments about possible water leakage thru the holes in the A/C covers, but for sure they are part of the duct work of the unit. So, at a minimum, tape the holes closed to keep the unit working correctly.
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Old 04-18-2013, 11:11 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RAG View Post
After a very recent hailstorm, we noticed a few holes were punched in the shrouds of both roof-top A/C units as well as the skylight/fan in the bathroom of our '04 Land Yacht 30. My question is this: is there a chance of water seeping in through the A/C shroud holes? Temporary duct tape, (what else would ya use), has been placed over the holes while waiting for insurance adjusters to show up, (these things are expensive!), but I'm still concerned about the possibility of leakage into the interior of the motorhome.

So, are the shrouds just there to protect the internal A/C parts from the environment while driving, or do they stop rain from reaching the interior of the coach?

As always, thanks for your help.

Safe travel and regards to all,

Randy, Pam & Kobi
Randy.

All AC shrouds are decorative only.

If you have a rain water leak, it won't be from the shroud.

It could be however, that the AC itself is loose from it's mounting.

Completely removing the AC shroud, will not cause a water leak.

Andy
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Old 04-19-2013, 05:10 AM   #4
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Randy, sorry to hear about your hail experience, but glad it didn't do any body damage.

As an aside but related, I was cleaning my roof this Spring and noticed a crack in one of the A/C cover. I drilled a hole at the end of the crack and pop rivited a small aluminum splice plate inside the bottom edge of the cover where the crack started. On my 1999 Airstream, I also noticed the A/C cover started cracking at the mounting holes at about six years old. I purchased a replacement cover for the trailer at Camping World.

This said, the covers should be checked from time to time. My experience is that the covers become brittle after being exposed to the sun for a number of years.

Sam

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Old 04-19-2013, 05:49 AM   #5
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Thumbs up Much better quality...

The factory shrouds are not noted for durability....

A good source for replacements.

Bob
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Old 04-19-2013, 06:22 AM   #6
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Andy, thanks for the reassurance rain water leakage should not be considered a likely result of the shroud damage. We had plans to head-out for a week or two this Sunday, and interior leakage was a major concern.

Sam, thanks for your input. When placing the duct tape strips on the shrouds, I noticed many cracks which could have been caused by 3/4" to 1" hailstones or years of sunlight; or of course, both. All will be replaced, just waiting for our insurance company's input.

Bob, thanks for the shroud link; I will definitely check it out, as I'd prefer a stronger or at least thicker material. Do you happen to have personal experience with these products?

As always thanks for all the thoughts. We are quite fortunate to have this forum and the members so willing to help.

Regards and safe travel to all,

Randy, Pam & Kobi
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Old 04-19-2013, 07:46 AM   #7
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My shroud on my Penguin unit failed at year 3 from UV.....and yes they are expensive. I also found out that my extended warranty on the Penguin didn't cover the shroud. Apparently Duo-Therm has a very short warranty on that component (less than a year).

What is interesting is that unlike the older style shrouds on taller units, the Penguin has some baffling (done by stick on foam) that directs air flow. So when you buy a new shroud, you also get some foam components that need to be placed. Be sure to do this correctly since I imagine that performance of the air conditioner can be affected if these aren't installed correctly. Keep in mind that my air conditioner is from 2004 so there may have been some changes since then.

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Old 04-19-2013, 07:53 AM   #8
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While the old style units use the covers for looks and some level of protection, all of the newer ones that I have installed use the cover as an integral part of the cooling system.

Remove the cover on a new Coleman or Dometic and try to run it, within a few minutes the compressor will shut down from over temp. If you have a bunch-o-holes, depending on your AC age, it may impact the operation. I'd tape them up at a minimum.
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Old 04-19-2013, 09:18 AM   #9
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RAG,

We replaced our AC shroud after a tree branch fell on it and destroyed part of it. I, too, was told by AC manufacturer that shroud is decorative only, but should be replaced asap to protect coils and such. I believe the replacement about $150.00. Attaches with four or five phillips screws and took all of 10 minutes to replace once up on roof.

Unless you sustained shell damage, you may want to see what your insurance deductable is and figure out if it is worth going through that and risk higher premiums or just pay out of pocket. FWIW.

JL
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Old 04-19-2013, 10:40 AM   #10
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"Bob, thanks for the shroud link; I will definitely check it out, as I'd prefer a stronger or at least thicker material. Do you happen to have personal experience with these products?"

I do not...I completely glassed the cracks on ours before I knew of that source.

PM Robertsunrus for a firsthand evaluation.

Bob
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Old 04-19-2013, 02:15 PM   #11
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Shroud repair

In a pinch you can do a temp. repair to your shroud or vent cover with FlexSeal. ( the spray stuff that's advertised on TV). You can also buy it or a similar product made by 3M from Walmart or Home Depot. Use screen wire or fabric to reinforce it. Before FlexSeal was invented I used pruning sealer for years to do quick, temporary sealing jobs on horse trailers and utility trailers.
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