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Old 01-18-2022, 01:15 PM   #1
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Roof vent dropped on my brand new trailer

Hello fellow airstreamers,

I noticed my roof vent dropped out this morning. And the rivet is also gone. I’m wondering how can I remove the metal cap and rivet the vent back on? Many thanks!

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Old 01-18-2022, 01:51 PM   #2
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I came here expecting to see something quite different... this is an AC vent, the "roof vent" usually means the Fantastic Fan vent that penetrates the roof.

You don't have a rivet issue here. The vents are supposed to go in using a plastic clip system that's part of the vent, and they're a bit sensitive to how well the holes were cut in the aluminum. If the hole is irregularly shaped, there can be a way to put the vent up where it's pretty secure, and if the part with the clips built into is turned a bit one way or another it can be much less secure.

The one I have fun with is the one in my trailer's bathroom. Every once in a while I find it on the floor if I've been on rough roads.
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Old 01-18-2022, 02:36 PM   #3
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Thx, I’m a newbie. Lol, I took another look. Looks like there is no need to remove the metal panel in order to rivet it back.

The problem is that the holes are misaligned. I think they attempted to drill another hole but gave up and force the rivet in. That’s probably why it had popped out.

So, my question is should I drill another hole so that they are properly aligned? My worry is the new hole will be fairly close to the old hole. And eventually tear apart the aluminum sheet.

Forcing the rivet back is quiet hard for me as well. Not sure if there is any trick.
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Old 01-18-2022, 03:20 PM   #4
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Those air conditioner registers for the ducted AC system aren't riveted in...they snap in. There are 8 plastic tabs on the plastic piece on the back of the register vent. When pushed into the hole in the aluminum ceiling, the plastic tabs are supposed to engage the aluminum ceiling and hold the fixture in place.

The problem occurs when the hole in the ceiling is over-sized or out of round. You can pull the vent completely down (it won't hurt anything) and you'll see how it engages the aluminum ceiling. The issue is that the vent holes are cut by a human - not by machine - so the fitment varies from one to another. Much depends on how the technician cut any particular hole. And it's hard to cut a perfectly round hole. We're it me...I would make a special vent hole cutting die so all the holes would be perfect. Maybe Airstream will read this post and get an idea :-)


However, the "falling register vents" are a relatively common problem and there are a number of fixes out there. I wouldn't rivet the thing in place (but that is an option). A much more simple fix that folks have done is to:

1) Remove the register vent
2) Apply some electrical tape or similar material to the inside radius of the hole in the aluminum ceiling - the object is to decrease the diameter of the hole ever so slightly such that when the register is pushed back into the hole, it will fit better and tighter. You don't need to go overboard here...you just want to make the register fit better
3) Reinstall the register vent
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Old 01-18-2022, 03:30 PM   #5
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So, unless your AC registers are attached quite differently than mine, there are no rivets used to attach them to the ceiling.

If you look closely at your photo, you'll see 2 gray plastic tabs sticking up from the register assembly. There are several of those around the circumference of the plastic part. Near the base of each of those tabs there's a portion that projects outward and is a bit "springy." When you get the register pushed all the way up against the ceiling, those retainers pop out a bit on the other side of the ceiling aluminum and hold the register assembly up. That's the idea at least, and it's OK when it works right but (as you're learning) is annoying when it doesn't have a great fit. You might be able to use a bit of narrow high-bonding double-sided tape like VHB to stick this one up there if you can't get the clip to grab again. I fiddled with the clips on a couple of mine to good effect, and the bathroom one is the only one that doesn't reliably stay in place now.
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Old 01-18-2022, 04:00 PM   #6
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They started using rivets part of the way ghru the 2018 model year. So if a rivet is missing I wiuld replace it.

My 2018 had the plastic clips to retain the vents. They were a PITA!
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Old 01-18-2022, 04:28 PM   #7
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Ok, I forced it back, it seems good now. Hopefully, it won't break soon.
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Old 01-18-2022, 04:31 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InvertdEagle View Post
Those air conditioner registers for the ducted AC system aren't riveted in...they snap in. There are 8 plastic tabs on the plastic piece on the back of the register vent. When pushed into the hole in the aluminum ceiling, the plastic tabs are supposed to engage the aluminum ceiling and hold the fixture in place.

The problem occurs when the hole in the ceiling is over-sized or out of round. You can pull the vent completely down (it won't hurt anything) and you'll see how it engages the aluminum ceiling. The issue is that the vent holes are cut by a human - not by machine - so the fitment varies from one to another. Much depends on how the technician cut any particular hole. And it's hard to cut a perfectly round hole. We're it me...I would make a special vent hole cutting die so all the holes would be perfect. Maybe Airstream will read this post and get an idea :-)


However, the "falling register vents" are a relatively common problem and there are a number of fixes out there. I wouldn't rivet the thing in place (but that is an option). A much more simple fix that folks have done is to:

1) Remove the register vent
2) Apply some electrical tape or similar material to the inside radius of the hole in the aluminum ceiling - the object is to decrease the diameter of the hole ever so slightly such that when the register is pushed back into the hole, it will fit better and tighter. You don't need to go overboard here...you just want to make the register fit better
3) Reinstall the register vent
Many thanks for the ideas. But I do think they are riveted on the roof. At least on my model, otherwise they will simply fall out.

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Old 01-18-2022, 04:36 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DKB_SATX View Post
So, unless your AC registers are attached quite differently than mine, there are no rivets used to attach them to the ceiling.

If you look closely at your photo, you'll see 2 gray plastic tabs sticking up from the register assembly. There are several of those around the circumference of the plastic part. Near the base of each of those tabs there's a portion that projects outward and is a bit "springy." When you get the register pushed all the way up against the ceiling, those retainers pop out a bit on the other side of the ceiling aluminum and hold the register assembly up. That's the idea at least, and it's OK when it works right but (as you're learning) is annoying when it doesn't have a great fit. You might be able to use a bit of narrow high-bonding double-sided tape like VHB to stick this one up there if you can't get the clip to grab again. I fiddled with the clips on a couple of mine to good effect, and the bathroom one is the only one that doesn't reliably stay in place now.
Thank you! I think mine doesn't have any "springy" part. The whole register is hold by two rivets. And it has four holes for riveting, but looks like AS chose to only have two rivets for whatever reason.
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Old 01-18-2022, 05:28 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by davydliu View Post
Thank you! I think mine doesn't have any "springy" part. The whole register is hold by two rivets. And it has four holes for riveting, but looks like AS chose to only have two rivets for whatever reason.
VHB tape might still work. You might have to replace the tape every 5 yrs or so.
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Old 01-19-2022, 09:49 AM   #11
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These just snap in & out, sometimes one will fall after a very bumpy ride which tells me to eat up a bit while towing.
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Old 01-19-2022, 03:34 PM   #12
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It appears some of the old-timers are not looking at your photo close enough. It appears Airstream has gotten tired of these things falling out and has changed the register it appears in your second photo that there is a spot to either rivet or a screw that register into the ceiling not the roof. Line the hole up get a stainless steel screw and screw it in. I think your problem will be resolved. However you might want to look into your nomenclature usage Roof is outside ceiling is inside.
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Old 01-19-2022, 03:42 PM   #13
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The problem with the gray plastic material on the vents is that it tends to distort causing the tabs to move ever inward; eventually, they don't hold at all. Using a heat gun to reorient them only delays the process. VHB eventually fails in warmer climates because of their weight.
Outside of the plastic retainer, the vents are nicely cut, shaped and finished. Too bad they're poorly designed, reorient themselves during travel and worst, throttle about half of the air creating turbulence and inefficiency.
After having 3 - 4 fall after a couple of fixes, we yanked them all out and installed these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Yes, they're plastic and have to be painted with silver paint to sort of match, but you know what? The increased volume of air is nothing short of amazing in comparison and it seems that both AC's cycle less with the improved airflow, i.e., it's a lot cooler a lot quicker. They're directional, can be shut off and stay put using VHB tape because they're very lightweight.
The hole Airstream cuts is a little large, so we wrapped the 'neck' of the vent with some 1/4" open cell foam weatherstrip. Problem solved.
If we ever sell, we'll include the OEM vents, OEM shower door gasket, OEM air admittance valves, OEM cabinet door hinge screws and anchors, etc.
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Old 01-19-2022, 05:47 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by Kentbrookin View Post
It appears some of the old-timers are not looking at your photo close enough. It appears Airstream has gotten tired of these things falling out and has changed the register it appears in your second photo that there is a spot to either rivet or a screw that register into the ceiling not the roof. Line the hole up get a stainless steel screw and screw it in. I think your problem will be resolved. However you might want to look into your nomenclature usage Roof is outside ceiling is inside.
Correct, that's exactly what I did. Rotate the stainless part will reveal the hole for riveting. And I riveted it back despite the holes are not aligned properly. I just forced it back.
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Old 01-19-2022, 06:10 PM   #15
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The factory vents on my 2022 GT are definitely riveted to the ceiling. I know this because I am in the process of changing out the factory vents with high flow vents. Using VHB tape for the new vents.





If you are interested in changing your vents see this very good how to page.
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Old 01-19-2022, 10:34 PM   #16
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That link is great goldenchase. Thank you for sharing it! It's something we're considering, but we do enjoy being able to aim the airflow. Do you miss that at all?
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Old 01-19-2022, 10:52 PM   #17
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That link is great goldenchase. Thank you for sharing it! It's something we're considering, but we do enjoy being able to aim the airflow. Do you miss that at all?
Still working on it. I have two AC units but there are 6 vents in the rear and only 2 in the bedroom. I am going to add one or two more in bedroom and shutdown one or two in the rear to see if I can balance the cooling better.
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Old 01-20-2022, 06:40 AM   #18
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That link is great goldenchase. Thank you for sharing it! It's something we're considering, but we do enjoy being able to aim the airflow. Do you miss that at all?
We installed these vents as well following the directions provided by yawesome. If installed as per direction the vent can be turned to aim the airflow. The only down side is the airflow cannot be diminished or turned off. But that has not been a problem for us.

I didn't change the ceiling vent in the bathroom.

It definitely improves cooling considerably!
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Old 01-20-2022, 09:13 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenchase View Post
Still working on it. I have two AC units but there are 6 vents in the rear and only 2 in the bedroom. I am going to add one or two more in bedroom and shutdown one or two in the rear to see if I can balance the cooling better.
Not to hijack this thread but I'd be interested in the added vents in the bedroom, we've noticed that problem a lot, especially in campsites where the sun is more intense towards the road. Did you just measure back and cut a new vent opening? I wasn't sure what's running where up there.
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Old 01-20-2022, 09:19 PM   #20
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Not to hijack this thread but I'd be interested in the added vents in the bedroom, we've noticed that problem a lot, especially in campsites where the sun is more intense towards the road. Did you just measure back and cut a new vent opening? I wasn't sure what's running where up there.
Have not started yet. I have the vent. I am going to scope the duct and see where a good place would be.
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