Leaky Rear Roof Vent - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

TrulyOregon · 03-28-2011, 03:33 PM

If it is raining when we are traveling on the highway,water somehow seeps through the rear (bathroom) vent. The vent doesn't leak when we are stationary, even though it might be raining a lot.
Has anyone had this problem? Any suggestions on how to prevent water from coming in?
Carol

JackandJanet · 03-28-2011, 05:01 PM

Carol, is this the black water tank vent? If so, there's really no connection between it and the bathroom except the seal around the roof where it enters and extends through into the tank. Can you spot where the moisture is appearing?

Now, if this is a vent I don't have in my model, like a fan vent, then I'd say the cover is not fitting properly. Get up on the roof and see if it "wiggles" at all. I think if it's tightly closed, there should be no movement.

- Jack

TrulyOregon · 03-28-2011, 08:41 PM

I think it is the top of the fan vent because the closed lid of the potty was wet. Another wet area was the floor between the hinged door of the bathroom and the kitchen sink. Nothing was wet inside the cupboards.
So if it is the fan vent cover, and it wiggles, what can be done?
Carol

sam · 03-30-2011, 12:38 AM

I found it very helpful to take the actual vent cover or part with you to the rv store. It gets confusing with the choices at the Rv store. Our roof escape vent cover is no longer available. We baby it with son of a gun and wrap it in a thick contractor garbage bag/bungie cord for winter storage.

DebW · 03-30-2011, 04:13 AM

We put the Max Air vent covers on both of our Hi-Lo's and love them. The vents can be opened if it's rainning out as no water comes in through the vents. On a hot day while traveling we will crack the vents open alittle to let some breeze come through so the inside isn't too hot when we reach our destination. The Hi-Lo dealer where we bought our first one 1996 26RD suggested them to us and we liked them so well we put them on our new HI-Lo 2004 31ft. when we bought that. They even make the Max Air vent covers for the Fan-tastic ceiling fan. The salesman said these vent covers save your original vent covers from being damaged in hail or having a tree branch fall on them and crack them. These Max Air covers fit right over top of your original vent you don't remove your original vent and your vent still opens with these covers over them. Just thought I'd pass this along.

P.S. Sam I think this might be just the thing for you to save your original vent from anymore damage.

retiredcamper47 · 03-30-2011, 10:13 AM

I have three Fan-Tastic fans on my trailer and the larger MaxAir vent covers covering them. One of the best investments I have made. With the amount of air flow the Fan-Tastic fans create, the smaller (standard size) vent covers really restricts the air flow. This situation would tend to cause the fan motor to overheat and possibly burn out over a period of time. You should use the larger MaxAir vent covers. Yes, they are much pricier than the standard size ones, but well worth it. Even the people at the Fan-Tastic Fan factory recommends using the larger vent covers. Just thought I would pass this info along.

Bob

DebW · 03-30-2011, 12:32 PM

Bob,
Yes we have the large Max-Air vent covers on the 2 Fan-Tastic Fans we have and the smaller Max-Air vent cover on the standard fan which is in the bathroom. Yes you are correct the larger Max-Air covers are pricier than the standard size cover. Like you stated you can't use the smaller ones on the Fan-Tastic fans they do restrict the air flow and you would overheat the motors and probably burn the motor out. I figured if someone was interested in these covers they would check them all out for their own situations thats why I didn't go into all the details. Large vs small etc.

retiredcamper47 · 03-30-2011, 07:06 PM

I replaced the noisy bathroom exhaust fan with a new Fan-Tastic fan. The original was so noisy, the whole campground knew what I was doing. I did learn something about the new fan. The original fan had a metal base plate while the new fans use a plastic face plate (plate that the screws go thru on the roof). The new fan didn't work when installed. I wired it back exactly like the old one. Problem was no ground. The original fan used the metal base plate as the ground for the fan. I had to install a ground wire for the new plastic base plate fan to work. Haven't had any problems since installing it.

Bob

sam · 03-30-2011, 07:43 PM

Deb.W Never thought to use a Max air vent cover. Hubby says it won,t work because the roof escape vent is 14x25. Several years ago JR told us that he no longer had a suplier for the replacement cover. He was able to sell us a new seal. Our plastic cover only has one small glued crack. Our best guess at replacement would be to build a 14x14 frame and do a rubber roof patch. Good to know that the fantastic fans and max air vent covers work so well. Checked out the prices in the Camping World catalog defeniately a splurge!!

RichR · 03-30-2011, 07:53 PM

Have you tried to track down a used skylight? Here is a website that takes you to RV salvage parts. RV Salvage by state

sam · 04-01-2011, 01:03 AM

Had to chuckle at your idea to have a sheet metal shop make up a replacement cover..My husband is a semiretired sheet metal fabricator. His former company that he was laid off from lets him get anything made up that he needs. He will be getting some metal to reinforce the awning bracket to the delaminated wall. I haven't been able to convince him to do a wall rebuild to get rid of the delamination issue..He is quite busy doing the "honey do list",working part time and doing some volunteer repairs for some good friends of ours.She is disabled and her husband became a paraplegic after back surgery 20 yrs. ago.

TrulyOregon · 04-03-2011, 08:59 PM

This posting took a different directions from my original question, but I wanted to bring closure to our leaky bathroom vent.
Frank looked at the vent from above and discovered that the rubber gasket around the perimeter of the opening was misshapen and replaced it with a new one.
He said the vent did leak a little when it rained previously, but after the new gasket was in place no rain came in. Hopefully it will keep out the rain when traveling.
We thank all of you for your helpful suggestions.
Carol