A/C Duct Vents

Good Evening,

I was considering changing out my vents in the ceiling that carry the A/C. I would imagine that everyone else's factory ducts look like this:



I want to replace with something that can be opened and closed with more directional flow control, like this:



Has anyone made a change like this? These products can be found at:

http://dwincorp.com/index.php?cPath=55

Your input is appreciated.....

I saw that vent on a forum that I read. Might have been here or the old WildcatOwners - or NuWa or RVnet. Anyway, I was interested enough to copy and paste a photo and quote the person who posted.

Here is what he or she had to say:
"Helps a bunch in controlling A/C cooling in the bedroom area. The vent can be opened/closed or rotated. Swapped all five of 'em out."

Thanks for posting the website where these can be found.

Scruffy and Tater,

Thanks for the reply. I have been in my in-laws Holiday Rambler Alumasacpe Fifth wheel, which is larger than ours, but with the same BTU A/C and they had much more flow and control out of these vents.

The factory vents actually seem to deflect the air at the ceiling level rather than direct the air to where you really need it. I have place an order drom D&W Incorp. for 6 of the vents, 1 spare, at a price of $4.00 each and $7.50 for shipping.

They tell me I may have to trim the ceiling opening a little bit, but they tell me it can be done with a utility knife. We shall see!

Cummins 2500hd,

Funny to read your post. I just finished installing the same A/C ducts in our unit. I purchased them from the same company you are looking at. Let me say they work GREAT!!! I will send pics if you like.

Some things to remember. The new holes are slightly bigger, so I used a dremmel to enlarge the opening. I then purchased a thin sheet of metal and made tubes to insert between the air duct and vent. Finish it off with heavy duty duct tape so no air escapes. Now we close off the vents in the main area and open the ones in our upper bedroom and it gets cold very fast. They look and work great. I think FR should start using these in ALL there units.

MountainMaxx,

Thanks for the reply.

If you have pics I would love to see them.

The owner of the D&W company told me that I should not have to install any sort of extensions or tape. Only open the hole up, as necessary, then slide the new vent into place and screw fast.

I shall see how this installation works then may change to install like yours. Do you think I will need a Dremmel tool or will a utility knife razor work?

Thanks!

On another A/c subject.....

When we camped over the fourth I noticed very little air flow. I had just cleaned the filter on the unit before we left. I pulled the filter only to find that the coils had frozen from no air flow. I ran the unti without the filter and had no issues. Do they make a high flow filter or is it safe to run without the filter?

I was just going to mention that. I am going to install the adjustable vents myself, but you have to be careful. If you restrict airflow too much, such as clogged filter or vents closed too much, you will get icing.

AVid

cummins 2500hd

Sorry for the late reply.
I tried a utility knife, but it doesn't work as good as the dremmel. With the dremmel you just follow around the opening about four circles and you have the perfect size. After each circle check with the vent and make sure it goes in and out smoothly.
As far as what others are saying about restricting air flow if you follow what I said above about making rings with sheet metal you aren't restricting anything. You are now directing air thru the air duct hole into your collar or tube and out the vent.
the dimensions I used were 1 1/4in to 1 1/2in tall and about 4 1/2in round.
Place the metal ring around the inside of your new vent and form a circle and tape together with heavy duty duct tape. Slide the metal ring off the air vent and slide into opening in ceiling and push up until it make contact with the opening in the air duct (which should also be a circle). Now use little pieces of duct tape to seal any openings between the metal ring and the opening on the air duct. Smooth out tape and place new A/C vent in the opening. Screw in new holes and you are done.....

Mountainmaxx,

Thanks again. I do not own a dremmel tool but may borrow one from my father-in-law and install them while we are in myrtle beach for the next two weeks.

Ideally I would like to have them in before we leave so I am going to try a utility knife on Thursday before we leave and hopefully it will work. Could you cut the roof at all with the knife?

cummins 2500hd,

Pictures of your sheet metal job would really be appreciated.

Thanks.....

cummins 2500hd

As far as cutting the roof with the utility knife do you mean the outer skin?? The only area you are cutting is the opening that the vent came out of. Between the ceiling of your unit and the main roof there is no way you should hit the outer skin. Remember you are trimming VERY LITTLE of the original vent opening, just enough for the new vent to fit in. Cutting around the luan is quite easy, I just found it easier to work with the dremmel. Anytime a put a knife in my hand I seem to cut myself (thankfully my wife cuts my dinner).

cummins 2500hd,

Also, looking at the pictures and the diagram of the vent, it looks like its 2" deep?, and does it swivel around so you can make the air go in any direction you want?

Thanks.....

Oldelmer1,

Actually it is about 5/8" deep. I don't know why that line drawing shows it as 2". You push on the vent to open it and it swivels 360 degrees.

You can order the vent with up to a 2" extension on them to avoid the sheet metal that mountainmaxx is explaing, at least thats what D&W is telling me.

But from what everyone is telling me some trimming of the white luan ceiling and the vent will fit right in there then four screws fast.

Mountainmaxx, do you have pictures of your finished installation?

If you can buy the extenders, do it. I wish I would had known about them. It sure beats bending metal. I will get pics out on Saturday, trailer is in storage.

When you take those pics will you take some to show the opening of the duct and anything that you had to add to the inside of the duct and both sides of the new vents. Also, I suppose that you can just partially close the vent or is it all or nothing?
Thanks

The vent can be opened to full or any where in between there and closed.

As promised the finished A/C vents. On the first picture there is a piece of tape on the top of the air duct. That is from FR when they cut the hole in the duct. In pictures one and two you see the metal insert I pushed up against the air duct. This is a thin piece of aluminum and the heavy duty tape makes the air escape ONLY from the vent, NOT into the ceiling between the roof. If you can buy the inserts, I would do so (I didn't know about them). Now all the air is directed out of the vent and NO RESTRICTIONS!!!! I tested it again today (Denver. Colorado 102 degrees HOT) and it works great. I hope this helps.

mountainmaxx,

Thank you very much, now I understand what you did.

That's a good improvement...thanks for the heads up!

-Mark

My next mod. And it looks like this one won't hurt the pocketbook!

I just finished replacing my 5 old vents. Wow what a difference in the air flow. I used aluminum flashing to make the collar and a good grade of foil tape. It only took 2 hours to complete. Forest River sure used cheap foil tape at the factory. Mine had some holes in it. A great mod for any do it yourselfer.

I just ordered mine today with the 2 inch extension on them will let every one know how it went on the install.

I made this mod on the a/c vents a while back, and it is worth the effort. More recently, I made a mod to the main a/c unit, where as I can control the flow of air from front to rear, as well as side to side. I did this by removing the factory sliding vent, "boxing" the opening, and put in a single rotary vent similar to the others. This, along with some of my other mods, can be viewed at http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-ECSandra Click on photo albums, then Wildcat upgrades, folder #2.

I just got done installing my vents and what a big improvement to the system. I did find that the one by the front door was not even in the duct work from the factory so I had to do a field mod on that one but all the others went in with just a little trimming.

Just ordered mine with the 2" extensions.

Did everone get their vents at Camping World?
I stopped at the one off 295 in south nj and they say its a dealer item. I explained it was an aftermarket part due to the factorys not closing and the ones we wanted had adjustable closing vents but they say they dont carry anything like it....

Hey Bags24,

Go to dwincorp.com that's were I got them from and I think many others did also. Good Luck.....

Mine from dwincorp.com should be here tomorrow. I wanted the ones with the 2 inch extension, so in the comments field I had to put a note with the model number, 8840wh, and a -2, 8840wh-2. This -2 tells them the 2 inch extension.

I know this cause I called them.....

I Also got mine at BWincorp.com there about $5.00 each with the 2 inch extension. I also put in the comment field that I wanted the two inch extension. Took about 3 days to get them and 1hr to install all 5 covers.

http://dwincorp.com/index.php?cPath=55