Boler vent replacement - Fiberglass RV
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Old 06-22-2016, 02:31 PM   #1
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Name: Chris & Sarah
Trailer: Boler
Manitoba
Posts: 30
Boler vent replacement

So, the current vent on our Boler is smashed, and was taped up by the PO to prevent leaking.

Chris and I bought a new 14" vent, took the old one off and just placed the new one in to see what was what.

A couple questions arose from this:

1. The old vent was sealed with black putty stuff. Does ALL this need to be removed? Or will the new butyl putty tape smoosh in and around this and be fine? We've removed what we can with a utility knife already.

2. The screw holes on the new vent don't line up with the old vent. Will it be held on just fine with just butyl putty, or should we drill new holes? If we have to drill new holes, is that a big deal? Or just drill them and be done with it?

3. It seems that the vent company was anticipating a thicker ceiling on which to mount this vent; when the vent is pushed all the way down the interior trim can't sit flush with the ceiling on the inside. Should we mount this vent with the interior trim flush with the ceiling and then rig up some sort of mounting collar on the exterior? Any suggestions for materials if that's what everyone would recommend? Or is there a pre-existing product for just this situation?

Many thanks for any advice!!

Sarah
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Old 06-22-2016, 06:26 PM   #2
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Name: Anne-Marie
Trailer: 1977 Trillium 1300
Ontario
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I await any answers to your questions with great anticipation as I need to do the same thing in my '78 Trillium 1300. Only, I've also been reading about the Maxxfan, which seems like a better upgrade.
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Old 06-22-2016, 07:15 PM   #3
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All previous sealant, putty, etc should be removed. Remaining residue should be removed with alcohol or acetone (well ventilated area). If the current holes can't be used, they should be (edit: trimmed to a 45 degree bevel) and patched with an epoxy repair product or polyester resin mixed with chopped fiberglass. Finally new holes should be drilled to match the holes in the new vent.

The 14" roof vents in my campers have been matched up with interior trim rings suited to the thin FG body.
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Old 06-22-2016, 07:45 PM   #4
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14" roof vent for FG body

Yes, there is a 14 roof vent that can be matched up with an interior trim ring (garnish) suited to your thin FG body. A commonly used product is the Ventline 14 1/4" Ventadome manual roof vent. Garnishes are available for this roof vent in various thicknesses as well as screens. The shallowest Ventline garnish (VA0445-25 or -33) is designed for 7/8" to 2" roof thickness, and that's what was used on my Boler and Trillium. (Edit: The Ventline garnish can be trimmed shallower which I have done.)
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Old 06-22-2016, 08:29 PM   #5
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Hi John, that's fantastic! Thank you for both of your replies - that's just the info we needed!
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Old 06-22-2016, 08:52 PM   #6
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Other tips for installing roof vent

On my campers, short (1/2" or 3/4") SS sheet metal screws hold the vent assembly to the roof. So in this case, holes were drilled somewhat smaller that the diameter of the screws.

Use plenty of butyl tape.

That's all. Good luck!
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Old 06-23-2016, 01:59 PM   #7
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Name: Chris & Sarah
Trailer: Boler
Manitoba
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trimmed to a 45 degree bevel
Hi again John,
I understand why the holes need to be 45 degree bevels, so they are like mini jack-o-lantern lids, but I'm not sure what tool to use our how to go about making each hole beveled.

Any advice for these newbies?!
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Old 06-23-2016, 03:55 PM   #8
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preparing old screw holes for patching

The old screw holes should be slightly beveled, not necessarily at 45 degrees (that I stated earlier), for patching. You could use a countersink bit or the tip of a large drill bit to do this.
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Old 06-23-2016, 04:14 PM   #9
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Name: Chris & Sarah
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Here's a pic of our progress so far. That black rubbery sealant stuff is a huge pain in the butt!
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_20160623_165650.jpg   IMG_20160623_165656.jpg  

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Old 06-23-2016, 04:34 PM   #10
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Hmmm. You could try mineral spirits or a caulk dissolver and then clean it thoroughly.
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Old 06-23-2016, 06:08 PM   #11
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Name: Jennifer
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Goof off worked really well on our trailer...maybe try a little? (Well ventilated!!)
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Old 06-23-2016, 08:44 PM   #12
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Name: Tim
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Alberta
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Another option is to put a spacer on the top of the trailer so that the garnish will fit flush on the inside. Being over 6', I need every bit of height in the trailer. I still haven't found the perfect material to build the spacer out of, and the one that is available from Fantastic was so flimsy that I didn't even want to use it. I ordered 4 of them and only 2 arrived intact in fact.
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Old 06-23-2016, 09:00 PM   #13
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Think I would use a narrow putty knife to get the bulk off and not worry about any scratches or marks as the new butyl and vent will cover it.
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Old 06-25-2016, 06:22 AM   #14
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Trailer: 76 Trillium 1300
Waterloo, Ontario
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Another option is to put a spacer on the top of the trailer so that the garnish will fit flush on the inside. Being over 6', I need every bit of height in the trailer. I still haven't found the perfect material to build the spacer out of, and the one that is available from Fantastic was so flimsy that I didn't even want to use it. I ordered 4 of them and only 2 arrived intact in fact.
I used a 1" aluminum tubing for my spacer. I mitered the 4 corners and had someone TIG weld it together. The welding job cost $40 alone but I feel it was well worth it as it will always fit any 14" fan. All in all it cost about $75 with material to make the spacer but it stiffens up the roof nicely and I have full head room in my trailer (I'm 6' 2") . David Tilston shows you how he did his with fiberglass tubing which is definitely another good way to go and cheaper(I believe). He even has links to the tubing. Good luck.

stef
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Old 06-28-2016, 10:41 AM   #15
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I used a 1" aluminum tubing for my spacer. I mitered the 4 corners and had someone TIG weld it together. The welding job cost $40 alone but I feel it was well worth it as it will always fit any 14" fan. All in all it cost about $75 with material to make the spacer but it stiffens up the roof nicely and I have full head room in my trailer (I'm 6' 2") . David Tilston shows you how he did his with fiberglass tubing which is definitely another good way to go and cheaper(I believe). He even has links to the tubing. Good luck.

stef
Never thought to use an aluminum spacer. Sounds like it works well. I have two trailers though and one of them has two vents. $150 for spacers on one trailer seems a bit much to me. Although I do have a brother in law who is a welder....

I think I am going to try the PVC boards and see where that gets me.
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