More issues with water in refrigerator service area

[BatDude]

Hi all,

Many moons ago I commented on the chip board shelf/panel that the 3 way fridge sits on was wet and the cupboard under the fridge was also wet.

I had assumed that this was due to running the Scamp through a sef service car wash and being a bit careless with the pressure water wand stream and inadvertently blew water indie the lower (or upper) vent covers.

We just arrived in Asheville N.C. form1 or 2 nights on our way south to Jekyll Island Ga, then after many weeks on to Florida.
When setting up with our hook I popped the lower vent cover off to turn on the fridge using 110 AC. The chip board was very wet and the cupboard under the fridge had wet carpet and some of the items stored there were also very wet.

As we had rain most of the day from the Walmart overnight in Kentucky (1st timers on trying that more to post elsewhere) it appears that while driving for 6+ hours rain was blowing in.

How do others deal with that?
Plastic bags that can be removed?

The vents are clearly important when the fridge is running, but now I am concerned that the unpainted base/self the fridge is mounted on is going to become fungus infested and begin rotting. Then the entire thing will need to come out. It is not painted from the factory.

Any ideas/suggestions?


Bad Dude

[LyleB]

As I was reading your post, I was thinking to myself, cover the inside of the vent door with plastic during transit. If I were you, that would be the first thing I would try. Also, I think I would be painting the particle board, at least as much of it as I could.

[gordon2]

No vent can be fully waterproof.. and some are better than others. I agree that the design on (my) Scamp leaves something to be desired when it comes to water occasionally coming in through the fridge vent(s). It seems to me that having some way for the water to run off, and adding some protection to the wood (or using something instead of wood that will not rot) is a good idea. But it would cost more and Scamps are the budget choice of fiberglass trailers.

Please see this discussion.

I think any attempt to seal it up ONLY when on the road is not the best idea. Its a hassle first of all to do and undo, and some people run the fridge on propane while underway (which we know other people object to.. its a argument we do not need to revisit here).

[Sid]

BD
I had a similar issue but only after a heavy windy rain. Long story short after a bit of trial and error I picked up some small diameter hollow core foam window strip with an advesive backing. I removed the hatch and stuck the trim around its perimeter so it squeezed flat against the frame when closed. No leaks ever since even when washing.
Sid

[Carl Pa]

Yep! same thing,drove me nuts. The scamp comes with a weather seal for the fridge vents stowed in the minnillo envelope with the fridge manuals. Why they do not install it, is unknown to me. I put it in and it stopped seeping in, I then went to the big box store and bought a couple rolls of seal foam and now keep them on hand in case the ones i installed wear out. Good Luck, Carl.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Carl Pa

... The scamp comes with a weather seal for the fridge vents stowed in the minnillo envelope with the fridge manuals. ...

I think that weather stripping is actually left over from the fridge install. If you look at the front of the fridge (RM2410 at least) you will see compressed weather stripping behind the trim. The left over in the bag appears to be the same and is not enough to do more that 1/4 of the vent.

According to the manufacturer of the vent (my bolding)*...

The weather stripping is provided in case it needs to be replaced. The weather stripping was provided by the manufacturer of the coach not Dometic. Dometic has no instructions for the use of the foam weather stripping. If the leak is around the frame of the vent, then it was not sealed properly. If water is coming in through the vent, this is possible with gusts of wind that push the rain sideways. We appreciate this opportunity to address your situation and hope all of your future travels are trouble free. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time to order parts or for further assistance.

Sincerely,
Jenn C
Customer Support Center
Dometic Corporation
800-544-4881
www.edometic.com
Dometic USA Start

And according to Kent Eveland*:

I have talked to one or maybe two other people with that weird problem with the fridge vent bringing in water. It seems to run along the edge and then sneak in at the corner sometimes. It is ironic and strange as it only occurs rarely and is never consistent, at least on the one or two I have seen so far. The old vents were kind of notorious for leaking in certain windy or driving conditions, so we have gone to these and they have worked very well for the most part.
Probably you might want to try some seal in the corners of the vent where water can run along the edge and somehow seep in. Otherwise we can replace the vent if that doesn't work. We are not really sure what causes this issue to occur. When examining the vents it looks almost impossible to leak.

Note that I did mention to Mr. Eveland the foam weather stripping sent in the bag and that some had said it was to be installed in the vent, but he did not mention it again in his reply. If it was supplied to stop leaks in the vent I am sure he would have said so.

Now with all that being said, it does seem that people have been getting improved performance when it comes to blocking water intrusion by putting some sort of seal around the vent frame where the panel meets the frame. That is my plan also.
----
* Quoted from email exchanges also documented in the link I had provided in reply # 3 above.

[BatDude]

Tnx for the thoughtful replies!

On the road and still Scamping south. Last 2 nights (including tonight) we are at Bear Creek R.V. park in Asheville, N.C.

I had not considered that the rain leakage was from around the perimeter of the two removable vent sections. Just assumed it was blowing in the vents themselves.

Hmmm. I do have a roll of weather stripping with me and when it is light in the morning I will work on sealing those seams on the inside such that when the panels are closed it will fit tight and with luck no longer leak.

Loads of condensation even with the top vent cracked a bit. Could not open it much more as rain was splashing in.

Tnx again all.

What a wealth of experience and suggestions.

Cheers,

Bat Dude

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by BatDude

...

Loads of condensation even with the top vent cracked a bit. Could not open it much more as rain was splashing in.
....

At the risk of drifting off-topic...

I overnighted somewhat west of Asheville on my maiden voyage with the Scamp (coming back from Backus) in a record breaking rain event.
Decided to buy http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HGF398 to cover the Fantastic Fan vent cover. I have no regrets. I can now open my vent in the rain and even run the fan. So far its been water tight and I think it will be, as long as there is not a driving rain with the wind from the stern.

It was an interesting install since the instructions were to screw it in place using the original vent screws in the roof, but of course the Fantastic Fan vent is riveted in place on Scamps. So I got to try my hand at riveting on a new Scamp.

This is not the only cover made but I think this one allows the vent cover to open more than the others.

PS, let me know if you are going near Charlotte in your travels.