My latest Honey Do Day consisted of another very easy DIY RV Repair. Thank goodness! Stay tuned for details about the recent major project I tackled, coming soon…
Pardon the French, but it’s true—living full time in your RV, shit happens. What’s wrong with this picture?
Why replace the exterior vent?
If you live in your RV full-time, at some point the exterior wall vent may need replacement. Whether it has just turned yellow with age, or you struck something with your RV and broke it, it’s easy to replace.
The range hood vent on our trailer had become old and brittle. Cleaning the rig one day last year, I broke the small plastic piece that supports the vent. A bit of crazy glue did the trick, for about 9 months. Apparently that broke loose one day while driving, and the wind must have caused vibrations resulting in ours being scattered across some unknown highway—luckily, this is an easy fix!
Repair RV Exterior Wall Vent in a Few Easy Steps!
As with most routine RV maintenance projects, the hardest part is often finding the right part for the job, or knowing what it’s called. After discovering our broken range hood vent, I did a quick search and found this Ventline Horizontal Exterior Wall Vent. Searching a bit further, and confirming the specs, revealed this is the most common stove vent cover that fits most RVs.
With the right part in hand, I was ready to complete this Honey-Do project, and it only took about 30 minutes…
1. Remove Old Vent
Unscrew and remove the old plastic vent. A step ladder helps, and a cordless drill with screw bit makes the job quick. Ours required a square bit drive.
2. Clean Vent Opening
Remove any old sealant from the exterior wall vent opening. Inspect for any damage, debris or signs of water leaks while you’re at it.
3. Prepare New Vent
After removing our vent, I noticed it had been installed using Plumber’s Putty Tape. Fortunately, I had some on hand—it is great for sink and air conditioning unit repairs too!
4. Install New Vent
Position the new exterior wall vent into the hole, and the screw holes will likely line up right where they need to be. Replace the screws, and do not over-tighten them, to avoid breaking the plastic part.
NOTE: I chose to touch up the screws I removed with a little white exterior paint.
Seam the edges with some Dicor Lap Sealant to ensure a water-tight seal, and you’re good to go!
Any Questions?
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Thank you
You are so welcome Doyle. Hope it helps!
My wife and I live in our RV full-time right now and we are wanting to know what things we should be looking out for as far as up-keep and maintenance. I will be sure to watch our exterior wall vent and check if it turns yellow at all or has any kind of damage to it. I want to be sure everything is repaired and maintained properly!
Thanks for commenting, and happy travels! Performing regular maintenance and staying on top of things is definitely important!