Community Forums

ThunderRidge · 04-26-2021, 06:43 PM

Today in Southern Illinois I was traveling due west with a stiff south wind of 17mph gusting to 30mph or more. Driving with the tag and comfort drive made it fairly easy. However, I see in my mirror two black air conditioner shrouds go flying from the roof of the coach. Of course with that goes the two styrofoam upper evaporator housing blowing off the roof as well.

I was just up on the roof less than two weeks ago and removed all three air conditioner shrouds to tighten the hold down bolts so I know the all my 2 1/2 year old shrouds were in good shape. I screwed the shrouds back on and used loctite on the screws.

So, they still blew off. The one remaining cover is distorted out of shape from the wind getting underneath it and basically trying to blow it up like a balloon. It held on but, I am now stuck in a small town in IA where I can’t get overnight delivery on the shrouds and styrofoam housing due to package size. Dometic says not to drive with the shrouds off and do not let rain get into the circuit boards. Amazon has the shrouds and they claim they will be here by Wednesday. The styrofoam evaporator housing is only available from WA state and I don’t have a ship date on that yet. Going to buy some tarps to cover the open air conditioners and wait it out.
What I think happened. The wind was funneled underneath the awning rails and was of enough force trying to expand the covers that they eventually gave way.

96 Wideglide · 04-26-2021, 06:54 PM

Odd, I've driven in much higher winds (lost the patio awning), but no issues with the Dometic Duo-therm HP covers

!

ThunderRidge · 04-26-2021, 07:28 PM

I don’t disagree. I had the covers on my Holiday Rambler Ambassador for seventeen years and never lost one. The covers lifted right off the hold down screws. There’s still pieces of the cover underneath the screws. When I looked at the one remaining cover I see that Dometic makes a rather large hole for the screw causing a lot of slop and very little surface area to grab.
I redrilled the remaining cover with new holes and the exact fit for the screws so there is more surface area for the screws to grab onto.

Mile Marker 42 · 04-26-2021, 07:31 PM

How fast were you driving?

ThunderRidge · 04-26-2021, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mile Marker 42

How fast were you driving?

65mph

Mile Marker 42 · 04-26-2021, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThunderRidge

65mph

Very strange. Wind is not your friend unless it's a tail wind. I'd install your new covers with serrated washers that dig into the plastic. Sorry for your loss.

HarryStone · 04-26-2021, 07:58 PM

Is it possible you overtightened the screws and cracked the plastic?

Dutch Star Don · 04-26-2021, 08:02 PM

Having had issues with covers in the past, I always add a rubber backed washer to shrouds when I reinstall the screws. I know this doesn't help you now, but for future reference.

enjoyrv · 04-26-2021, 08:17 PM

I had one blow off while parked at a truck stop in Iowa. Parked on a slope and the wind must have caught it just right. Another one was cracked.

ThunderRidge · 04-26-2021, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Having had issues with covers in the past, I always add a rubber backed washer to shrouds when I reinstall the screws. I know this doesn't help you now, but for future reference.

Thanks Don. I will definitely add the rubber backed washers. I know I did not over tighten the screws as a technician friend warned me about that many years ago when I was removing shrouds to do maintenance on the fins.

It is just very strange to see the remaining cover and how it is expanded. It has to be from the wind constantly applying pressure underneath the cover. Two of the holes on the remaining cover were cracked and I imagine I would have lost that one as well had I gone much further.

When I spoke with Dometic they didn’t seem all that surprised. At less than three years old and stored inside I was surprised that the covers could be that deteriorated if that was the case.

Choclabs · 04-26-2021, 08:50 PM

Some types of locktite eats / melts plastic. Lots of Keystone trailers have lost their fenders after owners used loctite.

Choclabs · 04-27-2021, 12:54 AM

Bet the loctite destroyed the plastic:

https://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs...e-eats-plastic

Choclabs · 04-27-2021, 03:48 AM

https://www.robotshop.com/community/...ge-lexan/15577

ThunderRidge · 04-27-2021, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Choclabs

Some types of locktite eats / melts plastic. Lots of Keystone trailers have lost their fenders after owners used loctite.

I just looked and saw on the package not to be used on plastic. I took that to mean that it would not work on plastic. It doesn’t state that it would eat, weaken or dissolve plastic. I know that some may have dripped on the plastic. A tech at Lazydays told me to use the loctite. It’s been about six months so that potentially could have been the problem. If so, it’s been a very expensive lesson as the covers run $140 and $60 apiece for the styrofoam evaporator covers. Plus shipping and extra camping fees as well as being stuck until all the parts arrive.

I will go with Dutch Star Don’s recommendation of rubber backed washers. And, as long as I need new covers I am getting rid of the black plastic shrouds and changing to white to help reflect the sun’s heat away from the inner workings. Can’t see what color shrouds are installed with the side rails.