Range Hood Vent Flap Broken

[pvillebly]

Hi everyone - I checked the posts but did not find a problem similar to mine. The two tabs on my range hood vent flap have broken off and the vent flap will now fall off, exposing a hole to the inside of the trailer, a 2010 Mini Lite. I need to keep the lower swivels fastened to keep the hole covered. I think I may need a total replacement. Any thoughts? Thanks

[OldCoot]

Get a pc of bronze brazing rod the complete length of the flap plus enough to extend into the pivot holes and secure it to the flap with a wrap of thin alum and pop rivets and some silicone to keep it from shifting. Did it to our 08 Flagstaff and it was still holding when we traded it off 4 yrs later.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Get a pc of bronze brazing rod the complete length of the flap plus enough to extend into the pivot holes and secure it to the flap with a wrap of thin alum and pop rivets and some silicone to keep it from shifting. Did it to our 08 Flagstaff and it was still holding when we traded it off 4 yrs later.

pvillebly, from experience, I can tell you that this fix will work out better than buying a new unit. I bought a new one and went through the de-caulk/re-caulk, etc., process and the new one broke on the next trip!

[azjerry]

I have a related problem: one of the lower swivels is missing. Are replacements available?

[ChooChooMan74]

Here is my fix.

http://campinglifewithmatt.blogspot....-vent.html?m=1

[Still Kickin]

What I suggest is after a fix, or to prevent flap failure, I wedge a piece of pipe insulation up under the outside cowl putting pressure against the flap before flight. Also, added that to the pre-flight check list. That takes care of flapping (thus wear and tear) during flight.

[KyDan]

We have one fix for broken flap pins in the FAQ.
I fixed mine that way years ago and it will never break again.
2 tiny brass hinges from the hardware store and 30 minutes time
and it's fixed for good.
See post 5 in this thread for pictures--
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...fix-15553.html

Good luck!

[realebill]

or,just order a replacement damper.....

Heng's Polar White Replacement Damper for Exhaust Vents - Range, Hood & Vent Parts - Ranges & Cooktops - RV Appliances

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by realebill

or,just order a replacement damper.....

Heng's Polar White Replacement Damper for Exhaust Vents - Range, Hood & Vent Parts - Ranges & Cooktops - RV Appliances

And if you plan on taking 6 trips on the highway, order a dozen as you'll need them.

[pvillebly]

Thanks everyone for the great information. I took a look at my vent and decided to go with a total replacement as mine has yellowed quite a bit. Hope the new polar white unit will dress up my MiniLite. Played it safe and ordered an extra damper flap and will also file all the other repair techniques as I expect my flap will break again in the future.

[beachlife]

Not to bring up an old thread, but I wanted to so two things:

1) Give thanks to the posters who provided the above fixes. I had this happen a time or two now and the last time I was parked on a beach in the middle of nowhere. I woke up to a trailer full of bugs! I used the hinge fix until my flapper broke again when I left in a hurry to get out of some bad weather.

2) Also wanted to let you know what I did to fix it for good.

I found a small site in MN selling something called the fusion flapper and it was a great fix. I had to call them to have one mailed to me. That was a bit of a hassle since I don't keep a permanent address. I've had one since February. It's for ice fishing campers so if you spend a lot of time in it, you probably want to add some small cushions to the corners so it doesn't make noise in the wind, but it isn't going to break again!