2nd Generation refrigerator vent leak fix

[wetzk]

I will not make mine as tall as theirs.

The only time we ever had a propane detector go off was after a meal of mixed beans with cabbage and sausage. My friends dog would set theirs off too.

I may have to wrap some screen around the drain hose. We have year round mud daubers and that would make a nice nest.

I'm slowly finding all the places wasp and daubers can nest in on this trailer. I'll add the vent screens I bought for the fridge after the leak is stopped. I've put flea collars in the propane and spare tire area And the water heater and propane heater have screens. And checked all the vent holes in the body, so far they are still open.
And we already had guinea wasp in one of the brakes, luckily I noticed them and tracked down where they were going. I do need to get plugs for the brakes.

[Czapffe]

I spent some time troubleshooting this issue on our new trailer. I found a couple of the outermost screws for the side refrigerator vent frame to be the route for a water leak. When I put droplets of water on top of the screws it would go down fairly quickly and show up in the cupboard under the refrigerator. I put some sealant on top of the screws to stop the leak. It's the 4 screws on the bottom of the frame, closest to the shell, that you see when you take off the vent cover. They come out super easy as they don't seem to be screwed into anything. I am currently using tape also on all four sides with small cutouts for the 3 slots that allow leaked propane out.

[SFDavis50]

Originally Posted by Czapffe

I spent some time troubleshooting this issue on our new trailer. I found a couple of the outermost screws for the side refrigerator vent frame to be the route for a water leak. When I put droplets of water on top of the screws it would go down fairly quickly and show up in the cupboard under the refrigerator. I put some sealant on top of the screws to stop the leak. It's the 4 screws on the bottom of the frame, closest to the shell, that you see when you take off the vent cover. They come out super easy as they don't seem to be screwed into anything. I am currently using tape also on all four sides with small cutouts for the 3 slots that allow leaked propane out.

This might be the real fix!!! Are the screws not going into a piece of wood glassed into the trailer body? Are they just dangling down behind the fiberglass body?

[cpaharley2008]

I had removed mine and put Proflex on them as a safety precaution. As far as propane leaks, none of my other trailers had direct water intrusion flowing through these little indents because they were not there and not needed. I caulked over them and built a lip around the interior, the water leaks have stopped. Propane leaks in that area is more open to air, I'd be more concerned with propane leaks inside around stove, furnace, water heater.

[Kountrykamper]

I added a bead of Proflex like shown in post 1 that ETI sent CPAHarley and sealed the 4 lower screws shown in the picture and have not seen any water since. I also sealed the screw holding the drain tube in place (reason for the block of wood while it was curing). We camped and drove in 4 days of very heavy rain and I checked it all week and never had any water past the bead of Proflex. I have since added a dab of Proflex to each screw head to cover the entire head just as a added measure. If ETI should come out with something different this could all be easily removed but for now seems to have stop any water intrusion from the grill.

This still would allow any propane leak to escape through the 3 lower indents.

[cpaharley2008]

You did a lot neater job than mine, Tom, nice work. Interesting note that your feed for propane is rubber whereas mine is copper? Which refer model did you get, the standard or larger?

[Kountrykamper]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You did a lot neater job than mine, Tom, nice work. Interesting note that your feed for propane is rubber whereas mine is copper? Which refer model did you get, the standard or larger?

Standard 5.0 fridge.

Neatness counts.

[cpaharley2008]

It is interesting to see different approaches to the same build ETI takes.....

[cpaharley2008]

After last night and this morning's monsoon, we had close to 3" rain and minor flooding. I can see where my gutters on the garage need cleaning. But the Escape was dry, I removed the exterior refer vent and there was no water inside, nothing got past the Proflex fix, entirely dry. Even the water heater was dry due to the e-z- gutter I installed. I checked every window, so far, no leaks. With Osoyoos coming up I'm glad things are coming together and working. Now to start packing.

[TallyHo]

Originally Posted by wetzk

Tallyho, I looked all over too . it's a clear tube that in mine is pressed up against the axle. I had tested it today to see if it was clogged. It flowed fine.

Thank you Wetzk for drain sleuthing, I found ours. Currently pouring out, once we dry out we will have to try the proFlex fix.

[advenas]

Is this refrigerator vent leak all in the 19ft? I checked my 17B last evening after a very unusually heavy rain in Seattle and found no problem.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by advenas

Is this refrigerator vent leak all in the 19ft? I checked my 17B last evening after a very unusually heavy rain in Seattle and found no problem.

So far it has been limited to the 19 size.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So far it has been limited to the 19 size.

Just for clarification, have ANY new model 21' owners experienced the refrigerator vent leak? Or is it really just a 19' thing? The vents look similar on both.

[cpaharley2008]

The 21 has a different refer as standard and it may have a different pan set up??

[Kountrykamper]

It's involves the 19', 21' and 5.0TA. All have the same lower exterior vent. The 17' is not included because it has a different lower vent.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Kountrykamper

It's involves the 19', 21' and 5.0Ta. All have the same lower exterior vent. The 17' is not included because it has a different lower vent.

Yes, but that said, I repeat my question, have any new model 21' owners out there ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED the problem? We store our new 21' under roof and have not experienced a heavy rain while camping - yet. We have not done the ETI-recommended fix yet, either. Still watching all the cleaver ways other owners are addressing this to get good ideas before we address ours. Dale

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Yes, but that said, I repeat my question, have an new model 21' owners out there ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED the problem? We store our new 21' under roof and have not experienced a heavy rain while camping - yet. We have not done the ETI-recommended fix yet, either. Still watching all the cleaver ways other owners are addressing this to get good ideas before we address ours. Dale

Hi War Eagle... "How long can you tread water"? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie aka South Wet Ontario.

[gocamp]

Originally Posted by advenas

Is this refrigerator vent leak all in the 19ft? I checked my 17B last evening after a very unusually heavy rain in Seattle and found no problem.

No probs in my 17B in a downpour here.

[Kountrykamper]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Yes, but that said, I repeat my question, have an new model 21' owners out there ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED the problem? We store our new 21' under roof and have not experienced a heavy rain while camping - yet. We have not done the ETI-recommended fix yet, either. Still watching all the cleaver ways other owners are addressing this to get good ideas before we address ours. Dale

Dale

The vent is the same and ETI included all 3 models in the fix. I would rather do something simple than have to deal with water in the trailer when in the middle of a trip. It's just proflex that could easily be removed if ETI wanted something else done down the road. This problem is not new with this vent. Many people have had water coming in under the fridge in Casitas for years. The main differance is Casita would never acknowledge the problem. Maybe give ETI a call and ask if this is still the suggested fix.

[Escapist]

We are about to sign off on a new 19' unit with the 6 cu ft fridge. Is any one aware if ETI is using the fix found by Czappfe in May? Hatch date is January 2, 2018.