Wall Mounted Air Conditioner Vent

[Thane]

My 2006 17 footer has a wall mounted air conditioner next to the door. The hot exhaust air and noise degrades the comfort provided by the awning; this is the only thing about my Escape that I don't like. I made an exhaust vent as shown on the first attachment and found it to be very effective in getting rid of the hot air and reducing the noise.

The shroud is a grey fiberglass nesting box (A=18" B=7" C=5" D=15 3/8" E=4 3/4" F=4 3/4") as shown on the second attachment. I purchased it from this website http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...ickid=redirect Finding the right size fiberglass box took much longer than all the other tasks combined. I primed and painted it white with fiberglass compatible paint after I was done with the modifications.

More to follow on the next posting...

[Thane]

The white flexible duct is a standard 4 inch diameter dryer duct that is tucked between the awning and trailer wall. The free end of the duct has a large zip tie around the duct and a smaller zip tie added as a hanging loop so the duct can be hung from one of the awning bolts. The duct fits nice and tight under the awning and vents all the hot air away from the trailer.

In case I didn’t put out the awning, I added two other dual zip tie hangers along the length of the duct so I can hang the duct above the window with suction cups and hooks.

The first attachment shows a close up of the shroud and duct.

The duct attaches to the shroud with a DryerDock Quick Connect like that shown on the second attachment and on this website http://www.amazon.com/Dryer-Dock-Ven.../dp/B0028BAAWW

More to follow on the next posting...

[Thane]

As shown in the first attachment, the shroud attaches with bungee cords and small #208 Screw Eyes (size 6 thread, small diameter eye) threaded into the existing rivets. I drilled out the rivet stem with a small drill bit first then finished it with a 5/32 drill bit to get a reasonably tight fit with the screw threads without getting so much binding that the rivet turned. I used the center two sets of rivets so I can hold the shroud in place with one hand and hook the bungee with the other. The shroud fits perfectly between the screw eyes. I added knots to the bungees to tighten it up and eliminate a slight whistling sound.

Here is a link for the screw eyes. There were two size 6 options and I picked the one with the shorter shank and smaller head. http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...1&ddkey=Search

The upper set of screw eyes are threaded all the way in. The lower set of screw eyes are about two turns short of all the way in so they stick out a bit, this makes it easier to hook up the lower bungee hooks. The lower bungee hooks are spread open a bit to make it easier to install.

The second attachment shows the end of the shroud. I trimmed the lip of the shroud a bit to provide clearance for the quick connect. I trimmed the flange of the quick connect match the edge of the shroud.

More on the next post...

[Thane]

I used Thermwell V27GA Frost King 19/32 by 5/16 Inch Seal Tape on the foot of the shroud to provide a protective mating seal. http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Ther...e-u708246.html

The attachment shows everything ready for storage. The two small holes in the lip of the shroud are for the lower bungee hooks.
The duct of the quick connect that extends into the shroud been trimmed to improve airflow. The seal tape can be seen.

I am quite happy with the modification. It is very easy and a significant reduction in heat and noise under the awning. There is no apparent back flow into the trailer and the air conditioner does not appear to be straining or operating any differently.

[Hokie Escape]

Nice job! Well thought out.