Dometic Duo Therm valance removal

[Boonedock]

Hey yall. I have a 2018 32 BHDS with the Dometic Duo Therm air conditioner. I would like to remove the interior valance on the unit to inspect for possible cold air loss into the attic area. I can find and remove the 4 black screws under the return filter cover, but the valance appears to still be held in place by something else. There are two round disks that appear to be screw covers but I cannot figure out how to remove them. I tried lightly prying on them with a small screwdriver with no luck, just marred the plastic a little. I dont want to break anything, so I figured I would ask yall. Any ideas? Attached is a pic for reference.

[Route 66 Traveler]

The round disks you mentioned do cover the screws and should be fairly easy to remove. They must just be stuck. If you can't removed them with flat bladed knife or screwdriver see if you can take a piece of string and work it under the cover to wiggle it loose. Once they are removed, just remove the 4 screws and the cover will come off.


I did the same inspection to mine last week and found numerous places where there was air leakage. Sure made a huge difference in air flow once I sealed up the leaks.



I used this video to help me with the process. It shows a Coleman AC, but the Dometic is pretty similar

Boost Your RV Air Conditioner Performance

[Witt74]

They could be the plastic push in rivets,(I think they are called body rivets), used by the auto industry to hold door panels, etc.. To remove them, you have to get under the flat part and pull straight down. Be warned, they will probably break, as they are considered a one time use part.

[Boonedock]

Thanks for the replys! I got a little more agressive with a small flathead screwdriver and successfully removed the screw covers. There were three tabs holding each one in place very tightly. Once I removed the valance, I was able to seal up some gaps using metal vent tape.

I also pulled each A/C vent from the ceiling and sealed the huge gap into the attic area on each one with the vent tape. I also cut away the excess vent material that stuck up into the A/C duct work. I suspected that this may be obstructing some air flow out of the vents. Once this was complete, I put everything back together and turned on my A/C.

Wow! What a huge difference in air flow this made! The biggest noticed difference was in the bathroom. When I pulled this vent, I noticed that the excess vent material was almost completely touching the top of the duct work! No wonder the air flow was terrible! I completely removed the vent collar from this vent and simply replaced the vent cover back in place. Now there is about 1.5 inches of open duct work for the air to move through, and this made all the difference in the world! I recommend everyone check theirs out! Ive learned alot on here, thanks for yalls help!

[Route 66 Traveler]

Good to hear. I had the same dramatic results for less than an hours work. One thing I forgot to mention was to check the tightness of the four mounting bolts. One of mine was backed out 1/4 inch and the other three were loose. Consult your AC installation manual for how to properly tighten the bolts.