Vent Covers ?

[CJ68]

Hello,
I am new to the forum so I hope I am posting in the right place. We recently bought a new Jayco FW in Florida. We left it in storage at the dealership until we return in September. (We live in Ohio) I was concerned about leaving the RV completely closed up during the hot summer months. The dealer didn't seem to concerned but they were focused on selling me an RV. Since returning home I have continued to think about this and am still concerned. I was thinking about calling them and getting a price to add a Vent Cover over each vent. (kitchen & Bath) it is my understanding this would permit cracking open the roof vents without letting rain water in. I also thought about having them pull down all the window shades to reduce the solar effect. I did leave a couple tubs of damp rid in the sinks.
Could some of you seasoned RVer's let me know if you think this is a good idea ? Or if you know of anything else I could do ? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ! CJ

[oldmanAZ]

Welcome to the forum.
For us, vent covers are a MUST HAVE item. Our 2 vents are always wide open, unless we are heating or cooling our TT. Our Maxx Air covers have always kept the rain out.

Closing blinds is a good idea. Ours are always closed when not using the TT.

Damp Rid? Someone in a more humid climate may have an idea on that. Here in AZ our humidity issue that it is too low for some, but it's just the way I like it.

[NVGun40]

x2 to what oldmanAZ is saying. We put vent covers on all three of our roof vents. We normally leave them wide open. Not only do they allow for the vents to remain open without getting water in when it rains, but there is peace of mind when travelling down the highway with the vents open.

[poohbear]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

Welcome to the forum.
For us, vent covers are a MUST HAVE item. Our 2 vents are always wide open, unless we are heating or cooling our TT. Our Maxx Air covers have always kept the rain out.

Closing blinds is a good idea. Ours are always closed when not using the TT.

Damp Rid? Someone in a more humid climate may have an idea on that. Here in AZ our humidity issue that it is too low for some, but it's just the way I like it.

What we do to !

[Woodworker]

As for the Damp Rid it depends on how much you have out an what it's in. I bought one of those little black things they sell at CW it only holds about a couple cups of damp rid an it fills up with water about every 7 - 8 days here in Ga. Growing up in Fl I know the humidity. What I use now if I where in Fl would probably fill up every 3 -4 days.

[jloco]

I have the maxx air covers and leave my vents cracked open all winter through snow and everything here in New England.. Never had a problem.. I also use Damp Rids year round, even during winter months when the rig is closed up. Whether they actually help or not is another story..

[spoon059]

Yup. Vent covers are great because you can keep them open in storage AND they keep UV off the actual vent lids.


We also store our camper with Reflectix in the windows. It reflects a lot of the heat and UV back out, rather than heating up the camper and allowing damaging UV rays inside on the cheaper fabric.

[prm99v6]

I put them on my 2019 NP 377. The Kitchen cover is the highest point on the trailer (13' 6").

I am afraid I am going to have to take them off when Jayco replaces my 3500lb springs with 4500lb springs. I will remeasure after the swap.

[Macrosill]

The vent covers are good but I would not leave the vents wide open for long periods of time unattended. If there is a rain storm with lots of wind it will blow the rain in the vent. Keeping the vent cracked with a cover over it is a better option but still not completely rain proof. I am not talking about massive amounts of rain will pour in but the mist will add up over the storm.

I speak from experience on this.

Keep it closed if in storage away from home and have the dealer put in a few buckets of Damp Rid if you are concerned.

[Jim Smyth]

Originally Posted by Macrosill

The vent covers are good but I would not leave the vents wide open for long periods of time unattended. If there is a rain storm with lots of wind it will blow the rain in the vent. Keeping the vent cracked with a cover over it is a better option but still not completely rain proof. I am not talking about massive amounts of rain will pour in but the mist will add up over the storm.

I speak from experience on this.

Keep it closed if in storage away from home and have the dealer put in a few buckets of Damp Rid if you are concerned.

Camping right now and had a severe line of weather go through during the evening hours 2 days back. I woke up due to the lightning at 2am. While sitting on the throne I felt mist hitting the top of my head. So I closed that vent. When I got back in bed the blanket right under that vent was moist so I closed that vent too. I have left the vents open like everyone else since I have installed them a year ago and have a dozen or so trips under our belt. This is the first time I have seen any evidence that water can come back in through the vents. So it can happen if the wind and rain conditions are correct.

[CJ68]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am going to proceed with adding the vent covers. I will have them only crack the vents open a little. Our sales guy was an extremely good guy. He told us he would assist us if needed while the RV was in storage. I will have him check the vents occasionally. I will also have him close all the window shades for us. We will be returning to Florida August 28th to spend 6 months in Florida. We visited several dealerships during the RV search process, and this particular dealership really seemed exceptional. They are a little smaller than most but they have been around a long time. So far so good. Thanks again everyone your feedback is greatly appreciated. CJ

[Chopperdoc]

Originally Posted by prm99v6

I put them on my 2019 NP 377. The Kitchen cover is the highest point on the trailer (13' 6").

I am afraid I am going to have to take them off when Jayco replaces my 3500lb springs with 4500lb springs. I will remeasure after the swap.

I have an 18 377RLBH. Which cover did you use that clears the power vent ?

Thanks

Vic

[prm99v6]

Originally Posted by Chopperdoc

I have an 18 377RLBH. Which cover did you use that clears the power vent ?

Thanks

Vic

I used the Maxxair brand made for it. It doesn’t clear all the way but I haven’t had a problem over the last year. The vent just opens until it stops.

[Chopperdoc]

Thanks!

[2edgesword]

I haven't used vent covers but leave the window above the kitchen sink partially open to get a little ventilation in the trailer. We've been doing this for six years and have never had any mold issues. That said we're in NY and FL has a different level of heat and humidity so opened vents and vent covers sound like a better option.

[loriemoms]

We keep our vents opened a crack all the time as well and use the hanging bags of damp rid . It is always humid here in NC year round. We change them when full about 3 months..huge difference. We also keep the fridge wide open in storage and close it.ip to travel. Otherwise we get mildew!

[Mr&MrsSmith]

I installed Maxxair vents on our trailer this past November. Easy install and we noticed a difference when we were running the heater a lot this winter when we travelled. I prefer to leave them closed when not using the trailer to prevent the right conditions from blowing in rain and dust and even the possible little insects that could fit.

[Loretta]

I have the maxx air vent covers on my Class C. As most others have replied my cents are always open unless the AC or heater is on. I don't use damp rid but I keep a desk top oscillating fan on when the rig is plugged in/parked in the drive. The vents dont leak and no problems with mold or musty smells.

[larryrebos]

I leave my vent cover open, use damp rid and we have a dehumidifier because it gets humid in south Florida. I empty the de-humid every 3 days!
195 RB
Toyota Tacoma crew cab w/ tow pkg
wife and Gracie the wonder dog