Air conditioner duct inside rear cap leaking

Magumba · 04-08-2010, 12:12 AM

Hi,
In looking for the cause for a lack of cold air from the basement airconditioner a local tech found the duct work in the rear cap has a lot of openings. If I reach up inside I can feel cold air and see opening in the ducts. The tech removed one of the tail lights and pushed part of the duct back together but that did not fix the problem.

Scot mentioned removing the rear cap to get to the ducts, is there an easier way? He's going to turn this into the service company and see if they will pay for the repair.

In the mean time IS there an easier way to fix the verticle ducts?
Thank you for you help.

Thudman · 04-08-2010, 04:59 AM

I had a duct leak also. Go here:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/base...eak-56538.html

Thudman

KIX · 04-08-2010, 01:05 PM

Thudman refers you to a good thread explaining his method of repairing the duct. I maight add that if you cushion the end of the stick with a rag you will be able to press a little harder to adhere the tape to the duct.

Martind4 · 04-08-2010, 04:20 PM

I had a significant air leak in the duct just after the air conditioner. It was much easier to get at and seal when I took the back bumper off. My bumper is held on with 4 bolts and about 6 sheet metal screws and now takes about 15 minutes to remove. It sure beats removing the whole rear cap.

Magumba · 04-08-2010, 09:11 PM

Thanks for the help and posting pictures on the link Thudman provided. I'll have to get a better look at the problem over the next few days.

Are the ducts made from foam all the way to the top of the of the rear cap?
Happy camping.

Thudman · 04-09-2010, 07:14 AM

My guess is the duct is fiberglass, wrapped with tape to seal sections where they are joined. In my case the tape came loose & created the air leak. I was able to make the repair with the 1" x 3" wood extension (about 3 feet long); but if the leak(s) were higher up, don't know what I'd do. Let us know how you make out.

BTW, I used alcohol on rag (w/stick) to clean the duct surface before applying the tape.

Thudman

AFChap · 04-09-2010, 08:42 AM

As far up as I have retaped, my duct is metal, just like in a stick house.

Foz · 04-09-2010, 08:58 AM

We had the same trouble a couple years back. Winnebago paid to have Lazydays remove our cap, repair the ductwork (retape & cover with foam), and reinstall the cap.

Thudman · 04-09-2010, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFChap

As far up as I have retaped, my duct is metal, just like in a stick house.

There ya go.

Thudman

cannon man · 04-09-2010, 04:55 PM

i used contact cement aplied with a small paint roller on an ajustabal paint rod.

McDuff · 04-21-2010, 02:22 PM

I had the rear cap off for repair(darn tree...) and told them to retape all joints of the duct. I took a pic while it was off, might be helpful to see how it runs.

imgoin4it · 04-26-2010, 09:17 PM

I had the duct repair done on the Journey I had at the factory. When it went in for repair I was told that it depended on where (how high up) the duct seperation was as to whether the rear cap would have to be removed Mine did not. One thing I will tell you, it does not have to leak very much to make a tremendous difference in how the Acnd works. Mine went from not working well especially in the South West in the summer with temps at or close to 100 to working great after the repair.

Magumba · 04-27-2010, 06:07 PM

Thanks for the recent update posts. I'm still waiting to have the duct repaired. It looks like leak is in the vertical duct several feet above the bumper.

Thudman · 04-28-2010, 04:59 AM

I did another repair on a visitor's Adventurer yesterday. Symptoms were classic: not enough cold air. Inspection of the aft duct revealed the breach:

Went to Home Depot & Ace Hardware to buy supplies. The breach was quite high on the duct, so I needed a long paint roller pole. Decided upon a flat paint applicator (final photo) to apply the thick, goopy contact glue; and to smooth out the foil tape.

The below pic shows the insulation back in place (no added foil tape).

Final photo shows the added foil tape and the flat paint applicator.

Total cost of supplies was $36.

Thudman

Petro · 04-28-2010, 07:34 AM

Thudman;

Thanks for the report and pictures. This information is invaluable for someone needing to repair a leak.

Don

Magumba · 05-03-2010, 11:49 AM

Thanks for the update, you are a duct repair pro.

wagonmaster2 · 05-07-2010, 08:43 PM

Thudman -

What kind of gooey contact cement did you use, and did you need on flat paint applicator to apply the cement then a fresh one to smooth out the foil covering? That sure sounds much better than having to remove the rear cap.

Wagonmaster2
2004 Meridian 36G

MickBrennan · 05-07-2010, 09:03 PM

Great job! Not only a simple and effective repair but sharp photos and a clear explanation of your procedure.

Thank you!

Thudman · 05-08-2010, 12:21 PM

Wagonmaster, the cement was E6000 at Ace, about $7 for a tube of 3.7 fl oz.

Yes, I used a fresh flat applicator pad to smooth the insulation after applying the cement. And yes, it's a lot cheaper than removing the rear cap!

Thudman

MWSartain · 05-09-2010, 10:15 AM

I just recently resealed mine also. Removing the rear bumper was is easy and will gain alot of access.

I also removed the trim and screws from the rear cap and it allowed me to actually stand up between the back wall of the RV and the rear cap. This allowed me to really clean things up before resealing

Here's a picture of the duct removed. Mine are made of styrofoam so I lined the edge wth aluminum tape to give it more strength and cut down on how much it would flex. It helped alot.

Here's the bottom section that ties to the AC unit. I resealed it and added new foam before reinstalling

Here's a funny pic! When they drilled the holes in the back wall for the ladder, they went all the way thru the ducts! LOL

Lastly, this is what the plastic crossover looks like with the lower duct removed

Here is the finished product