DID YOU KNOW??? Kitchen exhaust fan. - Montana Owners Club

carlson · 06-06-2005, 04:44 AM

We had a great weekend at the first Northeast Region Ralley in NY.
We all looked at what the guys have done to the storage area's and the wive's looked at what they have done on the inside.
Well, I thought I knew about everything about my Montana, but my new friend Stew from Ontario showed me a number of things I just didn't know.
Well here is the biggest one.
DID YOU KNOW???
That the kitchen fan, on the outside vent has two plastic slide clips that keep the flapper closed while you are traveling.
Well, guess what, the fan works alot better now.
When I arrive now, I move the clips and the the flapper opens and the exhasuet fan moves air.
Well I learned something, my Frenchman friend Stew is smarter that a Swede

Montana_2953 · 06-06-2005, 05:19 AM

Carlson, The only thing that I can see is the little white thingie that you turn and take the filter screen out. Where is this flapper thingie?

carlson · 06-06-2005, 05:33 AM

Paul,
It is on the outside of the trailer where the fan vent.
There are tow white plastic slide clips to allow the flapper to open.
Sorry it I din't explain it well, I am Swedish

rlwhit · 06-06-2005, 01:51 PM

Amazing what the dealer does not tell you. Thank you!!!!

Charlie · 06-06-2005, 01:55 PM

It's not a bad idea to close the clips before getting under way, the flap will do more than open, it will come off, first hand experience speaking here, replacement for that little flap comes as a complete new vent for about $15. However I did not replace the entire vent, swapped vents with the flap, kinda expensive for a 11" long piece of plastic.

prariepoodle · 06-06-2005, 02:43 PM

I have not lost the flap yet but the little clips have broke off,so when the wind blows it drives me crazy with the tap,tap tap.

Bill DeMeulle · 06-06-2005, 04:09 PM

wow, I have had this rig for three years and did not know that! I just went over and took alook at the vent with the clips,Thank you very much.

VanMan · 06-07-2005, 06:35 AM

prairiepoodle - you may be able to install a couple of the little plastic mirror clips as replacements

Montana_2779 · 06-07-2005, 10:16 AM

We were lucky. We got the 411 on these during our walk-through. We leave ours open while parked so that we won't have to go outside every time we cook. On the other hand, the flapper does tend to .....well...flap......during heavy winds. We'll often lock down the flap with one of the tabs during high winds or storms for noise reduction.

CountryGuy · 06-07-2005, 10:35 AM

Al does not like my solution to this: try to NEVER run that noisy nasty thing. Then we can leave it locked all the time and don't have to worry, did we re-lock, did we leave open, is it gonna bust going down the road, is it gonna drive us whacko during a storm. He snarls at me, open it! I snarl back, UGHHH NO! Besides we have to stand on a stool or something to reach those clips (well, I do anyway).

Note: we do have a maxaire fan/vent over the kitchen, that I am happy to turn on! High speed noise gets to me a bit, but I can stand it long enough to cook the spagetti. Cannot always get away with it during cold weather, as it does not take much to steam up the windows, which is the battle of the cool weather. But, if I can get away with NOT using that stove fan, I will!

Carol

sreigle · 06-07-2005, 11:56 AM

I took a look at ours. Surely there is a way to devise an opening and closing device inside the rig. When I remove the filter I can see the vent flap. I would think some kind of rod with handle on the inside with the rod going through a hole in the flap with washers and lock nuts on each side would work. I'd have to figure out how to lock it closed from the inside but that should be doable.

rldriver · 06-07-2005, 01:21 PM

After I figured out that my fan was not exhausting to the outside I found the little clips and wow what a difference. When we set up I now get my little stool out so I can reach the clips (vertically challenged) and then I use a clothespin to hold it open all the time. When we get ready to leave the clothespin sticks out as a reminder to take it out and secure the clips for travel. I hook the clothespin inside on a door handle as a reminder to open it before cooking. At this age we need all the help we can get.

Happy camping
Dick & Jackie

captbanjo · 06-07-2005, 01:35 PM

This begs the question: anyone willing to dispense a list of informational stuff they picked up at the rally? As soon as I read that post I went out and looked and, voila, the clips appeared. I'll bet there are other mysteries that can be unlocked as well.....

Searchers · 06-07-2005, 03:05 PM

We're vertically challenged and use the awning rod to open and close the clips on the exhaust vent cover.

stiles watson · 06-07-2005, 03:18 PM

L I B, clips huh. Hmmmm....

Russ and Sandy · 06-07-2005, 03:57 PM

We were bothered by the flapping in the wind too(it seems the wind is always blowing when we are travelling). And I didn't like the idea of going outside to close the clips after being settled in for the night and then having to go out in the AM to unclip before being "ready for the day".

My solution to the vent door flapping was to drill a tiny hole in the flap and attach a small diameter, very weak spring about 3 inches long to a beaded lamp pull chain. It is routed back through the opening and hooked to a hole in the underside of the vent hood. We leave the outside clips open and keep the chain in a position which will apply tension to the flap - keeping it closed (and not flapping).

When we want to use it, we relase the beaded chain from its mooring enough to allow slack in the connection to the flap. It has worked well for us.

FredG · 06-07-2005, 05:06 PM

Carol,

We fixed the noisy fan...replaced it with a computer fan. The other night, Jen left the stove fan on all night and we didn't even notice it.

Fred

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by CountryGuy

Al does not like my solution to this: try to NEVER run that noisy nasty thing. Then we can leave it locked all the time and don't have to worry, did we re-lock, did we leave open, is it gonna bust going down the road, is it gonna drive us whacko during a storm. He snarls at me, open it! I snarl back, UGHHH NO!

sreigle · 06-07-2005, 06:26 PM

Thanks, Russ and Sandy. Sounds like a doable solution.

FredG, I've thought about doing the same thing on replacing the fan but just haven't done it. Ours doesn't get used all that often. Also, we only unclip when we need to use that fan and reclip when done. Usually. Sometimes we forget the reclipping part.

CRUZIN 2 · 06-08-2005, 05:35 PM

Hi to all

Were back home for a while. On the little clips on the exhaust fan I use the rod you use to pull down the awning with, works great.

Larry & LaVonne

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