Replacing a Refrigerator Vent Cover

If you have an absorption refrigerator that runs on LP or 120V power, you’re going to have a vent on your RV that allows generated heat to escape. If the fridge is in a slide room the vent will be on the side, otherwise it’ll be on top. The fridge vent cover on our demo RV is pretty beat up, so Dave Solberg is going to replace it. Follow along in this quick video lesson as Dave walks you through the process of removing an old refrigerator vent cover and installing a new one.

The goal of replacing a damaged RV fridge vent cover is to keep moisture from entering the RV by allowing the vent to do its job properly. Without clear circulation, excess heat can’t escape and thus two things will happen: 1) the fridge won’t run as efficiently as you’d like and 2) that heat is going to get trapped inside your RV and make the air conditioning unit work harder to cool the cabin.

So every once in a while, you should get up on the roof and remove the vent cover to check on the vent. Is it clogged at all? In the case of our demo vehicle, the vent looks pretty good, and all Dave will have to do is replace the cover. He shows you how to pre-drill the holes for the cover and then add sealant to the holes for a snug waterproof fit. And voila! The cover is installed and the vent can breathe.

One important thing to note: if you’re going to replace your fridge vent cover, be sure to measure where the fastener points are on the new one. If they’re not adjustable you might have to take the whole vent out and replace that component too. Make the job as easy as possible for yourself!