Dustproof Vent

[mountainclimber8]

All- I have a Conqueror Compact that I've been working on for the last year and a half. I'll get around to posting a build thread at some point.

The Situation: Internal trailer compartment heat buildup from fridge / freezer.

Today's Question is:

Are any of you aware of a dustproof vent that can be used to vent the trailer compartment during the day (or night) while traveling or not?

Not really a terrible issue in the winter but in the summer it really gets hot in there.

I would like to reduce the internal temperature so not to add undue load to the fridge. It heats up inside with the fridge of course.

I've thought about all different kinds of venting scenarios but I've yet to come up with a dustproof arrangement. I've worked really hard to get this thing waterproof and dustproof.

I know the current Kimberly literature describes a waterproof and dustproof vent but I have no idea how they do that.

If there is a solution it would have wide ranging applications.

I would also not like to have a $500.00 solution to this problem. :victory:

Any ideas?

 

[lx450landcruiser]

Also have a compact and will be doing the same thing sooner or later. figured I'd give something like this a try.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...&ndsp=18&tbs=isch:1&ei=Y_lETMa6Eon0tgPSzYGzDg

 

[Titanpat57]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOTO...5fRVQ5fTrailerQ5fCamperQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[Tucson T4R]

The KK set up is really pretty simple. I have two vents, and upper and lower. The lower one has a foam filter on the inside and the upper one has a 12VDC fan blowing out. Both vents are covered on the outside with louvered vent covers to keep rain out. They would not be waterproof if playing U-boat commander but they work fine for keeping the rain out.

There is a switch inside the storage box that controls the fan since you only need to run it while traveling with it closed up and the fridge running.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Could you give some pictures of the KK setup? This is also something I'm quite interested in, as I also discovered my fridge area gets pretty warm.

I wonder if the solution might be to use some parts from industrial electrical control cabinets. We have what are essentially giant computer cooling fans on the cabinets, the fans are pretty rugged and suitable for an industrial environment. We also have vents that take a filter. So same idea as the KK setup. Fan drawing air from the cabinet, with a filtered vent in another location to create a cross-flow.

 

[ntsqd]

What ever you do, use the fan to pressurize the box rather than pull air from it. If you pull air from the enclosure you create a vacuum to pull in more dust through the cracks and crevices that are not filtered.

 

[mtnbike28]

waterproofing?

Please share more on your successes on waterproofing.

I have tried a couple of things, but still get water in while driving in rain or set up in a downpour.

Thanks

 

[Tucson T4R]

I only found this one pic. If you need more I'll see what I can get later this week.

This is the upper vent from the inside. It has the foam filter and behind it is the exhaust fan pulling the air out of the storage box.

The lower vent is designed the same with the wing nuts on the frame but has a pleated paper filter like a lawnmower's engine instead of the foam that is over the upper fan. By removing the wing nuts you can easily replace/clean the paper or foam filters.

The box is fully sealed so the only way for air to enter when the fan is on is through the lower filtered intake vent. The storage box has stayed very clean even on long dusty trips.

 

[Tucson T4R]

For water proofing all the rivets and wire entry points are sealed with silicon. The storage box gullwing door has a automotive bulb seal (I think that what it's called) all the way around it and the box has a small lip just inside the seal area on the top and sides to route any leakage around and down to the bottom.

I have been through lots of heavy rain and I have never seen a drop get inside.

 

[dzzz]

We've talked about this several times, especially in the context of positive pressure for pop-ups. For heat reduction some kind of solar power seems ideal. For positive pressure the system could be designed to run automatically when the engine is running.
I'm thinking for forced air positive pressure an engine air filter may be the way to go for my pop-up. As common items these filters should have the best price/performance, especially for finer dust.
What cfm range do engines pull? Matching that to the fan seems like a straightforward way to design a system.
As usual Peter's suggestion is what I was looking for: A lot easier to build a system with a true duct blower rather than a computer fan.
I also need a blower for my exterior battery/inverter compartment. I'm using a sealed marine inverter and sealed batteries so perhaps I don't need to worry too much about an air filter for that area.
For a trailer with a house battery consider a full stick-on panel and a baby charge controller.

 

[XJBANKER]

I notice when mine has been stored for a while in my garage and I open it up it is hot and smells funny. I don't want to keep the doors open when storing it because I don't want my cat sleeping in it.

 

[Rubiconcruiser]

Contact the online catalog at www.mcmastercarr.com for all your venting needs, small compact to infinity.

www.mcmastercarr.com

 

[Titanpat57]

Mine came today...a bit bigger than what I expected, but they'll be mounted from the inside...so the cut out will help to "shrink" them down.

All metal construction, simple push open, pull close.

It'll be nice to have some air flow without having the windows open.

 

[mountainclimber8]

I believe I have found a workable solution to this issue.

Thanks for all of the input. I absolutely agree with those talking about positive internal pressure. It doesn't take a lot.

The inside of this trailer has a gross volume of 125 cubic feet. Subtract wolf packs, gear, fridge, and other compartments 80 cubic feet would be generous.

A 250 cfm blower would work but introduces a lot of air and complexity.

A solar ventilator is a good idea but still expensive and introduces one more thing... Keeping it simple, I have readily available 12 volt and I already wired a main solar controller using the input from one of the available Hella Plugs on the exterior. So really, if the main power goes out for some reason, the fridge won't be running anyway.

The popup type vent was just a little larger than what I was looking for and had no internal baffling for water. I remember having an old International truck that had these on the outside of the cab and they would suck water in once in a while.

What I was really looking for through all of this was a simple, yet clever outside vent that would prevent rain from entering. You can achieve the positive pressure inside by having more surface area open in the front (supply) than in the rear (exhaust). Just driving down the highway will in effect pressurize the interior to some degree so you won't be sucking dust in from any orifice available. As we all know, dust is a magic substance that will find a way.

Long story short... here is the solution. A cleverly designed plastic vent with an interior grill. The outside vent has baffles in it so water doesn't come in.
Like Tucson T4R said, unless you're playing U-Boat commander.

I looked all over the net, these are available on ebay as well for 6 bucks. I found them for $2.85 for the exterior and $.85 for the interior unit. Less than 4 bucks apiece plus freight.

I bought them here. http://www.nationaltrailersupply.com/Roof-Vents-s/300.htm

Exterior

Interior

I figured I would add some screen to the inside of the exterior to prevent insects from nesting while its parked long term. I would also add a dust filter in to the interior portion (which would be readily accessible for periodic cleaning).

I could easily add a computer type muffin fan to the supply vent and add a switch or a thermostat to provide air exchange when stationary and the fridge is operational.

This should also solve any stagnant air/odor of long term storage.

All of this is entirely theoretical. I ordered the vents, they came in yesterday. Very clever design. A 3 inch hole is required and the exterior and interior fit together like a glove to eliminate water infiltration. They do not require paint as they come in both black or white but are paintable should that be required. I'll install them next week and post a photo or two. I'll let you you know if it works or not. Worse case scenario, I'm out 20 bucks and have two 3 inch holes in the trailer that I'd have to patch.

To be continued...

 

[mountainclimber8]

Please share more on your successes on waterproofing.

I have tried a couple of things, but still get water in while driving in rain or set up in a downpour.

Thanks

I had the same issues upon purchase.

I tracked each leak down, had several leaky bolts. Replaced and used silicone seal and a polymer window and door sealant. I didn't want to use butyl rubber because it always remains sticky.

I had a few rivets that needed to be sealed.

The weatherstripping was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. Solved the problem. You just have to make sure that the doors are closed tightly with the cam latches. I also bought a couple spare rolls of general purpose weatherstripping from JC Whitney just in case I needed to replace an entire door seal.

I took a garden hose and went over a door at a time. No leaks. If water won't come in, neither will dust.

The rear 2 piece door got one strip of self stick foam on the lip of the short lower door that acts as a seal for the upper door. The foam was from Home Depot, not too thick, perhaps an 1/8 of an inch.

The water filler ports also leaked right at the body. A bead of silicone will cure that. The mounting hardware on the flange of the water fill also all leak. Again, silicone was the fix.

Most of the self rusting bolts, washers, and nuts (must have been a special rapidly oxidizing alloy widely available in South Africa) were all replaced by me with stainless steel. Best $80.00 I ever spent at Fastenal. They were all glued together with door sealant when I reassembled them. These suckers won't rust now.

It just takes a little time to track down these leaks and the time spent is well worth it.