• DISCLAIMER: Be careful. Although this is an easy job, I assume no responsibility for any damage. Be careful and examine your cover carefully to see how to remove it. Perform at your own risk.

The Issue:

It’s no secret that the factories that produce travel trailers and RVs are on a tight schedule. This means that sometimes they overlook some quality control. The other day I was trying to get more air flow to the bedroom in the RV and I started looking at the vents in the ceiling. My vents rotate, but do not close and I started to research where I could get adjustable vents to replace my current vents. This led me to remove the vent to investigate the situation and try to make the RV air conditioner more efficient..

I was surprised by what I found. When they install the vent registers, it looks like they basically cut through the ceiling and vent with a hole saw and line the hole with some aluminum foil duct tape. The problem, at least in my trailer, they did a crappy job. The foil tape extended into the vent blocking air flow. In some spots the tape had gaps in it that allowed air to pass between the vent and the interior of the ceiling. It’s a waste cooling the space above the ceiling. Below is a photo of the opening upon removing the register.

The fix:

To help airflow and make your RV air conditioner more efficient I smoothed down the foil tape. I also coated the opening with another layer of the foil tape tape, making sure to cover all the gaps between the vent and the ceiling. Below is a photo of the opening after I lined it with fresh tape.

Now the interior of the vent is not obstructed. If you can get yours to look like the image above you can make your RV air conditioner more efficient.