How to Change the Lid on a Jensen Vent on an RV Roof
Recreational vehicles, or RVs, almost universally feature crank-up vents on their roofs that are intended to be opened to release heated air and closed to prevent rain from entering the vehicle. The vent openings in the roof are typically 14 inches square and the vent covers, or lids, are typically 15½ inches square. The RV manufacturing and retrofitting industries usually install vent lids made by Jensen, Ventline or Elixir. The correct method to change a broken vent lid is determined by the style of hinge; Jensen's is called a "piano hinge."
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Instructions
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Use the cranking mechanism to open the vent approximately 3 inches.
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Use your screwdriver to remove the screws at either end of the hinge that hold the hinge pin in place. Put the screws in a safe place.
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Make a pry bar, cutting off a straight 3-inch length from a sturdy metal coat hanger. Hold the pry bar to either end of the hinge pin, and use your hammer to tap the pry bar 2 inches into the receiver. A corresponding 2 inches of hinge pin will be released from the other end of the hinge. Remove the pry bar, using your pliers if necessary, and put it in a safe place.
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Use your pliers to draw the hinge pin all the way out from the other end of the hinge. Put the hinge pin in a safe place.
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Lift the old Jensen lid away from that part of the piano hinge permanently attached to the RV roof. Free the pivot mechanism from the center of the vent lid by slipping the round pin at the end of the actuating lever out of the round hole at the end of the slider bar. Dispose of the old lid.
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Put the new Jensen lid in place. Slip the round pin at the end of the actuating lever into the round hole of the new slider bar. Place the hinged end of the new lid in position, ensuring that the teeth on the new lid align neatly with the teeth in that part of the hinge attached permanently to the RV roof.
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Slip the hinge pin back into either end of the receiver and use your hammer to tap it gently inward until it is fully installed. Use your pry bar to tap it a small distance further inward, equal to the length of the securing screws.
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Replace the securing screws at either end of the hinge pin receiver. Crank the new vent lid closed if so desired.
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Tips & Warnings
If one of your vents must be replaced, check the others for damage or signs of aging.
Working on an RV roof can be dangerous. Always be extremely watchful for trip-and-fall hazards.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit coach, trailer image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
