How to Install an RV Toilet Air Vent

Ventilation can turn an RV bathroom into a more pleasant place to be.

An air vent is a small, crank-opening door that has a screen and that is meant to let in fresh air. One of the most important jobs a motor home's air vent does is aid in the comfort and well-being of the motor home's occupants. When not in use, air vents create a seal after they close. Some air vents have electric fans or lights, while others are simply miniature overhead hatches.

Things You'll Need

• Air vent kit
• Safety goggles, gloves and respirator mask
• Electrical tape
• Cardboard piece larger than the vent's diameter
• Grease pencil or regular pencil
• Scissors or razor blade
• Ruler or tape measure
• Power drill with screwdriver and doorknob drill bits
• Jigsaw with metal-cutting blade
• Wire cutters
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Heat-shrinking wire covers
• Urethane adhesive or kit-recommended adhesive
• Butyl tape

Instructions

1. Open all of the RV's windows for ventilation, and disconnect its battery.

2. Check the roof of the RV where you wish to place the vent. Be sure that the location is free from obstructions and debris.

3. Take apart the overhead light. Remove the connecting brackets, lamp and backing. Cut the power wires and bind them with electrical tape for later use.

4. Place the trim ring of the air vent onto the cardboard and trace the outline of the trim ring. Cut out the template.

5. Using masking tape, stick the template in the bathroom where you wish the vent to go. Trace the template, then remove the template and verify the straightness of the lines using the ruler as a straight-edge.

6. Drill the corners of vent location using the doorknob drill bit to create clean, well-shaped corners. Do not forget to wear eye, hand and respiratory protection.

7. Cut the remaining lines of the vent location using the jigsaw. Be sure not to cut the power wires.

8. Follow the air vent's installation directions, if available, and begin installation.

9. Use urethane adhesive or a kit-recommended adhesive on the interior mounting ring.

10. Lay butyl tape (a gooey tape that never fully dries, thus creating a waterproof seal for exteriors) along the edges of where the exterior mounting ring will sit.

11. Cut two 2-inch pieces of heat shrink wire covering and place them over the two power wires. Reconnect the wires before finishing installation. Use a soldering iron to solder the power wires to the vent's power wires (if clips are part of the installation kit, they will suffice). Heat the heat shrink wire covers to shrink them.

12. Finish installation by mounting the remaining components of the vent. Attach the clamshell opening cover to the top of the RV, and the crank from within the bathroom.

13. Reconnect the battery, test the vent fan and light (if applicable) and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• Some bathroom vent kits come with gaskets and seals, but it's always a good idea to add butyl tape to the exterior.

• Cutting through fiberglass and plastic can be hazardous if you inhale any of the particulates created. Wear proper respiratory and eye protection whenever you are cutting these materials.

References

• Installing Vents in a Fiberglass Roof