AC Diamond Plate Cover - 2018 320S T@B

ReenieG

Several years ago, there was a vendor online selling something similar to what I just made here for much more than this cost me.

It's not quite finished as I'm waiting for the rest of the trim ordered on Amazon for $10. 

This is for the two vertical edges. It now matches the trim on my plastic tub. I'm quite pleased with the aesthetics of this.

This is a lighter weight aluminum piece of diamond plate that I bought at a local Home Depot for $26 and had them cut for me to size. 

They also had the steel which I considered once before but decided against and simply was using a plastic corrugated piece with plastic 3M hooks. 

The HD guy made two cuts from my measurements; one horizontally and one vertically, using tin snips so this would be easy enough to do vs the steel diamond plate that requires power tools. I affixed it with 3M 15lb rated Outdoor Velcro. For now, I simply added the two Velcro strips while I wait for the rest of the trim.

I had a leftover trim piece from the tub cutting mod I did for my sewer hose. I doubt it would budge but I decided to remove it for storage (in case of theft) and transport. I like the way it looks and it's an easy and inexpensive mod.

Cherokee

Why did you feel you needed to do this?

Slackers

@Cherokee The reason I did something similar with an acrylic piece is to keep the trailer warmer in colder weather. I have also left it on (with metal J-hooks) when traveling for what I figure is ever so slightly better fuel economy. Additionally the screen inside the vent on our trailer isn't securely attached and gets blown inward on travel days.

@ReenieG your cover looks great.

Cherokee

Slackers said:

@Cherokee The reason I did something similar with an acrylic piece is to keep the trailer warmer in colder weather. I have also left it on (with metal J-hooks) when traveling for what I figure is ever so slightly better fuel economy. Additionally the screen inside the vent on our trailer isn't securely attached and gets blown inward on travel days.

@ReenieG your cover looks great.

Thanks - I agree the aluminum cover looks great! Though the Swedish heater kept up warm without a cover on the A/C in Brice when we camped in the low 20's; the cover would probably save some propane while Boondocking in cold weather. However, coming back we encountered a 50mph cross wind. I lost both my 3-way vents that were on the leeward (vacuum) side of my 320. When I ordered new ones, I reinstalled them with stainless steel bolts through speed nuts. Hopefully, you two will not encounter such a cross-wind with hooks and 15lb Velcro. 

ReenieG

@Cherokee, without a cover over the vent, there's definitely a draft coming through. I had used a corrugated plastic board prior, pic below. It looked OK when it was new but the hooks yellowed and some tore off. I think this is much nicer aesthetically. Also, have you seen these $500 vent covers they make for this purpose? It's much more complicated and costly, to install it. 

Cherokee

No I haven't seen this $500 option. But I'd like to be in on the prophets! - I was going to seal around the gaps between the A/C unit and the wood frame. Where the bulk of the draft comes through. But I wonder why NuCamp didn't - they have sealed around almost everything else. Perhaps, the prophetical good California weather has prevented me from moving that task up the priority list 

ReenieG

@Cherokee I believe "the bulk of the draft" you're feeling is actually coming from the outside vent which is why I like to cover it up. Just saying...

ReenieG

Here's the completed cover with the trim and velcro.