T@B 400 (2019) Rear A/C Vent Blowing Directly in my Face (Solved)

Denny16

The variable dampened vent is one option, and having this vent so low is another reason not to have large three-way fridge, which forces this vent to be so low.  On the 2021 TaBs with then wardrobe option instead, has room at the back to run the vent back up to where it is on the pre 2020/21 TaB 400s.
This would require a setup change to have two different side panels, but easy enough to do.  The factory knows how many will have the Fridge and how many do not.  Make enough for both options at the start of the run.
cheers

[Deleted User]

Rhyno....the photo shows it in max open position. You have to stick something in there to close them all the way, or you can pop the louvers off. Once I get in there will the ac going I will post an update on exactly how it goes.

[Deleted User]

Tundra57....I tried every kind of pillow block configuration I could think of and it just blew around or behind and then bounced off the ceiling back into my face. I plan to try the damper first in the position in the pic. I dont want to block the air completly.  I'm afraid it's going to whistle if I close it all the way, maybe not though. I doubt I would want to ever fully close it. 

rhyno

@TabbyShack - I hope the storm passes without incident.
So... I have seen reviews for the JR version and some shipped with the damper blades installed backwards so that they did not spin with the louver cover or they both spun together and would not open/close. Reorienting the blades seems to fix it so I wonder if the Rotaire has the same quality control issue? 
Looking at the pic below from the rvlocksandmore site, it is kind of hard to tell but I think there is supposed to be a little slot on the outer half of the Rotaire's damper mechanism that fits into a tab on the louvered cover. If so it should let you move outer damper blade by rotating the louver while the inner damper blade is allowed to move slightly between the open and closed positions. If I'm envisioning this design correctly, to open or close the damper you would dial the louver to just past where you want the air to point, then rotate slightly in the opposite direction to adjust the gap between the inner and outer damper blades. 

[Deleted User]

Rhyno this is awesome research!!! I can't wait to get back in there to see if this works!! I was annoyed by not being able to open and close it easier. 

[Deleted User]

Ok, I'm in the camper with the ac on low with the new damper vent and no noticable improvement in the amount of airflow. Very disappointing! I will see how it does when I'm trying to sleep, so maybe I will feel different tomorrow.  I dont want to close it fully and even if I did, it makes alot if noise when fully closed. I just cant understand why a unit was installed that blows so super hard even on low and especially in your face.  So I'm considering two options at this point. Option one is 85Redwoods attempt with the inline damper, and option two is to install a spitter and add another outlet below the fridge and drawer. My only hesitation is having to make a new 4" hole there....I've done it before for the Victron but man is it a nail bitter task! You only get one shot to get it right! 

Also, Ryhno, I wasnt able to find a way to get the damper to open/close by turning the louvers. 

ChrisFix

@TabbyShack
You could install a splitter and just let it vent into the cabinet space without cutting a vent hole.
That would help with your problem equally as well as cutting a hole and venting it, and would allow you to see if it works as a solution or not. 
Then you'd have the option to cut in a vent, or not. My guess is you'd probably not need to. The coolcat seems to have more than enough capacity for the 400.

[Deleted User]

That's a great idea!!!...I should try that first before cutting a hole.  You're right....its a wind tunnel in here! 

rhyno

I just received a Rotaire vent with Bandbmolders.com stamped on the back ring. It did not work at first so I took it apart and put it back together several different ways before I found the best way that works.

1. Take it all apart
2. Turn the unit upside down (duct attachment side up)
3. Insert the first blade with the pin facing outward
4. Insert the second blade with the pin facing inward
5. Turn the unit over (duct attachment side down)
6. (and this is *key*) Attach the outer cover with the first blade's pin inserted as shown in the pic below.

Putting the outer pin in this part of the rotating vent is the best orientation I could find to let me spin the outer damper 360° as I spin the vent while being able to fine tune the amount of air coming out no matter which way the vent is pointed. The inner damper should stay in a fixed position. If it does not, try spinning the inner damper manually from the inside until it locks into place.

Here's a demo - forgive my cruddy hand modeling skills

https://imgur.com/gallery/peeNARa

[Deleted User]

Thanks Rhyno!!! You rock! I'm camping now, so I'm going to give this a try right now!

rhyno

TabbyShack said:

Thanks Rhyno!!! You rock! I'm camping now, so I'm going to give this a try right now!

Let me know how it turns out! I'm such a nerd I bought the vent and we're not getting our 2021 Tab 400 delivered until next Spring.

[Deleted User]

Haha. I love the enthusiasm! I didnt actually get to try it like I planned....always some distraction but for sure I will do it soon and let you know. 

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone! I finally completed this AC vent project! Last September I decided once and for all I couldn't take the ac vent blowing in my face like a hurricane on me in bed anymore! So, I cut the existing duct and installed a splitter "Y" and attached another piece of duct. So right away as "ChrisFix" suggested above, just that alone was enough to lessen the force of the air to a comfortable flow. I just let the new piece of duct just vent free under the fridge for the rest of the season. Over winter I bought a matching vent cover exactly like the other ones already in the T@B and I even bought a 4" hole saw...but...I was too afraid to make the cut! You only get one shot!  hahaha, so when I took the T@B in for service last week, I had them cut the hole and attach the vent cover.  So now I have reduced the flow in the back to a comfortable level and I have half of the flow also cooling/heating the walkway area of the back.  Please see the pics. If you have any questions about the install or the parts needed, just let me know and I will share where I got everything.  I resized all my photos to the required size of 600x800 so I hope they don't get deleted. 

rhyno

My Rotaire fix was a bust. It still blew way too much on us so I made a deflector that solved our problem. Details are in my post on the following thread.
https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/169761#Comment_169761