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Maxxair 7500 leaking rust onto my roof. Smoked color lets in too much light and heat. Solve both...

jimcennamejimcenname Member Posts: 312
edited October 19 in Tips & Tricks
nuCamp service installed a Maxxair 7500 (Smoked lid) into my 2019 T@B 400 in 2020 during a service visit. I use the fan everyday and since I live in my 400 the fan gets lots of use. Over the last year rust spots have appeared on the roof in front of and to the rear of my fan. I use polishing compound to remove the stain only to have to redo the effort within a month. Additionally, my T@B gets a lot of light and heat from my home territory of the southwest US. I want to reduce that. Today I removed the Maxxair 7500 from my roof, which is easier than I expected. I then found the source of the rust and replaced the part. I also painted the top side of the vent cover white, the smoked portion only. I am very happy with both results.

The rust was caused by the 1/4" metal screen (mesh) installed to keep large bugs out of the vent's mechanism. I expected the vent lid hinges to be the problem but they looked great. I replaced the 1/4" mesh with a (house) gutter leaf-screen that came powder coated. $6 at Lowes. The original mesh is a single piece. I had to cut and fit three smaller sections together to get the fit right. I chose not to use steel 1/4 mesh again to reduce the chance of rust. The black frame holds the mesh in place with 4 screws. 

I prepped the lid for paint by washing the lid then wet-sanding. I applied several coats of Rustoleum White Gloss paint. I used similar paint a few years ago on my factory installed Fantastic Fan. That paint is holding up well. 

The biggest tip I can offer is what I learned from a nuCamp service tech that I watch installing a fan at uCamp a few years ago. The T@B roof has an aluminum frame that is placed such that two frame members traverse the roof ~14 inches apart to accommodate the standard 14 in fan assembly. Two other members are perpendicular to create a box of a frame for the fan placement. When getting on the roof to reach the screws securing the fan you need to reach over the fan which puts you in the middle of the roof. I placed a towel on the roof between the vent and the door-side of the roof, then placed a thin piece of plywood on top of the towel and a towel on top of the plywood. The plywood distributes my weight over the two cross members. While kneeling on the plywood and roof I was able to reach over the vent and loosen two of four securing screws. Full disclosure, I am a light-weight person too.


Rusted 1/4" mesh staining my roof. Notice the black frame holding the mesh in place.



Powder coated leaf-screen installed on a cleaned up vent. I could not get all of the rust stain off of the white vent.




Notice the screw-hole on the side of the vent that accepts the screw that holds it to the frame that is bonded to the roof.



Notice the two screws and hinge on the underside of the vent that secure the lid to the fan. There are five screws up front that do the same.

2019 T@B400
TV: 2017 Nissan Frontier SV 4X4
Southern California
Full-timer since 2019
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Comments

  • qhumberdqhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 697
    @jimcenname This is a very helpful and thanks for the detailed pictures and writeup. The gutter screen solution seems a good one, and I used this to provided a shield to the Alde kitchen vent in my 400. Wondering if they make an all aluminum gutter screen, as I noted when I trimmed my coated gutter guards were steel and that the cut edges are then exposed and they might be subject to rusting. Were your screens all aluminum?

    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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  • jimcennamejimcenname Member Posts: 312
    I didn't know for sure but they cut like they were steel. I had the same thought about the edges. We'll see what happens. 
    2019 T@B400
    TV: 2017 Nissan Frontier SV 4X4
    Southern California
    Full-timer since 2019
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  • qhumberdqhumberd Administrator, Moderator Posts: 697
    jimcenname said:
    I didn't know for sure but they cut like they were steel. I had the same thought about the edges. We'll see what happens. 
    You certainly have the experience and thanks again for sharing.

    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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