Rear Motor Access Door Vetalation

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bendts

bendts

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Joined
Jul 19, 2012
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63
Location
SW Colorado Mtn's
1998 Fleetwood American Tradition - Rear Motor access door has no ventilation, just a 3 foot wide by 2-3 inch slot below the door. 

Seems like all the later/newer pushers have the door fully vented.  Would it be a good Idea to swiss-cheese this thing for more venting and add screen to keep out the debris?

Not currently having any heating issues - but seeing quite a few images of rear fires in these buses.

Thanks

 
The word vetalation in the subject line threw me for a second. I have zero experience in the vetelation department. ;D

Our CC Intrigue has no slots or screens or any rear ventilation, but has a side mount radiator. I have considered opening up the engine hatch before driving  and seeing if the under"hood" heat escapes, as opposed to our rear bedroom getting heat soaked.
Before cutting, consider propping it open somehow to see if it makes a difference.

Keep us posted as I would consider doing the same or similar.




 
If your engine temperatures are staying in the normal range, you have no worries.

Engine compartment fires occur when something fails. In fact, the most common cause isn't even the engine - it's a fire in the rear wheels hubs that stems from either bad wheel bearings or seized brakes, either of which can produce extreme heat at highway speeds. The driver doesn't notice the fire until it has spread upwards into the engine compartment and then its too late.

If you are concerned about an engine compartment fire, install a fire suppression system. Mac the Fire Guy, a retired state fire marshall, is an RV fire expert and offers products he feels will help reduce fire loss.
http://macthefireguy.com/
 
Hard to believe for an RV, but there was probably some engineering that went into that airflow that made it successful as it is.  Altering that could have a negative impact.  No need to come up with a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
 
Thats what i was thinking - but the same "Body Style" in 1999-2000 (and even some 1998's) have the ventilated door, so it made me wonder if they found it did help.

Maybe a call to Fleetwood might give more info.

Thanks
 
Join the American Coach Owners Club on Yahoo. Quite few owners of vintage Traditions there, and it's a warm and friendly group. I'm a member myself, even though we no longer own one. Someone can help you with most any question or problem with an American Coach product. 

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/American_Coach/info

If you want tech support, you must call American Coach, not Fleetwood. The brands are separate now.
http://www.americancoach.com/contact
 
Thanks for that info.


So I called American Coach today - the person I talked with didn't seem to say either way would be better or not.  Said "the engineers decided to make it that way" for the 1999-2000 doors with the vent screens.  And that if there is any overheating issues that I could change the doors out for the vented version.  They wouldn't say that the engineers had a reason to vent it.

So I guess its a personal choice :eek:

Seems the vented door would help the bedroom not heat up so much when you park by allowing the heat have another escape route.

Hmmmm....
 
Opening the engine access door after you park is a bigger help. Heat rises and tends to make the bedroom area hot regardless, though.

You might also pull up the bedroom floor access hatch and check the insulation and hatch seals underneath. It's not unusual for that stuff to have come loose or deteriorated in a 15+ year-old coach, and it can make a big difference. I re-did mine at age 9 and it helped a lot. I also added an aluminum reflective cover on the bottom side of the insulation at the same time. I did it mostly to protect the insulation from road dirt, but it may have helped deflect heat as well.
 
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