Re: Refrigerator Roof Vent
Reply #8 –
I imagine that our coaches are built the same way. When I removed a roof air conditioner, it appeared that the construction from exterior to interior is a layer of gel coat, a layer of fiberglass, 1/4" plywood, foam, thin layer of fiberglass, and ceiling carpet. There is also a welded together grid of 1 1/2" square aluminum tubing under the plywood. Most of the tubing is slightly curved frames, one about every 24" or less from front to rear. There is some tubing that is fore and aft. Mostly it outlines the roof openings, and ceiling lights. Sometimes it is easy to see where the framing is located when there is dew on the roof, like just as it begins to get dark with high humidity, or early in the morning. You can also locate the framing with an electronic stud finder. The sides and the roof are fastened together with a curved on the outside aluminum extrusion. It's square on the inside and extends about 3" in both directions. The extrusion has a couple of hollow spaces and you may find some wires inside running fore and aft in the lower space. In an overhead cabinet you might find a 1" hole with a removable plastic plug. My coach has 3 or 4 of these plugged holes down each side that provide access into the extrusion. It's also open at each end inside the front and rear caps. You may have noticed that the overhead cabinets get hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I think it is because the aluminum extrusion is a good transmitter of heat. There is also some round plastic tubing in the foam for electrical wiring to lights, fans, and air conditioners. If the screws for the vent are very short, they may only be into the plywood. I don't like to drill holes either, but I don't think it would be a big problem in this case. Even if you find the exact same part, it may not have any predrilled holes that match the old part. Hope this helps and good luck.
Topic: Refrigerator Roof Vent