Better Hail Protection

Topic: Better Hail Protection (Read 1369 times) previous topic - next topic

Better Hail Protection

May 18, 2016, 12:02:30 pm

Are all the plastic roof AC shrouds created equal, or do some offer better protection from hail breakage?

I have two of these that will get painted and be used to replace the originals which are old and cracked at the bolt holes,
and beyond;
Amazon.com: ICON Penguin Dometic Duo Therm Air Conditioner Shroud, Polar...

In all honesty they seem no different than the originals. Just wondering if there's something else out there that's better, before I use
them.

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Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #1 – May 18, 2016, 07:17:30 pm

Michelle,

Mine are 15,000 BTU units but use the shroud in the link.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #2 – May 18, 2016, 07:21:21 pm

Quote from: Traveling Man – May 18, 2016, 07:17:30 pm

Michelle,

Mine are 15,000 BTU units but use the shroud in the link.

I installed the new style with the vent holes on my 13,500 the footprint is the same but screw holes a little different. They help keep the head pressure down on the compressor

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #3 – May 18, 2016, 08:02:39 pm

FWIW - I was told a couple of years ago when we replaced our A/C covers that if you have heat pump units you should get the covers with holes on the side. We have heat pumps in our units so I got the ones with the holes.

Air Conditioner Shrouds | AC Shrouds | RV Air Conditioner Covers

Don't think that Amazon sold them at the time.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #4 – May 18, 2016, 08:14:29 pm

Sun probably does the AC covers and the Shower skylight cover no good over time especially when the coach is stored outside. Replacing them with new ones might be a good preventative measure. A nice fiberglass AC cover would probably be pretty tough. It is pretty hard to get anything to stick to the plastic AC covers other than a pcv or abs adhesive. You could glue a thin layer of the same material on the inside of the AC cover to make it tougher. An interesting project for Rance (as if he didn't have enough to do.)

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #5 – May 18, 2016, 09:09:53 pm

I wonder why no one makes an aluminum cover.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #6 – May 18, 2016, 10:31:32 pm

hey Bigdog you stole my comment. Great minds think alike.It sure would sound scary in a hailstorm on Aluminum. I was looking at the one posted and drawing up a sketch to see what is involved in making one. Then Roger's idea about strengthening the old one came up and I got looking at what could be used to create a "soft" outer skin to absorb the hail etc. With an inner light mesh layer glued to original. On going process right now.
JohnH

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #7 – May 18, 2016, 10:33:20 pm

I wonder how noisy that would be in a hard rain or hail. You could get two AC shrouds and cut one parallel to the bottom edge maybe an inch down from the upper curved edge, maybe just use the old shroud for the cut off part. It might nest tight enough that you could glue it in with the appropriate glue or put a uniform layer of minimally expanding polyurethane foam on the inside top of the whole part and press the cut off part into the polyurethane foam using gravel for a uniform weight.

Just what I need, another project.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #8 – May 19, 2016, 03:24:23 am

Quote from: John Haygarth – May 18, 2016, 10:31:32 pm

hey Bigdog you stole my comment. Great minds think alike.It sure would sound scary in a hailstorm on Aluminum. I was looking at the one posted and drawing up a sketch to see what is involved in making one. Then Roger's idea about strengthening the old one came up and I got looking at what could be used to create a "soft" outer skin to absorb the hail etc. With an inner light mesh layer glued to original. On going process right now.
JohnH

Rhino truck bed liner is tough as nails, pliable and it can be sprayed on. easy peasy, Lemon squeezy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JOXrpCLCJg

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #9 – May 19, 2016, 07:44:14 am

Quote from: bigdog – May 19, 2016, 03:24:23 am

Rhino truck bed liner is tough as nails, pliable and it can be sprayed on. easy peasy, Lemon squeezy

There was a show on TLC or Discovery where they used Rhino bed liner and it kept the part from breaking when hit. Might work on AC shrouds. It comes in different colors so might work

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #10 – May 19, 2016, 08:54:56 am

Quote from: bigdog – May 19, 2016, 03:24:23 am

Rhino truck bed liner is tough as nails, pliable and it can be sprayed on. easy peasy, Lemon squeezy

Will Rhino stick to the plastic shroud?
If so, apply to inside or outside? I have Linex in my truck bed, and as I recall the Rhino Liner is much grainier.
Might look better if it was applied on the inside and still fit.

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – May 18, 2016, 08:14:29 pm

You could glue a thin layer of the same material on the inside of the AC cover to make it tougher. An interesting project for Rance (as if he didn't have enough to do.)

I thought about just putting the new shroud over the old one if they mesh together perfectly. Rance could probably come up
with something.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #11 – May 19, 2016, 09:22:30 am

Quote from: Traveling Man – May 19, 2016, 08:54:56 am

I thought about just putting the new shroud over the old one if they mesh together perfectly. Rance could probably come up
with something.

They might nest together except for the part where that fits over the metal base. If they nest with only a small gap after some trimming then making a sandwich with polyurethane foam in the middle would end up with a much tougher cover. Glue or polyurethane has to stick and stay stuck to gain a multi layer advantage.

LookingWest said they had tennis ball sized hail. Quite an impact to resist. Maybe molded Lexan.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #12 – May 19, 2016, 09:56:49 am

Wait a few years, and you will be able to cover the fragile plastic with a flexible membrane filled with non-Newtonian shear-thickening fluid (STF).

Polish researchers develop liquid body armor

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #13 – May 19, 2016, 10:08:25 am

The Rhino stuff will stick to almost anything and the outside of the covers have a rough texture anyway. You need it on the outside for the hail to bounce off.

The original covers, like most plastics, get very brittle with age so anything flexible will help.

I once coated the bottom of a fairly large airplane, behind the nose wheel, to prevent damage from rocks when landing on a strip next to a gold mine, and it worked well. The smallest rock was about 2ins and sharp, being the rock out of the mine.

I removed the vinyl covers from the roof of my 320 two days ago and then last night we get a forecast of severe weather with large hail tonight and tomorrow so back up and cover them again.

I hope "Looking West" has had some better weather and gets the problems solved quickly and hopefully cheaply via the insurance?? That must have been horrific.

Speedbird 1.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #14 – May 19, 2016, 10:21:23 am

How about making a protective cage out of expanded metal, or something like that? If secured over the skylight, it would still let light through, but should offer good protection from hail. If used over the existing A/C covers, they would allow free air circulation, while protecting from hail and perhaps even small low-hanging branches. Should not add a lot of weight, and if closely fitted, would not increase height to any noticeable degree.

MetalsDepot® - Buy Expanded Steel Sheet Online!

MetalsDepot® - Aluminum Expanded Sheet

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #15 – May 19, 2016, 10:36:21 am

Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – May 19, 2016, 10:21:23 am

How about making a cover out of expanded metal, or something like that? If secured over the skylight, it would still let light through, but should offer good protection from hail. If used over the A/C units, they would allow free air circulation, while protecting from hail and perhaps even small low-hanging branches. Should not add a lot of weight, and if closely fitted, would not increase height to any noticeable degree.

MetalsDepot® - Buy Expanded Steel Sheet Online!

MetalsDepot® - Aluminum Expanded Sheet

I would imagine that exposing the inner workings of the AC unit to the sun isn't a good thing.

Or one could do what I did. I moved out of the winter blizzard and summer hail/tornado zone (South Dakota) and came to Walla Walla, Where we don't have blizzards, Very little wind (25 MPH winds are announced as a wind warning here) and only a handful of thunder storms every summer. Job done.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #16 – May 19, 2016, 11:05:11 am

I read Chuck's expanded metal cover idea as something that would fit over the existing covers or shower skylight. Wordsmithing perhaps. The black bed liner on the outside of the AC covers might work but they would get pretty hot in the sun.

What happens to your solar panels in a big hailstorm? Another bad thing waiting to happen.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #17 – May 19, 2016, 11:09:16 am

Clear truck bed liner could be applied everywhere.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #18 – May 19, 2016, 11:14:47 am

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – May 19, 2016, 11:05:11 am

The black bed liner on the outside of the AC covers might work but they would get pretty hot in the sun.

Bed Liner Colors, Rhino Linings Color March, Bed Liner Colors | Rhino Linings

Just realized I might get my old shrouds sprayed with Rhino Liner and that would solve the cracks problem, plus it would toughen them up. Could even Rhino Line the front of the toad. What about the roof of the coach?
Rhino Liner on everything.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #19 – May 19, 2016, 11:43:16 am

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. if you dig around the link provided by t-man you will see a video about eco-coat, an aluminized RV specific roof coating.

So there's our answer. Surprised i havn't heard of that before. Life time warranty as well.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #20 – May 19, 2016, 11:54:27 am

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – May 19, 2016, 11:05:11 am

I read Chuck's expanded metal cover idea as something that would fit over the existing covers or shower skylight.

What happens to your solar panels in a big hailstorm? Another bad thing waiting to happen.

Yes, Roger, that's what I meant - thank you (edited my post for clarity)

As for the solar panels - I asked about that when at AM Solar. They claimed the panels are tough, and can stand up to severe weather conditions, including hail, but they are not indestructible. They added "That's what insurance is for". Which reminds me, I need to check with our agent to see if they are covered by our RV policy. Probably won't like the answer...

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #21 – May 20, 2016, 08:37:06 am

'nuff said.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #22 – May 20, 2016, 10:03:59 am

Going back to the bed liner stuff, I saw a couple of cars done, all over, with it in various colors at a car show in Canada two weeks ago so it doesn't have to be Black. If clear is also an option I see the answer to helping our fragile roof covers??
Speedbird1

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #23 – May 20, 2016, 10:56:14 am

Best thing to do for protection in my opinion to have have a hardened, underground bunker, one that is not in a flood zone.
But how can you get there when bad weather strikes if you are traveling the country?

Keep you coach in good condition, have good insurance, travel and enjoy life. Don't worry about things we can't control.

Re: Better Hail Protection

Reply #24 – May 20, 2016, 04:56:56 pm

BigDog,

We're thinking about the same location — maybe closer to Red Mountain area. What are the summer temps and humidity like?

Roger,

On a more technical note, which justifies (I hope?) keeping this post within the thread, several coaches at Buckhorn had solar panels exposed to the hail. The owner I talked with most said he had five panels — two older, cheap ones, and three better, new panels. The new ones survived totally unscathed. The older ones didn't do as well.

Don't know why there should be a difference, but I add this as a data point. I would have guessed anything big, flat, and partly electronic would have been destroyed. Everything on top of our coach was, not to mention the sunroof in our car shattered and the SUV filled with water. So, someone is making great solar panels (apparently?).

Richard & Susan

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