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Topic: rear fake engine vent openings (Read 815 times) previous topic - next topic

rear fake engine vent openings

Hi guys,
I'd like to ask for your opinion on the rear ventilation openings.
I have no other idea of how to describe them, so to clarify what I'm talking of, here's a photo:
Foretravel

In my coach they have just been glued on from the outside, but there is actually no opening in the rear cap that'd let the air go through. Generally I'd think that such ventilation openings could help with engine cooling while cruising.
Anyway currently they make no sense as there're no openings for air to go through in the firberglas, so what happens is that water pools inside them - and I tend to blame this for the rotten floor in my bedroom. So I have two options and would like to hear your opinions on them:

A) Cover and seal the inlets so neither air nor water can get inside.

B) make a cutout in the rear cap in order to give those inlets a function and hope that the additional cooling airflow is worth the hassle.

So, let me know your opinions!

cheers,
Matt

1998 U270 3402 WTFE #5260
Cummins 8.3l - Allison MD3060
600W Solar :P

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #1 –
Matt,

Opening an inlet behind those will DEGRADE cooling performance.

Air that aids cooling is pulled through the CAC and radiator.  Air from those inlets, were they opened is BEHIND the "cooling package".

Behind the cooling package, you want as much vacuum as you can get, so air is sucked through the CAC and radiator.

Do not open them to the engine compartment!
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #2 –
I've got a little damage to the rear cap on my FT and hope to make it down to Xtreme in Nagodoches to have it repaired.  I'm going to see if they can just remove those fake vents during the process since I can't understand what the point of them was. 
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #3 –
Quote from: rsihnhold –
I've got a little damage to the rear cap on my FT and hope to make it down to Xtreme in Nagodoches to have it repaired.  I'm going to see if they can just remove those fake vents during the process since I can't understand what the point of them was.

Someone on the Forum posted pictures of them removed.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #4 –
They are just a design detail-non-functional.
Regards,
Brett

'99 42' Foretravel Xtreme
'14 Brown Motorsports Stacker
'05 Chevy SSR
'02 BMW R1150R

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #5 –
yea, I agree, I will get myself some nice aluminum pieces, paint them black and cover up those inlets.

With regards to the vacuum behind the engine, I could imagine that an airflow through those inlets into the rear cap and out the engine bay cover could actually add to the air underpressure in the engine bay, according to the scientific principle of airflow multiplication. (Dyson uses this in their bladeless fans: Bladeless fan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Another thought I had is that those inlets act somewhat like stabilizers when heading straight ahead. - In that case they'd have a bad influence on fuel economy though.
1998 U270 3402 WTFE #5260
Cummins 8.3l - Allison MD3060
600W Solar :P

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #6 –
Here's the link to a recent discussion about the fake rear vents:

You can see what we had done at Xtreme when we had the coach repainted.

Rear side vent
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #7 –
Those fake vents remind me of the "hood scoops" Detroit used to add to all the pseudo "performance" cars in the late '70's and early '80's.  A mean-looking scoop (that did not open into the hood) plus some clever tape stripes could transform any base model 6-cylinder car into a drag strip terror!  What Foretravel had in mind is anyone's guess...
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #8 –
Might be a good place to add some really cool optic nerve burning LED lights pointing to the rear? Might be a whole lot less coach bucks.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: rear fake engine vent openings

Reply #9 –
These decals on the rear are probably like the fake louver decals just above the front bumper on both sides of our 91 GV.  They just seem to add some balance to an otherwise bland looking area.  Have a great day  ----  Fritz
Fritz & Kathy Johnson
1991 36'