machinehead Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Could I ask those who have bought new motorhomes if it's normal to receive the winter covers for the ventilation grills? I have a Dometic 5310 fridge and the winter covers didn't come with the van. My previous van, an Auto-sleepers Symbol came complete with the covers. The vent kits are Dometic LS 100 (upper vent) and LS 200 (lower vent). I have been told the covers are an optional extra which surprises me. Any advice would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Most manufacturers do not supply them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 This earlier forum thread refers http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Winter-cover-for-fridge-vent/30407/ A few motorhome manufacturers (eg. Rapido) currently include 'winter covers' for 3-way-fridge ventilation grilles as standard and may indicate this in their technical specification listing (Rapido does), but - as lennyhb says - most manufacturers do not provide covers as standard, nor offer them as a factory option. If you've been told by the vendor of your motorhome (it would help to know its make/model to allow comments from other owners) that winter covers are not provided as standard, this is probably true. If you suspect such a statement may be incorrect (eg. covers are mentioned in the motorhome's specification list, there are photos in advertising documentation showing covers fitted, or you've seen similar vehicles to yours with covers on them) I suggest you contact the motorhome's manufacturer for advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 http://tinyurl.com/p74ch2f £15 inc. postage. Really dealers are soooo tight at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 They're not supplied with our Bailey, for what it's worth, David Klyne, (Google him if you want a read), pointed out the cheapest place he could find was directly from Bailey. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 gocro - 2014-07-02 8:14 AM http://tinyurl.com/p74ch2f £15 inc. postage. Really dealers are soooo tight at times. If the manufacturer of a motorhome/caravan chooses not to include fridge winter-covers as part of a leisure-vehicle's standard specification, why would you expect a motorhome/caravan dealer to provide them free of charge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Derek Uzzell - 2014-07-02 8:42 AM gocro - 2014-07-02 8:14 AM http://tinyurl.com/p74ch2f £15 inc. postage. Really dealers are soooo tight at times. If the manufacturer of a motorhome/caravan chooses not to include fridge winter-covers as part of a leisure-vehicle's standard specification, why would you expect a motorhome/caravan dealer to provide them free of charge? You can buy a lot of gaffa tape for £15 :D.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 pelmetman - 2014-07-02 9:03 AM You can buy a lot of gaffa tape for £15 :D.................. I thought there was a world shortage after the amount you brought to hold Horace together. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I have the winter covers but only use them to keep the wet out when I wash the van and leave them on in winter to keep the rain out. A bit of polythene and some gaffer tape would work as well! I don't go to cold climes where they would be needed to keep the evaporator temperature up, I have a centrally heated house for such cold conditions! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 hallii - 2014-07-02 9:53 AM I have the winter covers but only use them to keep the wet out when I wash the van and leave them on in winter to keep the rain out. A bit of polythene and some gaffer tape would work as well! I don't go to cold climes where they would be needed to keep the evaporator temperature up, I have a centrally heated house for such cold conditions! H We did this for the first time last winter, and found the fridge got mildew in it, plus the mess that the tape made on the van , was hard to clean off!! So next winter we will not bother! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Winter covers will not have any effect on mildew in the fridge. Mildew is caused by bacteria growth on traces of food, to avoid it clean the fridge thoroughly after each use and if leaving switched off make sure there is adequate ventilation by leaving the door on the vent setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 lennyhb - 2014-07-02 9:35 AM pelmetman - 2014-07-02 9:03 AM You can buy a lot of gaffa tape for £15 :D.................. I thought there was a world shortage after the amount you brought to hold Horace together. (lol) The insulation properties of gaffa tape are yet to be discovered by the wider Moho world ;-).......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 The thought passes my mind (Very few do !) That if the m/home is being sold for"" All Season Use"", and the fridge manufacturers recommend the use of covers below a fairly warm 10 Degrees C, or not used above. ( Temp approx, can be corrected on this ?) Should not the covers be supplied as the winter kit ? Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Over a 25 year period we have bought new a Holdsworth and two Murvi's and they were all supplied with fridge covers with instructions to use them only when the outside temperature drops below 10 Centigrade. Perhaps some manafacturers only expect the van to be used in the summer!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 "A bit of polythene and some gaffer tape would work as well! " This is an exceptionally dangerous thing to suggest, if someone were to follow this advice they would drastically reduce the airflow to the burner which would probably cause it to burn badly and produce high levels of carbon monoxide. DO NOT TAPE OVER FRIDGE VENTS PLEASE! D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I just think that it's poor, lazy, cheap design that these vents still rely on separate, brittle plastic, "winter covers" at all..... These vents should be designed to incorporate a sliding Louvre design, which can be "locked" in either mode :-S (whilst still retaining the required ventilation ,when "closed"). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Thanks for all the advice. It looks like I'll be buying a pair. I am pleased to learn that they are much cheaper than I expected. I only want to fit them when washing the van and, of course, in winter, when the frequency of use is a lot lower. I got them with my last van, an Auto-sleeper Symbol, so I just thought it was normal to have them supplied as standard. Anyway, all input much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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