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I'm at the do-or-die point in decideing what to do about the
roof vents on my '62 Globe Trotter.
When I bought the trailer, it had the original aluminum vent
cover on the 14 x 14 vent, with hardware pretty shot. The 14x25 opening had
been sealed up with a piece of clear plexiglass and rough wooden frame, with all
original hardware missing.
I was lucky enough to find another 14x14 vent (complete) from
another unit, so here's the plan. I'm going to cut and splice the (2) 14 x 14
covers together (with some aluminum L channel and Vulcum on the inside) to make
a 14 x 25 aluminum cover, then cut out 90% of the top side of the combined
covers to make it a skylight again. I'll leave the areas where the
raising/lowering mechanisms are riveted to the covers and a 3/4" wide lip at the
perimeter, and use Vulcum and rivets to attach 3/16" thick white Lexan (the
UV resistant type used for outdoor lighted signs) to the top. So I should come
out of this with an operable large vent/skylight and the look of all
aluminum when viewed from the ground.
Then I'll use a Fantastic vent to replace the 14 x 14 unit.
I've been told the original fans in the 14 x 14 vents are loud, so I'll be glad
to have a quiet new one.
Questions:
- the original aluminum 14 x 14 vent covers
are 2 layers thick on top. What's in between the 2 layers?
- what are the pros/cons of
smoked-vs-white-vs-clear for the skylights? I have a choice w/ the Fantastic.
I'm in hot SC, so I'm anti-clear. I think the smoked cover would probably look
better from the ground, but since my 14 x 25 cover will now be the white Lexan
(NOT visible from ground due to fabrication method described above), I'm
wondering how it would look from the inside (when the sun shines) to have two
different skylight materials (white and smoked). I'm trying to keep the visible
exterior materials limited to black and aluminum (or ss) for aesthetic concerns,
and have seen a lot of white covers looking bad.
- does anyone have a suggestion of how to
get everything I want from these two openings with less hassle? I don't mind the
work, but would be willing to do less of it.
Thanks.
Bob Harper
'62 Globe Trotter in SC
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