Look what I found

[It's about time]

I pulled off the outside top vent cover for the fridge on my 2021 303RLS to put bug screens on it and I found most of the opening is covered with a piece of paneling. Is this normal/the way it should be?

[RobWNY]

I don't know if it' supposed to be that way but my 311BHS has a piece of paneling there too. I think over time, water will rot it away.

[Cahriad]

I don't know if it' supposed to be that way but my 311BHS has a piece of paneling there too. I think over time, water will rot it away.

It has to be there as it forces air over the condenser which runs hot. Where is the water coming from in that area?

[RoJoSo]

It is there to help heat to flow up and out.
You can do a quick search of the 303 and 311 (fridges in the slide out) and see the issues with the fridge not cooling.
People have put fans in place to help circulate the air. It is a known issue, including my fridge. I hope yours gives you no trouble.

[CoChris]

I pulled off the outside top vent cover for the fridge on my 2021 303RLS to put bug screens on it and I found most of the opening is covered with a piece of paneling. Is this normal/the way it should be?

If the top of the baffle (wooden piece) is roughly even with the top of the fins, it is normal and correct. The baffle is there to force all the air going up behind the refrigerator to pass over the fins before going out the vent.

Chris

[RobWNY]

It has to be there as it forces air over the condenser which runs hot. Where is the water coming from in that area?

I don't have a water issue but assume it will come in through the plastic vent when a hard rain happens or traveling when raining.

[Richter]

So long as you keep the “rubber side down” (speaking of the entire trailer), water should not be an issue with the vent. The way it is constructed, water would need to be flowing upward and vertical for it to enter the vent. These vents have been in use for a number of years, and I have never heard of an issue with water intrusion, so long as it is properly attached.

[It's about time]

You guys are awesome, thank you for the information. RoJoSo, I will check the issues you mentioned, thanks for the heads up.

[ultramafic]

I noted the same thing on our reflection 28bh... I started looking into the installation manual and in particular at the minimum distances between the top and bottom vent openings when installed in a slideout. If i recall correctly with the board in mine it was barely at minimum clearances. I guess maybe it has to be in there for proper venting in an enclosed space??

Either way this is now our 2nd trailer with a fridge in the slideout and I am not a big fan of that type of install. I find the fridge to be noisy, a hog on battery power, uses more propane and doesnt seem to cool quite as well as the previous one we had mounted with a regular chimney flue.

The floorplan however was a must have so we bought the current one anyway.

Mike

[GeoffnCheri]

I don't have a water issue but assume it will come in through the plastic vent when a hard rain happens or traveling when raining.

We have experienced no water intrusion in our 2018 303, purchased in Oct 2017 and have towed in some significant rain, sleet and snow