AC vent not working

[KDRunner]

My new Reflection 337 RLS had one AC vent in living space with hardly any airflow. I’m thinking great, something in the vent smashed or not connected. I took off the vent from the ceiling to see if I could see something and “Boom”. Look what I found. How could the tech installing the vent not see that it was blocked?



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[boyscout]

My new Reflection 337 RLS had one AC vent in living space with hardly any airflow. I’m thinking great, something in the vent smashed or not connected. I took off the vent from the ceiling to see if I could see something and “Boom”. Look what I found. How could the tech installing the vent not see that it was blocked?

I believe that he/she is paid to install as many vents as possible during a shift - piecework. If that's the case, anything that interferes with that effort is not profitable for the tech.

 

[OurNewEra]

My new Reflection 337 RLS had one AC vent in living space with hardly any airflow. I’m thinking great, something in the vent smashed or not connected. I took off the vent from the ceiling to see if I could see something and “Boom”. Look what I found. How could the tech installing the vent not see that it was blocked?

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I agree with [MENTION=12701]boyscout[/MENTION]. This 'tech' is paid to install vents and other trim, not to make the holes behind the vent. I'm assuming, but it makes sense. It would be unrealistic, maybe, to send an entire trailer back up the line to have a hole cut. Or what a hassle to bring the hole cutter down the line to do a missed hole. (read with sarcasm) Although you would think they could come up with some tagging method to mark stuff like this and have it resolved when the trailer gets off the line. Of course if the 'tech' didn't install the vent cover it would have been caught during final inspection, maybe. But then the 'tech' wouldn't have been paid piecework price for the vent because it was still on their workstation at the end of the day. The RV industry, in general, uses a manufacturing model and compensation system for their workers that is designed to crank out units. When things like this happen they don't get fixed because everybody on the manufacturing side loses. It's not like the movie scene where an automotive worker can pull a rope to set off the alarm and stop the production line to fix an error.

My determination has been that if someone wants a perfect to near perfect RV they need to look at the number of units a manufacturer makes in a year and what their compensation method is for their assembly workers.

I guess your silver lining is that nothing was smashed. Yes it is disappointing, but based on problems others in this forum have had with their rig this one is small.

 

[KDRunner]

Makes sense. I have not seen how the manufacturing goes for RV’s. I’d love to go out for a tour when they open up again. Looks like this was cut but just not removed. Was just a styrofoam type of material. Wax just a matter of pulling it out. Odd. Will be taking out for maiden voyage in a week!


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[BobLandry]

Every vent needs to be pulled and checked that the vent is actually taped to the duct. If not, then you are pumping air into the ceiling where it is doing no good.
Use foil HVAC tape. If you are only running only one A/C unit, block the duct after the last vent in the string so that air does not go all the way to the end, where once again, it is doing no good. Pull the grill and insure that there are no leaks where cold air can get pulled directly into the return air plenum.
This is my third trailer, first 5th wheel, and the A/C has been the weak link on all of them.

 

[OurNewEra]

Makes sense. I have not seen how the manufacturing goes for RV’s. I’d love to go out for a tour when they open up again. Looks like this was cut but just not removed. Was just a styrofoam type of material. Wax just a matter of pulling it out. Odd. Will be taking out for maiden voyage in a week!


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RV manufacturing is like nothing else. The epitome of somewhat organized chaos. I toured the Airstream plant before they moved to the bigger facility. I was less than impressed. And that is a premium brand.

Regardless enjoy your maiden voyage!

 

[Wicked ace]

I agree with [MENTION=12701]boyscout[/MENTION]. This 'tech' is paid to install vents and other trim, not to make the holes behind the vent. I'm assuming, but it makes sense. It would be unrealistic, maybe, to send an entire trailer back up the line to have a hole cut. Or what a hassle to bring the hole cutter down the line to do a missed hole. (read with sarcasm) Although you would think they could come up with some tagging method to mark stuff like this and have it resolved when the trailer gets off the line. Of course if the 'tech' didn't install the vent cover it would have been caught during final inspection, maybe. But then the 'tech' wouldn't have been paid piecework price for the vent because it was still on their workstation at the end of the day. The RV industry, in general, uses a manufacturing model and compensation system for their workers that is designed to crank out units. When things like this happen they don't get fixed because everybody on the manufacturing side loses. It's not like the movie scene where an automotive worker can pull a rope to set off the alarm and stop the production line to fix an error.

My determination has been that if someone wants a perfect to near perfect RV they need to look at the number of units a manufacturer makes in a year and what their compensation method is for their assembly workers.

I guess your silver lining is that nothing was smashed. Yes it is disappointing, but based on problems others in this forum have had with their rig this one is small.

When I had recent troubles and went seeking help to get things back to functional a comment a representative of the RV industry made struck me hard. He said that 25% of the cost of a unit goes to warranty charges.
Another person that recently left a large dealership to run his own mobile RV business told me that out of every four units built manufacturers calculate one will be a dud, another problematic with several returns, the third the owner will largely shoulder fixes and repairs that should be covered and the fourth relatively free from problems. Of course these are personal observations but still it speaks of a business model dependent of making less than quality product.