External refrigerator fan
 

I hooked up a pair of 120mm high-tech, magnetic bearing computer fans in the rear of my fridge compartment to improve it's efficiency too. My camper came with a single Dometic fan in the back, which made too much noise when the thermostat cycled at night, waking me up occasionally. The new fans run at 1/2 the speed of my old stock fan, but are super quiet and actually move more CFM of air across the entire length of the upper cooling coil than the single, noisy factory unit. Together both new fans draw slightly less amps than the old, single, high-speed fan.

Here's a pic of the new set-up.

https://www.mikenchell.com/forums/alb...p?pic_id=31259

Chip

The fans used as standard equipment are quite noisy. The muffin tin type fans like shown in the photo are normally very quiet and would work every bit as good as the standard one, if not better. You can buy them from surplus electronics dealers like All Electronics | Electronic and Electro-Mechanical Parts and Supplies at Discount Prices for an average cost of $3. I would like to mount one that I have but I haven't come up with a thermostat to control it like the standard one has.

DW and I also find that our external refrigerator fan is a little loud when sleeping. Partly due to the fact that the bed is right next to the refrigerator.

This past weekend we camped at "Rock Island State Park" (post coming soon), and on the second night, around midnight, I turned the fan off. I don't know what woke me up but the little fan noise was making it hard for me to go back to sleep. :(

Is the thermostat for the fan part of the fan assembly? or is it a separate device that controls the fan? In other words, I wonder if we could replace the fan with a quieter one that doesn't have a thermostat with it IF the thermostat is a separate component.

Neal

That is my question also. I really don't want to remove the vent cover outside to look. Maybe Sam has that information. The muffin fans are noticeably quieter and I think they would be reliable. I think if the fan didn't run at such a high speed it would be much quieter.

We never run the fan at night or when we are boondocking because of noise and battery usage.

I found replacement Dometic fans listed on Ebay. They have the muffin fan, switch, thermostat and wire in the kit. I can't say that they are really worth $60 considering the cost of the separate parts.

Dometic Refrigerator Ventalator Fan Kit 3108705751 - eBay (item 390122905746 end time Apr-23-10 14:20:08 PDT)

I wish I could see what the temperature setting is on the thermostat because I found them on the Allied Electronics website. They have different fixed temperature settings.

I'm thinking that the existing fans could be made to run quieter if they had a cushioned or isolated mounting.

It took me a while to dig out my Dometic ventilator assy. manual (same part # as previously referenced.) The thermostat, called a fan limit switch, is Dometic part #3104723.006. It is set to come on when the compartment temperature reaches 100 degrees F. The manual doesn't state a shut-off temp. For the do-it-yourselfer, the thermostat is positioned alongside and to the right of the condenser coil (upper right hand corner of the back of the refrigerator.) The thermostat is set to interupt the red, power line which feeds the fan, and not the ground. According to Dometic, it should be fused with a 1 amp fuse between the manual fan switch (power supply) and the thermostat.

I agree, rubber isolating the fan would help, however the fan is inherently noisy. The solution I came up with was to replace the noisy (45db) plain bearing stock fan with 2, 23db artic cooling fans I got online from coolerguys.com. Though they are the same size as the stock unit (120mm), they only spin at 1500rpm compared to 3000rpm from the OEM fan. They are rated at 56cfm each, so the pair puts out 112cfm (compared to 88cfm for the single stock fan). Together they draw 0.3amps compared to .36amps for the single OEM fan. They are rubber mounted and use high-tech, fluid dynamic bearings that are ultra-quiet and good for a MTBF of 400,000hrs (20 times the rated life of the stock plain bearing fan).

I hope this helps,

Chip

Sushidog,

You have really been doing your homework. What was the item number for the fans? Did you use the OEM thermostat? I think that type of thermostat has one on/off temperature from what I have seen.

RichR,

My Dometic fridge had the cooling kit installed from the A-liner factory, so I just took out the noisy stock fan (which I now use as an exhaust fan above the stove in a bubble vent, sort of like a mini fantastic fan - waste not want not). Unfortunately, the cooler guys no longer sell that exact model of fan.

The closest thing I've found is this one: Fan It's the same brand with the same fluid dynamic bearings rated at 57 cfm, however it is PWM controlled for variable speeds. Just wire it to run at the 1500rpm speed for the same results. The extra bells and whistles make it a couple of bucks more, but at $9.95 it's still not too pricy.

A better choice might be this one: Fan w/ temp sensor Its also $9.95 with a built in temperature sensor so there's no need for a seperate thermostat. Instead of turning itself on and of it would just change speed gradually from 400-1300rpm from 32-38 degrees C (90-100 degrees F.) At 1300rpm it won't have quite the airflow as the model above, but dual fans should approximate the stock single fan's performance with much less noise and greater reliability.

Chip

I'm looking to instal a fan on my 94 funlite and came across this post. I have looked at many different ways of doing this but can't seem to decide. I like the idea of the fans with the built in sensor. Would you suggest 2 of them or just 1? Do these operate on 110 or 12 v? My camper is parked most of the time on land power so 110 is fine. Any suggestions are appreciated. I want to do this the best way not necessarily the cheapest.

Harry

The original fan in the trailer operates on 12V. Since sushidog didn't talk about reducing the voltage further (say to 5 Volts) I have to assume the new ones run on 12V too. I KNOW they are not 110V devices!

I think this is a mod I'm going to try once I get my trailer back from the RV doctor. Thanks, sushidog!

- Jack

OK, I just did the "fan mod"! It was fairly simple, once I figured out how to mount the new ones.

For mine, I went to a local computer supply store and bought two "S-FLEX" 1200 RPM fans. They were a bit "pricey" at $16.95 each, but they're designed by Sony, they move 49 CFM each, pull 0.15A each, and they ARE quiet! They're rated at 20.1dB each, but installed and running, they're almost undetectable inside the trailer! (Now that I think of it, sound is rated on an exponential scale, so two 20.1 dB fans will not sound like a single 40.2 dB fan - guess I should have gotten the 28 db 1500 RPM versions! But they would have pulled 0.4 Amps.)

As Chip said, the thermostat is mounted on the cooling coil, as I looked in from the outside, it was on the left side of the coils and a red power lead came from it. There IS an inline fuse in the supply to the thermostat, so if your fan stops working, that's something to check.

The other lead to the existing fan is black and is the ground wire.

My fans had three wires - Red, Black, and Yellow. The Red is +12 V the Black is Gnd and the Yellow is something the computer needs - I just cut it off. I actually used computer connectors though and wired my trailer's Red wire to the computer connector's Yellow wire! (This actually feeds the red fan wire *shrug*) And, I connected the trailer's black wire to one of the computer connector's black leads - the one that went to the fan. The other black and the red computer lead were not used, so they got cut off too.

I used a 2x2 piece of aluminum angle "iron" as the mount, which put the fans closer to the coils. I had to cut circles in the angle where it attached to the fans - thank goodness for Dremel tools!

The original fan "sucked" air out of the coils, so I mounted my fans to do the same. I think perhaps this might bring more outside cool air in from the bottom vent than if it "blew" on the coils?

Anyway, thanks, Chip, for a great idea! I think it's well worth the effort.

- Jack

Post pix please would love to do this. Mine has no fan so anything would be an improvement. These are 12V fans? I would have thought a computer fan would be 110.


Harry

I'm actually in the process of building a "duct" to improve the efficiency of the fans. Not sure it's going to work, but in any case, I'll post pictures when I'm finished.

There ARE 110 V computer fans, but most run off the power supply and it provides 12 V through the Yellow and Black wires in the PC connectors.

- Jack

My Refrigerator Fan with Pictures, Part 1
 

OK, here's my new, improved refrigerator fan with a duct. In my trailer, the fan is in an opening in the upper section. It's behind a sheet metal cover that's held in place by many (18-20?) screws. With the cover removed and an inside screen removed too, the first picture shows the coils that are behind the existing fan. The fan mounted behind the horizontal strip of wood at the top of the opening. The coils are actually fairly high in the opening and quite a bit of the fan is below them, where it cannot move air across the coils. This is why I decided to build a duct.

The second picture shows the two new fans I bought and the mounting bracket I made out of the aluminum "angle iron" I had on hand. I also had a brass strip that I cut and used to tie the bottom of the fans together (there's a strip on both sides). You're looking at the front of the fans that will face out the side of the trailer. As I said before, the fans are wired so they PULL air across the coils and blow it out the side.

The third picture shows the fan wiring, using the two computer connectors that came with them. They can be hooked together so that the electrical feed uses only the heavy yellow and black wires. All wires that were not used were simply cut off.

Next, I made the duct. I didn't have any lightweight tin on hand, so I used some thin plywood (part of a door skin) that I DID have. It was a bit of trial and error getting everything to fit. The bottom of the duct stops right at the front edge of the coils and the sides and top go in further to "surround the coils" (and the dimpled tube at the top). The fourth picture shows how it looked before painting.

Then, I painted it to protect it and to make it look "prettier".

I've just reached a picture limit, so this will be continued to the next post.

- Jack

Refrigerator Fan, Part 2
 

With the duct in place, you can see how far below the coils the fans extend. The original fan was this low too. Since that area of the fan is not moving air across the coils, I thought it was wasting fan capacity.

Finally, with the new fans in place, this is how it all looks. The fans come on when the coils heat up and they are so MUCH quieter than the original fan. Additionally, since together they move 98 CFM, and the duct forces the air across the coils, they should be more efficient.

Again, my thanks to Chip for starting all this with his great post!

- Jack

Looks nice and I think it will work just fine. I plan on doing the same type of thing now that I've seen it. Thanks for sharing.

Harry

External Refrigerator Fan
 

Thanks Sushidog for telling me about coolerguys.com. I ordered the Scythe S-Flex SFF21F fan for my trailer. It turns at 1600 rpm and has the "liquid" bearing made by Sony. It was only $12.89. It is the same size (120mm) as the original fan but only half the "thickness". I spliced it into the original wiring. Once the fan switch is turned on at the control panel, the temperature switch attached to the refrigerator fins turns it on and off with the heat buildup. The fan comes with 3 wires, red, black, and yellow. Just cut the yellow wire as it isn't needed. It is a speed wire that tells the computer how fast the fan is going. The red is positive and the black is negative. It moves the hot air out the vents and you can barely hear it run.

Operationl Test of the "Fan Mod"
 

I think we should call this the "Sushidog Mod" in honor of Chip who brought this idea to our attention!

Janet and I just completed an 8-night trip to Yosemite National Park with the Sushidog Mod in place on our trailer. It worked flawlessly! There was no time at all that either of us heard the fans running, and, they were on at all times. In fact, several times during the days, I would go outside and listen and "feel" for air movement at the vent just to reassure myself that the fans were indeed working! They were, of course.

Additionally, according to the inside/outside thermometer I use inside the refrigerator, it appears that the refrigerator is actually operating a couple of degrees cooler than before.

Thanks, Chip, for a great idea and suggesting it to the rest of us! *beers*

- Jack

A quick and easy fix if you strickly run off "shore power" at campgrounds is to use a small plastic 110v desktop fan. Take the lower refrige vent cover off, unplug the refrige and place a triple plug adapter into the outlet. Plug your refrige back in and plug the fan in. Angle the fan so that it blows upward. I did this once when my 12v fan quit working. For whatever reason, the 110v electrical outlet that HiLo used for the refrige has only one "open" plug in. The lower plug in is not open. Where the plug goes on the lower half is stamped into the plastic cover. With a steady hand and a dremel tool you can open those slots on the cover plate. The guts for the plug are behind the cover plate. Now you have a double plug outlet like those inside the trailer. Just make sure the trailer is not plugged in to electrical if you try this with a dremel. I prefer the 12v fan and have just recently upgraded it. The 110v fan works great as a reliable backup to keep the refrige cool.

For those of you who would like a manufactured solution for your refrigerator fan/cooling issues, you may find Snyder's https://www.snydersrvrefrigeration.com/page1.php unit to your liking ... at $49.95 plus $10.00 shipping it is affordable too!

Respectfully, I'd like to point out that the Snyder's unit moves 44 CFM, and the fans I installed move 98 CFM. The Snyder current draw is 0.2 Amps compared to my fan's pull of 0.3 Amps, so Snyder does better there. Both units only run when the coil temp is elevated, so that part's a "wash". My fan's cost was about $34.00 retail for the pair compared to the Snyder cost of about $60.00 (which includes shipping). Snyder gives no specs for noise - my installation of the Sushidog Mod is virtually SILENT - (I guarantee that), and is one of the main reasons I even tried this mod!

Finally, this quote from the Snyder website: "some applications the plenum may need to be trimmed." So, it seems to me that this is not exactly "plug and play".

Personally, I think if you could do the Snyder mod, you are totally qualified to do the Sushidog Mod, and, to me, the choice is obvious! (The duct addition I did is a minor "upgrade" and I did it as an afterthought. I'm sure the fans alone are superior to the original system.)

This, of course, is just my opinion, and is worth exactly what you have paid for it. ;)

- Jack

Excellent points ... I agree with your perspective totally ... really, I do! I just thought someone out there would like to know that there is an option ... even though it is not as eloquent nor as efficient. Personally I am going to do as you have suggested and build my own.

I love this site ... really I do! ;o)

John, I'm sorry if I sounded like an "angry parent". I DID understand where you were coming from in your post and immediately went to Snyder's web site to check it out. I never feel an "ownership" for a particular idea, and am very happy when someone comes up with a better approach.

But, in analyzing the Snyder device, I felt I had to point out the differences. And, I really wonder just how simple it would be to adapt that design to our unique trailers? :confused:

Still, it MAY be an excellent option. I tend to reserve final judgment until someone has posted a "user review", or, until I see specific details on how a modification can be applied to our one-of-a-kind RVs.

Thanks John, for checking back in. We DO need information on all possible options if this forum is going to be a valuable resource. I can be a "wet blanket" at times and "naysayers" are not what a GOOD forum is all about. You were "right on" in your post.

- Jack

Just ordered 2 of the Arctic Cooling F12's with the temp sensor. Can't wait to install them and check out my Beer temp.


Harry

Ref. fan modifications
 

Thanks for all the information on Ref. fan modifications. I've printed it out to save in case we upgrade our HiLo. Our replacement Ref. was under a three yr. warranty,but we our on our own. Our replacement ref.only runs on electric and propane. Tomorrow I'll have hubby explain why we can.t put in an external fan. Maybe we can brainstorm and come up with an idea.

Sam,

Check out my reply (#19) on this thread about using a small 110v fan. That could be a temporary fix until you get the 12v fan issue worked out.

Bob

If you are not going to be using the refer during hot weather you can probably get away without the fan for now. Here in NW PA much of the time it isn't hot enough to need the fan. It makes the refer work more efficiently and should be used when possible. We don't use our factory installed fan because it is so noisy. I want to do the conversion soon.

Why we can't put in a ref. fran
 

Our 90 HiLo Classic has the wavy sided fiberglass and the sloted metal top cover is calked and screwed in to the max.Our HiLo dealer said we can"t put in a fan in the top of the ref. because the replacement ref. doesn't call out in the specs. for this (no room)It keeps the food really cold and the freezer works great(good icecubes). We pop the vent cover open on hot daysIn newer Refs. you wouldn't to the cover proped open if you were using propane as the wind would blow out the flame.This year we are only planning a one week trip and one weekend.If need be I could set a small household fan on a table to blow on the (open) back of ref. only if we were going to be at the campsite. My hubby took electrical/electronics in school. You could say he doesn"t feel the we must have a ref. fan.Some day soon I will take some pictures and post.

Here's an update on the Sushidog Mod.

After about 3 years the rubber mountings of my old fans decomposed and failed due to heat and vibration, so I replaced them with a pair of solid mounted fans. These new fans have 3 speeds, so in hot weather I can turn them up for better cooling and when it's cooler turn them down for less current draw and noise (25-30db). Rather than use ductwork to draw air directly over the top coil i mounted the fans close ot the exit grate. My theory is to exacuate as much air from the rear compartment as possible rather than just focus on the top coil. These new fans are a little noisier than my original replacement fans 23Db but quite a bit less than the 45Db Dometic the fridge came with.

Here's a link to my new Antec TriCool fans: Antec TriCool 120x120x25mm standard case fan with 3 speed switch

And a pic: https://i55.tinypic.com/2epqa0w.jpg

The stock fan moved 88cfm, whereas the pair of new fans push 78cfm on low, 112cfm on medium and 158cfm on high. On medium, together they draw .03 amp less than the single stock fan yet move more air. Perfect for boondocking with a single battery as I have.

I also mounted a small 25mm, 12v fan inside the fridge to circulate a little air over the inside cooling fins. It takes up less space than the little blue battery powered fan I once used and the batteries won't wear out at the worse possible time. It's wired to a rocker switch inside so I can still turn it on and off on demand (together with the outside fans.)

Here's a pic of the inside fan:
https://i53.tinypic.com/io3vr9.jpg

They both work great together. My fridge/freezer will keep meat, fish and ice cream frozen hard in the hottest weather set on 3-4. In the heat of summer, my milk will ice up in the fridge when set on 4. I've never had to turn it to 5.

My next project, which is almost done, is a small 5 led fridge light that comes on when the door is open - just like my home fridge has.

Chip

Chip, those are great mods! *thumbsup*

I just built a brand new high end Windows 7 PC and used an Antec case that came with three of those 120 mm 3-speed fans. They are quiet on low and medium speeds and DO move a lot of air. I wish I had used them now for the refrigerator, but I'm still happy with the single speed ones I used. I think it was an excellent upgrade!

I'm really impressed with the internal fan you put in. I see you simply attached it to the shelf with 4 wire ties, but I guess you had to drill a hole in the rear of the refrigerator to run the wires out? And, I suppose you had to cut the connector off to get the wires through the hole.

What a great idea to install a refrigerator light. Looking forward to seeing it completed.

Edit: On second look, it seems the connector for the internal fan is inside? So, you ran wires from a connection "harness" through the hole?

- Jack

Here's a pic of my fridge light mod.

https://i56.tinypic.com/egcw1t.jpg

I used a clip on headlight with 5 leds powered by 2 button batteries. It provides about 3 hours of light per battery change and enough lumens to tell the difference between balogna and salami on a midnight fridge raid, thanks to the highly reflective fridge interior. I got the micro switch from Radio Shack. The little metal thingie on the bottom (made from a 1/4 " Snap-on spring steel socket holder) can swing up to catch the lever and turn the switch off when it is not needed, like when cleaning the fridge or loading and unloading at home. I made the bracket from a small piece of aluminum strapping I had left over from another project. The hardest part was measuring the exact distance from the switch to the door. The light mounts to the bottom of the freezer compartment with Velcro for a quick battery swap when needed. Yes, the light really does go off when the door closes.

There's still no light in the freezer compartment. Maybe I could make one with a mercury switch and mount it to the small freezer door, so it comes on when I pull the door down.... I don't think the mercury would solidify in the fridge as it freezes at -38 degrees. I guess I've got the modding bug.

Chip

I made a few more fridge mods. I guess I just can't help myself. ;)

I got to thinking that my small inside fridge fan's airflow could be easily blocked is something shifted over the fan during travel. So I decided to move it from under the shelf to directly below the cooling fins. I should benefit from slightly better cooling in this location too. Rather than attach it directly to the cooling fins, I decided to build a small shelf extension from a small piece of wire clothes hanger. My idea was to mount it slightly below the fins with no part touching the fins which might let condensation get into the fan motor. It may still drip into the fan motor even after this precaution. If this proves to be the case, I will mount a new fan vertically in front of the fins, not horizontally (which is best to augment natural convection air flow) as I did in my current design. Here's a picture:

https://i55.tinypic.com/vrvbex.jpg

Finnaly I added a fridge baffle to prevent the flame from blowing out while running on propane when traveling. My fridge has 12v capability, but it works much better on propane and it allows all the power flowing into my Aliner from my TV to recharge the battery while towing, as I mostly camp without hook-ups. I got the kit from AdventureRV.net for about $30 with shipping. Here's a link to the kit. BAFFLE KIT - $18.95
It basically works by forcing the air take a rather circuitous path to get to the burner, preventing gusts of wind from blowing the flame out while traveling. Here's a few pics of it installed.

https://i51.tinypic.com/28cfrj4.jpg

The kit consists of 4 pieces (2 components). 3, U-shaped pieces of sheet metal (Dometic calls them lower vent baffles) partially block the lower vents as seen here and are held on by one tiny plastic push pin each (easily removable by hand.) The instructions say that these may be removed once you arrive at your destination to improve fridge performance in very hot weather. I was thinking that one could just leave the lower door off rather than remove the door baffles if occasionally needed. My dual, 3 speed fridge fans draws so much air through the cooling coils that I don't think it will be necessary - perhaps if I didn't have forced ventilation behind the fridge.

https://i56.tinypic.com/a4arsi.jpg
The second component to the kit is this metal shroud which wraps around the burner cover and flue. It is secured by 2 small self-tapping screws.

Since this kit is a genuine Dometic item I feel safe using it.

I will be trying it out next month on a 2,000 mile trip to the Smokies, so I'll post up how well it works once I return. Finally, I will trash my cheap inside fridge thermometer for an electronic one with a sending unit, so I can monitor the interior fridge temp inside my TV and while camping without even opening the door and allowing warm air to enter. I plan on getting one like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Acurite-Wireless...ometer/16888921

They are only around $11 at my local Walmart and provide cheap peace of mind that those juicy steaks and sweet lobster tails will be fresh and safe when I arrive at the CG.

Chip

Clever idea for mounting the internal fan, Chip. It should also "decouple" the fan from the refrigerator so that vibrations are not transferred and amplified. I found I got some vibrations with my original mounting, so I added some vibration isolating silicon washers to the corners of the fan and that seemed to take care of the problem.

I've been using a wireless inside/outside thermometer in my fridge for about two years now. It's worked perfectly and provides a lot of peace of mind.

We'll be FINALLY taking our trailer out on a week of boondock camping into New Mexico in a couple weeks, so we'll be able to see how the inside fan works for us.

Do you think the lower vent baffles are really necessary if you have the burner shroud in place? From the picture, it looks like the shroud would do the trick by itself. I never use the propane feature while driving, but I've sometimes wondered if maybe strong winds would blow out the flame while camping. The shroud will surely protect against that.

- Jack

You're probably right. I think I will experiment by removing the door vent shrouds one at a time and see if the fridge remains lit. Of course this doesn't mean that it will suffice for all applications. Which do you think I should remove first (for testing purposes), the upper, middle or the lower baffle?

Chip

Chip, I totally missed your post here, and, we just got back from a very successful camping trip with the new internal fan in the fridge. It worked like a charm. I don't know if it really keeps anything colder, but it certainly seemed to speed up the cooling down process. It was quiet and the battery seemed none the worse for having it on 24/7. Maybe, it reduces the need for the external fans to run?

As far as the vent baffles, I think I'd start with the upper one. My reasoning here is that the draft it might permit would be mostly bypassing the flame source since it's up high. I'd think the lowest baffle would be the one to have the greatest effect on the flame. Of course, I might be totally out to lunch here, because I'm working off your pictures and I haven't really looked at the positioning of things in my trailer (which I think are pretty much like yours.)

- Jack

I'm leaving on the 4th and I'll be back Oct.13th, so I'll let you all know the results of my testing. I concur that the removing the top vent baffles should least affect the flame going out, at least in theory, so I'll start there.

Chip

I am a person that looks for the cheapest and easiest solution to everything. I bought some similar PC case fans, and found that they run on 9v - I bought a 5 pack of 9v battery connectors at Radio Shack and some 9v batterys - The rubber bands came on my newspaper. It worked out to about 4 bucks a piece. I put one in the fridge on a shelf and 2 pointed up in the outside fridge compartment.
Sorry about the second picture - I forgot that the eyepiece is off after I dropped the camera.

Ref Photos
 

Good to know that I am not the only one that is "photo challenged" when taking pictures.

I just returned from a great 1,600 mile trip to the Smokies. I found that removing the bottom baffle did not allow the flame to go out. In fact, I couldn't get the flame to go out even with big trucks flying by at high speeds with the bottom vent baffle removed. I could probably get by with the middle vent baffle removed too, but I didn't test this configuration. I'll bet only the top baffle is mandatory on my fridge. Your experience may differ.

BTW, when stopped and camping the fridge stayed very cold inside (31 - 36 degrees depending on outside temps) with 2 baffles in place. Of course it wasn't very hot out either. I kept the fridge set on its middle setting the entire time. Shrimp kept in the freezer section was rock hard when I took them out to cook, several days into the trip.

Chip

my version of this mod...2 full ball bearing fans, bought on fleabay for about $20. I had some serious water damage on this side of the hi-lo. I have fixed everything, but the delimitation remains. I noticed that water had also worked its way in to the fan access panel. The top layer of wood was completely rotted along the bottom. I have had the bottom cap off for a month now trying to get it to dry out (it is still raining every week in Indiana!).

When I buttoned it all up today, I flashed all the exposed wood around the access. I also caulked and butyl taped the cover. I shouldn't have any more water problems in this area.

https://www.hilotrailerforum.com/atta...f5741518ef.jpg