Patching Vent Hole in Teardrop

[KelseyL]

Hello,
We’re working on renovating a trailer we bought and need to patch some old vents.





There used to be a fridge there but we’ve taken it out. The lower vent was an access hatch to reach the controls and things, and the upper vent is just an air vent but is fully sealed in.

We want to put a baggage door there, but the lower hatch is cut in around the fender so we can’t just find a hatch to fit the hole, we need to patch the hole then see about adding a door there after.

Our plan is to get a piece of checkerplate aluminum for the outside and attach it with butyl tape and screws. Then go in from the inside and fill the gaps with spray foam. We’re not sure about the screwing though since the walls are fibreglass and foam. There are some studs, but they don’t line up with where we need to screw in and would really limit the amount of screws we could add. Is the best thing to build a frame around the hole and then screw into that?

Any advice on how to patch with would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[Socal Tom]

Most spray foam isn't water resistant, so if ( when) water gets behind the aluminum, it will cause some water damage that will be extensive before you see it. I suggest, cutting some wood to fit the holes as tight as you can. Fill the space between the wood and the wall with silicon caulking ( probably good to cover the exposed wall wood with some to start. Then paint the filler wood with some good paint. Once the hole is properly patched and water proofed, then cover with the aluminum sheet.

[KelseyL]

Thanks for the advice Tom! That sounds like a good approach of making a wooden patch to fit, painting the wood to keep it sealed, siliconing it in, so we have a watertight seal from the outside, and then just using the checkerplate to cover the patch as a decorative feature instead of using as part of the patch

We actually have a number of holes to patch now since we're going for a more simple interior setup. We removed a fridge, a sink, and a furnace, and are moving the electrical panel, so there's now 5 holes on the back of the trailer we need to fill.


All the vents and openings in the photo will need to be covered so we'll use that technique for all of them.

We talked to an RV place and they have checkplate and can cut it to size, so we're going to get a 4 foot high panel that will go from the point at the back, over all the openings and end under the window with a curve at the front that will somewhat mirror the curve of the front of the trailer so it looks like it fits. They showed us what they use to install and seal checkerplate so we can buy some of the edging strips they use and my husband is confident he can install it. With the holes all sealed and weather tight underneath, and the checkerplate as sealed as possible, I think it will work out well.