Potential Dust Solutions While Traveling

JamesDow

 

My next camping trip is to Senator Wash CA (10/1-10/5) which has dust issues from the drive in as well as the high potential of blowing sand/dust when camping.

The dirt road (one way) is only around 2 miles and expect to travel it 2-4 times.
I will not have shore power, so any use of AC will be limited. 
 
I have been working/thinking/planning a potential vent closing solution which could involve not climbing under the T@G.
The travel issue I have run into is unexpected dirt roads. 
The major sources of dust entry I have identified may be the vent under my deck 16" x 4", cowbell AC vents on the side of the T@G and the vent under my refrigerator.
I have included some diagrams of some of my solution thoughts. 
My solution would be closing all the vents when traveling.

PLAN ONE would be using self-closing hinges and a thin cable.
The system would be normally closed and opened at a campsite as necessary. 

PLAN TWO is the same type of system using some sort of slide rails and a spring to keep the system normally closed. 

I believe both have potential and should not be too much impacted by rough roads, wind or water.
Planned material I would use would be rust resistant and with the use of a support plate, should withstand the forces involve with self-closing hinges and/or spring(s). 

For the back galley vent under my refrigerator, I should be able to simply cover it from the inside by sliding open the refrigerator tray. Even a small mat should work for this issue. The dust issue here is mainly limited to the galley area.

The exterior chrome cowbells on the outside will be blocked with a cutoff pool noodle with some light cord stung through in the middle to facilitate pulling them out. I will carry some extra "cowbell stops" in the event I lose one or two. 
 
Blocking those four points of dust entry should go a long way at eliminating the major dust issues encountered during offroad travel.
Below are some photos showing what I am working with.
 
 Comments are welcome. - Thanks 
 
 



Current Under T@G layout


  

PLAN ONE self-closing hinges

 
PLAN TWO spring rail

 
Senator Wash CA dirt road


 
Under T@G current





 

JamesDow

My latest camping trip to Senator Wash ended up as a no test for dust.
The dirt road was closed due to recent monsoon rains. 
I unhooked and attempted four times, but my Toyota RAV4 did not have the ground clearance for my comfort, let alone towing my T@G.  
A new major find or oversight discovered was a 10" x 10" wood cover on the interior of my 2018 T@G under the air conditioner. I assume that nuCamp made this opening and panel to install the air conditioner air flow fan. 
I removed that panel today and confirmed that it holds the small 12-volt 2.0-Watt fan (SUNON MagLev  ME92251V1-000U-A99) which you manually activate when you run the air conditioner. 
The opening appears to be a factory afterthought. (hole cut with rounded corners), but it was attached using two Phillips head screws. 
About 9 inches down in the opening between the walls was the 4" x 16" screened vent. 
The back side of the vent area has around 2" of base wood, which could be utilized to install some self- closing hinges, if desired to fashion a close down to the vent. 
Having the ability to close the vent from the interior of the T@G could be a game changer to my plans. 

zgfiredude

Any progress with this?  I have casually pondered addressing this as well.

BothellBob

Can't wait to see your solution. I put sponges in the bells. Not confident enough to screw a flap over the vent underneath, but that seems like the easiest solution for me. I'll have to add some lockout type sign on the AC to remind me about vents being closed. I also have to change the vent fan switch, which my sleeping feet frequently turn off.

UpNort

I have been under camper with the AC running and the air flow is pretty forceful. I have been considering trying a spring loaded back flow damper. That way there is no forgetting to open or close it.