How to Remove a Broken Roof Vent Dome Cover on a Trailer

Updated 02/03/2014 | Published 01/30/2014

Question:

replacement of roof vent dome that is broken. How do i remove the old one

asked by: Chad S

Helpful Expert Reply:

The removal of an old vent cover is usually not very difficult, but the exact process will depend on the brand of the vent. Typically, the first steps are to remove the handle, the screen and, in some cases, the lower or interior trim piece.

Next, you will want to determine how the arm is attached to the cover and base. The arms slide along either a plastic or metal track that is attached to the vent cover. The arms are usually held to the vent base and handle with screws, which would need to be removed. Once the arm is free of the base, it will usually slide off the track on the cover.

Once you have the arm free of the cover, you will want to move to the top of the trailer. There are different types of hinges for trailer vents. If your vent has a continuous metal hinge wrapped around another piece of metal, it will slide out to one side or the other. Sometimes the ends of the hinge are bent to hold the cover in place, you can simply bend those sections away. I have attached a vent cover replacement video we made with this type of vent hinge for you to check out. Other vent covers will have plastic pop-in hinges that will simply pop off when a small amount of downward force applied.

expert reply by: John H