What is this part called between air conditioner and roof of TrailManor (3124KB)?

[Expanderoo]

What is the part between the air conditioner and the roof of a 3124KB (and it looks like other models with roof mounted AC) called? I put some arrows at what I'm talking about in this photo:



I noticed there seems to be a very precise caulk/seal around the edge of this on the part that attaches to the roof. I also noticed there is some additional caulk that someone added at the front side of this and I'm wondering if I'm redoing all the other caulk, should I do anything there?

[Bill]

I don't know if it has a formal name, but I've seen it referred to as a "riser", for obvious reasons. The join between the riser and the roof surface must be well caulked.

As for the join between the top of the riser and the air conditioner, I'm not sure that this needs to be caulked. After all, rain is expected to get into the air conditioner housing through all the openings and slots in the air conditioner case, so there must be a pan in there that catches that water (along with the condensate) and directs it out to the surface of the roof, where it runs off the side of the trailer.

Bill

[tentcamper]

I believe between the top and the AC unit there should be an AC gasket and that's all you need. Maybe someone thought it was leaking???

I would not caulk buttom unless it was leaking. Too easy to leave some old caulk and make a leak. Top I would put a new gasket on if it leaked. Caulk property applied is good for 20+ years.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by tentcamper

I would not caulk buttom unless it was leaking. Too easy to leave some old caulk and make a leak. Top I would put a new gasket on if it leaked. Caulk property applied is good for 20+ years.

I'm not sure of this. As noted in the post above, the air conditioner unit has a pan at the bottom of it, which means that the pan is above the riser. In normal operation, water that gets in through the slots in the shroud is caught in this pan is piped away onto the surface of the roof, where it runs off the edge.

However, if water flows under the bottom edge of the riser, it is under the pan. From that location, it MAY (I say may because I don't know for sure) leak inside.

The air conditioner's Installation Manual should answer this question.

Bill

[Expanderoo]

My impression is the thing I'm pointing at in the picture is a special riser for the TrailManor and similar trailers with not much headroom. Other trailers seem to mount the AC units more directly but if we did that, it would bonk the taller of us in the head as it would drop down too far (although the air flow would probably be better).

I also noticed the gasket it has (the one between the roof and the riser) seems manufactured. At least, not applied by hand from a tube. But I do wonder why the front of this riser between the lower riser and the roof has some additional caulk gunked on. I'm still debating if I want to dig into it. I halfway suspect it might have been an attempt to fix a leak that was more likely coming from the seam and not this area so the caulk is a red herring but...

[FlyboyTR]

Originally Posted by Expanderoo

My impression is the thing I'm pointing at in the picture is a special riser for the TrailManor and similar trailers with not much headroom. Other trailers seem to mount the AC units more directly but if we did that, it would bonk the taller of us in the head as it would drop down too far (although the air flow would probably be better).

I also noticed the gasket it has (the one between the roof and the riser) seems manufactured. At least, not applied by hand from a tube. But I do wonder why the front of this riser between the lower riser and the roof has some additional caulk gunked on. I'm still debating if I want to dig into it. I halfway suspect it might have been an attempt to fix a leak that was more likely coming from the seam and not this area so the caulk is a red herring but...

Yes, the square gasket is a manufactured part. Below is an Amazon link that shows a lot of different gaskets for different model A/C units. This is a part that should be replaced 5-10 years. A bit of work...but it is cheap insurance against leaks between the a/c and the roof...or in our case the riser.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rv+a%2Fc+gasket&ref=nb_sb_noss"]https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rv+a%2Fc+...ref=nb_sb_noss[/URL]