Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

June 01, 2017, 07:04:30 pm

I was at a dealership this past weekend and noticed that the return vents (the ones with the filters you need to clean from time to time) are no longer held up with magnets?

I remember that was one of the 2017 improvements, and it seemed like a really good idea to make the filter service a tool less operation, but the 2018 45B that I looked at had those returned mounted with screws?

Just wondering if this is permanent change and if so why, or do they maybe have a running change to add in another version?

Re: Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

Reply #1 – June 01, 2017, 07:20:17 pm

Whatever the factory was using to hold the magnets on was failing and as a consequence the magnets were falling off.  At least that what was reported on another forum.

Re: Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

Reply #2 – June 01, 2017, 08:05:28 pm

I remember looking at some 2017's around this time last year, and did see several of those vent covers either missing or sitting on a nearby counter top.  The ones on the counters had the magnets missing,  with only a volcano top of glue remaining on the vent covers.

I assumed that was from people trying them out and pulling to hard or some early manufacturing mistake.

Since they are gone now, I'd guess it must have been a headache for Entegra so they dropped it for 2018.  Still need a better solution  IMO.

Re: Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

Reply #3 – June 01, 2017, 08:52:13 pm

I could see if one of the vent covers that's over a slide when it's in "detached" with the slide in and you didn't know it, you could do some damage when you sent the slide out.  At the very least you would crush the vent cover.

Re: Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

Reply #4 – June 02, 2017, 01:09:02 pm

Sounds like they used the wrong glue or did not do any surface prep to the magnets.  The ones I saw appeared to be nickel-plated (shiny) rare earth magnets.  Seems like you need to roughen the surface to allow epoxy to properly bond, at least according to these guys. https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=sticky-business-how-to-glue-neodymum-magnets

Then again using glue seems more like something you would do as a retrofit, or backup support.  Surprised they did not try a ring magnet with a rivet or some other mechanical bond.  Probably a good idea that was rushed into production.

Re: Magnetic vent returns removed in 2018?

Reply #5 – June 02, 2017, 09:42:18 pm

I agree with Ben, there is no reason those should not have worked, just seems they had some design or production issue and simply reverted back to a KISS solution.  Its not a big deal to have to unscrew the vents to change the filters, its just not as nice as a tool-less approach. 

I'm trying to think of another RV brand of this level that does not have easy access, I'll have to look more carefully to see what others do.