Finishing up a bunch of maintenance on the 8 year old 5ver. Last thing was to get it washed. While up on the roof washing noticed all 3 plumbing vent caps broken and really deteriorated bad. Just the caps are rotted, bases seem OK. Went right on to Amazon and ordered a 3 pack of the Camco replace all plumbing vent kit. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOXKA3W/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm just going to use the caps and keep the base in case I ever need to replace the whole vent.Question ---- It will take up to 10 days to get them delivered and we have the possibility of some thunder showers coming in. If a substantial amount of rain goes into the now open pipe does it all just go into the gray or black holding tank or is there something else I don't know about that could cause damage?

Only if your holding tanks are absolutely full when it rains. Otherwise, it would probably have to rain 75" to get enough down that little 1-1/4" pipe - then you're going to have a lot of other problems to worry about.Bill

2oldman wrote:link doesn't work.https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOXKA3W/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Try this link

Trackrig wrote:Only if your holding tanks are absolutely full when it rains. Otherwise, it would probably have to rain 75" to get enough down that little 1-1/4" pipe - then you're going to have a lot of other problems to worry about.BillJust thought one vent may be for something other than plumbing like refrigerator vent or such.

Do you have attic vents? Mushroom shaped caps and about twice the diameter of the plumbing vents? I replaced those this year as the old ones were chalky and starting to deteriorate.

Plumbing Vent Caps On Roof --- All Sun Broken & Ruined

15 Replies

3boxerss
Explorer
Aug 26, 2016
The lid from a spray paint can will work in a pinch. We just took a razor knife an cut vents around the top and tack glued it on.. Worked fine for the 4 months it took the DH to get around to putting the new one on.
Mich_F
Explorer
Aug 26, 2016
ford-willy wrote:
Trackrig wrote:
Only if your holding tanks are absolutely full when it rains. Otherwise, it would probably have to rain 75" to get enough down that little 1-1/4" pipe - then you're going to have a lot of other problems to worry about.

Bill

Just thought one vent may be for something other than plumbing like refrigerator vent or such.

These are refrigerator roof vents. You need a good size hole in the roof as well as the hole/grill behind the frig, for proper venting.
Ed-N-Dani
Explorer
Aug 26, 2016
I'm a Amazon junkie so the prime account paid for itself the first week I had it. If you frequent Amazon more then 3 or 4 times a year sign up for the Prime account. Free 2 day shipping

Kindest regards
Ed
LarryJM
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2016
ford-willy wrote:
Finishing up a bunch of maintenance on the 8 year old 5ver. Last thing was to get it washed. While up on the roof washing noticed all 3 plumbing vent caps broken and really deteriorated bad. Just the caps are rotted, bases seem OK. Went right on to Amazon and ordered a 3 pack of the Camco replace all plumbing vent kit. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOXKA3W/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm just going to use the caps and keep the base in case I ever need to replace the whole vent.

Question ---- It will take up to 10 days to get them delivered and we have the possibility of some thunder showers coming in. If a substantial amount of rain goes into the now open pipe does it all just go into the gray or black holding tank or is there something else I don't know about that could cause damage?

I checked mine today and like yours mine were toast after 8 years outside so I replaced them with metal ones that were in stock from my local HD made by Danco for mobile homes that cost just under $8 each and will last until they rust away so no more plastic to self destruct. HD also had replacement plastic ones for mobile homes also and were reasonably priced IIRC. There were a perfect fit as a replacement for the original plastic ones. You could even fancy them up by coating them with either black or white spray on plastic-dip or even paint them.

Pic
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Aug 25, 2016
I will think the caps are more to seal pipe to roof than prevent filling tanks.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 25, 2016
Look down inside. On soem RV's the pipe is solid and there are no gaps

on others there is a smaller pipe inside the larger one and gaps between the two where water can enter your walls.

What to do about it

You can basically use most anything as a temporary cap. So long as it is BIGGER than the pipe and you can tape it down without sealing the pipe.
tpi
Explorer
Aug 25, 2016
In general it would have to rain, rain and rain over period of months to start to fill the tanks. 30 inches rain is only 30 inches in the small diameter pipe. Once it hits the tank it will spread out. In a climate such as mine here (20 inches annual) with occasional use of the RV, I don't need the caps at all.
jmaotto
Explorer
Aug 25, 2016
I went to Home depot and bought schedule 40T'S and glued them on.
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Aug 25, 2016
We just replaced ours too, we used the house trailer ones from ACE hardware, $6.50 each were metal, & white powder coated . bedded into a line of ExCell white with SS screws.
bbaker2001
Explorer
Aug 25, 2016
while waiting for mine, I used the 1 qt juice plastic bottles and cut in half. put some dicor around vent and stuck these on top. puled off when received.

I do have 3 vents I had purchased. I am in Stockton, could send them asap if wanted