In the world of RV touring, there are always going to be a few hiccups along the route. One of the hazards of RV travel lies in the risk of damage to your rooftop accessories. This can be the result of excess wind, long-term exposure to the sun’s UV rays, low-lying branches at a campsite, or the accumulation of normal wear and tear.
At some point during our summer excursions, Taylor Publishing Group lost the shroud for our rooftop AC unit on our Poker Run Special Event trailer. As the trailer dates back to the late 1990s, an OEM replacement was not likely to be available, so we turned to the #1 source for replacement injected molded parts, Icon Direct, of Winkler, Manitoba.
Icon Direct is an aftermarket supplier of a wide range of replacement parts for RV products, including fender skirts, wind deflectors, AC shrouds, skylights, holding tanks, and custom-designed components. Their extensive operation uses thermoforming and rotational molding technologies to create top quality RV replacement and enhancement products to OEM customers, as well as the general public. The quality is equal to, or better than original parts – in fact, with the recent surge in demand for RV components, Icon Direct is now supplying thermoformed components to OEM parts and accessory companies whose in-house and external suppliers cannot meet the demand for selected parts.
The company has been supplying custom thermoformed solutions to the RV and other industries since 1998, and they enjoy a top rating in the industry.
A few years ago, we installed Icon Direct replacement fender skirts on our trailer, and the fit and finish was outstanding – so when we saw that we had lost our AC shroud, it was a natural decision to check the website at www.icondirect.com to see if a replacement shroud was available.
A quick telephone call to customer service and we were able to identify the exact part required and arrange for shipment. The new shroud arrived in a few days, and we grabbed a ladder, a power screwdriver, and headed up to the roof.
Replacing an AC shroud is about the easiest repair we have done – the four screws that held the original shroud in place were still in the sheet metal portion of the AC unit… we removed them, tested the fit of the new shroud, and saw that the holes in the Icon Direct shroud perfectly matched the original piece. The customer service team had mentioned that in some cases it might be necessary to drill new holes in the shroud or in the sheet metal frame of the AC unit, and that would have been easy enough to do. We had the standard galvanized sheet metal screws on hand – it’s always a good idea to have these supplies in your RV.
All in all, it took about 10 minutes to install the Icon Direct AC shroud. We could have done it faster, but it’s a good idea to move carefully when you are working on the roof of your trailer – always go by the credo “safety first”, and have an assistant spot you as you go up and down the ladder to the roof!
Many thanks to the team at Icon Direct. If your RV needs a repair component or sprucing up, give them a call at 1-888-362-ICON (4266) – and mention this article!
