How To Identify Your Hatch Lid & Replace It

1. Before You Start

This article covers Ventline, Jensen and Elixir roof vents. These vents originated in America and fit a 14" x 14" roof opening, or about 355mm x 355mm. The lids look similar, but they are not interchangeable.

Before ordering, check the flyscreen size, the winder hole position and the hinge style on the roof base. In many cases the lid may be missing, so the hinge on the base is the best way to confirm the style.

Four Seasons hatches, plus European styles such as Fiamma, Heki and Remis, are not detailed in this article. For those, use the brand label, hatch model and roof opening size rather than trying to match them from the Ventline, Jensen or Elixir photos below.

2. Identify Your Brand By The Flyscreen

Above:

1. Ventline screen is 340mm square.
2. Jensen screen is 355mm square with the winder hole 55mm from the start of the mesh.
3. Elixir screen is also 355mm square with the winder hole 75mm from the start of the mesh.

If the plastic flyscreen clips or inner surround are brittle, match the replacement by the same screen measurements and winder hole position. The screen mesh, clips and surround are often supplied as an assembly rather than as every small plastic part separately, so check the product photos against your existing frame before ordering.

3. Ventline Vents

Above:

1. The lid is not symmetrical and has a wedge shape. It has a plastic hinge moulded with three openings.
2. The winder has a plastic claw at the top end that glides along a plastic T-section moulded into the lid.
3. The vent base has seven curved metal fingers: four support the lid and three hold down the lid.

You need to remove the winder to fit the Ventline lid.

4. Jensen Vents MK1 & MK2

The Jensen MK1 vents were only produced until sometime in the 1990s. It would be very rare to find one on a later model caravan. Use the matching replacement lid below if the hinge matches your vent base.

Above:

1. A long metal pin, not included, goes through all sections of the plastic hinge and the metal vent base.
2. The Jensen MK1 replacement lid is 360mm x 370mm. The extra 10mm is for the hinge.

The Jensen MK2 is a very common vent used on many Australian-made caravans since the 1990s.

These are sometimes called the Jensen New Style and have a distinctive metal hinge section on the vent base.

Above:

1. The metal hinge section on the vent base has three rolled long sections and two rolled short sections.
2. The matching lid has plastic moulded sections that straddle the rolled section on the base. The winder slides within the metal brace that comes with the lid. This brace wedges into place at one end and has two small screws at the other end.
3. The plastic measures 335mm square plus 15mm extra for the hinge.

5. Elixir MK1, Elixir MK2 & Ventline MK1

The Elixir MK1 vents were only produced until sometime in the 1990s. It would be very rare to find one on a later model caravan. Use the matching replacement lid below if the hinge and styling match your vent base.

Above:

1. The Elixir MK1 has an aluminium brace or runner for the winder.
2. It also has a full width aluminium hinge section on the lid.
3. To complete identification, see the square styling.

The Elixir MK2 has been used on a number of caravans and campers made in Australia since sometime during the 1990s.

Above:

1. The roof section has a continuous metal sleeve that makes up half the hinge.
2. The replacement lid also has a continuous metal hinge that slides into the base.
3. The size of the plastic lid is 375mm square.

6. Universal Vent Lid Replacement

If you are unable to identify your existing vent, the UniMaxx Universal Vent Lid can be fitted to any 14" x 14" vent including Ventline, Elixir, Jensen and Hengs style vents.

To fit the universal lid, you will need to drill 4 screw holes into your existing vent flange to attach the mounting bracket. Fitting instructions are included and there is also a step-by-step video guide.

Because this option involves drilling into the existing flange, confirm the roof opening size and check that the base is sound before fitting. If the old base is cracked, badly UV-damaged or leaking around the roof seal, fix that problem first rather than only replacing the lid.