As an RV owner, there are times when you need to do some maintenance or RV repair to your ac unit that requires you to remove the inside cover. Simple tasks like cleaning your air filter or fixing some wiring require removing the ac cover.
But how do you remove your Dometic ac inside cover? Looking at it, you only see a plastic shroud with no bolts or screws to remove the cover. Using a flathead screwdriver is the easiest way to remove your ac inside cover.
There are slots in the cover that easily allow you to loosen the cover and allow it to slide out of place. This post will cover step by step how to easily remove your ac inside cover, including:
- Locating slots
- Using basic tools
- Sliding out cover
- Reinstalling cover
Whether you have a Dometic or other brand RV air conditioner unit, the below steps will help guide you in most applications.
Table of Contents
How To Remove Dometic AC Inside Cover
A Dometic air conditioner is the most common brand for RV AC units. This is good news as that means many resources for information and parts. Like many other major camper manufacturers, my Coleman RV air conditioner is a Dometic brand.
Their AC cover is designed to give you that slim line look and hide in with the rest of the ceiling. That slim line design and wanting to blend in with the ceiling makes it a trick to get the inside cover off. There is not an exposed bolt or screw to easily figure out how to remove the cover to do basic things like removing debris for better airflow.
Step 1: Locate Slots
Dometic has designed its AC cover to slide out parallel to the ceiling. To release the slide, locate the slots that will easily release the cover. You will likely have 4 slots, towards the middle of the ac cover. Two are for the intake filter vent, and the other is for the supply vent.
Step 2: Use A Flat Head Screwdriver
An RV owner’s first instinct is to flatten their hand and try to slide off the AC cover. This is difficult, and you like may cause damage to the cover or your RV ceiling. The easiest and safest way is to insert a flat-head screwdriver into the slot.
You want a screwdriver head almost as wide as the slot itself. Once inside the slot, rotate the screwdriver. Clockwise or counterclockwise will work. The goal is to rotate the screwdriver so it pushes out the ac cover.
Step 3: Slide Out Cover
Now with your cover free, you should be able to slide it horizontally by hand. Still, be careful to remove it.
It is very close to your RV ceiling; too much movement could scrape along the ceiling, causing some damage.
Step 4: Slide Cover Back In
Once your cover is off, you can access your air filter. Even if you didn’t plan on cleaning your filter, I suggest you may want to do that now. Cleaning your air filter will improve air flow and give more cool air. It also makes your ac unit not run continuously as it will work at its peak performance.
At this time as well, you may want to clean your ac covers with warm soapy water. There is likely dirt and debris on the cover that you will want to remove.
Once you have completed your task, it is time to return the cover to the air conditioner. Align the cover onto the ac unit tracks. Once it feels the cover is on the plastic track, gently slide the cover back into place. This should easily slide back into place with minimum force. If you feel any restrictions, the cover can be misaligned. If this happens, I suggest you remove the cover and try to re-align it before sliding it back into place.
Final Thoughts
You need to get into your RV ac unit from time to time. Basic maintenance and cleaning can easily be done once the ac cover is removed. Luckily, you can easily remove this plastic shroud with a few steps. First, locate the slots. Then, using a flathead screwdriver, rotate to free the cover from the ac unit. Finally slide out the cover, being careful to not damage your RV ceiling. This is also a good time to check and clean your ac air filter and cover.
Tony is an avid camper and RV traveler. He fell in love with camping on his first RV trip with his wife over 25 years ago. Tony loves sharing lessons learned and tips about RV maintenance and safe traveling.
