# Venting Microwave Oven Hood To Outside



## Wisconsin-Knight (Mar 10, 2011)

My wife has a Viking range in our home with a Viking hood. As we plan to live in our 2005 21RS for a couple months this winter, and my previous TT had a hood vented to the outside, I decided to vent our stove hood. To my surprise, it is an easy modification, the microwave is set up to vent through the wall and the backplate is already cut out for this.

The first thing you do is download the manual for your microwave and see the instructions for through the wall venting. On our microwave, it was a simple fix to turn the motor over for through the wall venting. When this was done, it was noticed the blower outlet did not line up with the back of the oven. We thus had to flip it again, end to end, to get the exhaust ports in the proper position. We then replaced the top plate and put the screw in that holds the motor in place.

On our unit, the backplate had square holes that matched the blower exits on the oven. I used a pencil to mark these holes and removed the backplate and cut a 4 inch by 10 3/4 inch hole. I purchased a Braun model 949 aluminum wall cap at Menard's and also a microwave adapter at appliancefactoryparts.com

There are no wires or structural members to worry about and you can drill some small holes to verify that. I cut the hole out with a saber saw.
I had to cut the wall cap down with tin snips and bend it to fit the oven adapter. I then used Dico to line the holes and seal the wall cap. When I replaced the microwave the job was done. It took a lot more worrying than effort. If you want information, email me. I will try to post pictures soon. The vent comes out even with the amber door lamp on our 21RS and I had to move the lamp a few inches. The vent covered the previous holes.

Rowland


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

I like it.

But the main question is why in the world would Keystone elect to vent the microwave INTO the trailer in the first place? How stupid is that?

I can't think of anyone who loves to have cooking smells continually permeating throughout their trailer. Heck, we won't even fry foods on the stove top, we take them to the outside stove (what a great idea - I'll never own a trailer that doesn't have one of these!).


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## Wisconsin-Knight (Mar 10, 2011)

Raynardo,

Thanks for the encouragement! I sometimes get a good deal of skepticism for my modifications. We do about all our cooking outside also but this may come in handy if the weather is bad. The dual squirrel cage blower on the microwave really puts out a lot of air but there is a carbon filter in the oven that diffuses it so it doesn't blow your hat off inside. The filter is of vary limited capacity. I have to clean my wife's Viking hood every six months or so and it is very large with removable baffles.

The point I wished to make was that venting the hood to the outside is not an impossible task.

You have to wonder why Keystone doesn't vent the hood. Gulf Stream and other manufacturers do vent the hood.

Rowland


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## OBcanOB (Aug 23, 2007)

I'd like to do this mod, but my big fear is running into one of the aluminum studs. How did you make sure you missed it?


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## cdn campers (Oct 31, 2011)

OBcanOB said:


> I'd like to do this mod, but my big fear is running into one of the aluminum studs. How did you make sure you missed it?


yah , my last tt was a fun finder and it had a nice looking vent on the out side that had two little clips to keep it closed when moving down the highway. this is the first time ive ever saids anything positive about funfinder.


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## cdn campers (Oct 31, 2011)

OBcanOB said:


> I'd like to do this mod, but my big fear is running into one of the aluminum studs. How did you make sure you missed it?


early in the morning or when the dew is out, or the frost in the north you should be able to see the studs from the outline of dew etc.


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## cdn campers (Oct 31, 2011)

raynardo said:


> I like it.
> 
> But the main question is why in the world would Keystone elect to vent the microwave INTO the trailer in the first place? How stupid is that?
> 
> I can't think of anyone who loves to have cooking smells continually permeating throughout their trailer. Heck, we won't even fry foods on the stove top, we take them to the outside stove (what a great idea - I'll never own a trailer that doesn't have one of these!).


hey i thought i had a bug on my screen lol


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

I did this mod a few years back and added step by step photos. Here they are I hope they help with your mod. .Click here! I used a traditional vent flap for the outside.
Brian


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## tomE (Nov 22, 2010)

Yes, I found in curious, too, that the vent was into our Rear Kitchen version. We added a fantastic power vent to remove the kitchen odors, or reverse for outside air in. Guess I'm just a simpleton. Turning the microwave blower outside is pretty clever - wish I'd thought of that. Love the forum. Stargazer.


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