Gutter guard window vents are an easy solution for additional ventilation in any vehicle that has windows that have a straight (or nearly straight) top edge when opened. You can use PVC/vinyl gutter guards (designed to keep leaves out of house roof rain gutters) as window screens in most openable vehicle windows. Get the kind with the attached mesh "bug screen" designed to keep things like pine needles and other small objects out of gutters. This will keep bugs out of your vehicle while allowing air flow.
The gutter screen method does not work well on curved-top windows, such as the driver and front passenger windows in nearly all vehicles. See window vents for more options.
Where to buy
Purchase gutter guards like these. Due to their size and the fact that you'll probably only need 1 to 4 of them, they'll likely be cheaper if purchased at a local hardware store than they would be if shipped to you. If shopping online, you may wish to include terms like "snap-in" or "mesh" in your search. You may wish to purchase dark colored ones so they are less noticeable, or you can spray paint them as needed. (If spray painting, remove mesh first and glue it back on after drying.)
Installation
- Hold the gutter guard near the top of the window for reference, and cut the guard to fit the width of the window. You can cut it with a heavy-duty scissors or a utility knife.
- The thicker edge of the gutter guard with the C-shaped channel —the side designed to clip to the rain gutter— will be the bottom edge of your vent.
- If the door frame is curved, trim the guard to match the curve of the glass. You can trace the window shape directly on to the guard as a guide, or see dealing with irregular shapes.
- To install your vent, roll down the window a bit and clip the bottom edge of the guard over the top edge of the window glass.
- Slowly roll the window back up so the top edge of the guard slides into the door frame where the glass would normally go.
Tips
This solution can be used together with rain guards to stop most rain. The kind with mesh backing (similar to bug screens) is much more rain resistant.
You can stack two or three gutter screens on top of each other if you want to open your window more, but this is less stable and they may fall out. You could glue the panels together to make them more stable.
If you can't find gutter guards with embedded mesh, you can keep mosquitoes and other bugs out by sliding your guards inside a length of nylon pantyhose or similar material.
Driving with these vents in place is possible at lower speeds, but ensure that they don't block your vision. At high speeds they may come loose and fly into or out of your vehicle, which could create a hazard.
Attach small lightweight fans to your gutter guards for added airflow. These are often USB-powered, or you can purchase cooling fans made for computers (sometimes called CPU fans).
