Ceiling vent and ladder rack question

[angeli]

OK, I'm finally in my van. &nbsp;Whew! &nbsp;FL in the summer in a dark green van (in the shade, thankfully).<br><br>Am putting my pennies away for vent and ladder rack. &nbsp;Gotta do both, IF POSSIBLE, due to need for solar and over-roof shade, as well as a heat releasing vent.<br><br>Question: first, if it is even possible to do both due to the height of the vent and the need to open it an inch or so, vs the loft of the ladder rack.<br><br>Second, if it IS possible, does anyone have any tips on this, OR if this has been addressed priorly, can someone link me or point me to where it might be?<br><br>EDIT - Yes, I DID try the search. &nbsp;Some really good stuff! &nbsp;I'd still love to hear other folks' take on this, anyone who wants to comment, especially those of you with large solar panels on top of your vans.<br><br>I've thought that I could do wood in front and in back of the vent to mount the solar panels, and leave the vent area free. &nbsp;Has anyone done this? &nbsp;Any other configurations that might work?<br><br>I've got Bob's book, and he gives some really good info, but the question of both together isn't talked about, unless I slept thru that part! <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="bbc_img"><br><br>Thanks for any advice or help on this.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

&nbsp;&nbsp; If you're worried about clearance for the vent you may want to look at the small Nicro 4" 12v vents. I have a Nicro 12v/solar model on my van and it moves a lot of air without taking up much space. &nbsp; If you put it under the solar panels then the 12v only model would be the way to go. &nbsp; &nbsp;

 

[coultergeist]

Hi,<br><br>I've been wrestling with the same question for my conversion for a while now.&nbsp; Mine has a really high top which complicates my build greatly.&nbsp; <br><br>To answer your question, yes you can do both with a regular top van.&nbsp; Ladder racks come in different heights.&nbsp; Mine are made by Karrite.&nbsp; You can adjust the height to one of two different levels with these.&nbsp; Just make sure that the ladder racks you buy will give you enough clearance.<br><br>Patrick

 

[wrcsixeight]

Is your van a regular metal top or a fiberglass raised roof?<br><br>You do not NEED a ladder rack to mount a solar panel, but of course you can put a solar panel on a ladder rack.<br><br>Exposed wood on the roof is not wise.<br><br>I have a Nicro 4 inch &nbsp;solar vent. &nbsp;I found it did not move enough air for me and wound up force feeding it with 2 inline &nbsp;counter rotating 4.75 inch computer fans through a 1/2 inch thick 4.75 to 4 inch step down ring.<br><br>Both fans are separately switched, and one is variable speed.<br><br>While this is very effective, I don't think it will keep up with Florida summer heat and a dark colored van, but any vent is better than no vent.<br><br><br>

 

[ZOFCHAK]

wrcsixeight, is your Nicro vent solar only or 12v and solar?&nbsp; My Nicro vent does not move much air under soalr power, but it does a great job running on 12v. So much so that I had to add a speed control to it.

 

[wrcsixeight]

It was solar only, but had a 1.2v 'C' Nicad battery to run all night long. No 12v option on mine, was not aware there was one.<br><br>Mine is 12 years old. &nbsp;One of my first modifications. &nbsp;The motor started clicking at 4 years old. &nbsp;I now have the battery removed and the solar panel covered, and just use the muffin fans. &nbsp;Together I estimate they push 120 cfm. &nbsp;One is rated at 110 the other 53, but losses from restriction is why I estimate the lower cfm.<br><br>Anyway I cook directly under it, about 4 feet under it. &nbsp;Unless it is really humid outside and all my windows are closed, then I can boil pasta inside without fogging the windows, with both fans on, and the one on high.<br><br><br>

 

[angeli]

wrcsixeight: &nbsp;My van is a '95 Dodge Shorty B2500 cargo van. &nbsp;The only windows are in the driver's and passenger doors. &nbsp;I think I'd rather mount the solar panels on a ladder or roof rack, rather than bolt them into the metal roof. &nbsp;I'm not sure what you mean by 'exposed wood'? &nbsp;Don't you put a few coats of marine varnish or a strong exterior enamel in a light color on the wood panels? &nbsp;And I saw your 4 inch fan in another post you made. &nbsp;It looks FAB! &nbsp;I wondered if it would be as effective in the 12V/Solar model mounted on the side of the van, near the roofline and towards the very back end, one on each side like the old portholes in the ubiquitous hippie van? &nbsp;That would nix worries about vents and ladder racks. &nbsp;Not sure it would kill stealth much, since there are a lot of permutations in ol' work vans...<br><br>Patrick: &nbsp;Thanks! &nbsp;I appreciate the name brand. &nbsp;One thing I've wondered is about the sturdiness of the various racks, if it only bolts to the rain gutter.<br><br>ZOFCHAK: I saw those, and the possibilities are very intriguing. &nbsp;I wonder about the Florida heat, but I won't be here forever, as I'm hoping to have enough money saved for blast off by the end of the year. &nbsp;Heading West, it seems. &nbsp;Thanks for the name of that cute 4" vent, and the tip on 12V. &nbsp;With the solar panels and my good battery, that should be no problem. &nbsp;It's my impression that they take very small amounts of power to run almost constantly. &nbsp;It certainly would be doing that in the summer months down here.<br><br>The other consideration of course is the tropical rains. &nbsp;We had enough water falling from the sky yesterday to kill visibility for more than a few feet. &nbsp;Nonstop for hours, sometimes, although yesterday was only 1/2 hour. &nbsp;Then 90% humidity as the rain dried up. &nbsp;Yummy. &nbsp;Gemme outta here.... &nbsp;But I wonder how or if that would effect a small vent/fan combo like the Nicro?

 

[wrcsixeight]

While the solar panels need some space under them to breathe, the lower you can keep them the less noticeable they will be from the sides. &nbsp;The cooler the panel, the more it will generate.<br><br>As long as whatever feet are used to mount the panels are drilled correctly and sealed with a quality product, then mounting to the metal roof is not much of an issue.<br><br>3M makes a super strong VHB(Very high Bond) double sided tape that works well when the surface is properly prepared before installation for a No drill installation. &nbsp;One still needs a roof penetration somewhere for the wires to the charge controller.<br> &nbsp;I'd personally feel better dropping the headliner and drilling with stainless steel fasteners to secure the panels, with large rubber washers under the stainless and sealed with 3M 5200 as well for the overkill factor.<br><br>I wonder about the amp draw of the 12v nicro vent. &nbsp;I can't even find it on their site, nor on defender.com<br><a href="http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|6880|45749&amp;id=320600" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|6880|45749&amp;id=320600<br><br>I</a>&nbsp;really dig my muffin fans exhausting through the Nicro. &nbsp;It would be better if the diameters were the same for less restriction. &nbsp;It is kind of ridiculous how much design and engineering goes into some of these computer fans. &nbsp;The 5.99 radio shack model can make twice as much noise, move half as much air and consume twice the current as some of the designs available.<br><a href="http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g36/Fans.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g36/Fans.html<br><br></a>Do note that with a windowless cargo van, you will need a source of air intake if you have powered exhaust vents on the roof.. &nbsp;The door seals are not perfect and will allow air in, but better to control the air intake &nbsp;for less restriction, and desirable airflow. &nbsp;I always liked the idea of a &nbsp;sealable floor vent. &nbsp;Pulling in air from the shade side of the van makes a huge difference, and a floor vent will always be pulling in air from the shady side.<br><br>I have a sliding windows on my conversion van, and just with the roof vent's on, &nbsp;a good amount of air is pulled in through the window. &nbsp;I really like the fresh air exchange, and miss that when I sleep in a stick and brick. &nbsp;I also have computer fans as intake. &nbsp;In general I can turn my interior into a wind tunnel if I need to.<br><br>My Nicro vent under its own power was rated at 1000 cfHOUR. &nbsp;and when I put another computer fan rated at 50 cfm up to it in '07 I was amazed how much more air instantly was being pulled in the side windows, and within a month, I had the two inline fans and the step down ring and was wondering how I managed for so long with just the Nicro vents weak fan.<br><br>I've seen a van around here that has 2 nicro vents on its roof. &nbsp;The shape of the mushroom top itself exhausts air with a wind blowing over it. &nbsp;At freeway speeds huge volumes of air are pulled out of it. &nbsp;With my fans off, the airflow at highway speeds is spinning their blades furiously.<br><br>But the Nicros are not cheap. &nbsp;<br><br>I used to put surf racks on my fiberglass roof. &nbsp; Fairly Aerodynamic. &nbsp;They would still knock off 1/2 mpg at highway speeds, and I'd remove them for x country journeys or any distance highway driving. &nbsp;

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

The only place i had to put a roof vent flush was toward the back of my van, cause of the little ridges.&nbsp; It looked like they made a little area just for a vent so i put it there.&nbsp; I think there is still plenty room in front of it for panels.&nbsp; <br><br> <br><br>I definitely feel like i need an air intake somewhere, im just not sure how to do it (i want it to have a fan).&nbsp; I bought a couple of cheap vents from amazon as addons to an order just to check them out but i wasn't too impressed.&nbsp; I bought a round one and a rectangle larger one (side vent i guess) but neither seemed quite right for adding a fan to it.&nbsp; I still might stick that rectangle vent over my bed though <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="bbc_img">

 

[MrNoodly]

<span style="white-space: nowrap;">DazarGaidin, l</span>ate model vans no longer have the ridge-less area on the roof. So, the question I have is how you late model van owners compensated for the roof ridges. Did you just build up the sealing tape, or something else?<br><br>Angeli, it's possible to mount solar panels so that there's enough room under them to open a vent. For example, I believe Bob (our host here) has not only vents but vent covers under the panels on his trailer. He ran pressure treated 2x4s along his rack then mounted the solar panel on top of them. The 2x4s gave extra clearance. Of course, that means the panels stick up higher, but since people like Bob boondock most of the time, stealth is not a big concern.<br><br>In my case. My panel is about 5.5' by 3.5'. I'm mounting it as far back as I can and then putting the vent in front of it. Unless I change my mind before I cut a hole.

 

[Ballenxj]

wrcsixeight, I like the idea of a floor vent. Never thought of that. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"> <br>-Bruce

 

[user 423]

Some vans have an auxiliary AC/heater housing on the driver's side, forward of the wheel well. If the AC isn't functional, you could modify or remove that and add a vent/fan for cross-ventilation. Drawing from the shady underside is a great idea!

 

[angeli]

wrcsixeight - you give good info! &nbsp;Thanks for those notes. &nbsp;And although I'm parked on my own land here for a short time, when I move to CA to be closer to my folks, stealth will be an issue for awhile. &nbsp;Even if I park on their property, it's still illegal to sleep in a vehicle in CA, so I'm trying to be unobtrusive if possible. &nbsp;<br><br>Looking over at defender dot com, there are so many great vents, but you are right, they aren't cheap. &nbsp;I'm thinking now maybe a simple hatch with bug screen in the roof, and one or two floor vents to let the cooler air up in. &nbsp;The heat rises and so will vent naturally, but probably not fast enough for most folks comfort. &nbsp;Better than no vent at all for sure. &nbsp;I saw your earlier post when you mentioned those floor vents, and I think it's a really excellent idea. &nbsp;Of course, I'd have to actually remember to close the floor vents when I move! &nbsp;LOL!!<br><br>The main reason that I'd prefer to set the solar panels up on a piece of plywood, is simply because I think that in a year or three, I'll have a small trailer to convert, and I'll want to move them over, and let the van tow all of it. &nbsp;I'd hate to have to deal with holes in the roof once that happens.<br><br>Mr. Noodly - I've not actually seen Bob's setup, not having been to an RTR, but thank you for the description. &nbsp;I think that I'll need a bit more stealth, at least for awhile.<br><br>Dazar - thanks for the great pic of your van! &nbsp;I notice you did the white roof thing. &nbsp;Is that ceramic paint? &nbsp;Did you have to grind off the existing paint first? &nbsp;Can you describe a bit about it?<br><br>My van, being mid 90's has the 14 x 14 flat space for the standard vent. &nbsp;So it simply may be easier to go with the flow. &nbsp;The vent space in the Dodge, however, is just about halfway back, so I may be putting smaller panels in front of and behind the vent. &nbsp;Your van is about the color of mine. &nbsp;Great for the FL summer weather!<br><br>To conceal the sides of the solar panels, I thought to put that black piping that is designed to withstand UV rays up on the rack, one on each side, and use them as passive solar water heaters. &nbsp;Notch in a faucet, fill your shower bag, and there you are. &nbsp;I probably wouldn't want to directly spray on me, unless I want to amuse countless children by jumping up and down and screaming unmentionable words....<br><br>Thanks guys, I really appreciate the responses.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

It is called elastomeric paint, and I got it in the roofing section of Lowes.&nbsp; Its the same stuff they sell for your RV roof, but at lowes its 20 something dollars a gallon instead of 75 a gallon.&nbsp; My roof has two coats on it.&nbsp; We were way sloppy when applying the first coat, I think if you are careful you could get 2 coats out of 1 can.&nbsp; I used a gallon and 1/4 to get my 2 coats but we literally dumped the first coat on and sloshed it around with the roller.&nbsp; The second coat i more carefully painted it on.&nbsp; It goes on pretty thick no matter what. &nbsp; Be sure to tape around the gutter/edge unless you like picking rubbery paint off with your fingernail <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="bbc_img">&nbsp; Just be warned, it is bright.&nbsp; I mean, imagine the whitest car you ever seen and it will look like dull gray next to this.&nbsp; It damn near glows...but it works.&nbsp; You can't even put your hand near my van sides in this heat but the top is cool as a cucumber.<br><br><br>I definitely want to paint the rest of the van a lighter color.

 

[angeli]

Does the white color of the roof interfere with your stealth at all? &nbsp;Or is that an issue for you?<br><br>Thanks for the paint info, I'm now saving pennies for Lowe's!<br><br><br>

 

[bee]

I am going with low profile trailer vents that can be mounted on the roof or on the side of the vehicle. &nbsp;They fit two 92mm computer fans each vent. &nbsp;I went with version A on the side of the vehicle, but there are a couple of choices.<br><br><a href="http://store.stepvanparts.com/SIDE-VENTS-STEPVAN.HTM" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://store.stepvanparts.com/SIDE-VENTS-STEPVAN.HTM</a>&nbsp;<br><br>You will see these vents on 18 wheelers and some trailers.

 

[MrNoodly]

Interesting. Any previous experience with them? I wonder about water tightness.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I think it may interfere with stealth a little, i mean, it is hard not to notice that whiteness.&nbsp; But then again, the roof vent is undeniable, tho it stands out less now that its all white.&nbsp; If you paint the rest of the van a lighter color, it wouldn't stand out as much.<br><br><br>Those vents look awesome...hmmmm...

 

[cygvan]

i currently have my roof in the stock color (victory red).<br><br>because i eventually will have a solar panel, i havent painted the roof white or silver or with elastomeric or bus-kote or anything yet.<br><br>i intend to go with a roof rack and so far this is what i am thinking...<br><br>i have the stock height roof.<br><br>install roof rack (considering van-tech) with three cross bars. black colored to match other trim on van.<br><br>onto roof rack, install aluminum diamond plate, polished though, not black.&nbsp; i am hoping this will reflect light as well as cast shade on the roof.<br><br>install solar panel onto the diamond plate, towards rear half.<br><br>cut hole toward front half of diamond plate to allow roof vent to protrude (i have a fantastic fan with a maxxair2 rain cover - they are awesome btw). it should be easy enough to make the hole large enough to remove the cover for cleaning and maint.<br><br>i need to devise a way to perhaps add some side panels, mainly for aesthetics and keeping things out of view as well as address any wind vibrations or too much lift etc...ive a few ideas on that.<br><br>the intention is to make it look like a safari rack.<br><br>i thought perhaps this idea might help you..<br><br>the aluminum diamond plate can be pretty spendy but there are sources that you may find locally. expanded steel might be an option but not sure on price. i prefer aluminum.<br><br>i called a couple of metal shops and was quoted $200 for a 5x10 piece of it including the cuts to the size i need and the cut for the fan. dont recall the thickness but i think i requested something near 1/8".<br><br>for an idea on how it would look, check out aluminess dot com and view the diamond plate option.<br><br>

 

[cygvan]

oh and it would also give me a spot to bolt an awning to which i desperately want.&nbsp; not to mention a couple antennas lol