Do you really need a roof vent?

[william_k]

My van has a fiberglass hightop roof that is very difficult to work on (being so high up) and I'm not to thrilled about cutting into it either.&nbsp;<br><br>I will be living in this full time. &nbsp;I have no windows that open other than the two up front for the driver and passenger. &nbsp;<br><br>So, do I really need a roof vent? &nbsp;Or is there another solution that I may not be aware of?<br><br><br>Thanks,<br>William<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://files.websitetoolbox.com/82529/1476060" class="bbc_img">

 

[akrvbob]

Hi William, you were right, your van is the spitting image of Cheri's van!! I have two vents in my trailer and to be honest with you I question how important they are. If it's easy I recommend you put one in, but since it won't be easy for you I think you will be fine without it. <br><br>Part of the decision is whether you will be in a city or boondocking. If you are boondocking then you can just leave the back and side door open and move a lot of air that way, especially if you get a fan. If you are in the city you can't just leave it open, the vent will be your only real ventilation. But, with the vent open you loose some stealth. Not a lot but some.<br><br>Another question is can you move around or are you stuck in one location. If you can move you can avoid the heat, if you can't and are in a hot area a vent become critically important.<br><br>So maybe a general recommendation would be if you are stuck in the city or a hot area, get the fan, if in the country, don't.<br>Bob

 

[william_k]

Thanks again Bob for your insight. &nbsp;I plan on following the sun for the most part, but staying outside of cities.<br><br>Does anybody NOT have a roof vent? &nbsp;And if so, what's it like living day to day without a vent? &nbsp;Is the condensation unbearable? &nbsp;Do you suffocate? &nbsp;Or is it manageable?<br><br>Thanks again,<br>William

 

[bee]

In my experience ventilation is required. &nbsp;Whether its a roof vent or an open window or door thats up to you. &nbsp;Basically you need a reliable method of exchanging air in your camper.<br><br>Roof vents are nice because they vent the hot air by the ceiling. &nbsp;They often have built in fans,bug screen, and let in light. &nbsp;They also allow better security then an open window.<br><br>Downsides include potential water leaks, installation hassles, they also get in the way of solar panel placement.

 

[drivebyandy]

I'm not in my van yet, but in the end I decided a roof vent was too much hassle for me too. The only small hole that's currently in my fiberglass top is one for my solar panel wiring, and I plan to keep it that way. My next idea was to put small air vents (I got some 3" round vents from Lowes), coupled with 12v fans (for computers probably, not sure yet) on the side of the top. That idea also has proven too much hassle, in my opinion. Just this week I realized I could put some vents on my back door, up high and do the 12v fan thing there too. My back door was made for a wheelchair lift so it spans the entire height up into the fiberglass top. It's metal and just an easier area for me to work with. I'm figuring I might add a vent down low on one of the side doors to get the air flow going. I also plan to come up with some sort of door/slide/whatever to close off the vents on the inside. <br><br>So while I can't answer your post directly and confidently, I still believe some sort of ventilation will be needed. But the options aren't limited to one way of doing it.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;High up, on the back of the fibreglass top, stick one of those dryer vents (they have a flap which closes when it's off) with a 12v computer fan. ..Willy.

 

[wrcsixeight]

I live in what is probably the most mild climate in the Continental US. Coastal San Diego.<br><br>I would never consider van dwelling without a roof vent. I hate breathing stale air. &nbsp;I close off my vent on the colder winter nights and sometimes awake with a headache that quickly disappears when I unblock the vent and power on the fans.<br><br>&nbsp;I understand not wanting to cut a hole in the roof. <br><br>With the proper tools and installation with proper prep work and adhesive caulking, leaks are not a concern.<br><br>I cut a 4 inch hole in my roof and installed one of these when i first got my Van:<br>

<br>While this vent is solar powered and has a battery to run all night, its airflow was not impressive.<br><br>This is what the vent itself rides within:<br>

<br><br>Later I added 2 &nbsp;inline and counter rotating 4.75 inch computer fans and a step down ring to force air out at a much higher rate. &nbsp;The white fan is variable speed, when I want more airflow the black feeder fan is switched on.<br>

<br><br>I can now cook pasta inside without fogging my windows.<br>I never have to worry about rain getting in.<br><br>As far as stealth goes, well I have solar panels up there, the vent itself is not going to attract more attention than those, and usually I when I tell people I have 200 watts of solar up there, they were completely oblivious to that fact.<br><br>People just don't look up very often. These days it seems as though they can't peel their eyes from their smartphones to consider the world outside.<br><br><br>

 

[Jason Bond]

<p>If I felt better having a vent I would not cut through the fiberglass roof rather I would think about taking out one of the back windows and&nbsp;replacing it with&nbsp;a closable vent, maybe a&nbsp;black one&nbsp;or paint it black.&nbsp;About as big as the window or even somewhere smaller. It would not stick out hardly at all&nbsp;like an air conditioner does. I've seen air conditioners in back van windows why not a vent?</p>

 

[stude53]

Maybe A couple of these simple screened vents (one in front surface of the fiberglass top and one on the rear surface would provide enough ventilation to at least let out fumes and/or odors. I'd seal them with a good grade of white silicon caulk.<br><br><a href="https://ventmastersstore.com/shop/3-round-screened-vent-tab-style-white-p-215.html" rel="nofollow">https://ventmastersstore.com/shop/3-round-screened-vent-tab-style-white-p-215.html</a><br><br>Bob

 

[RVTravel]

Vents are not mandatory. I agree with openminds...window crack, fan, window visor, bug screen.

 

[Van Tripper]

So much blank side area, think about a sailboat style, porthole? &nbsp;They have them for RVs/Vans. Or mount the vent in the side/front/rear, instead of the top, still have the top for solar.<img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" class="bbc_img">

 

[william_k]

Wow! &nbsp;Lots of great ideas, thanks everyone! &nbsp;<br><br>I've got a lot to think about now. &nbsp;I think I need some kind of vent beyond just the front windows, especially since the living area will be&nbsp;separated&nbsp;from the cab by a couple of thick blackout curtains. &nbsp;I would lose all stealth by leaving the curtains open for airflow and at the same time lighting up my living room for all to see.<br><br>I will investigate some of the smaller vents, I like the idea of putting them on the back of the high top.<br><br>Thanks again everyone!<br>-William

 

[DownByTheRiver]

I installed a 9 inch vent from eBay.


I always keep it open a crack so that the moisture from my breath can escape and it helps to prevent the front windows from streaming up (which is a huge sign that tells everyone that someone is sleeping inside).


In the summer the vent has a quiet, low power computer case fan that that sucks out the hot air.

 

[wrcsixeight]

My &nbsp;mushroom type Vent in a wind exhausts much more air. I lived with just the solar powered fan for 6 years, cooking inside, but the muffin fans are the key.<br><br>I'd prefer the opening of my Nicro Vent to be less restrictive to the 120mm fans, in fact I'l like to have a mushroom type vent that would accept the silverstone fn181 fan.<br><br>Both my ceiling fans on high can get pretty loud. But just the silverstone fm121 on low is nearly silent. Bigger fans do not need to be as loud to move the same amount of air.&nbsp;

 

[accrete]

the idea behind our van build was not to go stealth so we had van specialties put in a fantastic fan. On hindsight i would have preferred a MaxxAir MaxxFan 5000 serries manual opening vent so i could have the vent opened in rain. Wet weather is where the tiny nicro style vents have the upper hand. <br><br>On the front windows, yes on the weather tech style window treatment and a no-see-um bug screen. We have included the bug screen on the curb side window so we can keep it cracked ~1" or so at night even in the rain. With only one window open up front and the roof vent there is convection air flow even without the fan on. <br><br>Have fun on the build : )<br>Thom<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://www.accrete.com/p-tgl/AwdVan/TGL_2010-12-31-beachcurb.jpg" class="bbc_img">

 

[Les H]

Putting in a roof vent lowered the temp in my bus by 15-20* on the hottest days. Well worth it to me.

 

[RV-Kitty]

<br><br>Part of the decision is whether you will be in a city or boondocking. If you are boondocking then you can just leave the back and side door open and move a lot of air that way, especially if you get a fan.

<br><br>I don't believe this will work unless it's quite cold outside or he lives in the desert. He'll be eaten by mosquitoes, gnats, so-see-ums and other blood sucking insects.&nbsp; And if he's in a really rural area and has food, it will attract bears and possibly other animals that he wouldn't care to share it with.

 

[peacetara]

I agree ventilation is nice to have, I do not have a roof vent.&nbsp; I have a window on the sliding door, that pops open about an inch.&nbsp; That's what I have open, pretty much all the time I'm in the van, night/day, etc.&nbsp; When I need lots of air flow, I open the door.<br><br>I think a roof vent is nice to have, but not a requirement (but I don't have one, and never have had one).<br><br>With Love,<br>Tara

 

[exitinn]

Thom ,<br>Fantastic Fan makes a vent cover now .

 

[wrcsixeight]

Every once in a while I will hear a bug bouncing around on my fan blades when I have the one muffin fan on low. &nbsp;The insects either sense the heat, the Co2, or food smells and fight the airflow to get inside, and then have their lights knocked out by the spinning fan blade. &nbsp;Sometimes I'll hear them bouncing around for a while, then I crank up the fan to blast them out. &nbsp;Not sure what type of insect is trying to get inside.<br><br>I have intake fans on my screened sliding windows. &nbsp;Whenever I leave my doors open during the day, that night I am smearing bugs against my TV and laptop screens, and Southern California is not a flying insect infected location.<br><br>Foam rubber can break down in extreme heat. &nbsp;Roof vents are very effective in letting the heat out. &nbsp;Also &nbsp;makes the fridge work much less hard.<br><br>Sure it is possible to get away without a roof vent, but adding one is the single best way of reducing interior temperatures, and was one of the first things I did.