Fan-Tastic Vents - Worth it?

[Matt71]

From what I've read so far it seems like people like them, but they are so expensive I'm having a hard time squeezing one into my budget.
What have your experiences with them been? Are they worth the money?
I really like the rain sensor and the automatic speed adjustment based on temperature that the higher end models have.

These are the 5 current models they offer

MODEL 1200 - $132
  • Three Fan Blade Speeds

  • Manual Lift Dome

MODEL 1250 - $165
  • Three Fan Blade Speeds

  • Manual Lift Dome
  • Reversible Air Flow
  • High Profile Base

MODEL 2250 - $180
  • Three Fan Blade Speeds
  • Manual Lift Dome
  • Built In Thermostat
  • Reversible Air Flow

MODEL 3350 - $240
  • Three Fan Blade Speeds
  • Power Lift Dome
  • Reversible Air Flow
  • Rain Sensor Automatically Closes Dome When Wet

MODEL 7350 - $265
  • Low Amp Draw

  • Automatic Lift Dome
  • Reversible Air Flow
  • Rain Sensor Automatically Closes Dome When Wet
  • 2 Wire 12 VDC Hookup
  • IR Remote With Wall Cradle
  • Automatic Variable Speed (Thermostat Activated)
  • Manual Speed With 13 Settings
  • 2 "AA" Batteries Included
  • Open and Close The Dome From The Remote

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm not a huge fan of roof vents, but I also have window vans with opening windows.

Sooner or later roof vents leak.

If you have a cargo van, there is a ventilation system like they used to use in some of the old step vans that might work for you. It consists of two floor vents, one towards the front, and another towards the back in the diagonally opposite back corner.

Each has PVC pipes attached to them, running up towards the ceiling, and each also has an inline fan. The front one has a double elbow, so that the output can be adjusted both side to side, and up and down. This is the fresh air in vent, and the fan blow inwards.

The rear pipe has an elbow on the top, and a T at floor level, with one gated side aiming inside, and the other gated side going through the floor. The outward blowing fan is located before the gates.

With the usage of the gates, the hot air from the ceiling can either be vented outside, or redirected to inside at floor level in the winter.

All outside vents are screened and gated to keep bugs and rodents out.

 

[Stargazer]

They move air, very noticeably! but they can be noisy. I've had one in every RV I've owned. But each already had a different vent so the replacement with a Fantastic was easy and simple -- no cutting required. I have also had cheaper powered vents that worked almost as well.

Personally, I am not one for all the bells and whistles (remotes and sensors). Just something else to go wrong. I would not rely on a sensor to work if I am gone and a storm blows in. With a hood, you can leave it open while you're gone and if it rains, you're protected. If you do this, be sure you get the right hood! I learned this the hard way :-/

Installing any roof vent in my van is more than I wish to deal with. There have been a few times in the past three years/60,000 miles when I wished I had one in the van. But not enough to have one installed (I do not have auxiliary power so it would require batteries, wiring, etc and that would just be too much for me). I am retired and can move around freely, avoiding the heat in summer temps, mostly.

So how you intend to use it and what would be required to install it are considerations. Will you be living in it full time? Where? Can you relocate to better climes? Will you require stealth? Is there another air source you can leave open because this vent fan works best with an open window/door/vent, which can open a whole new set of questions (security, weather, blah blah blah)? What additional expenses are required to install it (power!)? Do you have a pet?

Best wishes.

 

[cyndi]

I loved that I was able to keep the vents open while it was raining and while the rig was moving.

I didn't like that I was limited to opening the vents only and inch and a half or two.

Whether or not I will install one in the van remains to be seen.

 

[karl]

I've had Fantastic fans in my teardrop and two vans- removed and patched the roof in the last- never again will I have one. All my vents go through the side or floor now, usually with a combination of computer fans and some sort of hood to keep out rain.

 

[Wabbit]

...a combination of computer fans and some sort of hood to keep out rain...

I also plan on using computer fans. Haven't worked out placements or specifics yet, but almost positive they won't be going in the roof. High up on the side, but not the roof.

 

[LeeRevell]

If you can put the vent cover over it, then rain is not an issue. Of course if you desire 'stealth', that would mitigate against it. Not sure if I will go with the traditional roof vent, or a less noticible smaller vent high on each side. I do not consider stealth, but roof space will be limited with the solar panels I have.

 

[Bela's Mom]

My van came with a Fantastic Fan with all the bells and whistles except the remote control.  I like the fan with one exception.  While the rain sensor is a good idea and works well, it will open and close repeatedly when there is heavy moisture in the air like sea spray or fog.  Uses too much power when boondocking then so I open the vent manually and only a couple of inches when the weather is like that.

Mine is located towards the front of the van by the galley and bathroom so I can draw fresh air from the back windows through the van and out of the vent with the reversible fan. 

If I were to purchase another one, it would be without all of the extras.  Manual operation, reverse flow is about all I would need.

Fantastic Fan now has a vent cover to fit their vents/fans.

 

[Seeker]

So far I love my Maxxfan Deluxe.  Only had it for a short while so time will tell.

The fan will pull a significant amount of air on High.  I normally keep the remote by the drivers seat.  If I get in and it is hot or I have left my dog in there and it smells a little doggy, just grab the remote roll down the window and less than 30 seconds it is cleared.

It has the built in rain cover that works pretty well.  I installed in the rear over my bed.  In some very hard rains with vent open and not running have every now and than felt a hint of water mist fall on me.  If a hard rain blowing sideways in the direction the fan opens toward (normally the rear) it may be possible for a lot more water to get in.  I don't know for sure so I close mine if I am not going to be near for awhile as a wet bed would be a disaster.
A SEEKER

 

[Wabbit]

Thnx for the info on your experience Bela's Mom. I was looking at them and would have went with the 250$ one instead of the MUCH cheaper basic models if I decided that was what I needed.

I do like the idea of this fan, but the probability of a leaky roof is a small concern and the power consumption was the bigger issue. 3amps is not a hell of a lot, but it all adds up. The computer fans can be run at <.2amps per fan. I can place 6 of those around my living area(2 for venting van and 4 for direct cooling) and be at 1amp and for less than 25$ for fans plus some for wiring/switches. Now I haven't seen my plan in action, so it may fail horribly, but I am pretty sure it will work.

 

[Seeker]

Thnx for the info on your experience Bela's Mom. I was looking at them and would have went with the 250$ one instead of the MUCH cheaper basic models if I decided that was what I needed.

I do like the idea of this fan, but the probability of a leaky roof is a small concern and the power consumption was the bigger issue. 3amps is not a hell of a lot, but it all adds up. The computer fans can be run at <.2amps per fan. I can place 6 of those around my living area(2 for venting van and 4 for direct cooling) and be at 1amp and for less than 25$ for fans plus some for wiring/switches. Now I haven't seen my plan in action, so it may fail horribly, but I am pretty sure it will work.

Maxxfan draws only .2 on low and probably Fantastic also.  I do like the idea of the PVC pipes and venting from the bottom though and may incorporate some of those if can find the room to.

 

[rvwandering]

We currently have this one:
MODEL 2250 - $180
• Three Fan Blade Speeds
• Manual Lift Dome
• Built In Thermostat
• Reversible Air Flow

We've had a Fantastic fan in every RV that we've owned and love them. We use all of the functions. High speed to clear out hot air if we've been parked for awhile in the sun with the windows closed, then low to keep a nice air flow. The thermostat if it's still a little warm when we go to bed but we don't want it on all night or if we're going to be out and we know that the temperature is on the rise. Reverse air flow depending on where we're parked. Sometimes the asphalt in parking lots gets really hot and it's best to pull the air in from the roof rather than the windows.

We've left the vent opened, had an unexpected rain and gotten a little wet so a rain sensor would be nice but that scenario has been rare. We've never had a leak from the vent opening in the roof or the fan housing. During really hot summer days the fan has been on for hours on end and it's hasn't depleted our solar charged batteries. Typically we'd be parked in the sun until about noon then in the shade for the rest of the day. We don't have a vent cover because it seems like it would block air flow but I don't know if that's true. A vent cover would make it possible to use the fan for ventilation during the rainy season in places like the Pacific Northwest.

In my opinion a remote and 12 speeds are not necessary.

 

[compassrose]

All we had in the Class C were the old cheaper manual crank roof vents. They worked great unless the wind was blowing in the wrong direction when it rained. One vent was newish and the other was original to the RV. The newish one had an add-on after-market vent cover on it. This helped protect the vent lid from damage and allowed us to leave the vent open except during the worst blowing rains. The older vent (in the bathroom) did not have a vent cover on it. The lid on it was so sundamaged that I got a vent cover for it. Love those vent covers. A maxxair vent cover and a vent with a fan is cheaper than a fantastic fan. The covers are easy to install to. My vents were made to where I could turn the fan on or not. Shop around. Places like JC whitney, among others, sell the covers and the vents. You can beat the price of any RV store if you look online. The vents allowed the summer heat to escape.

I don't have any rooftop vents in the bus except a passive OEM that got sealed off (cold air from A/C unit got sucked up and out). Thinking of adding solar powered roof vents. Probably residential roof. There are solar marine vents that have battery back up and on/off switches but I have been seeing a 2 year life span on them. I figure I can add a toggle switch to any vent I decide on. I just need to get the hot air off of the curved ceiling.

 

[Matt71]

We are considering bring one of our cats with us, so temperature control is a pretty high priority for us.
We do plan to follow the 65 to 75 degree weather, but there will still be times when the temp will still get up into the 80s which will make it pretty how in the van.

We will probably hold off on making a decision until we figure out what kind of van we're getting and go from there.

 

[akrvbob]

I'll go the other way and say I don't have a powered fan and probably never will. I think potable fans inside the van are far better and cost so much less they are enough.

My cargo trailer conversion has 2 non-powered fans and they both have covers on them. I would NOT have a vent without a cover. But I don't care about stealth.

It's been in the mid-80s here in AZ for about a week and my cargo trailer conversion and van stays 100% comfortable!! I'm not even running a fan inside yet. Here's how I do it:

1) Ladder rack with plywood so the roof is always in the shade.
2) Shade cloth covers the south wall and stands out about 2 feet at the bottom.
3) Shade cloth hung as a awning from the trailer to the van so the area in front of the door stays cool all day--never gets sun.
4) ADCO windshield cover on the van works MUCH better than reflectix.
5) Doors on trailer and van are always open and covered with shade cloth.
6) Vents and windows are open at all times.

Doing this I am totally comfortable in the 80s and it will be bearable into the low 90s. But, I hope to move north before it gets that hot.
Bob

 

[Bela's Mom]

Thnx for the info on your experience Bela's Mom. I was looking at them and would have went with the 250$ one instead of the MUCH cheaper basic models if I decided that was what I needed.

I do like the idea of this fan, but the probability of a leaky roof is a small concern and the power consumption was the bigger issue. 3amps is not a hell of a lot, but it all adds up. The computer fans can be run at <.2amps per fan. I can place 6 of those around my living area(2 for venting van and 4 for direct cooling) and be at 1amp and for less than 25$ for fans plus some for wiring/switches. Now I haven't seen my plan in action, so it may fail horribly, but I am pretty sure it will work.

I put eternal bond tape all around mine so it shouldn't leak for many years.  3 amps is the highest setting; I never run mine on that.
I like the computer fan ideas I have seen on the forum and if I ever have a different van, I will try that.

 

[MikeRuth]

MaxxFan was my choice, glad I got it. A bit noisy on higher speeds but maybe a Fantastic is too. Mine is not remote nor does it have a rain sensor, it does have the auto feature to turn on at a set temp. 

As for those who said a roof vent will eventually leak, sure enough if you never ever do any maintenance. Your battery will eventually die to, much sooner if not cared for. 

I don't ever anticipate a leak from the vent opening with due care as needed. 

Mike R

 

[karl]

C'nB- Sternwake has posted a bunch of handy info on Muffin Fans for venting his van abode, might be a worthwhile search.

My reasons for avoiding standard roof fans are as you mentioned- power usage, leaks from forgetfulness, and also in my case roof clearance for garages etc.

 

[Matt71]

The van I was looking at recently seemed to have a very high top, so the remote would have come in handy there.

 

[Almost There]

The van I was looking at recently seemed to have a very high top, so the remote would have come in handy there.

I have the very high top on my van. Even me, at 5' tall can reach the roof standing on the floor....just, but I can reach it.

The only way a remote comes in handy if you're lying in bed and too comfortable to get up and do something about the vent....