Vent Fan Installation Service

[LeeRevell]

When I drive down a dry dusty dirt road, my back window gets covered in thick dust.  I would NOT want a vent there.

 

[Canine]

$250?  Shoot, Ol' Bubba here would do it for a case of beer...  



What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Canine]

Afraid to cut a hole in your van roof?  Heck, VW wasn't...



Kinda takes some of us back to yesteryear...  Well, maybe Lee R and I... Oh and Bob too...  

 

[Rugster]

I miss my old VW van, the one I had on the road the most was a 1970 camper, a month younger than me but I did find a 1967 split window in a junkyard, bought it for $200, a friend put an engine in it and it ran fine. No telling how long it had set in the junkyard but it didn't matter, the thing ran great

 

[highdesertranger]

I wonder why both of those vans don't have the chrome VW emblem on the front. air brush? but why? highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

No idea. I had a 67 bug but never a Kombi. They looked cool though. Had a lot of windows and quite the open roof...

Oh yes, ventilation. These did vent rather well.

 

[2TheStreet]

I have a chevy express van that has ribs/channels on the roof. How in the heck do you guys get a clean fan vent install on this type of roof? If it was just a regular flat roof I'd do it myself no problem.

 

[Canine]

I'm being lazy to not dig it up but there are several YouTube vids on an install, search for it.  
Video for express van fantastic fan installation▶ 12:33
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT7a1pm2JiQ
Apr 8, 2014 - Uploaded by Meghan Fridirici
We are converting a 2007 Chevy Express 1500 white cargo van into a camper to live and ...


Sportsmobileforum.com • View topic - Installing roof fan in Ford E350
www.sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=3046
May 28, 2009 - 15 posts - ‎10 authors
I a 14" x 14" fan for the van but realized that there are some huge ridges on top of the metal. ... You also might consider a fantastic fan window unit, I've heard they are pretty good esp. if you don't want to put .... Express van.
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Dusty says: Some posters insist on Dicor to level up and some use Eternabond on the edges as well.  
Some have commented that there is a marine grade sealant that is superior to the standard one.  I think the marine grade is a grey color, but could be wrong.  Google it...


From the Expediters online forum:
Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans

There's been a lot of conversation, and a bit of consternation, both here and on other forums about DIY installation of a roof vent in wide-ribbed roofs like on the GMC/Chevrolet and Ford cargo vans.

I've seen people go to great lengths to raise platforms or add metal panels or fiberglass etc to provide an even flat surface on which to install a roof vent so they don't have to deal with the high and low spots of a ribbed roof. None of that is really necessary if you follow the vent manufacturer's simple instructions and use some simple, common, sense.

I installed a Fan-Tastic 6000RBTA recently in my GMC van and documented the process. All images below are clickable to view the larger size.

Special thanks to Moot for reminding me of the Adohen Supply Co. website, from which you can order a variety of Fan-Tastic roof vents in various configurations (flat or dome lid in various colors, high and low profile bases, vent lock, etc). You can also add your roof thickness measurements to help ensure a better fit and less hassle in installation of the interior garnish.

As of this writing (May 2013) Adohen no longer stocks the fans in-house but sends your order directly to Fan-Tastic (who evidently does not sell directly to the public) along with any special dimensions, requirements, and add-ons. Scott, at Adohen, is a good guy to deal with, with fast response to any email inquiries.

If ordering from most suppliers other than Adohen, you pretty much get what they have in stock and have far less choice as to flat or dome, color of lid, depth of interior garnish, or lid lock, etc. You can find out more about all this on Adohen's Pictures and Dimensions page. Scroll down for the additional info.

0a-fromthebox02.jpg
I chose the flat lid instead of the more typical dome, as well as the low-profile base and lid-lock, because I like the lower overall profile and will be able to still take my van through my favorite car wash, as well as get into more parking garages than I might otherwise. I'd advise, though, to know your exact overall height before entering a parking garage.

You can see the interior garnish still in the box in the image above. Having carefully measured my roof thickness--from interior ceiling through insulation to van roof--I was able to order the garnish pre-cut to desired depth at no extra charge. Some have said cutting the garnish to the right height yourself is as much trouble as installing the whole vent.

0b-fan-n-garnish01.jpg
Vent with interior garnish
0c-fan0n-garnish02.jpg
Vent with garnish in place

Now to figure out where in the roof to install the vent. In cargo vans there are interior cross-ribs that support the roof. There is one more cross-rib and potential roof space for your new fan in the extended bodies than in regular vans, I believe.

The cross-ribs are easy to avoid. When installing my ceiling insulation and headliner, I marked the width of all supporting cross-ribs at the top of each side wall on the reinforcing band that encircles the van. I also took pictures of the roof and walls before insulation and lining so I have a clear record of all structural and support pieces. These marks and images come in handy for future van modifications.

I chose the space between the rear most cross-rib and the back doors, as in my interior configuration, and with no rear door windows, having the vent as far to the rear as possible will create the most cross-air flow through the van when the driver and passenger door windows are opened even slightly. If you have rear door windows that open, you may want to consider a more central placement for your fan, to bring air in from either or both directions.

As Fan-Tastic indicates on the included Installation Directions & Operating Instructions, slightly opening a window on the shady side of the van with the roof vent set on exhaust can create a comfortable ambient temp, even on hot days. It pays to put the vent in the right place.

0d-mark01.jpg
Once you know where in the roof to put it, there are lots of ways to determine exact placement and where to cut the hole. The way I did it was to use the interior garnish upside down against the ceiling, so I could better gauge spacing, how far the flange would go, and the overall way it would look upon finishing. If I'm going to spend a great deal of time inside the van, I like things to look and feel balanced.

I had also placed the vent assembly with flange on top of the roof to see what kind of space it would take up, and was pleased to see there was only one "valley" I would have to bridge.

I marked the center of the van width on the ceiling inside and marked the center of the garnish, then held the garnish flange side up against the ceiling so it was even to each side and square to the rear. Then I marked the inside corners of the garnish, knowing I would have to add to the dimensions to make the hole large enough for the vent to slide in from the top. The industry standard for RV type roof vent openings is 14". The Fan-Tastic is no different, as it is made both for new installs and to upgrade older model vents.

0e-mark02.jpg
Garnish lines with added dimension to equal 14" for hole size.
0f-drill.jpg
Drilling at the corners. Use a large enough bit to create a hole large enough to accept your jig-saw blade.
0g-readytocut01.jpg
Ready to cut. In retrospect, I could have just drilled two holes, at opposing corners, and been able to cut the hole just fine.

The above image can be a bit of an illusion, depending on how your mind sees it. The shadows can be deceiving with no reference point. The drilled holes are actually in the high parts of the roof, with only one valley between. As you can see, my interior measuring paid off, as the holes I drilled are evenly spaced from the edge of each roof rib.

0h-newhole01.jpg
I have a hole in my roof. Again, your eyes may say otherwise, but the valley is dead center, with a raised section to each side.
0i-dryfitgarnish-abv01.jpg
Dry fit the garnish from below. Looks good.
0j-newskylight.jpg
View from inside, with garnish in place, just dry fit, not screwed in. I like the new skylight and abundance of fresh air, but will reluctantly install the fan.
0k-dryfit-fanassy.jpg
Dry fit the fan assembly without the interior garnish to check fit and clearances. The garnish piece slides up into the space between the control plate and the outer edge. Its flange will easily hide the rough cut edge of my ceiling liner. The wires will be placed up between my ceiling liner and insulation over to the side I want for future hook-up.
0l1-wire01.jpg 0l2-wire02.jpg 0l3-wire03.jpg
The interior garnish piece needs to be notched for the wiring, so it fits well when put in place from below. Easily done with a fine toothed jig saw blade or coping saw.
0l4-dryfitgarnish.jpg
Dry fit garnish from below. I'm happy with the fit and look.

Time to dry fit the fan from above to check where I will need to fill with putty before screwing it down. I put the fan in and pre-drilled for the corner screws and only marked for the side screws with a slight push of the drill bit. The corner screw holes are not exactly in line with the side screw holes, they are a tad further out. Simply marking the side screw holes now, then pre-drilling them once the fan is removed ensures you don't mark up the vent cover with your drill chuck.

Note: the fan comes with standard zinc #8 flat-head screws. I put those aside and purchased stainless steel screws of the same size to prevent possible future rust stains. Some prefer to use self-drilling screws. I opted for regular and to pre-drill smaller guide holes.


0m-dryfit-screwed-rear.jpg 0n-dryfit-screwed.jpg 0o-dryfit-screwed-hinge.jpg
Fan is now screwed down only at the corners, without any putty or sealant, so I can see how well it fits to the roof surface and where I will have to fill. Back end view, side view, and hinge view.

Note: Scott at Adohen says in some pop up campers these fans are installed with the hinge to the rear, for some reason. For cargo van installation, you want the hinge to face into the wind, that is, towards the front of the van, unless you have some other specific reason to do otherwise. Otherwise you're likely to rip the lid right off if driving when the vent is open.

As you can see, it fits rather snugly against the roof, with a minimum of space in the valley, fore and aft, to fill. That space is only about 3/16", certainly not insurmountable. Along the sides, there is next to no gap to fill as the high flat parts of the roof taper into the valleys.

I marked the outside corners and mid points along each side of the flange to guide the placement of the putty, which I want right along the outside edge of the vent flange. Then I pre-drilled the rest of the holes.

To be continued in Part Two: Installing the Putty... (next post, as it appears EO limits the number of images per post)


Dusty says: So yes, ribs do pose a bit of a challenge but nothing insurmountable. See the posts listed above... Simple Google search...

 

[MK7]

Look for businesses that install aftermarket sunroofs on vehicles.

yea, these are the ones that charges $400.

 

[akrvbob]

You fill in the valleys with layers of butyl (putty) tape.
Bob

 

[ZoNiE]

X2 on fantastic. I have one that is 10 years old and the smoked plastic cover is still good as new in the AZ sun.

Come here and I'll install it for $250

 

[TMG51]

You fill in the valleys with layers of butyl (putty) tape.
Bob

I've wondered before if a wad of duct seal putty would be cheaper/easier to fill in a valley.

But I don't use putty stuff anyway. I use acrylic caulking everywhere. I pile a mess underneath something like putty and then apply a bead on the face of the item and smooth it out. Smooth surfaces take longer for water to work into. Hard to do that with putty tape.

 

[2TheStreet]

I just ordered two ventline fan vents! I also ordered the installation kit for them. I'm going to use one to exhaust air from the van and the other fan to bring in fresh air. You can even open it in the rain. Awesome value and parts are cheaply and easily replaceable. I'm going to plasti dip the hood white to bend in with the roof and provide protection from the sun.

 

[Canine]

I just ordered two ventline fan vents! I also ordered the installation kit for them. I'm going to use one to exhaust air from the van and the other fan to bring in fresh air. You can even open it in the rain. Awesome value and parts are cheaply and easily replaceable.  I'm going to plasti dip the hood white to bend in with the roof and provide protection from the sun.

from Dusty: You've done a lot of research, posted a lot of vids and seem to approach things carefully. I wonder about this tho, answered question says they move about 100 cfm, I know you'll have 2 however will that be enough cfm?

This reviewer from the Amazon site said he used it in an RV bathroom. They are pretty small!
********
"Verified Purchase
I installed this in the roof in a camp trailer bathroom. I wired it through a windup type fan timer. It works very well and has plenty of air volume for a small bathroom. It doesn't come with any instructions but it's not too difficult to figure out."
********

I'm sure you will let us know. I do agree that a 6 inch round vent seems more stealthy (or just plain old less obtrusive) than a 14x14" square opening vent. Best of luck, I look forward to hearing about how it went.

Oh, and I for one appreciate that you give the links to about every product you use. Maybe every product, I don't know but you link a lot. That makes for a very informative post and I thank you. :shy: You should be receiving more "Thanks" from the community...

I'll go back to sweating here in Phoenix in my non-roof vented van... 97 degrees, 10:00 am... Thank goodness for McDonalds!

D98

 

[2TheStreet]

I provide links because I was constantly getting asked where I bought stuff I mentioned in my videos. Also, I always try to find good deals and pass them along.

As far as the vent fan, from my research, a few van dwellers have them and like them. Also, I can always use the second one to vent air if need be. I'll certainly let you all know how good it is. Another reason I chose the small vent fans is because I have 4 solar panels on the roof and although it looks like a regular square vent fan would jut barley fit the fit would be tight.

 

[TMG51]

I have two of those Ventline fans in my van, and one Fantastic Fan. I almost never turn the Ventline ones on. I do often pop them up just to let air come in as I'm exhausting with the Fantastic Fan. But the Ventline ones don't move as much air and they're nosier. Also, while it's true you can have them on in light rain, a heavy rain will still come in.

Can you reverse the direction on one of those things? Might be best to set them both to exhaust and open a couple windows for air intake.

Not trying to be a downer - just sharing my experience. Your needs may vary.

 

[Kathleen]

I just wrote a long post in the thread called Fantastic Fan without 12V hookup.

It refers to the model I'm considering plus my need for help with the intall.

Wish some of you guys who would do the install for a 6 pack were coming to AZ in June.

Did not know I would require a Fantastic Fan but on a 75 degree day the interior of the minivan was HOT and we're not even in summer yet.

I carry medications and lots of materials that should not get fried by high temps. This model regulates the interior even while you are out of the van. The F Fan rep found a dealer in CA that sells this model for 237 plus 10 bucks shipping.

Not an expense I planned on along with solar but something I realize now that I will need.

If this is something that could be done in AZ in June and anyone is willing to lend a hand I can come up with more than one 6 pack!

Would like your feedback on this model too. http://www.fantasticvent.com/fan-tastic-vent-s-retail-12-volt-fans.html#model7350

Thanks! Kathleen

 

[Kathleen]

You can get new plastic lids as needed for not a lot of money.  You could just plan on replacing the old lid with a new one every two or three years and it would work out to under ten dollars a year.

Bree, rep at Fantastic Fans, said 2 yr warranty on fans both parts and service. 7 year warranty on parts. They replace free, you pay shipping only, first 7 yrs.