This week we finally managed to get the long awaited vent fan installed. As you can tell from the first photo below, it is starting to get a bit chilly in the mornings here. While this weather is not the time that we really need the vent fan, it is something of a must have in the spring and summer in these parts, so it had to be installed at some point.
Edgar decided to wait patiently in his new favorite seat with his ball while we did the install. He knows that we will always find a time to throw it for him throughout the day, so he carries it everywhere.
Cutting A Hole In The Roof
We have been putting off installing this device because it meant cutting another hole in the fiberglass roof of Loki. Not something we are eager to do, ever. Scott always does a great job on this part and once it is done, there is no turning back.
Installation
The next step was to lay down the butyl tape, run a line of caulk around that, and insert the fan through the hole, making sure that the caulk sealed all the way around. So far, so good.
Inside, Scott wired the fan to power and then it was time to install the plastic sleeve insert that was provided with the fan. The manufacturers of these roof installed devices (air conditioners, vent fans, etc.) all assume that you are installing the unit in a motorhome or trailer that has a thicker ceiling than 1″. Loki does not have any insulation on the inside of the fiberglass roof, just a thin foam liner covered in woven fabric, so we have had to construct frames for these units that will allow for the insertion of the sleeve cover, or other thickness tolerance requirements.
To make this inside framing, we needed four 2″ x 2″ lengths of wood. We did not have this exact lumber in our stash, but we did have plenty of 2″ x 4″s. So, we ripped a few of them lengthwise and then cut the resulting pieces into the lengths we needed. We screwed the frame together and installed the sleeve inside the framing. The sleeve is screwed to the vent fan unit on the outside, so the whole thing is like a sandwich with the roof as the peanut butter in the middle.
The fan is installed over our bed, so it is out of the standing area of the van, for the most part. The very edge of it is at the edge of the bed, so Scott managed to bump his head on it a few times. We decided to hang a silver charm bracelet from the back edge to remind him to duck whenever he got close. It worked like a charm. HA! We are going to hang any charms we collect on our travels with Loki on this chain in the future.
Vent Fan Specifics
After a lot of research, as usual, the fan we ended up choosing to install was the MAXXAIR Maxxfan Plus. It has auto rain close sensor, auto temp regulation, reverse mode, and a remote. Out of all of the features in a vent fan I would say the one you don’t want to skimp on is the reverse air flow. But the difference in price between a standard cheap non-name vent fan that just does the job and the Maxxair Maxxfan Plus is negligible at best. Last time we checked it was about $30-$40 USD difference and this is one of the highest quality and featured models available. So our best advice on a vent fan is to skimp in another area.
The remote I thought was overkill. The auto mode to turn on and off at a certain temperature, also, I thought was overkill. And now that I’ve fully used all the features, I really love these two features. Overall, this is a great vent fan and we can highly recommend it, so far.
