Replacement roof vent or replacement roof vent with fan?

[Green 5 Speed]

Is it worth it to upgrade to the roof top vent fan? I have a 2004 Hawk since it was new and my roof vent surround has given up the ghost. The screws have rotted off and the white plastic surround is about to disappear into dust. I was contemplating just replacing it or should I upgrade to a roof vent with a fan? For those that have the fan is it worth it? I was looking at the Maxx Air Fan because of the 14x14 opening and it should be easy to replace and quite affordable. I know it is wired up there so that isn't an issue.

 

[GVWRLOL]

since you are already wired for it and need the replacement anyways, I say go for it. My favorite part is that when i am ready to break camp I can reverse the fan and it will draw a suction that pulls in the canvas as i lower the top on the pop-up (sometimes its the little things that make the biggest difference)

 

[buckland]

x2 on a fan. As stated by GV having in/out fan offers a lot of benefits. On hot days even hanging a wet cloth beneath while air is pulled in acts like an evaporative cooler. Be are to check out the variable speed fans. They allow you to dial in very quiet slow speeds so as to not keep you awake. 3 speed fans don't go slow enough. ( I removed my 3 speed dial and installed a rheostat board converting the 3 speed). You'll be happy with a fan. If you cook inside it's a must have! As far as the screws... if the holes line up replace with next size up screws and add a dab of silicone sealer to the threads.

 

[Bosque Bill]

Not to be (specifically) contrary, I've only used my roof fan a couple of times in 12 years. Would be fine without it. If you are on a solar system it uses quite a bit of energy, especially if you run it over time.

 

[craig333]

While I haven't measured it , my seat of the pants feel is the fan isn't a big draw. This is time to do a replacement.

 

[CPT Davenport]

I ordered my camper with a fan over the galley and a regular vent over the bed. The vent crank failed and it kept jiggling open while driving. The wonderful folks at FWC replaced the vent with a second fan for free! I too use both fans on to assist with pulling the canvas in when closing the camper. I don't find the power draw to be that bad. We have been out on a hike and left the fan vents open, it started to rain and we were an hour from camp. We were pleased to not come back to a wet bed but found that the fans have a rain sensor and closed themselves

Ours is the 10 speed version and on lowest speed is virtually silent with a draw of less than 1amp.

 

[Occidental]

I haven't used my fan a lot (I have one 3 speed fan and one vent), but it has come in handy on a few hot summer nights. I have a 3 speed fan and it pulled a lot of power (IMO) - about 3 amps - and I also installed a rheostat (similar to what buckland mentioned above) and I can now dial the speed down to a reasonable level and it pulls something closer to .3-.5 amps. I think that even on speed 1 a three speed fan is way to fast to leave on for any amount of time, thus why we haven't used it much before modifying it.

Whether a fan is worth it likely depends on your camping style and use case. For us, I wouldn't miss it much, but it's ok to have.

 

[pvstoy]

 

[pvstoy]

Both are maxfans. The crank you push up and lock so the vent can't open or close if you want it open.

Both are variable speed and can be used in the closed position for air circulation.

The one over the bed is much appreciated for those hot sleeping weather.

Battery draw is light.

 

[Bosque Bill]

While I haven't measured it , my seat of the pants feel is the fan isn't a big draw. This is time to do a replacement.

I did measure my current draw, though I don't remember the exact figures I think it was a couple of amps—not bad for short term, but I wouldn't want to leave it on a long time. Of course I have one of the old 3-speed FantasticFans. FWC specified a 10A fuse for the fan and ceiling lights.

 

[h2opup]

Thumbs up for a fan.

With my new 10 speed Arctic Breeze fan, based on four nights of camping so far in damp conditions, the first two nights -without using the fan but with 3-4" of open screening on the upper tent windows- I had some condensation on the inside of the sleeping area and lower windows (1 person, 1 dog). The next two nights using the suction out mode on lowest setting kept the condensation from forming. The weather was the same or even damper on the second outing, everything else was the same, yet the windows and inside tent walls were dry. I attribute the better result entirely to the fan.

 

[Tom n N]

I have the old style 3speed Fantastic Fan. As stated above it’s very handy to use when raising and lowering the top, and an absolute necessity when cooking, so worth it right there. I also agree low speed is too fast, loud and inefficient to be much good at night. Nice to hear there is a variable speed option now.

Great timing on this thread subject. I’ll be passing by ATC next week heading north, so I think I’ll stop in and see about a new one, as mine is leaky and on its last legs anyway. Also, what a great idea to use a wet cloth to make it into an Okie swamp cooler!
Thanks,
Tom

 

[Occidental]

Here's a link to a thread on modifying fan speed on the old 3 speed fans: Fantastic Fan PWM modification

 

[Tom n N]

Here's a link to a thread on modifying fan speed on the old 3 speed fans: Fantastic Fan PWM modification

Great link, thanks!

 

[PaulT]

I made this modification several years ago & would never go back. It does a great job of exhausting moist air at night & steam from cooking. Run it when heating water for coffee on a cold morning & observe the steam exiting the camper to learn how fast to run the fan.
That would be the heaviest load & highest speed you will need. An effective speed is quite low for that situation & it will be even slower to exhaust breathing moisture.
Really helps with condensation if you pull open a corner of a side window above your head a small amount & leave the fan on at night.

 

[rjap]

Two 10 speed MaxFans in my Hawk. Use them all the time. On the lowest setting the current draw is ~ 1/3 amp.

 

[Green 5 Speed]

I ordered my camper with a fan over the galley and a regular vent over the bed. The vent crank failed and it kept jiggling open while driving. The wonderful folks at FWC replaced the vent with a second fan for free! I too use both fans on to assist with pulling the canvas in when closing the camper. I don't find the power draw to be that bad. We have been out on a hike and left the fan vents open, it started to rain and we were an hour from camp. We were pleased to not come back to a wet bed but found that the fans have a rain sensor and closed themselves

Ours is the 10 speed version and on lowest speed is virtually silent with a draw of less than 1amp.

What fan are you using. Sounds like the best one to keep it quiet

 

[CPT Davenport]

Maxxair

 

[rubberlegs]

We rarely use ours as we tend to camp in cooler weather more than hot. I like that PWM modification though, and bet we'd use it a lot more. Thanks for the link!

 

[ski3pin]

Another (old) link of the variable speed modification with photos. Also look at the posts following -
Fantastic Fan Variable Speed

I may do this modification to the new multi speed - push a button multi times - fan in our new camper. I prefer the modification.