Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Stage ONE complete!! Next, electrical!!!
Stage ONE complete!! Next, electrical!!!
Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent on GMC Vans
- Thread starter 21cExp
- Start date
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
640 pixels is the maximum width for pictures. I resize my pics to 640 or less but I am unable to copy and paste or simply drag a picture to a post like Ragman did above. Thank you Ragman! The only way I am able to post a pic is by going through the "manage attachments" and post a thumbnail.
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
All done with the install. I think this fan rocks! Had to run power wire up to the front. But it seems to move a ton of air. Hey 21c, should I feel good running it all night? Maybe on low or medium? Mine has the thermostat too, which will probably help.
All done with the install. I think this fan rocks! Had to run power wire up to the front. But it seems to move a ton of air. Hey 21c, should I feel good running it all night? Maybe on low or medium? Mine has the thermostat too, which will probably help.
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
You can run it 24/7 if you want to, it'll hold up. I run mine nearly all the time.
You can also run it while driving down the road, just make sure the dome is fully opened. If it's partially opened it can put too much stress on the opening mechanism and can fail. But once it's fully opened it's pretty much locked in place. There's a lifetime warranty on the dome, even when running with it open.
You can run it 24/7 if you want to, it'll hold up. I run mine nearly all the time.
You can also run it while driving down the road, just make sure the dome is fully opened. If it's partially opened it can put too much stress on the opening mechanism and can fail. But once it's fully opened it's pretty much locked in place. There's a lifetime warranty on the dome, even when running with it open.
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
I remember when I first started looking at fans for the van. $200 for a fan? A FAN? You gotta be kiddin' me!
Worth every penny... at twice the price.
Fantastic fan vent, Espar heater, Oregon Aero seat cushion, tinted side windows. Wouldn't be without any of them.
I remember when I first started looking at fans for the van. $200 for a fan? A FAN? You gotta be kiddin' me!
Worth every penny... at twice the price.
Fantastic fan vent, Espar heater, Oregon Aero seat cushion, tinted side windows. Wouldn't be without any of them.
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
I agree with both Turtle's & Zorry's posts, but would add that having a cover, like the Maxxair hood, or similar, makes running down the road with the lid up more doable.
My understanding is that most of the Fantastic vents have a supporting arm only on one side (like mine and probably yours) though some of the Maxxair vents have supporting arms on both sides. Without the hood/cover, at highway speeds, I personally would be leery of running with it open, as it's likely to twist.
Glad to see it was an easy install and that you have it running!
I agree with both Turtle's & Zorry's posts, but would add that having a cover, like the Maxxair hood, or similar, makes running down the road with the lid up more doable.
My understanding is that most of the Fantastic vents have a supporting arm only on one side (like mine and probably yours) though some of the Maxxair vents have supporting arms on both sides. Without the hood/cover, at highway speeds, I personally would be leery of running with it open, as it's likely to twist.
Glad to see it was an easy install and that you have it running!
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
I was leery, too. Then I read the Operating Instructions where it says:
Also the FAQ on the Web site it says:
After reading those, I have put many a high speed mile on the open dome without being leery. Two summers ago I was without AC, and running all the time with the dome open and the fan running was the only way to keep cool.
The supporting arm simply raises and lowers the dome, and supports the dome if it is not fully open. But once the dome is fully open, there is a locking pin that locks the hinge, and the support arm really isn't doing any supporting at that point. On the non-remote models, the manual ones or the ones with the option to use the knob to manually raise and lower the dome, if you're not careful (meaning, in a reckless hurry) you can break that locking pin. If you break that pin you'll see just how little support the supporting arm actually provides. Ask me how I know.
Incidentally, they have a two year parts and labor warranty. After the two years there is an additional five year parts warranty (but ya gotta pay shipping for the parts). The dome has a lifetime warranty (but after four years you gotta pay shipping).
I was leery, too. Then I read the Operating Instructions where it says:
Also the FAQ on the Web site it says:
After reading those, I have put many a high speed mile on the open dome without being leery. Two summers ago I was without AC, and running all the time with the dome open and the fan running was the only way to keep cool.
The supporting arm simply raises and lowers the dome, and supports the dome if it is not fully open. But once the dome is fully open, there is a locking pin that locks the hinge, and the support arm really isn't doing any supporting at that point. On the non-remote models, the manual ones or the ones with the option to use the knob to manually raise and lower the dome, if you're not careful (meaning, in a reckless hurry) you can break that locking pin. If you break that pin you'll see just how little support the supporting arm actually provides. Ask me how I know.
Incidentally, they have a two year parts and labor warranty. After the two years there is an additional five year parts warranty (but ya gotta pay shipping for the parts). The dome has a lifetime warranty (but after four years you gotta pay shipping).
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Well, cool!
I read both those too, with due diligence, but doubted both sources as potential promotional fluff (as I am wont to do), so appreciate the first hand experience. I'll check it out in the morning as to the locking pin and how stable it might make things on my particular roof vent. I'd love to be able to run with the lid fully open, both for those occasional stinky rubber loads and in advance of sitting in a hot parking spot.
Good to know, thanks.
edit: Oh, another thing...it has been mentioned by you and other sources about the potential strain and premature failure if running the fan while the lid/dome is not open fully enough. But I've also seen that the rain hood/cover many use does not allow the dome to be fully opened. I don't have the hood (and may never, because I like the low profile of my current set-up and being able to scoot through my fav car wash; I'm almost compulsive about keeping my rig clean) but in the spirit of this thread being potentially useful to other readers in future, has anyone found the Maxxair style rain hood and its limiting of the dome being fully raised to contribute to any problems in longevity of the fan?
Well, cool!
I read both those too, with due diligence, but doubted both sources as potential promotional fluff (as I am wont to do), so appreciate the first hand experience. I'll check it out in the morning as to the locking pin and how stable it might make things on my particular roof vent. I'd love to be able to run with the lid fully open, both for those occasional stinky rubber loads and in advance of sitting in a hot parking spot.
Good to know, thanks.
edit: Oh, another thing...it has been mentioned by you and other sources about the potential strain and premature failure if running the fan while the lid/dome is not open fully enough. But I've also seen that the rain hood/cover many use does not allow the dome to be fully opened. I don't have the hood (and may never, because I like the low profile of my current set-up and being able to scoot through my fav car wash; I'm almost compulsive about keeping my rig clean) but in the spirit of this thread being potentially useful to other readers in future, has anyone found the Maxxair style rain hood and its limiting of the dome being fully raised to contribute to any problems in longevity of the fan?
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Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Like I said, I've run mine with the lid open many times. Initially because I forgot that it was open, and later because I needed to. I've confirmed in an e-mail with Fan-tastic tech support that running with the dome open isn't a problem, and I have a friend who has an RV place who also confirmed it. He's taught me a lot about that fan.
When you lower that knob to manually open raise or lower the dome, you disengage that locking pin. When you you push the knob back up, you re-engage the pin. You have to twist the knob ever so slightly to get it to go back up in there. If you are impatient enough times and force it with too much pressure too many times, eventually you'll snap that pin. That's when you find out the support arm is little more than a puppet string to raise and lower the arm and really doesn't provide any support.
I ran my fan for 6 years without a hood cover. I had the 6000RBTA (the one with all the bells and whistles except the remote - the one with the remote wasn't available when I got mine). When I snapped that pin, I could have repaired it, but after 6 years I figured I might as well use the opportunity to upgrade to the one with the remote and the nifty spiffy 14-speed fan.
I used to routinely run the fan with the dome at many various opening levels. When the dome is 1/3 open it reduces the airflow down to 90% efficiency, or by 10%. That's not very much, so the stress on the fan and motor is really minimal even at 1/3 open. When it rained, I could often open the fan just enough so that the fan started, which is about 1/4 open, and the rain wouldn't get in and trigger the rain sensor (or get in and leak all over the place). Sometimes it was just raining too hard for even 1/4 or 1/3 open. But even at 1/4 to 1/3 open, the reduction in airflow is negligible on low and medium speeds. It's on high speed where it's a factor.
I had long considered a hood cover, the Maxxair in particular, just so that I didn't take to tinker with the dome opening when it rained. I know several with roof vent fans who have the cover, and from talking to the RV guy I know, it's not much of a problem with the reduced airflow. The reduction in air flow the hood cover causes is not so much additional stress on the fan or the motor, but the reduced airflow has a tendency for more dust and dirt to collect on the fan and inside the hood (so it need to be cleaned more often).
So really, the bottom line is, a partially opened dome (while parked) is not something to be concerned about. Other than at the highest speeds (3 on the 3-speed fan, 10 and up on the 14-speed fan) there is virtually no added stress on the fan or the motor with a partially opened dome.
When I upgraded my fan to the 6600R with the remote, I decided to go ahead and install a hood cover at the same time. And lo and behold, Fan-Tastic now has one specifically designed for their fans, the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover, with the cover being molded precisely to fit a fully opened dome lid. It's also a little more low-profile and aerodynamic than the others. Installing the Ultra Breeze is the same whether you do it at the time you install the fan or at a later date. You remove 4 of the #8 x 1" screws that are securing the fan to the roof, and replace them with the #10 x 1¼" screws that come with the cover. The reason they are longer is that with those screws you attach 4 metal brackets to the fan with those screws. You then attach the cover to those brackets with cotter pins, making it extremely easy to remove the cover for cleaning or maintenance. The back end opening of the cover has a vent grille screen to prevent birds and other creatures from getting in, although I'm not entirely sure why it's really needed.
But with the hood cover installed, in all but the hardest of rains I can leave the dome lid fully open without the rain sensor going off. And I can often open the dome just enough so that the fan starts running even when it's raining really hard and the wind is blowing the rain right into the vent cover opening. Sometimes all it takes is to ramp up the fan speed enough so that it's bowing out faster than the wind is blowing in.
With my old fan and no cover, I would routinely either stop the dome from fully opening, or, usually, just manually open it to where I wanted it. This was to control rain from getting in, or to better control the airflow speeds. Three speeds on the fan wasn't enough for me, I guess, so manually restricting the airflow was the way to compensate, and it's not a method that the folks at Fan-tastic frown upon. But, manually opening and closing the dome as often as I did, pulling that knob out and pushing it back in, often in a hurry, is what broke it. However, since I upgraded to the new fan with 14 speeds and installed the cover a year and a half ago, I've used the knob to actually open or close the dome exactly once (break that pin once, you learn. Break that pin twice, you're stupid. LOL) I have a handful of times grabbed the knob while it's opening or closing to put the necessary pressure on it to stop the dome where I want it, but that's when it's raining. For controlled airflow speeds the 14 speeds on the remote work great.
The hood cover does restrict the airflow somewhat, simply by virtue of the fact that there's something there to direct the air out the rear of the cover, the same as the vents do on the vehicle's dash air vents or the shroud around your engine's cooling fan does. The Ultra Breeze cover's "exclusive patent pending airfoil technology allows for up to 75% more airflow than competing products." Uhm, OK. I don't think the "competing products" are all that OMG! restrictive in the first place. But there is some, of course. Before I had the cover I needed to clean the screen and the fan blades about every 6 months. Now, with the cover, it seems I have to clean them every 4 or so, so there is a difference. Not objectionable at all, but there is a difference. Certainly not objectionable enough for me to remove the cover and deal with the rain. Others, I'm sure, don't have to clean theirs as often. I smoke so mine is running, at least on the lowest speed, about 95% of the time, even in the winter.
Of course, with a vent cover installed, driving with the dome open or closed is a total non-issue. I still wouldn't drive with the dome partially open, even with the vent cover installed. It needs to be fully open or fully closed, even with vent cover. The reason is, on a windy day, especially a crosswind, with atmospheric pressure and drag being what it is, you can get some turbulence inside the cover that can put undue stress on the partially opened (unlocked with that pin) dome that forces the dome up or down.
Incidentally, my fan is mounted right above the bunk.
Like I said, I've run mine with the lid open many times. Initially because I forgot that it was open, and later because I needed to. I've confirmed in an e-mail with Fan-tastic tech support that running with the dome open isn't a problem, and I have a friend who has an RV place who also confirmed it. He's taught me a lot about that fan.
When you lower that knob to manually open raise or lower the dome, you disengage that locking pin. When you you push the knob back up, you re-engage the pin. You have to twist the knob ever so slightly to get it to go back up in there. If you are impatient enough times and force it with too much pressure too many times, eventually you'll snap that pin. That's when you find out the support arm is little more than a puppet string to raise and lower the arm and really doesn't provide any support.
I ran my fan for 6 years without a hood cover. I had the 6000RBTA (the one with all the bells and whistles except the remote - the one with the remote wasn't available when I got mine). When I snapped that pin, I could have repaired it, but after 6 years I figured I might as well use the opportunity to upgrade to the one with the remote and the nifty spiffy 14-speed fan.
I used to routinely run the fan with the dome at many various opening levels. When the dome is 1/3 open it reduces the airflow down to 90% efficiency, or by 10%. That's not very much, so the stress on the fan and motor is really minimal even at 1/3 open. When it rained, I could often open the fan just enough so that the fan started, which is about 1/4 open, and the rain wouldn't get in and trigger the rain sensor (or get in and leak all over the place). Sometimes it was just raining too hard for even 1/4 or 1/3 open. But even at 1/4 to 1/3 open, the reduction in airflow is negligible on low and medium speeds. It's on high speed where it's a factor.
I had long considered a hood cover, the Maxxair in particular, just so that I didn't take to tinker with the dome opening when it rained. I know several with roof vent fans who have the cover, and from talking to the RV guy I know, it's not much of a problem with the reduced airflow. The reduction in air flow the hood cover causes is not so much additional stress on the fan or the motor, but the reduced airflow has a tendency for more dust and dirt to collect on the fan and inside the hood (so it need to be cleaned more often).
So really, the bottom line is, a partially opened dome (while parked) is not something to be concerned about. Other than at the highest speeds (3 on the 3-speed fan, 10 and up on the 14-speed fan) there is virtually no added stress on the fan or the motor with a partially opened dome.
When I upgraded my fan to the 6600R with the remote, I decided to go ahead and install a hood cover at the same time. And lo and behold, Fan-Tastic now has one specifically designed for their fans, the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover, with the cover being molded precisely to fit a fully opened dome lid. It's also a little more low-profile and aerodynamic than the others. Installing the Ultra Breeze is the same whether you do it at the time you install the fan or at a later date. You remove 4 of the #8 x 1" screws that are securing the fan to the roof, and replace them with the #10 x 1¼" screws that come with the cover. The reason they are longer is that with those screws you attach 4 metal brackets to the fan with those screws. You then attach the cover to those brackets with cotter pins, making it extremely easy to remove the cover for cleaning or maintenance. The back end opening of the cover has a vent grille screen to prevent birds and other creatures from getting in, although I'm not entirely sure why it's really needed.
But with the hood cover installed, in all but the hardest of rains I can leave the dome lid fully open without the rain sensor going off. And I can often open the dome just enough so that the fan starts running even when it's raining really hard and the wind is blowing the rain right into the vent cover opening. Sometimes all it takes is to ramp up the fan speed enough so that it's bowing out faster than the wind is blowing in.
With my old fan and no cover, I would routinely either stop the dome from fully opening, or, usually, just manually open it to where I wanted it. This was to control rain from getting in, or to better control the airflow speeds. Three speeds on the fan wasn't enough for me, I guess, so manually restricting the airflow was the way to compensate, and it's not a method that the folks at Fan-tastic frown upon. But, manually opening and closing the dome as often as I did, pulling that knob out and pushing it back in, often in a hurry, is what broke it. However, since I upgraded to the new fan with 14 speeds and installed the cover a year and a half ago, I've used the knob to actually open or close the dome exactly once (break that pin once, you learn. Break that pin twice, you're stupid. LOL) I have a handful of times grabbed the knob while it's opening or closing to put the necessary pressure on it to stop the dome where I want it, but that's when it's raining. For controlled airflow speeds the 14 speeds on the remote work great.
The hood cover does restrict the airflow somewhat, simply by virtue of the fact that there's something there to direct the air out the rear of the cover, the same as the vents do on the vehicle's dash air vents or the shroud around your engine's cooling fan does. The Ultra Breeze cover's "exclusive patent pending airfoil technology allows for up to 75% more airflow than competing products." Uhm, OK. I don't think the "competing products" are all that OMG! restrictive in the first place. But there is some, of course. Before I had the cover I needed to clean the screen and the fan blades about every 6 months. Now, with the cover, it seems I have to clean them every 4 or so, so there is a difference. Not objectionable at all, but there is a difference. Certainly not objectionable enough for me to remove the cover and deal with the rain. Others, I'm sure, don't have to clean theirs as often. I smoke so mine is running, at least on the lowest speed, about 95% of the time, even in the winter.
Of course, with a vent cover installed, driving with the dome open or closed is a total non-issue. I still wouldn't drive with the dome partially open, even with the vent cover installed. It needs to be fully open or fully closed, even with vent cover. The reason is, on a windy day, especially a crosswind, with atmospheric pressure and drag being what it is, you can get some turbulence inside the cover that can put undue stress on the partially opened (unlocked with that pin) dome that forces the dome up or down.
Incidentally, my fan is mounted right above the bunk.
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
I didn't realize the Ultra-Breeze hood is so quick to put on and take off. I may get one and just remove it for going through the car wash.
... Just found an interesting vid demonstrating the effectiveness of the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover over those made by others:
http://youtu.be/p1fhkbl_1yQ
Sort of redundant, but sure shows how much better their vent cover is for their fans.
I didn't realize the Ultra-Breeze hood is so quick to put on and take off. I may get one and just remove it for going through the car wash.
... Just found an interesting vid demonstrating the effectiveness of the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover over those made by others:
http://youtu.be/p1fhkbl_1yQ
Sort of redundant, but sure shows how much better their vent cover is for their fans.
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Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
On a Sprinter it's not that easy, because you have to use a ladder to get up there, and that's a lot of time and effort.
But once you're up there it's like 5 seconds to remove the 4 pins. It really is that easy. The cover is large and unwieldy, though. But very light.
With a Sprinter, a regular car wash is pretty much out of the question. Nine feet is too tall even without the vent cover. A Qualcomm bubble doesn't help, either. And with mine, I also have an extra 18 inches up there for the Tailgater satellite TV.
So it's truck wash places for me. $12 or $15 usually, and it normally takes me longer to pay for it than it does for their army of washers to wash it. Take that you straight truck and TT people! Ha!
On a Sprinter it's not that easy, because you have to use a ladder to get up there, and that's a lot of time and effort.
But once you're up there it's like 5 seconds to remove the 4 pins. It really is that easy. The cover is large and unwieldy, though. But very light.
With a Sprinter, a regular car wash is pretty much out of the question. Nine feet is too tall even without the vent cover. A Qualcomm bubble doesn't help, either. And with mine, I also have an extra 18 inches up there for the Tailgater satellite TV.
So it's truck wash places for me. $12 or $15 usually, and it normally takes me longer to pay for it than it does for their army of washers to wash it. Take that you straight truck and TT people! Ha!
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Impressive! I've got a Maxxair vent cover. Before purchasing it I talked with the guy at Adohens. He said there would be some air restriction with the cover and suggested I not run it on high. I've been content with my set-up and with running it on low and medium. After seeing the video though, my next cover will be an Ultra-Breez.
Impressive! I've got a Maxxair vent cover. Before purchasing it I talked with the guy at Adohens. He said there would be some air restriction with the cover and suggested I not run it on high. I've been content with my set-up and with running it on low and medium. After seeing the video though, my next cover will be an Ultra-Breez.
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
That's impressive. I never would have dreamed that a vent cover could make such a huge difference in airflow. I guess I got lucky by getting the Ultra Breeze as my first cover.
Notice how much airflow that thing gets with the done just half open, which is what that is in the video. I do wonder if the other vent covers have as much of a dramatically reduced airflow when the dome is 100% open. Of course, some of those covers won't let it open all the way, anyway. But still, that should dispel any concerns about airflow with the dome partially open.
That's impressive. I never would have dreamed that a vent cover could make such a huge difference in airflow. I guess I got lucky by getting the Ultra Breeze as my first cover.
Notice how much airflow that thing gets with the done just half open, which is what that is in the video. I do wonder if the other vent covers have as much of a dramatically reduced airflow when the dome is 100% open. Of course, some of those covers won't let it open all the way, anyway. But still, that should dispel any concerns about airflow with the dome partially open.
21cExp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
The comments under the vid are worth reading, as are the comments under the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover at Amazon: http://amzn.to/Zqhpoq , especially the guy that addresses some complaints by others.
There seem to be two model numbers at Amazon for the white cover; a U1500WH and a UB1500WH, though at the Fan-Tastic Vent site it only shows one, the U1500WH: http://www.fantasticvent.com/products/ultrabreeze.html
Somewhere I read a comment that the tests in the vid aren't really fair as the Ultra-Breeze has a debris grill but does not have a screen (it's optional) while at least one of the others does have a screen.
Still, looks like they've designed a better cover for their vent.
(Also worth noting, for those looking for more info and places to buy, is that there is at least one sort of fake Fantastic vent page out there, fantasticvent.net. While this page does provide some info on installation and wiring, all the item links lead to adventurerv.net, not the individual item's description page at Fan-Tastic, whose site is fantasticvent.com, not .net.)
The comments under the vid are worth reading, as are the comments under the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover at Amazon: http://amzn.to/Zqhpoq , especially the guy that addresses some complaints by others.
There seem to be two model numbers at Amazon for the white cover; a U1500WH and a UB1500WH, though at the Fan-Tastic Vent site it only shows one, the U1500WH: http://www.fantasticvent.com/products/ultrabreeze.html
Somewhere I read a comment that the tests in the vid aren't really fair as the Ultra-Breeze has a debris grill but does not have a screen (it's optional) while at least one of the others does have a screen.
Still, looks like they've designed a better cover for their vent.
(Also worth noting, for those looking for more info and places to buy, is that there is at least one sort of fake Fantastic vent page out there, fantasticvent.net. While this page does provide some info on installation and wiring, all the item links lead to adventurerv.net, not the individual item's description page at Fan-Tastic, whose site is fantasticvent.com, not .net.)
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Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Thanks all!! I used the fan, officially for the first time, today in Kokomo. Between it and my new Walmart lounge chair it was quite comfortable. I look forward to the forecasted low of 66 degrees in Blue Springs when I shut down in the wee hours overnight. I'll be on the bunk and not the chair but the fan will certainly be running!!!
Thanks all!! I used the fan, officially for the first time, today in Kokomo. Between it and my new Walmart lounge chair it was quite comfortable. I look forward to the forecasted low of 66 degrees in Blue Springs when I shut down in the wee hours overnight. I'll be on the bunk and not the chair but the fan will certainly be running!!!
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Re: Installing Fan-Tastic Roof Vent On Cargo Vans
Do it! Use it again last night. Slept like a baby. Fresh air good!! Heck, it's still out there running. (bout to shower at Pilot)
Do it! Use it again last night. Slept like a baby. Fresh air good!! Heck, it's still out there running. (bout to shower at Pilot)