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Lets go down the rabbit hole and talk about vent fans...


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I really didn't know what to call this thread, or what direction it was going in when I started writing it.  And it is more of a discussion than a Hey I have an electrical issue, so it didn't seem to fit over there nicely.  Going back through and rewriting most of it now...    

 

I started this with a Google and eBay search for escape hatches and vent fans wondering if a skylight or vent exists that is large enough to use as an escape hatch, and also does double duty with a vent fan.  I saw one Toyota RV video tour with a skylight above the cab that the owner could actually sit up through and take pictures from, or just enjoy the fresh air.  Of course trying to go back and find this video is another story...  I don't think it had a vent fan though.  Obviously for it to have a fan also, the fan would also need to be able to hinge up.  I suspect this would become expensive...

 

Let me start over and refocus.  I am mostly looking for a vent fan solution that can be left to run pretty much constantly, without worry of letting rain into the RV.  It needs to run off of DC, so that the house battery and solar system can take care of the power requirements.  This will mostly be left unattended.  It gets a bit stale in there and that is her biggest gripe about it.  That stale goes sideways if it gets wet and then stays sealed up on top of that...

 

So my main goals and questions are:

 

1)  A simple and hopefully inexpensive weather tight solution that can either constantly circulate air, or automatically as needed.    

 

2)  Considering how big a hatch needs to be to escape through it, probably not going to find one with a fan at any reasonable price...  In fact I didn't find ANY vent fan options that hinged out of the way.  But if one does exist, I would be interested in looking at it. 

 

3)  As few additional holes in the roof as possible...  

 

I was going to ask the AC vs Fantastic fan question, but Googling that question actually lead me to a couple threads discussing it.  And I don't feel that loosing AC is worth it in my use scenario situation.

 

4)  But is there a better/reasonable alternative to the heavy roof mounted Coleman AC unit?  

 

A fantastic vent fan would fit in there so much better, and solve more than one issue...  But an AC unit is needed that doesn't cost a fortune.  I have a nice portable standing unit.  But I am thinking it would be a bit cumbersome to use here.  Googling window units in RVs brings up some interesting solutions.  I am not the only person thinking this way for sure.    

 

5)  How well do these old Coleman units even work, when compared to a modern Dometic roof mounted system?

 

My Coleman seems to work, okay.  But it isn't good enough that I would go out and buy one to install in my roof, if it wasn't already there.    

 

6)  Possibly a more important question is, just how good are the Fantastic automatic fans?  Would one of these be trustworthy enough to be left running full time, and not need to be babysat in regards to closing the vent if it rains?  

 

We are talking more than $200 for a fan here.  If I am going to spend that I want to make sure it is going to be reliable.   

 

Other ideas came to mind, like wondering if the Coleman blower motor is DC and could just be run as a fan/vent.  Probably not.  But interesting thought to possibly utilize that existing "water trap" system with perhaps an additional DC fan as a vent.

 

I got distracted and fell down another rabbit hole in this hunt when I found some information on Lithium/life batteries and running AC systems off of solar.  But that is a pathway towards being VERY broke for a long time.  If I were living full-time, it makes sense.  For a few times a year with everything else needed before that?  Not so much.     

 

Back to the beginning issue I was trying to solve, simple constant air circulation while parked for long periods.  I saw a few fan options that were basically the size of the small bathroom vent.  Had that same round looking stack too.  Two of these smaller guys at about $40 each would be comfortably doable.  Or even just one to replace the bathroom stack without a fan...  Not really finding any that I feel super comfortable glueing to the roof though...   

 

After going through all of this, I really think the fantastic fan instead of the Coleman AC might be the best way to go.  But, I don't want to give up having ac.  Even if it isn't super effective, it at least sorta does something?  I think I need to do some actual testing and logging with my remote thermometer setup to see just how quickly it does, or doesn't, cool the interior down.  Maybe then try out the portable unit and see if it does a lot better.     

 

14" is a big additional hole to cut in the roof for a fantastic fan, if I am going to retain the Coleman AC.  I could also upgrade that to a modern Dometic AC unit.  Those are definitely more expensive at about $800.   I already don't like the $200 price tag for the fan options...        

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