Fantastic Fan

[zuley]

I am considering installing a fantastic fan in my Elite 23RB. A few questions if I may for those who have previously installed one.
The vent I will be replacing is just a standard open/ close vent located pretty much in the centre of the camper. How much trouble is it to fish an electrical circuit across the ceiling? What is the best method to do so? And where is the best place to pick up a 12 volt circuit to tap into?
If we were to purchase one we would go for the model with the rain sensors. Now, going that route can the lid be open without the fan running and if so does the rain sensor option still function? We camp non electrical for the most part so I am concerned about battery usage.
Thanks to all in advance,
Cheers,
Dave

[OldCountryBoy]

I have installed a fantastic in two of my rigs, the first was a B/R and I fished the wire up thru the endcap portion of the rv. I removed a bookcase type headboard and exposed the 12v wiring for the reading lights. Then used a fishtape to pull up to vent opening. Like you I have the rain sensor, which I found out the hard or wet way that you do not want to turn off. That said I have never been able to turn off the fan without the lid closing, but not sure I have tried.

The second install was in the kitchen area. I found a 12v wire near the vent and used it as a pull wire to pull a bundle of wire thru and down to the breaker's. Installed the new circut for the fan and replaced the wire used for a pull wire. My experience is they do not fasten/staple the wires down like you see with 110 lines.

Lots of luck and enjoy the fan.

[zuley]

I guess I've got or had a real stupid on when I asked where I could pick power up from. There is a 12 volt light about 3 feet away from the vent opening. Camper is closed up until the end of April but I'm doing a little mid winter day dreaming and proactive planning.

[JRTJH]

Zuley,

If that light you're talking about using for a power source is switched by a wall switch, be aware that you'll have to leave the wall switch on to get power to the fan. If the light has a built in switch, no problem, but if the only way to turn it off is the wall switch, you'll need to replace the light also.

[MarkS]

Originally Posted by zuley

There is a 12 volt light about 3 feet away from the vent

Make sure the light is not turned off by a switch somewhere. You are probably going to want to run the fan when the light is off.

[MIKEPATC]

I installed a Fantastic vent fan in the living area of my Outback 277RL. Did not want to get power from the nearby light because it is switched at the main console. There is 12v power behind my microwave but was not up for removing that, so I took the input power from the light under the cabinet over the sink.
Ran wire thru the cabinet then up into the overhead in the cabinet and it was a straight shot fishing the wire thru the ceiling to the fan. All out of site.
Love that fan. This summer I am replacing the fan in the bathroom. That should be a snap as it already has power up to the crappy stock fan.

[Wally15]

Originally Posted by zuley

I am considering installing a fantastic fan in my Elite 23RB. A few questions if I may for those who have previously installed one.
The vent I will be replacing is just a standard open/ close vent located pretty much in the centre of the camper. How much trouble is it to fish an electrical circuit across the ceiling? What is the best method to do so? And where is the best place to pick up a 12 volt circuit to tap into?
If we were to purchase one we would go for the model with the rain sensors. Now, going that route can the lid be open without the fan running and if so does the rain sensor option still function? We camp non electrical for the most part so I am concerned about battery usage.
Thanks to all in advance,
Cheers,
Dave

Just finished the fantastic fan install about 5 PM this afternoon. I put in the 5000 model with thermostat and reverse flow. Put it in the existing vent in the center of the camper. Mostly to keep the interior cool while we're away, and of course to to exhaust cooking fumes and hopefully keep the smoke alarm inactive. I got the wiring from behind the microwave. Not the wiring for the hood light and fan, there was another wire running to a non-switched light under the cabinet between the stove and sink. Just pulled the 12 V 15 amp fuse for the "kitchen" at the main panel, checked that the light was indeed dead, cut and spliced some 14 GA (they suggest 16 GA) into the light wiring, taped the wire nuts, use a straightened coat hanger to pull the wire from behind the m/w across the a/c ductwork to the vent opening. The most difficult part was getting all the sealant off the existing roof vent and carefully scraping the residue off the roof membrane. Use plastic putty knives. Took about 1.5 hours. Laid down some butyl tape, screwed down the Fan top, covered the edges and screws with Dicor. Went inside, TT, wire nutted the fan wiring and wrapped with electrical tape. Shoved in the fan base, secured with 4 screws, put the fuse back in, Bingo! Works great! Happy Valentine's Day, DW. Time for a WT 101 break. Or two. Total time about 3.5 hours, but I took a couple of breaks and a neighbor dropped by. Fan is very quiet and moves more air than I thought it would. Happy, happy, happy!

[slow]

Thx for posting Wally.

Did you pull out the MW to access the wires?


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[Gaffer222]

I removed the microwave last night in our 2015 Outback terrain 250TRS. 12 volt wires that feed the hood fan/light and over sink light are there. I snaked a 14AWG wire from the vent to the behind the microwave with no issues. Going to splice it in there. Looks like this circuit also feeds the ceiling light near the bunks. I purchased a Maxx Air Deluxe. Specs say it draws 5 amps max. I already swapped out all the lights to LED so this 15 amp circuit should handle the new fan. We will never use the hood fan as it does nothing but blow back in your face. I may remove it completely and install just a light in there. It took the whole hood fan/light assembly down and it frees up a ton of room above the stove top. A normal light fixture will cover the hole in the bottom of the cabinet. I just need to make sure the light fixture can handle the heat from the stove and if removing the hood vent allows to much heat to the underside of the cabinet?

Next I need to remove the existing vent and install the Maxx Air fan. Need to wait for a day with no rain/storms.

[slow]

Thx Gaffer for the info. This is one of my many new projects to complete.


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[Gaffer222]

Fan is in, install took 2 hours plus an hour for the electrical work from the other day. I used 1.5 tubes of dicor. Hardest part is taking your time removing old vent and dicor. Careful not to over tighten the base. My roof has a serious radius curve and I think the base curved a little. I had a real hard time getting the fan to seat far enough into the base to get the 4 mounting screws in. The Maxx Air deluxe fan has some serious power if you run it at full speed. So far I am impressed.

I hope this solves the issue of a non venting stove hood vent, aka "noise maker" as that's all it really does.

[chuckster57]

1.5 tubes of Dicor? I guess it's not going to leak. When I changed my bedroom vent with a max-air, I felt like I was starting to overdo it at about 3/4 tube. I used the whole tube since unused tubes don't store that well.

Anyway, sounds like you did a clean install. Last month I changed out 3 vents in a new Grand Designs "Solitude" with fantastic fans. Removing the factory butyl tape and Dicor is a job, so kudos to anyone that tackles that job.

[ThePressureIsOn]

Gaffer222, I did the same mod that you are thinking about doing. With the worthless vent removed and a light installed over the hole, it looks and works so much better. The DW loved this mod. We've had no problem with the heat from the stove affecting the light. Like you, we also have a Fantastic Fan in the kitchen.

[Gaffer222]

Originally Posted by ThePressureIsOn

Gaffer222, I did the same mod that you are thinking about doing. With the worthless vent removed and a light installed over the hole, it looks and works so much better. The DW loved this mod. We've had no problem with the heat from the stove affecting the light. Like you, we also have a Fantastic Fan in the kitchen.

Attachment 6576

That looks so much better that the useless hood noise maker!!!!

[I.plod]

I have a bunk house model. The current vent is next to--and I mean RIGHT there!!---to the upper bunk light.

Does anyone have any experience with how these lights are wired? Does the power come across the roof, or come up from below?

Those lights are not controlled by the 'ceiling' switch at the module.

[I.plod]

Although the wires did go up into the ceiling, and we could have gotten power there, it was a serious problem trying to get around the AC duct work. Took the power from the ceiling fixture.

The OEM vent was held down with 32 self taping screws, the Fantastic fan only had holes for 20. I covered all 32 holes with Dicor, and re-used the Dicor covered screws to anchor the fan to the roof.

Butyl tape seems to be on back order everywhere. Why, oh why, did I throw my butyl tape away when I sold my leaky Jayco! Ran dicor around the opening, dropped in fan, tightened down the flange, used the rest of the Dicor tube along the edge and over the screw heads.

Will give a report if it leaks. (Will pry it all back up and use the Butyl if it leaks.)**

Took us less than two hours, but it was 102 on the roof, so the old lap sealant just rolled right up and off.

**we had torrential rains last night/ this morning. It's still dry in there. I think it's a go.**

[JRTJH]

Butyl tape is available at Amazon.com. If you're a "PRIME" member, 2 day shipping if free. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Dicor-BT-1834-...rds=butyl+tape

[slow]

Ran my wires for the new Maxxair Deluxe I have ordered over the weekend. While moving wires, the wire to my stove hood disconnected. So I decided to run my 14 ga wire to the hood's junction box to make the connection of the new wiring for the Maxxair. May save me having to pull the microwave again in the future if I have a connector problem.

BTW: I also pulled one dome light down from the ceiling to allow me to pull the new wires in "stages" from the vent opening to the hood.