Fantastic Fan Install

[glamourpets]

Fantastic Fan Install in a Boler Trailer - YouTube

I recently purchased a fantastic fan for instalation in a Boler. The plan was to enlarge the existing vent hole and pop it into place. What I did not consider was that your fantastic fan is designed to fit into a stick built trailer. A stick built roof is much thicker. The question now becomes - how to fix this. The most obvious solution is to make a plywood spacer (as demonstrated in Kevin Henry's youtube video).

1. Kevin Henry cuts a plywood spacer, glues it on with apoxy, then uses bondo body filler as a contouring agent. Will the bondo hold up under these conditions? I have some 3M 2 part bodyfiller. Will this work too? The fiberglass has some natural flexng properties to it. Will this be a problem?

2. Are there any simple yet effective alternate ways of doing this installation? I could use fiberglass fabric and epoxy, but I'm concerned I'll make a mess. The above method certainly is easier.

Thoughts?

Derek

[David Tilston]

I installed a Fantastic fan in my Trillium 4500. It already had a 14" vent, so I did not need to enlarge the hole. I cut the inside bezel down so that it only had a 1/4" ridge. It is held in place by the corners, where I drilled holes and used longer stainless steel bolts and acorn nuts, so I don't hurt my head.

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I installed a Fantastic fan in my Trillium 4500. It already had a 14" vent, so I did not need to enlarge the hole. I cut the inside bezel down so that it only had a 1/4" ridge. It is held in place by the corners, where I drilled holes and used longer stainless steel bolts and acorn nuts, so I don't hurt my head.

I have already cut my hole. If I just put the fan into the hole it hangs down at least an inch if not more. When you say "inside bezel" are you trimming the fan side itself? Or just the trim piece that goes inside the trailer? How are you overcoming the fact that the trailer is 1/4" thick and the fan is 2+" thick?

Derek

[floyd]

Originally Posted by glamourpets

I have already cut my hole. If I just put the fan into the hole it hangs down at least an inch if not more. When you say "inside bezel" are you trimming the fan side itself? Or just the trim piece that goes inside the trailer? How are you overcoming the fact that the trailer is 1/4" thick and the fan is 2+" thick?

Derek

Here are a couple of pictures of trailers on which the same was done.
I used pine on one and the plastic spindles from deck railing for the other...
I like the plastic best and it will take stain for touch-up(not shown)...

[David Tilston]

The 14" vent hole on my trailer sticks up about a 1/2", so that helps. To do that in your situation would require adding a fibreglass box structure around the 14" hole that you cut. I plan to do this on the two Trillium 1300 trailers I have. I will use wax coated cardboard to make the "mold" and then glass over it. Afterwards I will scrape out the cardboard.
The trim piece is what I cut down. I left about a 1/4" of the edge, so it would fit into the grove in the fan. This left me with about a 1/2 space between the fan and the trim piece. I used the foam gasket that came with the fan to fill the excess gap, You could trim down the outside of the gap, in the fan, that the trim fits in, to reduce the space further. This would still leave the knob that opens the vent hanging down. This is why I plan to make a box structure in the fibreglass. That way I don't bang my head as much.

[glamourpets]

I guess you are going to have to fill that space on one side or the other somehow. Either the spacer goes outside (like in the video) or inside, like the photos above.

The knob that opens the vent is the most likely place where one is to bong their head. Has anyone come up with a replacement knob that sits more flush with the vent itself?

[rabbit]

The issue with fitting the interior trim or bezel is not a big one as it will snap on a score line BUT protrusion of something (either the vent cover knob or the wood or deckwood or whathaveyou shim ring) on the inside can't be solved without building up a pad on the exterior. If you've got the ceiling height to allow you to do the shim job on the inside without bumping your head on either shim or knob, I believe I'd go with that method as building up the outer surface involves two interfaces that have to be sealed/bedded (pad to skin, fan to pad).

Latter day Burro DID get this right by molding the pad into the skin of the trailer. 1998: anno mirabili!!

jack

[Ed Harris]

I have had to do this a few times and it really does not have to be not a big project.
I just used whatever 2x2 hardwood stock I had laying around the shop and make the spacer for the inside as thin as I could after trimming the plastic on the fan.

There are enough screw holes in the frame of the fan that I have never needed anything more than the spacer ring to make it work and the ceiling leveled just fine.

The ring will obviously protrude into the ceiling space but you can buy a lower profile knob from Fantastic Fan if you need one.

They also sell a version of the fan with a thickness more along the lines of what the FBRV really needs but if you already have a fan then I guess that will be too late?

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Latter day Burro DID get this right by molding the pad into the skin of the trailer. 1998: anno mirabili!!

Any Trillium with a 14" vent also has this molded into the fibreglass. Even the 9" vent holes protrude some, but since no one makes a 9" fan, it is not very useful.

[dylanear]

I spent too much money getting these spacers custom fabbed and they leaked the first way I installed them, but seems to be water tight since I added a layer of super tuff and sticky roofing tape.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...-in-52923.html

But the added head room is fantastic! I highly recommend some type of riser.

There is also a two versions of the Fantastic Fan. One is rare and meant for thinner roofed RVs, but is still pretty thick for our super thin roofs. If you don't special order it, 99.999% of the time you will get the standard roof version I'm pretty sure. I think the difference is about 3/4".

[Carol H]

I just trimmed mine with the same trim that was one the escape hatch. Fans over the bed/table area so the small amount it comes down from the roof is not a big deal.

[dylanear]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I just trimmed mine with the same trim that was one the escape hatch. Fans over the bed/table area so the small amount it comes down from the roof is not a big deal.

Reminds me, I need to stain my trim! Yours looks great!

My fan is right in the middle of my limited living space, by the stove and entrance. So the riser makes a big difference.

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by dylanear

Reminds me, I need to stain my trim! Yours looks great!

My fan is right in the middle of my limited living space, by the stove and entrance. So the riser makes a big difference.

Yes, thats about where mine will be. If you wash dishes at the sink, you will hit it if it sits too low. I'm just putting my new vent where the old one was. I like the over the dining table position, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to have two vents in a 13' trailer.

Dylan, can you tell me more about your spacers? They look like they are cut from a sheet of 1" thick nylon.

I didn't see anything mentioned about the thinner version of the fantastic fan on the website. Curious. I do see the fantastic fan listed on the scamp website. What is the official scamp solution to this problem?

Derek

[dylanear]

I think I was talking to the FF folks and they mentioned it, I ordered from them directly as I recall.

Polyetheline sheet I believe. But not sure that's ideal, sealants don't like sticking to it!

I took the FF in to a plastics shop in Albuquerque and they made a template from that for their milling machine. I had them cut two for extra height.

Not sure I'd do it that way again. So take inspiration if you want, but keep an open mind for solutions. For the couple hundred bucks I spent I might have been able to have something made in aluminum!

[deryk]

Starboard is a marine product and Ive used caulk on it with no issues. You can usually find it on ebay and then use a saw/dremel to cut it.

deryk

[Mike Price]

It is my understanding that the FF folks can provide "gaskets" of varying thicknesses to be placed ABOVE the trailer roof, to keep the FF from intruding inside no more than a factory installation.

Mike

[Carol H]

Mike the FF will still send you the gaskets for free if you call them. But as was mentioned they are made of some type of foam. I decided not to use the ones they sent me as I didnt think the butyl would stick well to it in the long run.

[glamourpets]

It sounds like the solution all comes down to using some sort of spacer, whether it be polyethyline, wood, foam, aluminum, or whatever else. I do wonder if the polyethyline would cut easily enough with a basic band saw. That may save on the fabricating cost. Wood probably would be easier to work with, but would it have the same longevity? It does, afterall, sit up on top where the weather will get to it.

[Otters]

I received the FF I purchased from Vintage Trailer Supply last week (great service and good price). The paperwork that came with it said that if you need an additional spacer to call FF. I did and they're sending it to me at no charge. Its not just another gasket. The woman asked what color is the interior of the fan so they can match the spacer to it. Like others here, I'd prefer to have my spacer on the outside for the additional headroom, so I'm not sure what my install will be until I get the spacer from FF. I'll have to update you all later when I receive it.

[dylanear]

Otter, I think you will find that spacer FF provides is nothing like the spacers people are building. When You call FF ans say you have a thin roof, they are thinking only 1.25" instead of an 1.5" The super thin roof on eggs are a whole other level. Let us know, but I think You will still have significant intrusion down from the ceiling with anything FF provides. I spent a >lot< of time looking at this issue and talking with FF. Great company, great people, but they just do not provide an off the shelf solution.

The polyethylene sheet is durable and semiflexible. But I would not use it again I don't think. That Star Board sounds interesting. I just didn't want to use wood and risk water soaking in, rotting. But the polyethylene just rejects any adhesive, doesn't like most sealants. My set up is working great, but I'd do it differently if I had to do it again. At least I'd research other things. The milled poly sheets idea would probably work better with large rubberish gaskets rather than the butyl and caulk based sealing I used.

If the that super sticky roofing tape didn't stick I would have had a big problem. The first rain after installing my FF resulted in water just pouring in around the vent!! The tape is amazing stuff. Every egg should have a roll for emergency repairs. I'd cut small circles to go over leaking rivets until I had a chance to put caulk and new cap on. Works great.