ceiling fans, and batteries

[Peggy]

Well, I hear there is no such thing as a stupid question...So, re our new 73, or 74, 13 ft. Boler. I imagine we will be too warm, and we're wondering about these ceiling fans. "Fantastic Fans", I read. There is no sign of a battery anywhere, or a place to put one. No lights either. Just one plug-in on the front of the kitchen cupboards-the old owners said they'd just bring a lamp, but that sounds cumbersome . Where is the best place to mount a battery? Will the wires to a roof vent fan be visible inside, as I don't see any way of channeling them up there? Where will the switch for the fan be?I'd like a light by the back bed, for reading, and perhaps a light in the kitchen somewhere. One suggestion from a friend was just to stick battery operated LED pucks around the trailer. I see the term "boondocking"--that sounds like what we'll be doing! Looking forward to hearing the voices of experience! Thanks.

[Brian B-P]

I wouldn't want all battery-operated lights, due to the annoyance of juggling batteries, but I suppose it would work. We have original equipment built-in 12V lights (and one of them upgraded to a Thin-Lite fluorescent) in the B1700, and my wife also uses one battery-operated fluorescent reading light sometimes.

The individual battery idea won't handle a built-in roof vent fan, such as a Fantastic Vent or MaxxFan. The wires were already run behind the wall/ceiling lining for mine, because a old-style fan-equipped vent was stock equipment in the front vent position (there are two in a B1700). Some people have apparently managed to "fish" wires in behind existing insulation, and I suppose you could also cut and finish the resulting seam.

A trailer battery can go almost anywhere, but the cheap and easy place is the tongue so that's where it usually is... including mine. It's a hefty thing, so the position does matter, and the ideal position depends on the specific trailer configuration.

[Alf S.]

Hi: I had our battery installed by our local R.V. Dealer... They moved the Propane bottle sideways and located the battery beside it for ballance!!! Send me your email add. and I will include you on my photo list...installation of MaxxFan. I was able to run the wires btw. the Ensolite and the roof as it was hot and sunny and the contact cement was like taffy!!! Regards Alf S. email astacey0506@rogers.com

[jim munson]

Hi: I had our battery installed by our local R.V. Dealer... They moved the Propane bottle sideways and located the battery beside it for ballance!!! Send me your email add. and I will include you on my photo list...installation of MaxxFan. I was able to run the wires btw. the Ensolite and the roof as it was hot and sunny and the contact cement was like taffy!!! Regards Alf S. email astacey0506@rogers.com

I just hung an Endless Breeze fan by bending two wire hooks that attach to the fan handle. It hooks to the top of the louverd side window. Easy to hand/unhang and is 12V too.

[Herb P]

The individual battery idea won't handle a built-in roof vent fan, such as a Fantastic Vent or MaxxFan. The wires were already run behind the wall/ceiling lining for mine, because a old-style fan-equipped vent was stock equipment in the front vent position (there are two in a B1700). Some people have apparently managed to "fish" wires in behind existing insulation, and I suppose you could also cut and finish the resulting seam.

You're telling me. I used "that wire" for my solar panel when I mounted it on the roof, without giving it much thought. Then I put the insulation and new headliner in. Then I did "all things electrical" at which point I discovered that the roof-vent wires were spliced in to the "front lighting circuit" wires in the front cabinet. That meant I could only use the lights when the sun was shining. :-)

Anyway, I managed to run another pair of wires up behind the stove, behind the new kitchen backsplash (which I had mounted with wooden slats), up into the side cupboard, along to the front cabinet where the roof vent splice happened, and fix things up correctly.

long story short, yes, the front roof vent had power for a fan.

[Rob S.]

Here's an idea for for wiring after the fact. Flat wire is uses copper leads mounted to an adhesive backer that you stick on the face of the wall. You then cover with spakle and paint over in your house. Lots of companies make it from 110v to speakers to cat5 networks. In the case of Ensolite walls you could use a thin layer of latex caulk instead of the spakle and then paint. Saves having to cut open the ceiling and stuff wires. You could also use this stuff to run your under cabinet puck lights.

http://www.hitech-wire.com/ or http://www.decorp.com/index.html

[Peggy]

Thanks, everyone. We had a closer look at the ceiling vent today, and from the edges of the plastic it is only 9 inches across. I wonder if there is a fan made that small. Would hate to cut the ensolite open,for wiring, as I'm not thrilled about the job I did yesterday caulking existing splits in the seams. I think it will be pretty visible when I paint it, mostly as a change in texture.. Maybe I'll dab some more on tomorrow...

[Donna D.]

I think it will be pretty visible when I paint it, mostly as a change in texture.. Maybe I'll dab some more on tomorrow...

Peggy it's been suggested to use a damp paper towel and dab at the caulk to "fix" the texture to more like the ensolite.....

[Barbara Gardin]

Hi Peggy,

We have a 72 Boler, it also had the small original roof vent. Although we did not add a fantastic fan we did enlarge the opening and added a new vent with fan. We ran the wires mostly under the ensolite into the top cupboard. There is a seam right there. We have caulked all the seams in our egg so the ensolite is just reglued and then caulked. The new vent is 14"x14" . It is not hard to enlarge the opening.

[Benny K]

On our 13' Boler I added a 12V - 41/2" square biscuit fan that cost about $5, that can be slipped into a track made of pieces of aluminum window screen frame, under the vent screen of the small vent....to reverse direction I flip the fan over and reverse the flow.....it isn`t wired in but is plugged into wiring that is stored in the over head cabinet ....control is a mini toggle switch on the side of the cabinet....it`s simple and works....pics on my webshots site... ....Benny

[Kurt in BC]

where did you buy it Benny and does it help reduce the temperature in the summer months?

[Benny K]

I got it at Princess Auto and to be honest, I haven`t really had to use it much....the weather has never been hot enough....guess we`ve been lucky that way....it blows well for it`s size and guess that it should be okay.....maybe this summer in Macklin we`ll get some real hot weather, LOL ....Benny

[Kurt in BC]

Benny, I wondered if it was Princess Auto

So do these Fantastic Fans and other draw much power from the 12 volt battery or is this something you could run for most the day?

Oh and what direction do you want the air...to blow out of the roof vent or to blow air in? ?

thanks!

- kurt

[Frederick L. Simson]

So do these Fantastic Fans and other draw much power from the 12 volt battery or is this something you could run for most the day?

I run mine all day.

[Pete Dumbleton]

The battery drain is posted on their site. They don't draw much. What I do is set it to blow out the vent, sucking the high hot air (or cooking fumes) out first. The trick, esp at night, is to CLOSE most of the windows, letting the fan pull in air from the window over the bed or where you are sitting. If all the windows are open, the air won't seem to be moving as much.

[Kurt in BC]

thanks I am looking into a cheaper version...so we'll see. I like the princess auto idea

[Chester Taje]

"So do these Fantastic Fans and other draw much power from the 12 volt battery or is this something you could run for most the day?"
- kurt

I dont think you can go wrong with a fantastic fan.I have had two of them and they are great.

[Brian B-P]

...So do these Fantastic Fans and other draw much power from the 12 volt battery or is this something you could run for most the day?

I checked the power consumption of my MaxxFan (comparable to a Fantastic Vent fan, at least in fan motor power) a while ago, and while I can't remember the exact reading, I did notice that it seemed consistent with the specification. I run it on the thermostatic setting, and running much of the time overnight does not exhaust my little Group 24 battery. I almost always use it on low, since more air flow has not been required. Note that we have not been camping in really hot conditions.

Originally posted by MaxxAir
[b]Provides over 900 CFM of airflow on High using 4.4 amps, 730 CFM at 2.5 amps and 500 CFM on Low at 1.4 amps

Oh and what direction do you want the air...to blow out of the roof vent or to blow air in?

I normally run mine blowing out, to exhaust hot air, but someone (Roger?) posted a great idea: run it blowing in to encourage air flow out the kitchen vent when cooking. I tried that and it seems to work.

[Kurt in BC]

[Tamid]

I just put a fantastic fan in a trailer and the specs say it draws 3 amps. I think the muffin fans draw less than 1 amp so you could mount 3 of them to equate for battery draw however I doubt they would equal the air volume of the fantastic fan.