Fanctasic Fan in Scamp Escape Hatch

[fusedlight]

(Yeh, I know it's an "Escape Hatch". If you are in a position where you need to USE that escape hatch you are (1) a person that was in the trailer while it was being towed and it fell over on the door side or (2) in the back of the trailer while the front is on fire in which case you are probably already an ex-trailer owner, if you get my drift. "Escape Hatch"? Really??? But I digress...)

Is there an adapter kit that allows the fitting of a square Fantastic Fan into the rectangular Scamp hatch? Out-of-the-box solution?

Thanks, all...

[Carol H]

While I agree its location makes is hard to use as an escape hatch if you are not really tall and have the rear table down to allow you to reach up to climb out, but I think it does have some benefits I sure wouldnt be happy to loose.

Due to it size of the escape hatch provides a good deal of extra ventilation during the warm season. Its also large enough and as the screen can be opened fully, you can stand right up through it using a small step ladder, making it easier to position yourself safely in order to clean and polish a good chunk of the roof or reach a large number of the rivets on the roof if they need replacing.

I installed the Fantastic Fan behind the escape hatch and over the table/bed area at the rear where there was an light on the ceiling. Used the wiring that was there for the light for the fan. Pretty easy install. Did the cut out and install, all while standing up through the escape hatch ;-)

[fusedlight]

Hmmm... we are loathe to cut another hole in the roof...

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by fusedlight

Hmmm... we are loathe to cut another hole in the roof...

LOL I understand that! I bought the FF and it sat in the garage for a year while I got up the courage to do it. Lots of good instructions on this forum on how to do it right.

Big thing is to take your time measure 3 times before cutting and use butyl tape to mount it. Since I installed the FF the trailer has spent 5 years of wet coast down pours & have not had a drop of water come through it - well except for when its been accidently left open during a rain storm wish I had spent the extra dollars and gotten the one that had the rain detector. Actually got around to pulling out and resetting the escape hatch this year as well - figured with all the years of silicone and other substances people had put around it over its 21 years on the trailer it was time to redo it before there was an issue. That turned out to be a bigger job (due to all the extra rivets and cleaning off of old silicone) than installing the FF from scratch.

[Jared J]

I've been considering the same. There's no way I could even get my shoulders out of the escape hatch. I think it's a moot point, because if a fire is raging so bad I can't get out of the door that's 4' away, I'm going to be BBQ before I even get the escape hatch open.

[Donna D.]

I've never considerd the egress vent in my Scamp as a place I'd go if there was a fire. BUT, if the door was blocked (liked a blown down tree... which does happen), then I could probably get my bottom up and out rather than tear the trailer up or break a window just to get outside. YMMV

[Justinsev1]

Originally Posted by fusedlight

(Yeh, I know it's an "Escape Hatch". If you are in a position where you need to USE that escape hatch you are (1) a person that was in the trailer while it was being towed and it fell over on the door side or (2) in the back of the trailer while the front is on fire in which case you are probably already an ex-trailer owner, if you get my drift. "Escape Hatch"? Really??? But I digress...)

Is there an adapter kit that allows the fitting of a square Fantastic Fan into the rectangular Scamp hatch? Out-of-the-box solution?

Thanks, all...

Did anyone come up with some useful information for doing this mod? Would like to try this spring.

[TheWanderers]

We almost did this but finally ended up selling the Scamp before we started the job. My plan was to add in two strips to either side of the opening that would keep the remaining hole centered in the isle way and then mount the FF in the revised hole. I had completed a lot of fiber glass patching on our Scamp when I removed the refrigerator vent holes and I still had several pieces of fiber glass panel left over so I thought this'd be easy compared to that. But, as I said, we never did it so it's all only a pipe dream...


I never did find anyone that had a canned "out of the box" idea for this mod.

[stevebaz]

If you start cutting on that plastic hatch cover and try to mount the fan on that it will probably bust up in short order. I mounted my Fantastic fan on the front top of the trailer and when you open the escape hatch and open the Fantastic fan cover there is more than twice the air movement in the trailer without the fan on. Some type of convection flow starts and really moves a disproportion amount of air.

[kmeats]

I replaced my hatch with a maxxair fan using a 24" x 16 1/2'" HDPE board and it is working fine. If you would like details or pics message me

[BobH.]

I had bought an older Scamp 19' with (2) damages escape hatches. i bought parts for the rear hatch and got it fixed. The front hatch I made an aluminum cover out of 16 ga. aluminum. The idea was to mount a Fantastic Fan on the aluminum cover. I sold the 19' before that happened.

BobH.