My New "Home Made" Stove Vent - Casita - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-28-2010, 03:46 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
My New "Home Made" Stove Vent - Casita

Having been inspired by the excellent ideas and craftsmanship by many other Casita owners, I decided I wanted to "open up" the area above the stove by removing the Casita-supplied vent hood. I strongly considered just doing away with the thing altogether, but was quickly talked out of that notion by a few Forum members. So, I decided to try my hand at building my own.

Searching the internet resulted in a huge variety of "muffin fans," many of which would be quite suitable for a home-grown stove vent application. I finally selected this one:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=259-122 ... With an air-moving capability of 140-CFM each, I decided to use two in my new stove vent.

So, yesterday, I excused myself from what passes for our life around here and spent the whole day in the shop. By the time the sun went down, I had the thing finished (even all Formica covered, too!), ready to install the fans, switch, wiring, and the final installation this morning.

I am delighted with the result... the "open look," the huge volume of air it moves, and the quietness... and, even more importantly, Linda loves it!

I am going to install a light in front of the new stove vent as well as make a couple of new trim pieces to go across the back wall where the bottom edge of the upper cabinet meets the side wall (removing the original vent hood left a huge gap!).

Photos below...

Cheers to all!
Attached Thumbnails
New Stove Vent 1 - 1600.jpg   New Stove Vent 2 - 1600.jpg  

Stove Vent INstalled - 1600.jpg  
Rob and Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2010, 04:20 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 1985 13 ft U-Haul
Posts: 596
Rob and Linda What a neat install. It is a vast improvement ! Lee and Norma
Lee Senn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2010, 04:26 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Roy in TO's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
Wow! 2 fans at 140 CFM should change the air in your trailer once every minute and a half. Very professional looking job.
Roy in TO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2010, 04:39 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Cyndi B.'s Avatar
 
Name: Cyndi
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 5th Wheel/2019 Toyota Tundra
Iowa
Posts: 1,105
Registry
Robert does it again! We need our table made different so we can use it to sit and put our shoes on but still have the length. Good ideas how to do it, just no immediate intentions.
Cyndi B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2010, 07:35 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Ami P's Avatar
 
Trailer: U-Haul VT16 1985
Posts: 110
If ordered via AMAZON (I just did) your shipping charge for the same fan and source will be 50% lower!
Ami
Ami P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2010, 10:25 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Matt in SV's Avatar
 
Trailer: U-Haul VT16
Posts: 987
Registry
This looks great! If you do a lot of cooking you might consider adding a grease filter on the intake side, maybe on the back between the grille and fans. You could probably find one approximately the right size at the hardware store and cut it down to size with tin snips.
__________________
Planning our next Escape!
Matt in SV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 01:10 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Scott S.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1975 Surfside TM14 (front kitchen)
Posts: 520
Registry
Send a message via MSN to Scott S. Send a message via Yahoo to Scott S.
nice job, the idea of adding a grease filter of some sort works too?
just looking at a couple of old computers... hmmmm, I'm half way there
Scott S. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 01:54 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt in SV View Post
This looks great! If you do a lot of cooking you might consider adding a grease filter on the intake side, maybe on the back between the grille and fans. You could probably find one approximately the right size at the hardware store and cut it down to size with tin snips.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott S. View Post
nice job, the idea of adding a grease filter of some sort works too?
just looking at a couple of old computers... hmmmm, I'm half way there
Thanks, Matt and Scott... I've spent all day (so far) making the little "trim pieces" to go on either side of the new vent to fill the "gap" left when the Casita-supplied vent hood was removed... these two little pieces have been a real pain!

To the point you two raise about thge "grease filter," well, as twenty-year vegetarians, our use of "grease" is zero... for that matter, our inside cooking is pretty limited, too. I am sure that I could have probably lived without any stove vent at all, but I decided that as sure as I didn't have one, I'd really want it... the rest is history. And in ten years or so, the next owner might like the vent... we'll see.

Scott, regarding your old computers (I'm assuming with built-in fans), be sure that they will actualy move a whole bunch of air before you invest any effort in them... fans suitable for our vent use are so cheap, you might want to consider buying new.

Rob
Rob and Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 09:24 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Roger C H's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2009 Trillium 13 ft ('Homelet') / 2000 Subaru Outback
Posts: 2,222
Registry
Smile Grease Filter

We were shocked to discover that our roof vent fan blade as well as the screen in front of it need periodic cleaning because of the limited cooking we do in Homelet. We do virtually NO frying, mostly water based cooking, pasta, veg, etc. Gas cooking in itself adds a greasy component to the air apparently from the combustion.
__________________
A charter member of the Buffalo Plaid Brigade!

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
Roger C H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2010, 11:21 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Byron Kinnaman's Avatar
 
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
Registry
Great job.
I've been thinking about how to mount a couple muffin fans in my 13' Scamp. I have a small window over the stove, no hood. Your design has given me a couple more ideas.
Thanks
Byron
Byron Kinnaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2011, 09:48 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Markz's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob and Linda View Post
Having been inspired by the excellent ideas and craftsmanship by many other Casita owners, I decided I wanted to "open up" the area above the stove by removing the Casita-supplied vent hood. I strongly considered just doing away with the thing altogether, but was quickly talked out of that notion by a few Forum members. So, I decided to try my hand at building my own.

Searching the internet resulted in a huge variety of "muffin fans," many of which would be quite suitable for a home-grown stove vent application. I finally selected this one: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=259-122 ... With an air-moving capability of 140-CFM each, I decided to use two in my new stove vent.
Well I was also inspired by this idea, so thank you guys for bringing it to my attention. Here is my finished product.





I clip a "grease filter" over it while cooking with oil to protect it and take it off when not. It also works great as a way to quickly get the heat out of the camper when not cooking.
Markz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2012, 02:15 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Name: Dave and Shelly
Trailer: 2001 Spirit Deluxe Casita "New Name: Eggspensive"
Iowa
Posts: 378
Rob how did you mount it?
sfoss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2012, 04:12 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfoss View Post
Rob how did you mount it?

Ah ha! Now, you have uncovered the hardest part of this little project: mounting the fan so that it looks right and is secure!

If you look back at my earlier posts, you will see than on the inside-top of each side of the fan, there are little cleats; each with a couple of holes and 1/4"-20 "tee nuts" (the "tee nuts" can't be seen in the photo). The fan is held in place by two 1/4"-20 hex head bolts coming down from the inside of the bottom of the upper cabinet and into the "tee nuts" in the cleats.

BUT, as you know, the bottom-back of the upper cabinet is pretty "unsupported" and therefore kind of "flimsy." If the fan were simply bolted to/through the bottom of the upper cabinet without adding some kind of support the whole business would "droop" pretty badly.

My solution to that was to peel back all of the carpet in that upper cabinet bottom. Then I just laid a piece of 3/3" X 3/4" aluminum "L" all the way across the very back of the upper cabinet, tight against the outside wall... the lower [horizontal] part of the aluminum "L" points toward the inside of the Casita. Then I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit the entire bottom of the upper cabinet... the front of the plywood supported by the front edge of the cabinet, and the back of the plywood supported by resting in the aluminum "L".

Then holes were carefully measured and drilled for the mounting bolts.

Now the fan has a relatively "solid" surface to be bolted to.

There are other details, such as adding the new light and wiring that add to the project, but I've just tried here to explain the mounting.

I hope it made sense...

Rob
Rob and Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2012, 11:51 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Markz's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
Registry
I just srewed mine to the bottom of the upper cabinet with wood screws from the inside of the cabinet into the fan housing. :-) I love mine and I posted some build photos on youtube a while back. :-)
Markz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2012, 12:08 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
Quote:
Originally Posted by Markz View Post
I just srewed mine to the bottom of the upper cabinet with wood screws from the inside of the cabinet into the fan housing. :-) I love mine and I posted some build photos on youtube a while back. :-)
Hey Mark... there must be a lot of difference in the relative "sturdiness" of the upper cabinet "bottoms" ... Casita vs. Boler. Just using screws to fasten the gizmo to the upper cabinet bottom would be wholly unsatisfactory in a Casita... well, it would be to me; way too 'floppy!'


Care to share the YouTube link... I couldn't find it.

Rob
Rob and Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2012, 03:14 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Name: Roger
Trailer: U Hall VT
Michigan
Posts: 438
Registry
Looks great, nice job!
Roger Kimble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2012, 08:53 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Markz's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
Registry
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_u...ser=Boleriffic

Perhaps the Casita is built differently. The Boler shelf I had is tabed to the shell.

Hope that helps.

Mark
Markz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2012, 11:25 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Markz's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
Registry
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="1986 Boler Camper Modifications - YouTube" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About 11 minutes into the video is the fan build/install. Sorry so long.
Markz is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
casita, fans, kitchen, ventilation


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Getting "new" Compact Jr Home Don'n'Deb Care and Feeding of Molded Fiberglass Trailers 53 04-06-2011 06:48 PM
1976 El Macho 13fter "Casita type" $3800 Robin G Referrals: Molded Fiberglass Trailers 1 02-07-2010 08:46 AM
"Casita and Friends" 2009 spring rally mjones12 Rallies, Get-togethers, Molded Meets (Archive) 8 05-30-2009 02:13 PM
12"x12" Celing Vent needs replacing Bob H Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 1 05-20-2008 08:32 PM
GOING "DOWN HOME" Martin in Fonthill Camping, Campout Reports 3 06-27-2006 10:28 AM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.