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09-28-2010, 03:46 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
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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!
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09-28-2010, 04:20 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1985 13 ft U-Haul
Posts: 596
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Rob and Linda What a neat install. It is a vast improvement ! Lee and Norma
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09-28-2010, 04:26 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1972 Boler American and 1979 Trillium 4500
Posts: 5,137
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Wow! 2 fans at 140 CFM should change the air in your trailer once every minute and a half. Very professional looking job.
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09-28-2010, 04:39 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: Cyndi
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 5th Wheel/2019 Toyota Tundra
Iowa
Posts: 1,105
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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.
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09-29-2010, 07:35 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Trailer: U-Haul VT16 1985
Posts: 110
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If ordered via AMAZON (I just did) your shipping charge for the same fan and source will be 50% lower!
Ami
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09-29-2010, 10:25 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Trailer: U-Haul VT16
Posts: 987
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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!
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09-30-2010, 01:10 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1975 Surfside TM14 (front kitchen)
Posts: 520
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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
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09-30-2010, 01:54 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt in SV
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.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 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
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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
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09-30-2010, 09:24 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2009 Trillium 13 ft ('Homelet') / 2000 Subaru Outback
Posts: 2,222
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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.
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09-30-2010, 11:21 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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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
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08-07-2011, 09:48 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob and Linda
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.
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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.
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02-19-2012, 02:15 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Dave and Shelly
Trailer: 2001 Spirit Deluxe Casita "New Name: Eggspensive"
Iowa
Posts: 378
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Rob how did you mount it?
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02-19-2012, 04:12 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfoss
Rob how did you mount it?
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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
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02-20-2012, 11:51 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
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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. :-)
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02-20-2012, 12:08 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Robert
Trailer: Airstream 23D International Serenity
Texas
Posts: 101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Markz
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. :-)
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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
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02-20-2012, 03:14 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: Roger
Trailer: U Hall VT
Michigan
Posts: 438
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Looks great, nice job!
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02-28-2012, 11:25 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1986 Boler 1300 Voyager
Posts: 723
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<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.
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