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kourt
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013
Posts: 1948
Location: Austin, TX
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 Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:45 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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It's a big commitment. You have to permanently modify the fiberglas of the poptop roof, and then find a way to neatly wire it down the sides of the poptop to the rear hinge, then through the metal roof and down to a voltage source. It's a lot of work and you have to really want it.
kourt |
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rmengr1
Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2017
Posts: 43
Location: Ventura, CA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:07 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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| kourt wrote: |
I was sick of my original Westy skylight rattling and rusting and generally being a disappointment. So when you get sick of something like that you get motivated to make permanent changes. I bought a MaxxFan and it requires a standard 14" x 14" hole.
Original hole.
Original hole.
After surgery.
How the fan fits.
From the inside.
Profile. Notice the gaping hole where the water channel exists, below the fan flange.
The finished install required a 1/8" 6061 aluminum plate, with a 14"x14" hole cut in it, to sit over the molded rainwater channels in the roof, looking a lot like this when it was done:
I also made some close-fit inserts out of cutting board material to fit in the water channel openings. With butyl caulking and self leveling sealing, it is waterproof. Not very pretty, but totally functional. This thing moves air and can make the van very pleasant on a hot day. Goodbye and good riddance to the original skylight.
kourt |
Very nice Kourt! What does the finished install look like from inside? There are kits for the Sprinters and ProMaster but nothing for the Westy... seems like an opportunity for someone who has the know how. |
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kourt
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013
Posts: 1948
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Almost two years later I'm answering your post. Here's some photos I took today of the fan--interior shots, plus one exterior profile shot.
The fan is just great. I use it all the time to vent the cabin. It has variable speeds and can push or pull. And yes, the "ceiling fan" feature (running the fan with the vent lid closed) actually works--it pushes air around the van.
One of my favorite things to do with this fan on a "buggy" day is to close the van up, open the lower screened sliding windows, and open the fan and run it on high exhaust. If I remove the screen on the fan, all the little bugs in the van get sucked up and out of the vent. It really can clear the van of mosquitos and flies quickly. I used this a lot last month in Wyoming, where mosquitos exist to ruin all summer camping.
kourt
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banksdaname
Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2018
Posts: 19
Location: Houston
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| Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Hey Kourt
I am at the cross roads myself with considering a new skylight or fan. Im leaning towards a maxxfan like yours. Is the metal plate necessary? I was thinking to fill the gaps with spray foam to close the hole and silicon on the outside of the foam for water proofing. What are your thoughts? |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16508
Location: Brookeville, MD
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howler9
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2012
Posts: 30
Location: United States
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| Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:23 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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| Kourt your comment is very informative! Do you have a pop top? I am curious, how are you running the cable? |
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kourt
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013
Posts: 1948
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:46 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Howdy,
bankdsdaname: sorry for the delay in my reply. I believe the plate is necessary. You need something rigid, broad and flat as a substrate/lumen to install the fan into. The Westy poptop roof is simply too flexible and too irregular for that duty.
howler9: Yes, this is in a Westy poptop roof. I ran the cable directly to the to driver side of the poptop, through a tiny hole, and then down the inside of the vertical lip of the poptop to the driver side rear poptop hinge, where it then enters the body through a grommeted hole. From there it goes to my DC load panel.
I hope these answers help.
kourt |
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thebigben
Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2020
Posts: 94
Location: California
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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kourt, would it be possible to post some pictures of your wiring? having some trouble identifying which tiny hole you’re talking about
_________________
Ben
'85 2WD Westy w/ Peloquin TBD + 2.2 Subi (Kurt Vannegut) |
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PDXWesty
Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006
Posts: 6247
Location: Portland OR
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:54 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Your top is screaming "clean me!!!"
_________________
89 Westy 2.1 Auto |
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kourt
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013
Posts: 1948
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Yeah, I've contemplated cleaning that poptop, but I have no garage. The van sits outside 24/7 so it will just get dirty again.
Some wiring photos are below.
kourt
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thebigben
Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2020
Posts: 94
Location: California
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| Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2021 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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I’ll have better pictures soon, but I installed an 11” fan over the weekend. Took a few extra holes but no cutting. It matches the van well.
_________________
Ben
'85 2WD Westy w/ Peloquin TBD + 2.2 Subi (Kurt Vannegut) |
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WillRB
Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2020
Posts: 183
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:14 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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| thebigben wrote: |
I’ll have better pictures soon, but I installed an 11” fan over the weekend. Took a few extra holes but no cutting. It matches the van well. |
Interesting.. curious about fan model utilized? |
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82westyrabbit
Samba Member
Joined: March 02, 2015
Posts: 969
Location: Ma
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| Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:59 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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| I installed the 11 hike crew fan a week ago my self. The same one as WillBR. I haven’t been able to post pictures yet. This is great fan it is the best option if your van doesn’t have a factory vent. I am in Dallas at the moment. I run the fan on low all day when I am at work and it keeps the van at outside temperature. It has a rain sensor to close it if it rains. I don’t have proof that it works yet. John |
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Royb
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2008
Posts: 228
Location: Sierra Foothills
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:13 am Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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I wonder how effective it would be to put a small solar or powered vent in place of the fridge vent? I think I’m ready to get a truckfridge, and that is a decent size hole. The boat vents might fit.
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1991 Westy |
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mfaunt
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2023
Posts: 1
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2023 6:34 pm Post subject: Re: Is there a good ceiling vent fan that also lets light in? |
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Bringing this thread back, I'm curious if 82westyrabbit or thebigben have any tips, or pictures (inside/outside) of their install and how it has held up over time.
New Westy owner here -- after lots of searching we just bought a 1987 2.1 wb -- the previous owner installed the same 11" Hike Crew vent fan. The fan and integrated LED light work great, but we quickly discovered we're leaking quite a bit of water. Previous owner used an install method that closely matched what fxr did in this thread (https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732736), though fxr installed a 14" maxxfan which required cutting the poptop, whereas this 11" Hike Crew fan does not require cutting.
I've got the fan removed and am now moving on to getting the aluminum sheet with all the old/cracked caulk and sealing tape removed. I have this fear that despite best efforts to seal the channels, water is getting into the 'low points' and resting in the channels on the edge of the skylight opening, hidden underneath the aluminum sheet. When on an angle or when the water level is high enough it just spills over into the fan mechanism and drains into the van.
Here's the fan partially uninstalled. Note the dark spots where water has come in.
Top with fan removed. Previous owner put some tape on the front and rear edges, not sure what that is, but I've started trying to remove it and it's going to be a pain even with a heat gun. It almost comes up cleaner cold.
Here's a look at the channel and how it's caulked to seal.
My plan is to pull all this up and start fresh with a new install of the same fan. Any tips from folks who have done it before, and specifically with tips about which sealing tape and/or caulks to use would be so appreciated! [/img] |
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