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HHaase · 03-12-2012, 07:47 PM

How well does the interior trim on the maxxfan fit a vintage airstream? I'm really liking the look of these, but it looks like I'd need to do a custom trim piece for it.

-Hans

ROBERT CROSS · 03-12-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Although Fantastic Fan says you can leave the vent open when you drive, try convincing my wife of that. The advantage of open vents is to keep temps down in the summer. The cover may convince her it is ok. Amazon will have them soon for $46.

Gene

FV cover

The FV seems to werk the best, but it IS kinda yougly.

Still have the best CS though.

Bob

Lumatic · 03-12-2012, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHaase

How well does the interior trim on the maxxfan fit a vintage airstream? I'm really liking the look of these, but it looks like I'd need to do a custom trim piece for it.

-Hans

Virtually identical to the Fantastic Fan. You don't need a custom trim piece. I have both in my 71 Tradewind

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-13-2012, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Although Fantastic Fan says you can leave the vent open when you drive, try convincing my wife of that. The advantage of open vents is to keep temps down in the summer. The cover may convince her it is ok. Amazon will have them soon for $46.

Gene

I seem to run down the road a lot with mine open. It happens not because I am trying to keep her cool, but instead, because of all the things on my check list, "close Fantastic Vent" is the one I always seem to forget to check off.

Skater · 03-13-2012, 06:03 AM

We have those covers on our vents (one is a Fantastic Vent, the other is one that's integrated with the front lights...not sure what brand those are). I'm not a huge fan of them - I think they make the fan run louder.

On the other hand, I am taking advantage of them: Our trailer has a barn smell to it that we haven't been able to eradicate, so I have both vents open (fans off) to help air out the camper, with no worries that rain is going to get in.

So I'm torn. I hate seeing them up there - they're ugly - but they're coming in very handy right now. I've wanted to remove the one that's on the FF since it has the rain sensor anyway, but I couldn't air out the camper like I'm doing right now without it. Since the barn smell issue is MUCH worse than the aesthetic issue, they'll probably stay on.

Lily&Me · 03-13-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cracker

I just contacted Fantastic Fan within the last hour to replace the trim rings on the interior of my 2000 Excella that had cracked (---probably from heat.) All they asked for was my mailing address and then told me that the trim rings were on the way - no charge! They stand behind their product!

We have been very happy with our Fantastic Fan, since we resolved the chronic leaks from the crazy-poor factory install.

Doug completely removed the fan and replaced everything from the bottom up, with the kit sent for free by Fantastic Fan.

Love that kind of customer service.

Maggie

Lily&Me · 03-13-2012, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skater

Since the barn smell issue is MUCH worse than the aesthetic issue, they'll probably stay on.

I am a huge fan of Oxy-Clean to deodorize.

Our first RV was a 77 Barth, whose owner smoked continuously.

A thorough scrub of the carpet with Oxy-Clean removed all odor.

Assuming you have scrubbed down and cleaned everything you can, if there is carpet cleaning it thoroughly with above-named product may help.

Maggie

ROBERT CROSS · 03-13-2012, 06:20 AM

"sent for free by Fantastic Fan."

5 year old covers started to leak under the very carefully applied caulking

, cracked at the hinge base's from over tightening at install.

New ones sent free after hearing the word, "cracked".

The company recently changed ownership but it seems the customer service has remained intact.

Bob

extiger · 03-13-2012, 12:41 PM

I installed Maxfan's in my old AS and really liked them. I liked that they could run in the rain and going down the road. They were quiet. My new trailer came with a Fantastic Fan, and it is also a quality product. Works well.

I am partial to the Maxfan because of the ability to run in the rail and going down the road, but both are great and you can't make a bad decision with either one.

noreen&sal · 03-13-2012, 01:49 PM

OMHO, but in damp rainy weather is when you want the ventilation. Sal.

mutcth · 03-13-2012, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Although Fantastic Fan says you can leave the vent open when you drive, try convincing my wife of that.

Wow. Do all wives compare notes? Must be what they do on those knitting forums and in all of those book clubs...

All Fantastic Fans in the Minuet, and I can also attest to the excellent customer service. Got a new motor assembly 2.1 years after purchase by warranty, no muss, no fuss.

Tom

BAB · 03-13-2012, 06:49 PM

I removed both Fantastic Fans from my new trailer and installed the Maxxfans. The remote control is extremely handy, the fan has 10 speeds, you can have them open while you tow, and they are very, very quiet. Nothing wrong with the FF's, but the Maxxfans provide more options and zero issues with inop rain sensors...

VeggieBullet · 03-13-2012, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAB

I removed both Fantastic Fans from my new trailer and installed the Maxxfans. The remote control is extremely handy, the fan has 10 speeds, you can have them open while you tow, and they are very, very quiet. Nothing wrong with the FF's, but the Maxxfans provide more options and zero issues with inop rain sensors...

How long ago did you replace the fans? Do you still have them?

vswingfield · 03-13-2012, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

If you paint the cover of a fan with a rain sensor, it may render the sensor inoperable. They don't work when they are dirty, so paint would be worse, I would think....

Gene

The rain sensors are under the cover on the inside of the fan. Painting the outside of the cover has no effect whatsoever. I have two coats of Super Therm on mine.

Gene · 03-13-2012, 07:35 PM

Vaughan, that's interesting. The technology as I understand it is there are wires on the cover surface and when a drop of rain rests on both sides of the circuit, it closes the circuit and closes the cover (cover goes up and down a lot in a very light shower). In the 1990's skylights were available with this feature. I would think anything painted on the surface would make it impossible for the water to reach the wires.

Maybe this is different technology or magic.

Gene

ROBERT CROSS · 03-13-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Vaughan, that's interesting. The technology as I understand it is there are wires on the cover surface and when a drop of rain rests on both sides of the circuit, it closes the circuit and closes the cover (cover goes up and down a lot in a very light shower). In the 1990's skylights were available with this feature. I would think anything painted on the surface would make it impossible for the water to reach the wires.

Maybe this is different technology or magic.

Gene

Gene,

The sensor is under the cover in the lower right corner with hinge at the top.
Wipe it down regularly wit a wet rag and that's enough to keep it working.

Bob

mefly2 · 03-13-2012, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

I find the myriad controls on the FF difficult to figure out. One thing cancels another, or is needed to be switched for something else to work. I wish I had the one with the remote so I wouldn't have to look up into the sunlight and try to remember how I did it last time. These switches are not intuitive.

Gene

Well said !!!

NevadaGeo · 03-13-2012, 09:17 PM

I have some Maxx covers, over the original vents. No fuss, don't even care if my vents are up or down other than I should shut them when it's cold, or open if it's too hot. Nothing running a battery down unless I leave the orig vent fan running. Someday I'll get around to a reversible switch so I can blow cleaner air in and pressure the dust out.

Skater · 03-14-2012, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

I am a huge fan of Oxy-Clean to deodorize.

Our first RV was a 77 Barth, whose owner smoked continuously.

A thorough scrub of the carpet with Oxy-Clean removed all odor.

Assuming you have scrubbed down and cleaned everything you can, if there is carpet cleaning it thoroughly with above-named product may help.

Yeah, we've done a LOT of cleaning. It's not too bad when we're using the trailer, but it seems to accumulate when it's stored.

I ate some peanut butter cups recently that had a distinct camper taste to them... and they were in a plastic bag when they were in the camper!

I had a thread about the issue a while back. Thanks for the Oxy-Clean suggestion. If nothing else, it made me go back and re-read that thread to see what we haven't tried yet.

Frank's Trailer Works · 03-14-2012, 12:10 PM

RJ, is this a barnyard smell or is it more like a medicinal one? Barnyard smells are generally gifts left behind by visitors in the insulation, a medicinal smell comes from the decomposition of the subfloor. The cleaning might be in vain if the barn yard smell is coming from the insulation or the medicinal smell is coming from the floor. These situations are very common and that is why us restorers are always trying to tear it down to the axles.