Fantastic Vent

[R&SZinser]

Just wanted to relay an astounding conversation I just had with the Fantastic Vent Tech Support.

We bought a 1985 25' Soveriegn that had a Fantastic Fan installed in the kitchen. It wasn't working & the P.O. said he didn't know why...

After talking to Bob at Fantastic Vent I proceeded to disassemble the interior casing so I could check the wiring.
Well the three-speed switch was unplugged, the reverse switch was burned & chared, the crank / lever arm was unscrewed from the mount & missing the grommet wheel...

So I called Bob back and all he asked me for was my address. He's sending the complete interior casing w/ all the switches and the correct Airstream mounting (the P.O. had used a square mounting and all 4 corners had cracked). Was amazed that they are covering this when I'm not the original owner & it's pretty clear the P.O. had damaged the fan...

What a pleasant surprise to see a manufacturer stand by their product so well!!!

Roy

[Pahaska]

This seems to be typical of the Fantastic Fan folks. Over the years, I have heard a lot of similar stories. It pays off ... I wouldn't buy anything else.

[wayner1239]

When I needed the interior trim piece for AS it was sent to my door by UPS at no charge.
I have not used the vent yet, except to test it, but if it is as good as their customer service, I know I will be pleased.
There is one thing I am a little concerned about. The instructions said to seal around the vent with silicone which I did. Somewhere else on this forum someone said that vulkem should be used. Does anyone know if silicone will give a problem?

Wayne

[topazken]

There is nothing wrong with using silicone on ALuminum but you have to use natural cure silicone. ALmost all of the silicone on the market is acetic cure which will corrode the aluminum. The labels usually say if it is natural or acetic. If it smells like vinegar, stay away.

Of couse, just sticking with vulkem solves the problem altogether.

[topazken]

May I make a suggestion. Power is a big concern when traveling. In the Marine industry, solar ventilation is standard. They have fabulous 3" & 4" vent fans that come with their own solar panel and batteries. These fans run 24hs a day by using the solarpanel during the day and rechargeable batteries at night. They are quiet and made for boats so they do not leak. I installed one in the bathroom, replacing the 12v fan which was noisy and a power hog. Now I have constant ventilation and no power worries.

[SmokelessJoe]

Why is it that marine equipment so often seems better thought out and better made than the RV stuff?

They are both for mobility and travel.

There is a ton of well made stuff in a West Marine catalog that has lots of applicaton in the Airstream world.


Sergei

[Ken J]

I think most would suggest not using silcone on Airstreams. The temp expansion of Aluminum panels will not hold the seal. Silcone is kinda hit and miss - it will stick some places and not others - so vulkem is best because it sticks well and will expand/contract with the alum.

Ken

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

Why is it that marine equipment so often seems better thought out and better made than the RV stuff?

They are both for mobility and travel.

There is a ton of well made stuff in a West Marine catalog that has lots of applicaton in the Airstream world.


Sergei

Price I would bet...servicing would be my second bet. Take an Airstream to Camping World and see if they want to work on it If it had marine grade equipment you would never get it worked on by an RV dealer. FWIW I agree with you and several of my upgrades are from the marine segment.

Aaron

[topazken]

Originally Posted by Ken J

I think most would suggest not using silcone on Airstreams. The temp expansion of Aluminum panels will not hold the seal. Silcone is kinda hit and miss - it will stick some places and not others - so vulkem is best because it sticks well and will expand/contract with the alum.

Ken

I do not want to pick a fight but I think that what you are saying about silicone is partly true but mostly rumor. Neither Vulkem nor silicone are the master of adhesion. If you really want something to stick, try 3M 5200. Only try it on things you never want to take apart again.

Both Vulkem and silicone rely on flexibility and its use as a "pour in place" gasket. It is the compression of the mated surfaces that keep vulkem and, especially, silicone from leaking.

As Vulkem seems to be the Airstream standard I say, "Go with it." My post about silicone was intended to make the point that despite many claims on the forum, silicone works just fine on aluminum as long as it is natural cure silicone.

For the record, I used silicone to bed the hatches on my yacht. Five years and a trip around the world ( some 30000 plus miles) later and the silicone is still leak free. Silicone, when applied properly, can hold up the the incredible rigors of ocean travel which includes sun, salt, extreme flexing (from freakish storms) and the expansion and contraction of equatorial heat and high latitude cold.

Just my thoughts...

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

Why is it that marine equipment so often seems better thought out and better made than the RV stuff?

They are both for mobility and travel.

There is a ton of well made stuff in a West Marine catalog that has lots of applicaton in the Airstream world.

Sergei

Could it be that they do not seek out some of the lowest cost items to be used in the initial construction?

[jimmickle]

One other thing to watch with silicone is film thickness. It has very low shear strength. If you squeze it down to a thin film, expansion and contracton will break the bond. Keep the film thick and it will give a bit and maintain adhesion. Also, be sure that the surfaces are clean enough to eat off or beter. Silicone will not bond to cured silicone, so clean, clean, clean.

[nickcrowhurst]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

Why is it that marine equipment so often seems better thought out and better made than the RV stuff?Sergei

Sergei, the marine equipment has to endure a far more hostile environment, and it has to be far more reliable. My yacht has been doused in salt spray over the past 30 years. If a switch fails and my auxiliary engine will not start at a critical moment, I can't call AAA and wait comfortably at the roadside. That's why I'm prepared to pay $30 for a switch in my yacht, whereas I might pay $3 for a switch for an Airstream. The manufacturers will respond accordingly in the standard of the finished articles.
Nick.