No stove exhaust fan....

[Becky B.]

My Bambi II didn't come with an over the stove exhaust fan installed. Does it need one? I'm going to be planning/redoing the interior of her soon & wondered if I should install one along with the refrigerator vent since the stove will be on top of the fridge?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Becky,

IMHO, I wouldn't bother in the Bambi, if you have a ceiling vent fan I would think you would be fine.

Plus Iv'e tried six ways from Sunday to quiet ours down without much success.
And you really don't want to put her under the knife do 'ya?

[Becky B.]

I'll be putting in an a/c in the ceiling vent. Would an open window suffice? And no, I don't really want to cut another hole for a vent!

[TG Twinkie]

It has been my experience that they (stove vents) don't work all that well. They are mounted too high above the cooking surface to draw a reasonable amount of cooking fumes. About the only thing they're good for is making a lot of noise.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, one way or another, it still needs to vent; Preferably upward.

[overlander63]

Just opening a window should be sufficient, though I'm with Bob on the point it really should have a dedicated vent of some kind. I forget if the stove on the Bambi II is in the rear like the Bambi, or if it's on the side.

[dlb435]

Our old 72 Safari had the vent fan over the stove. It worked very well when all of the parts were clean and opperating well.
Our new Safari does not have the vent fan over the stove. We just open the Fantastic Fan and run it while cooking. Not as good but it's OK.
Airstream eliminated the vent fan over the stove for two reasons:
1- Cooking habits have changed, most people are not cooking as much in the trailer as they used too.
2- It helps keep the cost and weight of the trailer down.
Adding a stove vent fan is an interesting idea but you have to consider if it's worth it. Just how many big meals will you be fixing in the trailer?
The only change to our cooking habits without the stove vent fan is to avoid frying foods. We try to use the microwave/convection oven as much as possible.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Just opening a window should be sufficient, though I'm with Bob on the point it really should have a dedicated vent of some kind. I forget if the stove on the Bambi II is in the rear like the Bambi, or if it's on the side.

On my Bambi II (which was #3) there was no side vent from what I can see. There are no holes for a vent anywhere. I was thinking, if I need one, of running it up the same vent as the refrigerator. I'm very limited on where I can place the stove & it's going to be on top of the fridge. I have a vent in my '86 & agree that they make tons of noise. But mine does remove a lot of heat up it. I wonder if I could put in a fan (like they used in the 50's kitchens) directly behind the stove & in the existing vent that goes up the wall?

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

On my Bambi II (which was #3) there was no side vent from what I can see. There are no holes for a vent anywhere. I was thinking, if I need one, of running it up the same vent as the refrigerator. I'm very limited on where I can place the stove & it's going to be on top of the fridge. I have a vent in my '86 & agree that they make tons of noise. But mine does remove a lot of heat up it. I wonder if I could put in a fan (like they used in the 50's kitchens) directly behind the stove & in the existing vent that goes up the wall?

That would probably work, unless the vent is a plumbing vent. The original Bambi's had no vent over the stove, it was pretty much centered in the rear, directly under the back window.

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

On my Bambi II (which was #3) there was no side vent from what I can see. There are no holes for a vent anywhere. I was thinking, if I need one, of running it up the same vent as the refrigerator. I'm very limited on where I can place the stove & it's going to be on top of the fridge. I have a vent in my '86 & agree that they make tons of noise. But mine does remove a lot of heat up it. I wonder if I could put in a fan (like they used in the 50's kitchens) directly behind the stove & in the existing vent that goes up the wall?

If you cut into the vent from the fridge you could then fill the trailer with CO from the fridge burner. Your should have a window on one side of the stove and the door on the other side. Setting an Endless Breeze in front of the window when cooking should do the job without cutting any holes. These are great fans and we use ours a lot.

[deauxrite]

We went the other way. After full timing in our 27 Safari for three years, I removed the vent fan and hood and patched the hole. Since then, we have noticed no difference without the fan or hood. We are careful of what we cook inside and we use our fantastic fan and windows to keep the odors and moisture under control. It works fine.

[Becky B.]

Decision made....no fan! It's so small in there that if I open the windows, it'll probably be fine. If I'm going to cook something for a long time, I'll use the Coleman outside. Thanks for the imput (and especially the fact that CO from the fridge burner could be a factor!) One less project in the whole scheme of things!

[wasagachris]

Becky I wouldn't worry about it at all. A clean burning flame produces Carbon Dioxide, the same thing you exhale while breathing. The only time a burner will produce Carbon Monoxide is if it doesn't have enough Oxygen to mix with the propane during the combustion process. As long as you don't cook long enough to use up all the oxygen inside the trailer you won't have any problems.

[SoCalStreamr]

Our stove hood fan and vent work very well. They definately help take the cooking fumes and excess heat away.

Admittedly with a 19' cranking the FF out with the rear hatch open makes the hood fan somewhat redundan but I doubt this will be the case in all climates and instances.