Range hood

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by windfallsp

Hmmm. If Airstream thought a range hood was so absolutely essential, they shouldn't have installed the curbside awning over the exterior vent for the range hood when they built our 1985 Classic 345 MH.

Since our pristine range hood is inoperable, we're always careful to at least crack a window when using the stovetop. We also don't cook anything indoors that's likely to permeate drapes, upholstery. etc. with strong cooking odors.

Art

But, if Airstream installed it on the raod side, the same issue would prevail, since many owners install roadside awnings as well.

Andy

[windfallsp]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

But, if Airstream installed it on the raod side, the same issue would prevail, since many owners install roadside awnings as well.

Andy

Andy ~

In the Classic 345, the stove is on the curbside. (The stove moves to the roadside on the shorter models.) The problem is not where the vent is located, lt's where the awning] was mounted.

The location of the awning shroud physically prevents the exterior vent cover from opening. The stove vent motor works fine (and why not? it's never been used!), but it has no way to evacuate the air to the exterior. This, of course, makes it utterly useless as a range hood.

Take a close look at photos of 1985 345s and you'll observe that some awnings are properly mounted above the awning shroud, but some -- like ours -- have the awning mounted low enough to cover the upper edge of the vent cover, preventing the cover from opening.

As we say around here, "It's an Airstream thing." <g>

Art

[KAYAKAMPERS]

My two cents worth - fix it so you have it if you need it.

Actually, if you have ever been in a house that did NOT use a vent hood over their stove, you will usually see signs of the cooking on the ceiling. The cabinets over my cooktop in my house were gummy when we bought the house because the previous owners did not use the vent. Also, there was a ceiling fan (like your fans in the Airstreams) which moved around the cooktop's hot air and we had a nice greasy looking circle on the ceiling. As for our Airstream, whose cooktop vent fan is not working currently, the ceiling has that same feel to it as I have been cleaning it since we bought it. Just a little sticky all over.

I tend to side with Andy in that there is a reason it was put into an Airstream which is the same reason they were put into home kitchens. On our Argosy we just sold, we always used that noisy vent fan and it opened fine underneath our beautiful ZipDee awning. It was noisy but it took care of all of those smells and moisture that comes from cooking.

Just my 2cents worth.

[solarjames]

My other idea worked, I bought a DC to DC converter and slowed down the speed of the fan that way. It is made by meanwell around $45, there is an adjustment screw on the meanwell, when I adjust it you can run the fan at any speed you want. It is not good for constantly adjusting, I am going to put a by-pass switch inline so I can give it either full volts or adjusted volts. I forget the part number, 12-25 SD or something???

Originally Posted by TKNELLE

solarjames,
Thanks for the comments. I contacted the US distributor for the Baraldi Swing Pro hoods regarding the topic of slide type dimmer / fan motor rpm control switches & got no help. Suggested he contact the Italian manufacture on topic - no response in over two years.
He did tell me the fans are quiet at about 56db sound level -- yea right. That would make the fan quieter than my Honda Handi 3kw generator!
Let us know regarding your other "idea".
Regards,
TKNELLE
Alamo, CA

[Boxite]

KayaKampers makes a valid point: Without a range hood...the huge amount of humidity created by cooking remains in the coach... Not good.

Get a range hood and vent fan and USE IT, IMO.