[tortoisecampervans]

I just installed a Ventline Vanair vent in my van! I did not want to worry about long term leaks so I spent a lot of time coming up with a solution. What I did was made a die to raise a flat circle on the top of the roof. that way, all of the bolt holes would sit "high" and not down in a trough. I raised a round section about 8" in diameter over one of the raised ribs. Using 4 C-Clamps, I was able to raise the surface about 0.2", just enough to make the flat surface. There was some cracking of the paint at the apex, so I sanded primed and painted the surface. All of the cracks would be under the silicone sealant, but I wanted to prevent any future problems. I replaced the on/off switch with a PWM switch that I found on eBay ($5). I have slept with it several nights with no condensation and have been running it at about 4-6 volts. I'll see if I can add some photos.

 

[pinkman]

Beautiful work!

 

[Pohehe]

This is an excellent idea and execution. Finding a fan the fits otherwise takes you down some strange paths. Thanks for the post!


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[tortoisecampervans]

Quick upate: no leaks or any other issues with the Ventline Vanair. On the very up side, I have taken the van on 2 extended trips. On both trips, the temperature dropped down to freezing and the only insulation that I have is reflectix. I leave the driver side window open about 3/4" and did not get any condensation inside the van walls with two people sleeping inside the van. Additionally, I converted the fan to a PWM switch and was only using at most 3 V. At that level, the fan is extremely quite, never kept me up a bit.

 

[rlepperson]

In the pictures and explanation, you lost me on how you used the C-clamps to elongate the roof? Do you have a video, any additional pictures, or a more detailed set of directions. Love the design.

 

[tortoisecampervans]

The metal plate is the "punch" and is placed on the inside of the van. The cast resin piece is the "die" and sits outside on top of the roof. The C-Clamps are dropped through the hole and I used 3 clamps to press the "punch" into the "die". I pressed the left side first and then the right. It actually took very little force to shape the sheet metal. When I was done, I cut the inside of the "punch" to a complete circle and that is used as the clamping plate to hold the Ventline Vanair fan. Normally, you would use sheet metal screws to attach the fan to the sheet metal on the roof. I wanted to use a backing plate for a more secure mount. Hope that helps.