Correct Rain Vent Cover for Fantastic Fan

Buckster

I realize this has been discussed on the forums, but after reading all the threads, I am still unsure of which vent cover to purchase for our 2022 TAB 320 CS-S. I contacted nuCamp and was told that since they do not install those covers, they do not have a recommendation on what to use. They did confirm that it is a standard 14"x14" fan from Dometic, but when I asked if it was a "no screw" installation, they said that in our 2022, there are 4 screws that hold it in place from the bottom. There are no screws down from the top.

Does anyone know which vent cover would work with the Fantastic fans that have been installed on the 2022 models?

Sharon_is_SAM

This may help.  https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/10337/fantastic-vent-cover

Slackers

And if yours has exterior tabs check this out. https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/8414/plastic-brackets-on-fantastic-fan-vent-lid-ultra-breeze-u1400-cover-installation-title-edited/p1

SLJ

We have this Camco 21015 on our 2021 320S Boondock with the Fantastic Fan: https://amzn.to/37bGWLU

Maxcamp

Our 2021 320 boondock has the Dometic FV1250 fan.  To figure this out had to open it up- the nameplate is on the inner cowling above the screen and blades.  Way to go.

We purchased and installed the MAXXAIR 00-933066 Original Vent Cover-White for $33

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UUMM6K

The supplied instructions were pretty good. Things they don’t tell you:

1. Remove the inner dometic fan assembly which blocks your access to the vertical fan frame that you need to bolt through.  

Remove the inner dometic fan faceplate face (has shaped corners) but not the outer escutcheon.  Five sheetmetal screws, small black "lock" knob screw (grab the falling washer under knob), larger black "open" knob screw.  Carefully detach the wiring and set assembly out of the way.

2. carefully climb up on roof from stabilized ladder, padded to protect trailer.  Do not stand on the top two steps of a stepladder!   I wore socks, emptied pockets, and slid around to distribute weight rather than stand on or pinpoint weight on roof.  Act like you're on a glass skylight over a deep drop above the statehouse senate floor.  (Been there...)

3. helper to hand over tools bolts drill and sockets and the vent cover as needed.  Tough to keep everything on sloping roof yourself and maneuver from side to side around the vent.  A canvas bag is handy.

4. Placed vent cover and moved around for optimum position, used sharpie to mark entirety of oval slots on roof.  Centered aluminum L brackets in the oval slots.

4. Mark and drill four holes through rooftop fan frame, helper to feed bolts and wrench-hold their heads while you fasten nuts from outside.  I replaced the supplied hex nuts and split washers hardware with stainless hex cap bolts, flat washers, and nylok nuts.  You need to insert the vertical hold-down carriage bolts into the aluminum L-brackets before you bolt the sides of the L-brackets to the vertical fan frame. 

5. Bolt down the cover to the horizontal L bracket ears.

6. The cover will be gapped the height of the L bracket thickness above the roof. No caulking required.  

7. To reinstall the inner fan guts, I found that the rotating locking mechanism gets pushed roofwards by the shaped fan faceplate, out of reach of its knob screw.  The solution is to gently hand thread a #4 or #6 sheetmetal screw the first few threads, long enough for its head to hang well below the shaped fan faceplate.  Then you can hang on to this screw head and pull the locking mechanism down.  (third pic.) Install the two black knobs before socking down the five faceplate screws, in case you have to restart this step.

8. test fan, raise/lower, and locking operations.

9. I did a garden hose spray test, also had some severe windy rain and hail over several days.  With vent open, no water intrusion.  On five day trip, performed well.

10. Check and recheck that no drilling debris remains to get caught in the fan.  Had to remove and reset inner fan assembly to clear a piece of hard plastic which showed up atop the screen and whirled around with the fan.  Source unclear, it might be from original install.

Hope this proves useful to some.

 

Buckster

Maxcamp8 said:

4. Mark and drill four holes through rooftop fan frame, helper to feed bolts and wrench-hold their heads while you fasten nuts from outside.  I replaced the supplied hex nuts and split washers hardware with stainless hex cap bolts, flat washers, and nylok nuts.  You need to insert the vertical hold-down carriage bolts into the aluminum L-brackets before you bolt the sides of the L-brackets to the vertical fan frame. 

Thank you for taking the time to type out all those directions -- very helpful, Maxcamp8! I'm not sure I fully understand #4 above. When you drilled the four holes through the rooftop fan frame, did those holes go through the TAB roof or is the fan frame inside the 14"x14" opening?

I haven't yet taken my fan apart so when I do that it might be more clear. @Slackers: I was able to check and ours does not have any exterior tabs.  It appears (after they screwed it in place from the bottom), they sealed everything externally with Dicor sealant.

Buckster

After watching this, I think I now understand what you were describing, Maxcamp8. Does this installation mirror what you did? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R79pmxmElBk

Maxcamp

Drill horizontally through 14x14 plastic fan curb/ sleeve which projects above roof.  No roof penetrations needed for this install 

Buckster

Update: I just finished installing a MaxAir II Smoke Vent Cover @Maxcamp8: Thanks for all the tips! Very helpful! 

Slackers

It looks good.  Had our '19 not had the plastic tabs, we would have installed the same.