Vent fan installation

crowsnest

Can I climb on the roof to replace fans? Can more than one person be there?

rfuss928

No, no.

crowsnest

So how do you replace the fan?

pthomas745

What fan? What year and model trailer?  Lots of people have installed "fans", but "climbing on the roof" is an issue.  There are threads, but a little more info will help.

crowsnest

2018 Tab 400. Replacing fantastic fan and bathroom fan 

Horigan

I've replaced my main fan by putting a large folded towel down on the roof with the towel folds matching the curvature of the 400 to some degree, then put a wide board on that (1' x 3').  Sat on that with my feet over the edge while I turned around and did the upper installation work.  No damage to roof whatsoever.  The bathroom fan can be done from a ladder.

manyman297

If you install the maxxair fan you can install it through the hole in the roof. I did a post of my experience installing it but I can’t find the link. The only time you need to stretch across the roof is to tighten the screws that hold the fan to the trim/shroud on the left side. Just put down a bunch of blankets on the roof and you’ll be fine. 

AnOldUR

I got lazy on this upgrade and had Miller in PA install ours. Absolutely no regrets. They did a great job. Very impressed with the sealing job.

It has me wondering @manyman297. How hard would be to seal the fan working through the hole?

crowsnest

I agree. Putting on the sealant has to be done from the top

RTWCTS

@crowsnest We recently installed a Dometic cover over our living area fan(2023 400). Working on the passenger side was easy enough from an 8' step ladder. Since the fan is offset on the roof, I had to lay quite a bit of weight on to the roof to reach from the driver side. Can't fathom doing your task myself with the amount of time the actual replacement would take (I'm too old and fat). I know our bathroom fan is different, but ours seemed easy enough to reach from the ladder. Looking forward to learning of your solution!

manyman297

@AnOldUR The hardest part about sealing the fan through the roof hole (assuming body size isn’t an issue) is removing the fan component. Even then it’s not hard if you have the height. Just unscrew the interior screws, remove the exterior screws holding the fan housing onto the fan base (reaching across the driver’s side could be hard to impossible depending on your height…long screwdriver is a necessity). From
there you should be able to tip the fan housing with wires attached our and onto the roof. Then you can poke your head out from the top and have an up-close view or what you’re doing. 

Your install looks good but keep an eye on those screws. They don’t look like they have a thick coat of lap sealant on them. If they did everything right you still have butyl tape under the flange to act as a backup for leaks but in my experience those thin spots of lap sealant will crack within a year.