Fantastic Fan Upgrade to 7350 - dramatic improvement in efficiency

Denny16

Sounds like a plan.  Try to find a 12VDC version of the fan, will draw even less juice.
cheers

johnfconway

jkjenn said:

TerryV6 said:

@jkjenn,
did you ever get your fan to reverse directions?

Nope!

@jkjenn I wonder if we are the lucky ones who got a compromised circuit board? I called Dometic (and also sent Tech a message). They said they had a call the day before from someone with the same "no reverse" situation. Though I hated to do it, I partially pulled assembly apart and put the jumper back on - based on their suggestion. Still no go on inward draw. At least default is preferred outward draw.

If/when Tech answers message, we'll see if they have any other "tricks". They cite 5 features right on the box. Reverse is one of them. If circuit board is indeed compromised, they need to offer 20% back off of price paid.

ChrisFix

They say the third time's the charm...and so it has been with getting a FV807357 (https://www.etrailer.com/RV_Vents_and_Fans/Fantastic_Vent/FV807357.html) from etrailer that was actually a new, in the factory packaging, unit. And lo and behold, the screen doesn't have a hole in it!!
Having received this one, with all the parts properly packaged and not rattling around loose in the box confirms the first two orders were indeed returns - which kind of torques me that etrailer is willing to sell them as new - particularly given just how expensive this kit is for what you're really getting.
That being said, I look forward to installing this one and I'm hoping it works as good as it looks...

mrdeepfryguy

@chrisfix   Which fan model are you upgrading from ? Is it the 1450 ? I have got conflicting info from etrailer and my dealer as to which upgrade kit to use. My fan also has the notched corners, and the email I received from etrailer referenced a kit without notches. More than a little confused here! Looking forward to your posts on a successful install.

ChrisFix

@mrdeepfryguy
I'm upgrading whatever model is installed new by NuCamp for the 2021 model year 400. The existing fan has the notched corners, as does the upgrade kit I linked to.
I know from prior kits I received that it physically fits perfectly in the existing fan housing.

Denny16

It is the same fan and upgrade kit I used on our 2018 TaB 400, worked great.
cheers

johnfconway

You can trim the corners to fit and save $50.00. There is no other difference. How eTrailer got exclusive rights to pick our pockets we'll never know.

riooso

Trimming with a round Dremel Sanding drum that about 1/2" drum works very nicely to make it fit the rounded posts at the corners. I had to also relocated the electronics. I simply love this upgrade since I can reverse the fan and have it blow down through the ceiling and out the back and change everything from my bed.

mrdeepfryguy

Thanks to everyone 

TerryHutchinson

I don't take delivery on my new 320 S until November, but I do plan to do a lot of boondocking with it.  Obviously keeping battery  usage efficient is important.  Being a bit of a contrarian, I don't really want more than a 3 speed fan . . . and I resent that Dometic would drive me to one by making the 3 speed so inefficient.  I am going to just stick a 5 ohm 10W resister in line with the ground and slow the fan down overall and cut power consumption.

ChrisFix

@TerryHutchinson
Better yet, do this and have a variable speed fan for little $$...

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/7200/variable-speed-pwm-ceiling-fan-mod-10-bucks/p1

TerryHutchinson

ChrisFix said:

@TerryHutchinson
Better yet, do this and have a variable speed fan for little $$...

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/7200/variable-speed-pwm-ceiling-fan-mod-10-bucks/p1

Ah, yes, I like it!

johnfconway

@jkjenn

I contacted Dometic Customer Support Center. Let them know that 7350 upgrade kit installation resulted in everything working except fan reverse. Below is reply:

              "It sounds like you need the service kit.  What color is your fan?  For off-white it’s 810132 and white is 810133.  If you can show proof of purchase we can send to you at no charge."

The service kit appears to be the square plastic unit with wiring, circuit board and rain sensor. No arm, lid motor or remote.

It may mean that we were indeed unlucky. Might be worth giving them a shout.

Tabnero

when you upgrade the fan, does the upgrade have lower low speed than the original fan?

Denny16

I did the upgrade about six months ago, the fan with the upgrade mod, runs slower at two-three speed settings from the original slow speed, resulting in a quieter fan when running at the slower speeds.  Also, the reverse still worked.  I did not use the rain sensor, as I have a Hood over the fan, so it can run in the rain.  The mod was installed completely from inside the trailer.
cheers

ChrisFix

Asking this again, as I never did get an answer, and am going to attempt installing my upgrade kit today:

So I have one question for anyone who has installed the upgrade:
-The black wire from the fan - Does that just get tied together with the black wire from the battery and the black wire of the upgrade kit?

The red wire from the fan I know gets connected to the blue & red wire on the upgrade kit.

Thanks in advance and have a great Sunday!

johnfconway

Hoping @Denny16 will chime in as I have no credibility. My installation resulted in everything  working except reversing. Fortunately fan works on outflow, which is how we use it anyway. Think it's a circuit board problem.

Only wires to connect are red/blue to fan red, bullet end white to bullet connector at top, black and white to black and white power supply and lift arm wires from circuit board to lift arm motor wires. I think the black wire from fan went to either the 3-way switch or possibly reverse switch. All of that happens (if you're lucky) from circuit board. I think your unit has "canister" motor, so jumper stays on.

ChrisFix

@johnfconway
Thanks. My fan doesn't have the bullet connector for the white wire at all. And is the smaller pancake motor, so no jumper. 
The Fan Black wire does not come from anywhere on the circuit board, so i tapped  into the incoming ground, on the load side of the fuse.

The fan and lift arm work, but no reverse (blowing out of the camper) - it only blows in - which is the opposite of your situation, and one I'm pretty bummed about. Like you, I primarily use the fan blowing out, which I now can't do at all.

And the general functionality with the remote is very poorly implemented in my setup. 
The power button raises the fan cover, but I have to press the fan reverse button to get the fan to come on...the reverse button acts like a fan on and off button for some reason.
If I press the power button off, the fan cover closes and the fan stays on...with no way to turn it off. I have to turn the power back on and press the reverse button to turn off the fan.

It's barely workable and not nearly worth the $250 it cost. I'm very disappointed in this 'upgrade'.

DenisP

Chris. I upgraded my fan two years and even with the sketchy instructions, I was able to successfully complete it after watching a YouTube. I did have to contact Dometic support due to a noisy fan which they were very responsive. My suggestion would be to contact Dometic for some troubleshooting guidance. 

Two years in and I still very pleased with the upgraded fan. 

Good luck 

Denny16

@ChrisFix You have something wired wrong.  The main circuit board has three wires, red s/blue stripe, black (positive 12VDC and white ground.  The fan motor has a red/blue wire and a white wire.  

1. The red/blue wire goes to the the red (or blue depending on the fan) fan wire.  

This leaves the black wire positive connection and the white negative connection wire on the board.
2.  The white fan wire goes to the dome switch (this turns off the fan when the lid is closed, so it looks like you missed this)
3.  You have a red (or black) and white power lead that went to the old screen frame unit fuse holder and ground connection.  These are the 12VDC power leads, red (black) was attached to the fuse, so connect it to the new fuse holder on the new unit.  The other end of the fuse holder is already connected to the new frame unit.

Recap
* Red/blue stripe wire to the red or blue fan wire 
* white fan wire to dome switch
* red/black power lead to fuse holder on new frame.
Pancake motor — no jumper.

Chris, check that you have made these connections correctly.  If you used the old fan wire w/connector to the fuse, you will have a black wire thst was attached to the new fuse holder left over.  It does not get used.  It was supplied in case your original fuse wire did not have the pull off tab connection, and would have then been spliced to the red/black positive power lead.

Thismis how I connected mine, I did not use the rain sensor. I removed it, you could try unplugging the rain sensor and see if the fan works correctly.
Yiu can open the vent with the remote and the fan will not come on.  You must press manual or auto fan to get the fan on.  When the vent closes, the fan should turn off automatically (dome switch does this).  When using Auto fan, when the set temp range is achieved at the fan unit, it will first s,ow down the fan, then shut off, but my vent remains open.  So when the temp comes above the set temp, the fan can switch back on.  To close the ventcover, you need to use the remote.  I have a fan cover on the top of mine, so leaving the vent door open is no issue even in the rain (which is why I disconnected the rain sensor).

If you have made all these connections and it still is not working correctly, call 1-800 521-0298 or contact etrailer.com distributor, you may have a bad board or remote, they will send you a new replacement part.
cheers

ChrisFix

@Denny16
You're fan kit and mine must be different then.
As well as the fan I'm retrofitting (2021 400)...which doesn't have an open/closed switch on the cover...so the white wire for cover open/closed switch doesn't  get used.
This is the source of some of the use issues, as there isn't a switch to turn the fan off when the cover closes.
That doesn't explain why the fan doesn't operate in reverse however.
The fuse on the new frame is wired with black wires. With white connecting to the 400's white lead, and going directly to the circuit board.
I don't have anything miswired. 
Black to black, white to white, red to blue/red, and the white bullet lead left un-attached.
 
I have a red and black wire from my fan motor. They connect to the blue/red wire in the upgrade kit and to the load side of the black wire at the fuse.

Denny16

OK, sounds like you got it wired correctly Chris.  Mine worked correctly doing this install on a late 2018 Tab400 Fantastic Fan.  

Cheers

ChrisFix

@johnfconway
From your post, it seems like your existing fan has the 'Dome Switch' (which my existing fan does not)...and everything works as it should, except for being able to reverse the fan...is that correct?
I seem to be in the same boat as you and @jkjenn...in that my fan upgrade works (as well as it can without the Dome Switch) except for not being able to reverse.
We seem to be the only ones with this problem, so I'm really hoping the replacement parts you receive fixes that issue.

For anyone looking to perform this upgrade, do check to see if you have the Dome Switch on your existing fan...If not, you may want to reconsider, as the upgrade is seriously hobbled without it.

johnfconway

@ChrisFix

The folks at Dometic service are slow and choose not to read well. I keep telling them that I installed it twice -- once with jumper on and again with it off. It's a pain on the shoulders to do this. Rather than just sending the shroud with circuit board, they send it to yet another technician who tells alerts me to the "motor type and jumper" page and says I need to reinstall. Too bad virtual communication doesn't allow reaching through screen and slapping someone. Jeesh! I'll let you know what happens with this.

Again, not a big deal, but the 3 lowest speeds don't do anything. The 4th lowest speed is still lower and more quiet than the original 1450. That and we go almost nowhere where the wind spins the fan blades faster than the fan's 5th lowest setting!

Polanskyster

My fan upgrade is supposed to arrive Friday.  Looks like it’s going back.  Thanks @ChrisFix for saving me a ton of time.  Was so looking forward to installing this upgrade.

Denny16

@ChrisFix, you could buy a second remote from etrailer.com and see if the new remote gives to reverse.  If not, than the circuit board is bad, and see if etrailer will swap out the kit for you.  Someone else here had similar issues, and went through two units before the third one worked as it should.  The second unit was a previous return shipped out. So there are some bad upgrade kits kicking around. 

@ Polanskyster and Chris
The only electrical component kept from the original fan is the motor, and lack of auto close switch on newer units.  So their is no reason why reverse and slower speeds should not work, regardless it you have a 2021 or a 2018 as in my case. I did the upgrade, and everything worked correctly, all speeds and reverse air flow all work.

cheers

johnfconway

@ChrisFix

Customer Service did finally say they will send an upgrade kit to the 7350 upgrade kit. Just the square plastic shroud with circuit board and wires. I think I will hold on to it as the less than perfect one installed is functional for our needs. That and I've trimmed back the power wires twice, running out of wire to connect to!

Might be worth contacting them?

ChrisFix

@johnfconway @Polanskyster @jkjenn @Denny16
I realize there are different models of the Fantastic Vent that we are starting with and that has been a source of confusion, for me at least.
I had reached out to the forum two times asking where does the Black Fan Motor wire get connected, but never got an answer - because many of you didn't have a Black Fan Motor wire.
But my fan motor has a red wire and a black wire.
The incoming 12V power is Black for 12V+ and White for 12V-.
The fan motor is Red for 12V+ and Black for 12V-
...which was the source of the issues with my install as I had incorrectly assumed Black was 12V+ for all the wiring.
My 2021 T@B 400 (and I believe the 2021 T@B 320s) have a model of Fantastic Vent (1450) without a Dome switch, and I thought that meant the White wire with the bullet connector on the upgrade kit frame simply went unused...but it in fact needs to connect to the Fan Motor Black 12V- wire, so Black connects to White - but in this case it is Ground to Ground.
Without this connection, Reverse does not work, but with it connected, all the speeds work correctly, as does Reverse.
@jkjenn - I see you have a 2021 model, and thought this could be a possible reason why Reverse doesn't work on your fan upgrade kit...or it may be another issue all together.

I only puzzled this out after pulling the fan down again and putting my meter to the connections - Dometic was no help and the instructions for install were even less help.

ChrisFix

I also wanted to say that the low speed settings of the upgraded fan are remarkably quieter than the low speed of the original 3 speed fan, as others have noted. And that the rain sensor works very well - I had the opportunity for it to work twice already when it rained while I was away from the camper and the vent was open. Of course, without the Dome switch, the fan continued to run, but the vent cover was shut and no rain came in...

jkjenn

@ChrisFix my 10 speed Fantastic Fan was in my old (2015 T@b and I don't remember how the wiring worked, unfortunately.