Maxxfan roofvent replacement

WilliamA

I just got around to ordering a Maxxfan roof vent and will be installing it this coming week. According to Etrailer, it should be here by Wednesday. I'll be doing a write-up. Stay tuned....

WilliamA

LuckyJ

Curiois about this. Will be following like always!

rfuss928

The toughest chore when changing my fan to a MaxxFan Deluxe was removing the cured silicone sealant from around the roof opening left from the old fan.
We have been very satisfied with the change.
Favorite features:
Built in rain cover yet low profile when closed.
10 speeds with automatic thermostatic control.
Have fun...........

larry64801

Is the MaxxFan Deluxe quieter in operation? I like the rain protection and low profile look.

rfuss928

It is almost silent on the low speeds. Also, the speed auto adjusts with the temperature difference so it slows and eventually turns off as the evening cools off.
Very low power consumption on the low speeds.

Michigan_Mike

https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/5008#Comment_5008

I found that the best way to remove old silicone sealant from around the vent opening area (and other areas like sinks, bath tubs, etc.) was to generously apply the product Goo-Gone (spray it on) directly to all areas containing silicone, let it work for 15-20 minutes and remove it with a plastic or metal scraper. Several applications of this product will make this job easy and you could also finish things off with a razor blade mounted removal tool (using care not to damage the trailer paint) to remove trace amounts of silicone or lap sealant used.

Once the mess is removed and the area is free of the silicone sealant, spray some Windex around the area to clean it up and you could also use rubbing alcohol on a cloth or the alcohol wipes to prepare the surface for the new hood installation.

For roof vents and Fantastic Vents, etc. I like using the lap sealant style striping to create a nice seal and use the liquid and self-leveling style lap sealant in the tube to seal up the screws and make things water tight.

rfuss928

@Michigan_Mike said:
https://teardrop-trailers.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/5008#Comment_5008
I found that the best way to remove old silicone sealant from around the vent opening area (and other areas like sinks, bath tubs, etc.) was to generously apply the product Goo-Gone (spray it on) directly to all areas containing silicone, let it work for 15-20 minutes and remove it with a plastic or metal scraper. Several applications of this product will make this job easy and you could also finish things off with a razor blade mounted removal tool (using care not to damage the trailer paint) to remove trace amounts of silicone or lap sealant used.
Once the mess is removed and the area is free of the silicone sealant, spray some Windex around the area to clean it up and you could also use rubbing alcohol on a cloth or the alcohol wipes to prepare the surface for the new hood installation.
For roof vents and Fantastic Vents, etc. I like using the lap sealant style striping to create a nice seal and use the liquid and self-leveling style lap sealant in the tube to seal up the screws and make things water tight.

Like I said, "The toughest chore...............

WilliamA

Ugggh... I'm behind and need to get some things caught up. I've been a bit under the weather of late so it's been slow going. Here's the roof-vent thread now that I have that dropped in the hole. I have more work to do on this yet but it's in and secure so I'll get that much posted. I still have to tidy up things inside and put another round of caulk on the roof once the first batch has time to dry.

Taking out the old vent was pretty much a 15 minute job. I was surprised to find that there are no fasteners holding it to the roof. I suppose I should have seen that before but no matter. It's actually sandwiched into the roof by the garnish ring so it can't go anywhere. Just caught me off guard to see no screws. Whatever....
I pulled up the caulk and then used a single-edged razor blade to start things getting loose. I then went inside and removed the garnish ring, lid knob, lock lever and dropped down the motor to expose the wires. Back up top, I took a 4 inch sheetrockers knife (putty knife) and worked along the vent to release the butyl tape/caulk under the vent. Once that was loose, I flopped it out of the hole and cut the wires to the fan. The brown wire you see going around the hole is the wire for my porchlight LED's. It runs around the circumference of the fan.

Here's the tool I used to get things started. I just worked all the way around the vent with it to start the process of releasing the sticky goo from the roof. I did the remaining coaxing/prying with the sheetrock knife. It lifted right out. I then used the razor blade to scrape off the remaining caulk and sticky....

Here's the underside of the vent so you can see the tape/caulk that holds it in place. It's solid in there so taking some time and gently coaxing is the rule of the job. Not bad, but takes a bit of patience.

Once the old is out, I dropped in the new mounting ring. It fit the hole with about 3/8" of slack in both directions: forward/back and side/side. To get the thing centered, I simply pushed it to one side, marked the roof with a pencil, then pushed it the other way and made another mark. I did that fore/aft and side/side. Once I had my limit marks, I pulled up the mounting ring and made a mark between the two pencil marks for center. Rather than just mash the screws in with a drill/driver, I elected to carefully drill each hole with a 7/64" bit. I first drilled one hole on the side and one on the back, then inserted 2 screws. Once the 2 screws were snug, I marked all of the rest of the holes and took the ring back off, then drilled everything. The spacing of the holes in the ring ends up with the screws on the very outside edge of the 3/4" ceiling aluminum frame. It was close, but all of the holes went into the square aluminum tubing. If I had not carefully centered the mounting ring, I'd have missed the tubing on one side or the other. It's got to be exactly in the center or that means you'd have to redrill the mounting ring with new holes further in.
If you look closely here, you can see my pencil lines I used to get exact center for the mounting ring.

A near-miss that I didn't catch until I'd already drilled the hole. The fan wiring comes in from the left side of the trailer exactly where the left side center screw goes into the mounting ring. I lucked out and didn't drill the wiring. To be safe, I slid a piece of shrink-tubing over both wires into the aluminum frame hole and left the center-left screw out of the mounting ring. Dodged that bullet. As with everything else in this trailer, there's not enough wire to pull a bit out and repair should that be necessary.

Once I had it all drilled, I put a bead of silicone caulk on the mounting ring and screwed it into the hole. That's the easy part. Once the mounting ring is on and solid, it's a bit of frustration to drop the assembly into the mount and then get the 4 stainless screws into the mounting ring. You need to push down pretty hard to get the holes to line up and I didn't have enough hands for the job. I just kept working at it carefully trying different combinations of screws until I got them all started. Once they go in once, they will line up easily. I took it back out to make sure things were where they needed to be and put it back in. The second time, it dropped right in. I also had a bit of trouble keeping the wiring from the fan out of the space between the mounting ring and fan. I finally dropped the new wires down into the hole, then hung a roll of masking tape on them to keep them from wandering out into the mounting ring while I got it all secured. That worked.

I turned it on with the remote (more on that later) and it started up and the lid opened as it should. I spent some time trying different settings and my initial-initial reaction is that it's QUIET!!!!!! I set it to 10% and couldn't hear it running. Same thing at 20%, 30%. I REALLY like that! As to my initial reaction for the settings, I have to save that for getting to know it a bit better save to say that there are a lot of settings and figuring them all out will take a bit of poking. I couldn't figure out how to get the fan to run with the dome closed and couldn't figure out how to shut the fan off but keep the dome open until I'd re-read the manual. I have not spent much time with it, but the remote is a bit of a disappointment thus far. I need to be directly underneath the fan with the remote for it to work. I was hoping I could leave it in the wall cradle and run it from there but that doesn't look to be an option. It seems that anything more than 10% off the centerline of the fan and the remote won't work. I'll play with it a bit and see what I can work out. Next order of business is to get the trim ring cut to height and do the finish detail inside, then another bead of caulk around the outside. I don't like doing 2 beads of caulk at a time because it makes it nearly impossible for the inside bead to properly set up.

But the main problem is solved. It's quiet and I am in love with the automatic dome. I'll get into the good and the bad and why I selected this one more later but for now, it's got my attention in a good way. I did a very quick amperage test and it appears to be pulling about 1/2 an amp on the two lowest settings. I'll get into more detail on what that means with the cowbell fans but for now, it's a good thing.

Oh, by the way, it's almost exactly the same height closed as the old one.

More later.

WilliamA

BBsGarage

So how many remotes do you have for this trailer?

WilliamA

I currently have 2. The fan and the Jensen TV. I rarely ever use the TV remote, so functionally speaking, just the fan remote.
WilliamA

larry64801

Thanks William for the pictures and step-by-step description. I will probably upgrade mine as well.

WilliamA

@BBsGarage said:
So how many remotes do you have for this trailer?

Rereading this post and a few others (sorry Jay. I'll get that info this morning) to see what I had promised to address and haven't yet, I chuckled yet again at BB'sGarage question. It would seem that my secret dedication to gadgetry is not so secret! Oh well... It's true...

As for the rest of the story on roof vents. I have really disliked the O.E. Roof fan since I got the trailer. This is no slam on NuCamp. The stocker did what it was designed to do without complaint for a year and a half. The biggest complaint I had with it wasn't the noise but the anemic, weak, plastic lid that would soften in warm weather and then droop, preventing it from sealing properly. I fixed that by finding a polycarbonate dome that was much more rigid. But it was still waaaayyyy to powerful and loud on the lowest setting and leaked when open in the rain. I had purchased a rain cover for the one on my LG but it was so ugly and bulbous that it looked like a hernia up there. I refused to even mount it on the T@G. I spent too much time researching roof vents and in the end, it came down to 3 options:
1. Put a pwm controller on the stock fan.
2. Get a 10 speed pwm upgrade kit for the stock Fantastic Fan.
3. Get the Maxxfan and take the entry fee like a man, crying like a little girl and rubbing my billfold.

At the end of the day, there's really only one viable option so far as profile, noise and rain mitigation goes and that's the Maxxfan. Once I'd determined that, it came down to the question of manual or automatic. I mulled that over for a month and decided that the automatic one was, for me, the best option. I don't really care much about the remote but getting the remote is the only way to get the automatic temperature control so there it is.
The decision, in this case anyway, was to just get the one that solved all of the issues in one unit. In all fairness, though it pains me to say so, the most expensive option turns out to be the best option.
I can set the temperature and go fishing if I want without fear of coming back to a waterlogged mess. I can leave the windows closed and the fan on low and the fan will circulate air thanks to my re-plumbed cowbells for inlet air. I haven't had the opportunity yet to do much testing but it's safe to say that for my money, it's the best, easiest option.
I still don't care for the complicated remote and would have liked it much better if the Maxxfan folks had added an "off" setting at the low end of the fan settings instead of trying to turn off without automatically closing the dome. I may yet simply add a switch to shut off the fan without having to coax it to stop without closing the dome. Other than that glaring problem, I'm rating it as a huge win. Just the weatherproof dome is a big improvement and the fan itself is as good (quiet) a unit as you can get off the shelf.
Though it pains me to say, I doubt I could have spent my problem-solving dollars more wisely...

WilliamA

tagurit

On the other hand, we stuck on a vent cover last year before an extended trip that has worked perfectly, wasn't sure about the look but have come to like it, kind of a rocket or shark fin vibe. Think it helps that we are all gray and black. Installed a PWM controller last month and very happy how it came out. All for a total of $35.

Fourman110

I really love the detail and thought process provided WillamA. Looks like I could probably slid through a regular height garage door again. How’d you do your roof work without putting weight on the roof? I’m concerned about my stealthy 230 lbs frame on the T@G frame.

WilliamA

Actually, I did the entire (outside portion) thing from one side except for putting in the 2 screws on the opposite side. My trailer is tall at 83" but I just leaned a stepladder against it and no worries. For putting in the opposite side mounting screws, I just stood on the tire. I'm tall so that helps. No climbing on the roof required. It was an easy reach off the ladder.
WilliamA

WilliamA

@tagurit said:
On the other hand, we stuck on a vent cover last year before an extended trip that has worked perfectly, wasn't sure about the look but have come to like it, kind of a rocket or shark fin vibe. Think it helps that we are all gray and black. Installed a PWM controller last month and very happy how it came out. All for a total of $35.

Well, I'm dang sure envious of the money you "didn't" spend! That's a whole summer's worth of fish bait! Lol
It depends too on a few other things like where you store your trailer (height, etc) and how steady the monsoons are locally. We get plenty of that up here. I had a vent cover but found it would occasionally rain in if the wind was right. Many combos and variables for that. I also do a fair bit of cold-weather camping (below freezing) and use my roof vent with the furnace to prevent moisture accumulation. As I said, lots to consider.
That "Mini" graphic is da bomb!
WilliamA

WilliamA

It's quite warm out today so a perfect opportunity to try and do some things with the new fan. I checked the inside temp of the trailer and it showed 85 degrees against an outside temp in the mid-70's. I opened both side windows, turned the fan to auto and set the temp to 78 degrees, which is the default setting for the auto mode. Then I sat back and waited. The fan came on and the dome opened as per contract. After about 10 minutes (I didn't time it) the fan had slowed down to the point that I couldn't hear it run outside. I poked my head in and the temp inside the trailer and the temp was 79. The fan was running but at 10%.
I turned the fan to manual and turned the speed up to 60%, then closed the windows and doors. I checked inlet flow at the cowbells and it was drawing in fresh air quite nicely. So I can get my trailer cool and keep it there with the windows and doors closed. Nice.
I was able (accidently) to get the dome to stay open with the fan off, but don't know how I did it and can't repeat it. It has something to do with the auto/manual setting and temp. I think that if I turn it to auto, turn the temp down below what is showing on the remote dashboard, then let the fan turn off, then turn it from auto to manual, the fan will go off and the dome will stay open. I'm not particularly impressed with the goat circus of steps to get there. I'll work on it....

More use=more data. Therefore, I must go camping...

WilliamA

LuckyJ

Lol, on my way back to work today, I saw that our lakes are just begining to brake the ice they have on them. That is about 300 ft elevation from sea level. Lol

Fourman110

This mods definitely on my list. Thanks for sharing your process and experience.

WilliamA

It occurred to me that I haven't posted an "after" photo of the trim ring. Here it is. I removed the knob and have it tucked away but handy should it be needed.

WilliamA

WilliamA

Well, don't I feel foolish. I did a bit of cleaning this morning and was determined to work out how to have the dome open and fan off. Turns out, all one needs to do is start from dome closed, then hit the "Dome Open/Close" button once. Not that I deserve any slack but it doesn't really say that anywhere in the book. My own propensity to complicate things is autonomous and needs constant supervision.
WilliamA

WilliamA

As a project post-script, I thought I'd share this:
I was out in the yard doing my domestic chores yesterday (mowing and lawn maintenance).
I had set my Maxxfan to "auto" with the temperature set at 75 in the trailer. While filling the mower with gas, my trailer vent opened and the fan kicked on. I mowed the lawn, then checked the temp in the trailer to find the vent had closed and temp was 73. Nice! Something about that is both pleasing and hilarious to me. Now that I have digested the manual a number of times and familiarized myself with all the functions (and see that it all works) I am doubly pleased with my decision to go with the Maxxfan.

WilliamA

Sharon_is_SAM

Yes, they are really nice fans and quite an upgrade from the stock Fantastic Fan. We have one in our TaB and share your enthusiasm!

willbingham1

WilliamA, good install on Maxx fan. I am going the same route, but wondered what silicon caulk you used on your install. Did you use the rubber buttal tape for under roof mount for fan as well as silicon the edges and screws? Some are using dicore self leveling but I see that mostly on rubber roof membranes not fiberglass. Appreciate you advice. Thanks. Bill

LuckyJ

@willbingham1 said:
.......on rubber roof membranes not fiberglass. Appreciate you advice. Thanks. Bill

Just for info, the outside skin of the T@G roof is not fiberglass, but aluminium. I got some rubbing on mine, and it resulted in a shinny bright aluminium surface.

willbingham1

Thanks, LuckyJ. Still wonder about best sealant around replacement for Fantastic Fan for a Maxxair. I will use rubber butal under top flanges. But after that what to seal screws on flange and flange edges. Bill

WilliamA

@willbingham1 said:
WilliamA, good install on Maxx fan. I am going the same route, but wondered what silicon caulk you used on your install. Did you use the rubber buttal tape for under roof mount for fan as well as silicon the edges and screws? Some are using dicore self leveling but I see that mostly on rubber roof membranes not fiberglass. Appreciate you advice. Thanks. Bill

My caulking technique is much simpler than most (and also probably not recommended by any manufacturer). I just use white, siliconized latex caulk for everything. I buy the standard, household size tube for "homework" and have 2 travel-size tubes in my toolbox at all times. I dont use tape, just a healthy bead of caulk, plop the vent on and screw it down, then after a couple of days to let that set up, another bead around the perimeter and on the screwheads. I "DO" constantly check my caulk lines for de-lamination weekly. A lifetime of building and repairing stuff has taught me:
It's not what you do....It's what you check afterward that keeps things working.

In the words of the author Chinua Achebe: "All Things Fall Apart".

WilliamA

Fourman110

Inspired by WilliamA, I’ve started the project. So far the most time consuming parts were fanangaling the Aeroflo off and adjusting the roof crossbars/awning (had the cross bars too close to the vent). Trying to get the first bracket mounted, bolted and sealed tonight but it’s 930 already and I hear beer calling.......

Fourman110

Thanks again for the inspiration. I’ve got everything buttoned up and wow what a difference! Turned out I didn’t need to make the adjustment to my crossbars/awning, once I realized I had test fit it backwards (another good tip, don’t do a project when you’re tired...).

Some additional thoughts for those upgrading to this fan....

1. The painters tool previously mentioned really helps clean up the surfaces. I used a dab of goo gone to clean up what was left. NuCamp did a really high quality caulking job and that made it easier to remove. I used the pointed end of the tool to get things going then scraped at an angle to pry the caulking off.
2. I used butyl tape and self leveling caulking for my install. After screwing everything down I used the corner of the painters tool vertically to cut off the squeezed out butyl (it kind of lifts up the rest of the squeezed out tape and makes it easier to cleanly lift out the remains. I doubled my tape at the front end to help level it. I’m not sure I’d do that again as he plastic base mount deflected a little inward when I tightened the screws.
3. I really like the self leveling caulk. Makes even a crumby thick job look better. While I was up high I noticed the caulking on the top of my stargazer needed some help. I checked this spring but apparently not as well as I should have. Easy enough to add now and I recommend you check out caulking while you are there anyway. Level your trailer or better raise it up on the front to help keep the caulk from running too far.
4. I struggled getting the unit mounted on the base plastic. It helped to get one side on the push it towards the other side. This is likely do to item #2.
5. My biggest struggle.....the trim ring. I recommend painters tape to hold it in place then spot drill and screw holes. I tried marking with a marker and left marker on my trim. Also, it would be helpful to use another screw to screw the ring on just to get the threads started. Then back it out and put the real screw in. I somehow bent a drill bit, then the next closest size made it really tough to install the screws, stripping the heads of two of them. Also handy to have a white painting pen to touch everything up with.

Well worth it all. Thanks again WilliamA.

willbingham1

Thanks, WilliamA. With your pics, narrative, and advice my Maxx went in like a dream. I did have to drill two new screw holes on either side of TAG power wire to add to other screw holes rather than take chance of screwing intl TAG power leads. Also substituted shorter screws for fan mount to avoid using long supplied screws. I only wanted to drill on top side of aluminum frame around fan and not all the way through. Used your centering method, great. Used rubber buttal tape under fan frame and light grey latex/silicon like caulk for outside edges of frame and screw tops. Will check for leaks camping this weekend. I shortened wire lead on fan almost too much. Recommend not shortening for others. Trim ring inside trailer with hit metal frame for it's screws. Very sturdy. Used jig saw to cut the trim frame. Pushed it up, in and marked to get exact measurements for trimming and then measured from trim ring back to mark excess. Fit like glove. Then with fingers crossed I rolled trailer out my garage door with fan mounted and I had exactly one inch to spare on clearance out! My goodness was that close but it was what I had measured prior to purchase of Maxxair fan. Their measurements supplied are right on spec. Also, clearance rearward for my Yakima rack rear bar is a little over an inch. Another close one. Fan is quieter in low speeds and is very flexible as to it's use. Much superior to Fantastic Fan and keeps in use on rainy days. Bought mine for $279 through Amazon. Well worth the extra expense. Bill

WilliamA

Bill,

Glad it worked for you and I was able to help you steer clear around the traps. Really just the avoiding the power wire and putzing about to cut the trim ring. I cut mine (slowly) with a small handsaw that has a metal blade in it. It's not hard to cut but it's hard to hold while doing so. 2 people would make it much easier.

WilliamA