Community Forums

Wingding · 06-28-2009, 09:30 PM

i have noticed 3 fans in my motorhome. 2 are the very nice fantastic fan variety and then there is this 3rd in the bathroom that can be described as less then desired.... [it's a piece of junk]
the rubber seal between the top and the dome is smaller then the area it needs to cover. the screws that are suppose to hold the bottom screen in place dont even hold and are stripped out.
the white plastic dome is broke, which is made extremely flimsy.. i was going to replace it but have had a difficult time finding the maker... jensen name is on it..
when i first checked things out with my literature, it was my thought it was a fantastic company fan like the other 2.. [i really did not check it out]

i called fantastic and ordered a dome.... tried to pay for it but the gentleman said all fantastic fans have lifetime guarantees........ i even told him it was my fault..... still he says .... no problem.....
well, after getting the dome it was pretty quick i realized something was different...
now after careful consideration....... i am deciding as i type that i rather buy a whole kit from a good usa company any day of the week than find out what and where to get that other dome for that piece of junk [jensen] that is there already...
it looks like a little work but appears to be the same opening and i will be able to make a quick clean transition of it...

nothing like a usa company[ if you can find one] that has a great product that they back.....
has anyone else encountered this problem with their bathroom exhaust fan being different from the other two 'fantastic fans' in the kitchen and shower/2nd sink area......

dgerstel · 06-28-2009, 09:50 PM

Wingding,
As far as I know, all Alpines have the "junk" fan in the toilet room. I will probably put a Fantastic fan in some day, not a high priority for me right now. My new coach has Maxxfan/vent's instead of the Fantastic fans, and I am not that happy with them. I will probably replace them with Fantastic fan vents with Maxxair vent covers someday. I have always gotten EXCELLENT service from the Fantastic fan company.

EngineerMike · 06-28-2009, 09:51 PM

When we ordered our 06 it was to come w/3 FF's, but when we got to the factory, Voila!! the piece of junk in the toilet room. After checking the order (who knows about August 2005, it might have been the first time the order was checked, cuz the rig was also missing the SurgeGuard which the factory assured me was there in the frame stage) they pulled installed the FF in nothing flat. Looked like original.
Shouldn't be a problem to change it for the better fan.

Tom and Patty · 06-29-2009, 12:09 AM

I changed our kitchen FF out for a Maxi Vent low profile. I keep it open all the time. Only during a torrential downpour did we get a few sprinkles inside the coach, from the splashing on the roof.

I took the FF from the kitchen and replaced that "pisa" junk fan in the water closet. Now the fan in the water closet is so powerful it sucks the door closed. It can clear the air fast

. Hardest part was pulling the old fan with all the caulking.

Jim A · 06-29-2009, 10:17 AM

All of the vents are designed for a 14x14 opening. One likely difference is the screw hole locations. You will probably need to drill new holes, or use self tapping screws. I replaced my FF fans with the Maxxair fans that could be left open in the rain. They also "lock" open and do not rattle in the wind. I love them for those reasons, but I agree that the FF is probably a better fan. I put one of the old FF in the bathroom, and like Tom said, the air flow is MUCH stronger. You will definitely feel a draft! But the fan is much quieter as well.

When I replaced my fans, the biggest chore was removing the caulking. A good putty knife will work. The caulking is very good, unlike the crap used on the caps. Paint thinner cleans up the caulking residue pretty well.

You will likely have to trim the inside trim piece on a new fan for proper clearance based on the roof thickness. Just follow the installation instructions.

Jim Stewart · 06-29-2009, 10:35 AM

You may want to consider these for your bath vents. It is a vortex fan upgrade kit (looks similar to a fantastic), was relatively easy to install and sucks over 3 times (57 CFM to 179 CFM) the air fo your current fan. You do not need to replace the entire fan and deal with the roof issues.

You do all the work from inside and they are $39.95. Took me about 1/2 hour per fan. You take the 4 screws out of the interior trim and pull it out, pull down on the screen and it falls out, pull the small fan blade off (it just pops off), take two screws out of the motor where it mounts to the crossbar, cut the wires to the motor, rewire the new kit and reinstall. If you have certain types of fans, they have a piece enclosed that you need to use to move the mechanism for the door crank.

Looks good, works good and quiet.

http://www.rvandvansurplus.com/roofv...Vehicletype=RV#

Look midway down the page

Hope this helps

wa8yxm · 06-29-2009, 12:52 PM

Theory has it the hole in the roof for that fan is identical to the hole for a Fantastic or MAXX-Air, 14" square.

THey should be interchangable if you are replacign the whole unit

I have junky fans in the bathrooms too.. One of 'em the motor quit, I replaced the fan with a pair of computer type 12 volt fans. Much more air flow

Next one that fails gets a 4 pack of computer fans

Ted III · 06-29-2009, 07:29 PM

Wing Ding. The RV industry has a lock on that trash fan used in the bathroom. Back in the 70's & 80's we owned 2 Pace Arrows & 1 Sports Coach. Each one had the identical trashy fan that is used today. In the Alpine I changed the bathroom fan to a fantastic fan with the remote and rain sensor. AdventureRV.net $ 219.00. I think Camping World is $ 299.00. For the other two they have a kit that you can change the existing units to the remote style. Wife loves them because she cannot reach any of them without a stool to stand on, but the real plus is you get three more clickers to go with the 15 that you have for TV's!!!!
Anyway they really are a great thing to change and very convenient & quiet.

bigfish · 06-29-2009, 08:35 PM

One of the first DIY projects I did after coach delivery was to replace the junk bath fan with a Surflo Silver series fan, model 275-C0104. It is a variable speed, not just 3 selectable speeds. If I remember right, it was about $110.00. As already stated, the hardest part was removing the old caulking/sealant on the roof after removing the junk fan.
BTF
05 40FDQS

wa8yxm · 06-30-2009, 09:33 AM

Note on Fans.. The Fantastic fan is well named and the customer support after market is on the "Best companies to do business with" list. HOWEVER

You can't have 'em open if it's raining, and today,,, where I"m parked,, it's raining

MAXX-AIR, is a competitor,, their fan can be open in the rain....If I ever upgrade a fan I'll go with the Maxx Air.. but frankly.. I put covers over the bathroom fans.. they work great, I can leave 'em open rain or shine, only had to close one one time (The rain was blowing in from astern) The FF, Well they say do not cover it but I understand someoen makes an extra large cover for it.. I may do that... Some day

Ted III · 06-30-2009, 05:50 PM

The fantastic fan with remote that I installed has a rain sensor and it shuts the vent when water touches the sensor. It works great.

lundy · 06-30-2009, 05:56 PM

just replaced mine with shur-flow; the one on sale at Camping World. Because I had 2 fantastic fans, I chose a multi-speed out-flow only. The total installed cost was $125. It came with sturdy dome. The remote and reverse is nice but not needed. It works great and is 'quiet'. The blades on the old one sheered off!!

takepride · 07-02-2009, 01:05 AM

I think everyone is missing the reason the toilet closet fan is so noisy. It's called a FAR* fan for a reason. It keeps guests in your coach oblivious to your bodily functions.

Jim&MaryJo · 07-14-2009, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Stewart

You may want to consider these for your bath vents. It is a vortex fan upgrade kit (looks similar to a fantastic), was relatively easy to install and sucks over 3 times (57 CFM to 179 CFM) the air fo your current fan. You do not need to replace the entire fan and deal with the roof issues.

You do all the work from inside and they are $39.95. Took me about 1/2 hour per fan. You take the 4 screws out of the interior trim and pull it out, pull down on the screen and it falls out, pull the small fan blade off (it just pops off), take two screws out of the motor where it mounts to the crossbar, cut the wires to the motor, rewire the new kit and reinstall. If you have certain types of fans, they have a piece enclosed that you need to use to move the mechanism for the door crank.

Looks good, works good and quiet.

http://www.rvandvansurplus.com/roofv...Vehicletype=RV#

Look midway down the page

Hope this helps

Thank you Mr. Stewart!

I tried this solution and was a litttle skeptical when I un-boxed and pre-fitted. Package comes with the ability to move the crank gear position, which I needed both horizontally and for depth.

My original fan was permanently mounted on the crossbar, requiring some delicate Sawsall action, taking me past the point of no return.

I'm happy to report that this product looks great and works well. It also emits sufficent ambient noise to provide aural camoflage.