Community Forums

PeterFTH · 04-12-2021, 08:45 AM

I had a Fantastic Vent die on me ... frog got caught in the fan, froze the motor - tried a new motor but still didn't work, so opted for the Maxxair Maxfan Plus 4500K. On paper it looked good - two arms supporting the lid, came with a remote control - sadly I didn't read the fine print before installing it. Problems: 1) the remote is IR (infra-red) so works only a few feet from the unit - I mean, what's the point? An RF remote would work from anywhere - lying in bed for example. 2) The rain sensor is a one time deal - once it shuts down, it won't restart without operator action. This means if your RV is in storage and you count on the ceiling vent to keep air moving, every time it sprinkles you have to go down and re-set it. Both are really stupid ... a useless remote and a rain sensor you have to baby sit. I would never have purchased this had I known how poorly thought out it was. The Fantastic Fan rain sensor waits a while, and keeps trying again until it's dry out. There was no remote, but since I have to be close to it anyway using the built in controls was the same exact thing. Be aware ... this is a poorly designed system.

MSHappyCampers · 04-12-2021, 09:38 AM

Yup, I would never replace with anything except another Fantastic Fan!

richard5933 · 04-12-2021, 09:54 AM

Or, get the MaxxAir with the built in rain hood and just keep it going in the rain. Or, put an old-school rain cover on it so it can run in the rain.

We had the rain detect feature on our Fantastic Fan and it worked just like you're saying - once it shut down it stayed shut down. A 5-minute drizzle shut it down, and the FF wouldn't come back on till we came back to a hot coach.

US1 · 04-12-2021, 11:19 AM

Never had an IR devise that only had a couple feet range.

tcgoetz · 04-12-2021, 12:12 PM

I think the reason to get the MaXXair deluxe is to get the one with the integrated rain hood. You can have it open and the fan on while it's raining and it requires no additional clearance over a regular fan lid when closed and less clearance over a regular fan lid when open.

96 Wideglide · 04-12-2021, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard5933

We had the rain detect feature on our Fantastic Fan and it worked just like you're saying - once it shut down it stayed shut down. A 5-minute drizzle shut it down, and the FF wouldn't come back on till we came back to a hot coach.

I had a FF with the rain sensor on a previous coach. Would drive us nut's about 5am when the dew would cause it to repeatedly open and close until I got up and shut it off

!

HighDesert · 04-12-2021, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcgoetz

I think the reason to get the MaXXair deluxe is to get the one with the integrated rain hood. You can have it open and the fan on while it's raining and it requires no additional clearance over a regular fan lid when closed and less clearance over a regular fan lid when open.

Put this on another MH we had and it worked quite well. Unfortunately, Fantastic Fan does not have the same reputation it used to have.

RV_Lee · 04-12-2021, 05:36 PM

How to fix it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwTjfKW5QVY

descour · 04-12-2021, 05:52 PM

On the other hand... I've had no problems with my 4+ year old Maxxair vent (it has the built-in hood). I find the screen easy to remove and the fan blades can be taken off and cleaned, which means I can clean more of the unit from inside the RV.

I find the 2 Fantastic Fans that came with the rig awful to maintain. The tabs on the screens break if you try to remove them when it's very cold, and the fan blades are not removable (FF should either make the damn hole bigger or the fan smaller by about 1/4"), so they're VERY hard to clean.

One of my FFs has the rain sensor, and yes, morning dew or evening fog can cause it to think it's raining. I have found cleaning the pollen off the sensor make it a bit more dependable.

atreis · 04-12-2021, 06:34 PM

Had a FantasticFan on my second trailer (bought 16 years ago), and absolutely loved it. Had one put on my third trailer too (7 years ago), but they had changed them. The new style motor they're using makes an awful high pitched whine. Since I still had the old trailer, I swapped them. I got 15 years out of that old FF. Knowing that FF aren't what they once were, I went with MaxxAir on my new RV and am very happy I did. The MaxxAir are still well made fans.

I've always had hoods on them, so no rain sensor.

NXR · 04-12-2021, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcgoetz

I think the reason to get the MaXXair deluxe is to get the one with the integrated rain hood. You can have it open and the fan on while it's raining and it requires no additional clearance over a regular fan lid when closed and less clearance over a regular fan lid when open.

Agreed. I bought a pair of Maxxair 700K's. The IR remote works well for us because all we use it for is to control the fan without my wife needing a stepstool.

Ray

trapper2020 · 04-13-2021, 07:37 AM

It all depends on how you plan to use your fan. We have had both in multiple rigs and find the Maxair with integrated hood to be much better than the original fantastic fan. They move way more air and are much quieter. For us the remote is located in bathroom area in reach of toilet so you can turn on if needed while pooping. In our area we use a dehumidifier year round when unit is stored. To much humidity to leave window or fan open for air flow. Fans are easy to put in and if your that unhappy replace it. Safe travels

Enjoy the journey