Community Forums

Arby49 · 11-20-2020, 04:57 PM

I am in need of a replacement for one of the fans in the coach, or at least a motor replacement if there is such a thing. Any help appreciated.

Mile Marker 42 · 11-20-2020, 05:09 PM

Fantastic fans have a website: https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/pro.../rv-roof-vents. Easy stuff to work on. Here is a video of a guy replacing his:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5bp...ature=emb_logo

. Are you sure it doesn't work? Do you have power to it? There is a fuse (at least on the newer ones) that plus in at the top of the vent.

Skip426 · 11-20-2020, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericisrael42

Are you sure it doesn't work? Do you have power to it? There is a fuse (at least on the newer ones) that plugs in at the top of the vent.

Lots of testing to do before you start ordering parts .
The motor wiring ground screw , has a bad habit of corroding .

Unplanned Tourist · 11-20-2020, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip426

Lots of testing to do before you start ordering parts .
The motor wiring ground screw , has a bad habit of corroding .

That happened to us last Summer! I thought the motor was gone, but found the ground connection at the cover switch was corroded. Didn't find it until I had it all pulled apart from the top.

Simple fix from inside IIRC.

phays · 11-20-2020, 06:20 PM

You don't say but I assume the lid will open. If not you have other problems than just the fan motor and you may not have a fan motor problem anyway.

As suggested, check the small push type pin switch under the lid. It is the ground connection for the motor and does have a history of corrosion causing it to lose contact. I don't remember the size of the nut but take a wrench, loosen the nut slightly and retighten. Oh, be aware that when you start twisting the nut on that switch the fan motor may turn on. Keep your fingers and any tools away from the fan blade. You can also spray some contact cleaner on it when loosened. This is a periodic maintenance item. Probably play this game with the switch about every other year or so.

Arby49 · 11-20-2020, 07:21 PM

After listening to you guys, went to work on it. What is happening is the motor continues to try to raise the lid and the manual knob continues to rotate. Took that off and found the gears that go into the are stripped. The lid wouldn't close, but managed to get it closed.
Next is repairing the gear shaft if possible?

Argosy · 11-20-2020, 07:50 PM

Not saying the gears aren't stripped but the handle does pull to open or close the lid manually. If you don't have it torn apart push the handle in and see if it will open the dome with the motor.

Arby49 · 11-20-2020, 09:15 PM

Argosy,

I will try that tomorrow. DW has gone to bed so for sake of a happy marriage, better not mess with it anymore tonight. I will let you know then what the situation is.

Ray,IN · 11-20-2020, 09:54 PM

When we bought this MH and got it home I tried to open the FF vents, one worked fine the other did nothing. Finally I spotted the 3-speed switch, which was set to off.

littlebob · 11-21-2020, 12:56 PM

If you call fantastic they will send you new gears at no cost.
Bob

puttin · 11-21-2020, 04:59 PM

Maybe someone knows a quick fix: One of my F-fans has a very light squeak as the fan turns. There's no way to lube it that I see. I'll just let it go until something more serious happens unless there's a remedy. Thanks.

Arby49 · 11-21-2020, 06:53 PM

I did a deeper look and found that my first thought was probably the correct one. The gears are definitely stripped. So, Monday will call Fantastic (I believe it is now Dometic).

RKins · 11-22-2020, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arby49

After listening to you guys, went to work on it. What is happening is the motor continues to try to raise the lid and the manual knob continues to rotate. Took that off and found the gears that go into the are stripped. The lid wouldn't close, but managed to get it closed.
Next is repairing the gear shaft if possible?

The lid motor has a little gear on the end, like the crank on a crank out window - this is what you're saying is stripped. If your gear is really stripped out, get another lid motor, they're pretty inexpensive. My motor sits in a corner of the frame, the new plastic housing that comes with the new motor is designed to sit on one of the sides of the frame. No problem. Remove the screw that holds the crank handle on, remove the new motor from the plastic housing, and put it back in the old housing. After you install new motor, you'll still feel that the knurl doesn't penetrate enough of the female mechanism that raises the lid, to get a good bite. AND it'll strip out again over time. You can order the lid mechanism too is you think you need it.

Do you notice the play, vertically, in the whole motor? Meaning between the manual handle and the plastic cover the motor sits in. What I found is that the gear needed about another 1/4" to really engage in the lid female. I didn't really look at this until I had bought new lid motors.

To raise the new motor, I cut little blocks of wood to put under the "ears" of the motor inside the plastic cover, which raised the motor and it's knurl 1/4", pushing the gear that much deeper into the female mechanism. After I found that this was indeed the answer, I glued the wood into the plastic housing, reassembled the motor/cover and mounted it back into frame. Works perfect now and I predict no problems forth coming with the gear stripping out again.
Hope this helps.

RKins · 11-22-2020, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puttin

Maybe someone knows a quick fix: One of my F-fans has a very light squeak as the fan turns. There's no way to lube it that I see. I'll just let it go until something more serious happens unless there's a remedy. Thanks.

Could it be lightly rubbing on the screen or part of that layer? If I push up on the screen at all I hear a squeak as the fan hits it.