Community Forums

Famnrs · 05-30-2022, 11:09 AM

DH just replaced the 4" fart fan in our bathroom with a Vortex (not VortexII); we'll evaluate and post after our next trip to report how it works. $90, and didn't have to replace the housing and vent cover. Not reversible, no remote, but the basic one-way airflow was what we were looking for. We can both reach the controls.

murbot · 05-30-2022, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teakmtn

Whoa, I said it's a lot cheaper. Maybe not, but still worth a look. Less than a year ago I paid $57.00 for this fan.

Getting close to a 150% increase at about $140 right now. I wonder what the fantastic fan cost last year...

Haven't purchased yet. Installed kitchen backsplash and a new double wtr filter... so the fan will come after this weekend's trip.

Your comment is helpful. I've had tunnel vision so far with the 2 main brands, but hearing how well yours is going opens the field some. Except of course the costs seem to have leveled up as well.

I'm itching to do something new to the trailer.

Pdx camper · 06-08-2022, 04:11 AM

I got a vortex fan 2 years ago our bathroom didn’t have a fan at all. I installed the vortex I which was 45 bucks and got a 8 dollar motor speed controller with a switch that reverses polarity so you can pull or push air. Works great. The cost was around $53 which made it about 20$ cheaper than the vortex II at the time. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B071H2YQG5/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lleaff · 06-16-2022, 06:55 PM

The kind with a remote control is useful for shorter people and kids

murbot · 06-23-2022, 08:04 AM

OP here -
Installed a Vortex II w/reversible flow 10 days ago. H/L out and H/M/L in.
Could've installed in about 15 minutes, but took 2 hours so I could poke around in the ceiling and dig up 2 good screws. The fan included mounting screws didn't work for me, but not a big deal. I organized a decade of screws during quarantine and have spares for my buddy's trailer too.

I did have to hold the tiny mounting screws on the screwdriver tip with scotch tape in order to push them up into the mounting holes in the new frame. This added 30 seconds to the project.
I removed the original fan and its motor (2 small screws), but I left the 3" mounting bar from the original motor in place. It's not blocking much in my case. Others may need a hacksaw.

My new Vortex II fan ($152 on Amz) is fantastic. Quieter than the 4" farter, creates cabin breeze when opening the bed vent.

HAPPY CAMPER !!!

Tatung70 · 06-23-2022, 12:52 PM

We pulled all three cheap fans out and replaced them with max air. Yes they have a remote, but the really big deal is this: You can operate them in the rain or driving down the road if you want. Also, the fan can operate as a ceiling fan with the top closed - spinning either way. And last, they can turn on/off at a set temp. We are in Texas and its 100+ right now. I have them set to turn on at 88 degrees.

GringoPete · 06-24-2022, 02:15 PM

Echo lots of good replies here. I pulled the little fan above our shower and installed Fantastic brand fans -- one above the shower and the other above the galley in a vent-only space. We chose Fantastic at the time due to price, and we already had after market vent caps big enough to fit the open roof hatches. Otherwise we may have gone with the Maxxairs that rise and retract.
I got one-way fans because they were a bit cheaper than reversibles, and we are quite satisfied with the three speeds. I did run extra wires and install my own remote reversible switches on the walls as well, but if you have high ceilings go with the remote controlled models.
Another consideration is if you are okay on the roof and pulling existing vent frames and covers out. If you are nervous about being on the roof, get a friend to help, or go with the Vortex models (1 way in bathroom, and Vortex II elsewhere. If you go with Fantastic or Maxxair you will replace the topside hardware -- if your screwholes on the new frame line up with the screw holes left in the roof for the frame you just removed, perhaps squeeze a little construction adhesive into those holes before installing the screws back into existing holes. Of course, every seam and screw gets dicor or similar, correct?
The rate of air exchange IS different between the Vortex models, and the Fantastic and Maxxair models. How big your camper is, may be something to consider as you choose between the Vortex and other large-fan brands. The Fantastic/Maxxair types (and I think there is now a clone being sold on Amazon from overseas), boast 900 cfm, whereas last I looked the Vortexes moved somewhat fewer cfm. Vortex is still a great step up from the wee little OEM propellers.
As for cost, it has already been mentioned that costs are up. Save, install, and enjoy. Just don't exhaust your large fan in the bathroom while you flush!!!
We are not experts here, but we are quite happy with the switch we made, and installation was relatively easy.

GringoPete · 06-24-2022, 02:19 PM

Sorry. Just saw the OP has completed the task. Awesome work!

murbot · 06-26-2022, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GringoPete

Sorry. Just saw the OP has completed the task. Awesome work!

Thanks for the info !!
Agree about using an exhaust only in the bathroom. In my case, I replaced only the bath fan with the Vortex II just to have the option to blow in if we ever want. If I decide to replace the kitchen fan or add one to the bedroom vent, I'll move the bath fan there, then install an exhaust only in the bath.

I figured the Fantastic and Maxxair's would have higher cfm's. Any idea what the approx. numbers are on those differences?
Is that due to fan blade size? Air escaping through other holes in the mount?

Our small\med trailer probably does fine with the Vortex, and we don't spend a lot of time in it anyway, but I might upgrade in the future.

Famnrs · 06-28-2022, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Famnrs

DH just replaced the 4" fart fan in our bathroom with a Vortex (not VortexII); we'll evaluate and post after our next trip to report how it works. $90, and didn't have to replace the housing and vent cover. Not reversible, no remote, but the basic one-way airflow was what we were looking for. We can both reach the controls.

Update: have been on an extended road trip for about 4 weeks. The Vortex fan does a good job with exhausting steam from the bathroom. For the first 3.5 weeks we were in 100+ degree weather, moving to the next campsite about every 2 days. The Vortex fan helped cool down the oven-like TT in a few hours after a day on the hot road, really helped the AC carry the cooling load. (Prior to the Vortex fan, the coach never really cooled down in 100+ weather) whew!

Pdx camper · 08-12-2022, 03:27 AM

my trailer has one of the enclosures around the crank up cover for the roof vent. While towing in high temps i have turned the fan to exhaust at a low speed and crack a window on the trailer. It has helped keep the heat down to just above ambient rather than approaching surface of the sun temperatures.

tom92 · 08-13-2022, 04:13 PM

I also installed a Vortex I a few weeks ago. Agree that getting those two little screws into place is a pain. I went with putting a piece of duct tape on top of the fan to hold the screw in place - much like the little paper washer on an electrical outlet screw.

The Vortex II was stupid expensive and had didn't have much availability, so I just went with the I and this cheap speed controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QVONO20...roduct_details

I preferred to not have reverse so that it can't get set wrong and end up sucking odors in from the nearby tank vent pipes.

Cuda67bnl · 09-02-2022, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom92

The Vortex II was stupid expensive and had didn't have much availability, so I just went with the I and this cheap speed controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QVONO20...roduct_details

How/where did you mount the controller?

tom92 · 09-03-2022, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuda67bnl

How/where did you mount the controller?

I put it in the corner opposite the power switch on the same side as the knob. The controller has a nut holding the potentiometer to the metal L bracket. I just drilled a hole large enough to fit the shaft and put the nut on the bottom of the fan. That probably would have been enough, but just to be sure I drilled two holes in the bracket and put in short pan head sheet metal screws.

The controller does not have a "click" off position so I left the original switch wired in. Works great.