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To fan or not to fan? that is the question. Installing a fan in your van conversion is crucial, Air circulation in a van not only to keep you cool in warm climates but also to help extract cooking fumes and reduce the risk of mould.
While cutting holes in your van can be a daunting task, installing a ceiling fan is a great way to manage the climate of your van and an important part of ensuring airflow. This article will make it a breeze (pun intended).
What Do I Need to Install a Ceiling Fan In My Van?
- A 12v roof fan – we recommend the Maxxair fan deluxe for its adjustability and rain dome
- A neutral adhesive bonding agent to adhere the fan to the roof – we used Sikaflex
- Tools to cut into the roof (you can use an angle grinder or jigsaw – we used a Ryobi Jigsaw
- Charged or Spare Batteries for your jigsaw
- Butyl tape to build up the roof to a level surface
- A sealant to waterproof the roof once installed – we used EternaBond RoofSeal White 4″ x 50″ MicroSealant
- Wood to build a frame to secure the outer flange into the inside of the van
- Screws for wooden frame (size determined by your frame size).
- A contour gauge to determine the shape of your roof
- Wood glue to avoid wood squeak
- A kreg jig to hide screws in frame
- A metal file to clean up the edges of your cut
How To Install a Maaxair Fan
Installing a Maxxair Fan can be broken down into 3 Steps:
- Preparation
- Installation
- Preservation
Preparing to Install a Maxxair fan
The most important step any time that you’re cutting holes in your van is the preparation. The old saying “measure twice, cut once” has never been more important; in fact I think we measured ten times. Making sure the hole is in the correct spot is crucial, and there aren’t many ways to undo it once you’ve made the cut.
First, find the centre of the location that you are planning on installing the fan. This will give you a starting position and you can measure out to the width of the external flange (you can find this information for each fan usually on their respective website or by carefully measuring the one you have on hand). Then mark out the template on the ceiling with a permanent marker.
Once you’ve triple checked all your measurements, it’s time to put those first little holes in your van…. Breathe and drill 4 pilot holes, one in each corner of the template you have drawn. Ensure the drill bit you use is wide enough to allow for your jigsaw bit to fit in the hole. Make sure you clean up any metal fragments that fall from the roof (if not cleaned up these can create rust).
How To Cut a Hole In Your Van Roof
I get it, this is probably one of the scariest parts of building a van and you have to do it as one of the first tasks; but after measuring multiple times and punching those pilot holes in the roof, have confidence you are set up to succeed.
Here are a few tips to ensure you get the cleanest and straightest cuts:
- Make yourself a cardboard cut out template the exact size you need to cut the hole and line it up and trace around it carefully so you have a line to follow.
- Tape the edges of the cut so you don’t scratch the metal surface around the cut with the jigsaw (we also taped the bottom of the jigsaw pads for extra protection).
- Ensure you have the correct jigsaw blades for cutting metal
Installing Your Maxxair Fan
You’ve done the unthinkable and cut that first hole in your van. Now it’s time to install the fan, but before you go and lift that fan up onto the roof there are a couple more steps that will ensure you don’t end up needing to rip out your masterpiece.
- File the edges of your cut with a metal file to ensure any metal burs are removed.
- Rustproof / prime the edges of the cut and let dry
The last step before you get to the exciting part is to add some Butyl Tape to level out the roof around the cut so that when you install the top flange it will sit flat against the roof surface.
Building a Frame For the Maxxair Fan
As the Maaxair fans are designed for RV installation and vans have thinner bodies, you will need to build a frame to sit on the inside of the ceiling and secure the supplied screws into. As van roofs are never flat you will need to use a scrive or a contour gauge to match your roof’s shape. Once measured, trace the shape onto your wood. Make sure you note the correct height you need your frame to be to allow all of your future ceiling insulation and interior roof lining/ timber to sit flush with the wooden frame.
To get the cleanest finish on your frame we recommend using a Kreg Jig to secure your screws; this will provide a pocket screw finish which can be filled with putty for flush results.
Securing The MaxxAir Fan To The Roof
Prior to securing the top flange with screws you can add some neutral levelling Sikaflex to level and seal the bond to the Butyl tape. Once you have screwed the top flange to the wooden frame (through the metal body of the van) it’s time to waterproof the edges of the outer flange, for this we used a neutral (non acidic based) silicon, covering all the edges and screw heads.
As a further finishing step, once dried we also added a layer of Enternabond to ensure no water ingress.
Watch the Youtube video for more tips and hints and to see the finished product