Sweeney: I'll let you walk away with the prize. You deserve it.
Looks like the Maxxfan could have a new fanboy in the near future.
I'm seeing specs of 0.2A on Low. Which beats the pants off the Fantastic that boasts a considerable 1.5A as its lowest draw, according to my new Victron shunt. And if it's quieter, then those two things alone would justify the upgrade. The Fantastic easily could be put up on the Canadian version of Craig's List and subsidize the cost.
I am looking at their installation instructions, and am hopeful it's a straight drop-in, with some careful and meticulous caulking. But am wondering if there are any gems of wisdom from those (if any) who may have done their own switch-out. From what I can gather here on this post, those who do have it, have it as a result of it being factory OEM over the last several years, or recently by way of an overdue upgrade done at the factory. Maybe I'll have to contact Cary before I pull the pin.
Its as close to a drop in as you can get. Butyl tape is needed to seal out water (I also put dicor on mine as a belt/suspender though campinn does not use it in the factory) Just remove the screws inside, the plastic that is there --- set it aside you can reuse it. You'll see the wires there that are attached to the existing fan, you'll use those. Depending on your trailer age you will notice on newer campers other unused black/red --- these are pre-wires for roof mounted solar. Ignore those.
Reassembly is just reverse of that. The plastic is not predrilled, so you will probably cut new holes through the wood an aluminum, but the butyl tape (and in my case dicor) will seal those. up.
Tools needed are minimal. Screwdriver, drill (optional, if you use self tapping screws) , wire stripper/cutter, crimp tool, and butt connectors. EDIT: Oh, yah, and a cualking gun if you use dicor. "the more the better" is the philosophy with that stuff. It's self-leveling, the gloppyness will flatten out over 24 hours.
Things to watch for are pretty minimal but this is important --- center the new fan, and ensure it does not interfere with the 'roof' screws that hold the skin in place (note the tone of experience) then and only then start screwing things into place.
Installation took me about an hour then 30 more minutes to fix the screw interference issue
FWIW, Get the one with a rain sensor. I've left the campground with it open, having no rain forecast. Yet on my return I found the fan closed and a wet roof. This has happened more than once. I was pretty sure the self opening would be frivolous, but I like that feature too after having it. I also had problems with the OEM cover opening as the trailer bounced down the highway, caused by the slight pressure was trying to open the vent combined with the mechanics of the crank. The motor resistance on the Maxxair negates that issue. You can still open it manually. Obviously if you get the rain sensor, you get the motor.
If you have a roof rack the 'rain hood' model will not fit, it will not clear the rails, which disappointed me. I loved the idea of a fan in the rain. But it also is bigger and would look gross, even the low profile one
