So I finally got my fan going and I was just wondering how you guys/gals use your fan. I initially thought you only use the fan when in the bathroom for helping with humidity during shower etc. But as I read more about it, it appears that the norm is to set it at a temp and let it run whenever it runs even when driving if I wanted.
My bus really has a lot of humidity so my hopes is even during the summer with A/Cs running, using the fan is going to help in that dept. For those of you that use your fan, do you really notice a diff when it's running or not?
Thanks in advance!
-Brad
I have two Fantastic fans. I can't use them when I'm driving because the vibration makes them close up. You don't want them open with the A/C's running either, as that draws in outside humidity.
oh wow for real? I thought it pushes out stale/warm air? I figured that hot air rises and it would actually be cooler b/c it's sucking out the hot air. Am I incorrect?
Ours is turned on all the time when the bus is parked if we're plugged in with temp set to about 78 degrees. We also keep the nose vent open so that there is some way for fresh air to get back in. Our roof vent is in the center of the bus, and I've noticed that this method keeps the front half of the bus noticeably cooler than the rear. I'm still trying to figure out a safe/clean way to get fresh air to come in the bus interior in the rear of the bus while we're parked in a way where rain can't also get in.
We have used it on the road and it will suck out hot air, but I still have not figured out the way air flow patterns in the bus. I've actually found that the toll window has quite a negative pressure outside it, and if I open the nose vent and the toll window air flows across the driver. The roof vent being open changes that.
We have used the roof vent to help clear the hot air when first turning on the a/c, but after a few minutes we shut it down. The a/c seems to do better with it closed once the initial venting of hot air is done.
Thanks Richard
You mentioned finding a way that rain doesn't get in. I thought that the cover that goes over the dome is for that? However, I'm betting if the rain is hard enough, it can get through. I actually just ordered a fantastic cover b/c the one I have doesn't allow the dome to fully open.
Quote from: Branderson on April 10, 2019, 12:48:21 PM
Thanks Richard
You mentioned finding a way that rain doesn't get in. I thought that the cover that goes over the dome is for that? However, I'm betting if the rain is hard enough, it can get through. I actually just ordered a fantastic cover b/c the one I have doesn't allow the dome to fully open.
Correct - the cover over the FF keeps the rain from getting in the opening at the fan. What I'm doing is trying to give the air someplace towards the floor to come back into the bus. We're sucking air out through the roof, which does a great job of getting rid of the hot air as it rises to the ceiling. The nose vent brings in fresh air toward the floor at the front of the bus, thus creating a decent flow along the floor from the nose to the middle of the bus where it leaves through the FF in the roof.
The problem we're having is in the bedroom in the rear of the bus. The only air intake back there is a one sliding window, and it's got two problems. First, it's more than halfway up the side of the wall, which means that the air under it is relatively stagnant. Second, it can't be left open if it's raining.
What I'm trying to do is find a place to mount some type of screened vent towards the floor in the wall to allow air into the bus - perhaps something like this turned sideways so it is horizontal:
https://www.millsupply.com/hingeless-aluminum-2-way-vent-t23170al.php?p=102217
These were meant for step vans up front, but I'm thinking that mounted sideways it would have it's own rain shield and bring air across the floor in the rear. Or, possibly there is some way to mount it in the floor over the rear axle - we wouldn't open it while in motion since water spray could get suck in, but while parked it would provide a sheltered place to draw in fresh air in the bedroom.
In the summer we camp a lot in places up north where a/c is not needed, but when it rains things can get really stuffy if we can't bring in fresh air as fast as the FF pulls it out.
We put a Maxx air vent cover over our FF and can leave the fan going even when it rains. :)
https://www.amazon.com/Maxxair-503-15-00-933066-White-Cover/dp/B000UUMM6K/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_bs_tr_img_1/138-2181246-9346065?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=D795FVW7709WHF4FVPSD
Don't have a cover over the Maxxfan I installed after one of my Fantasic's bit the dust. Have 2 vent fans on my bus. A wind gust hit it down at the Gulf coast and snapped the lid/arm off. Fantastic's have one arm and the new Maxx Fan has 2. Both have rain sensors and they do work and will close at the hint of rain.
I need to upgrade my fans guts. Not sure if rain sensor works but my controller isnt made anymore.
Quote from: Branderson on April 10, 2019, 10:59:10 AM
oh wow for real? I thought it pushes out stale/warm air? I figured that hot air rises and it would actually be cooler b/c it's sucking out the hot air. Am I incorrect?
Each cubic feet of air exiting the bus MUST be replaced by exterior air entering from god knows where, or else there would be a vacumm inside the bus. So you're throwing out cool dry air while warm and humid air come in to replace it...
Quote from: MagnoliaBus on April 10, 2019, 05:47:27 PM
Each cubic feet of air exiting the bus MUST be replaced by exterior air entering from god knows where, or else there would be a vacumm inside the bus. So you're throwing out cool dry air while warm and humid air come in to replace it...
If we have the nose vent and all windows closed and turn on the roof vent, that's exactly what happens. Open the entry door and you'll feel a rush of air coming in. There is obviously a small amount of air making its way into the interior through the stock HVAC vents/fresh air inlet, but not nearly as much as these newer FF roof vents are capable of sucking out.
We can definitely hear the change in tone the roof vent makes when we open the nose vent - almost like it's breath a sigh of relief not having to work so hard. I wonder if that is what causes some of these things to fail prematurely.
I'm curious if anybody has tried to mount one of these vent fans and shroud through the top escape hatches?
Jim
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on April 10, 2019, 09:56:52 PM
I'm curious if anybody has tried to mount one of these vent fans and shroud through the top escape hatches?
Jim
This is where i plan to mount them, front and rear escape hatches opening. I will need to weld a frame of proper dimension (14"x14") and add aluminum skin since the opening is close to 24" x 24".
Before you weld up an escape hatch to a smaller opening, you might consider if one of the hatches could provide a handy access to the roof.
I've wished more than once that we could just pop the hatch and get to the roof with a step stool from the inside - it would be much easier than dragging out the extendable ladder and getting there from the outside.
I was thinking more along the lines of keeping the escape hatches functional. Think that would be possible?
Jim
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on April 11, 2019, 04:32:47 PM
I was thinking more along the lines of keeping the escape hatches functional. Think that would be possible?
Jim
Interesting thought - you're talking about cutting a 14x14 hole in the hatch itself, correct? I don't see why that wouldn't work, assuming that the latching mechanism is not going to be in the way of the hole that needs to be cut. The wiring could easily be put on a detachable cord.
How is the hatch itself constructed?
I haven't looked at it except to make sure it opens but I do think it has a fairly long handle on the inside. Maybe on the outside too. so working around that would be part of the challenge. Right now I don't think there is anything to keep it from just flopping down on the roof of the bus so that would be another concern. I'm thinking it might be possible to cut the hole close to the hinges though, and partial blockage by the handle shouldn't really cut down airflow to amount to much. Might have to reconfigure the outside handle or the vent cover, or both.
Jim
Quote from: richard5933 on April 11, 2019, 03:31:32 PM
Before you weld up an escape hatch to a smaller opening, you might consider if one of the hatches could provide a handy access to the roof.
I've wished more than once that we could just pop the hatch and get to the roof with a step stool from the inside - it would be much easier than dragging out the extendable ladder and getting there from the outside.
I dont plan to have to go on the roof. If i go solar, it will be with loose panels that you prop to reach maximum efficacity (i guess you have to move them every half our or so)...
Quote from: MagnoliaBus on April 12, 2019, 03:38:38 PM
I dont plan to have to go on the roof. If i go solar, it will be with loose panels that you prop to reach maximum efficacity (i guess you have to move them every half our or so)...
Understood. I guess I don't 'plan' to go on the roof, but sure enough there are times it's necessary. That's why we carry a telescoping ladder.
We also use a ground deployed solar array - allows us to park in the shade while our panels are in the sun recharging the batteries.
The latching mechanism is a 1/2" rod that runs across the middle of the hatch. I think it might be workable. The body or cap is aluminum and the bottom is plastic or fiberglass.
Jim
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on April 12, 2019, 08:53:10 PM
The latching mechanism is a 1/2" rod that runs across the middle of the hatch. I think it might be workable. The body or cap is aluminum and the bottom is plastic or fiberglass.
Jim
Seems like you could easily fabricate a mounting flange for the FF on top of the hatch that would allow the hatches mechanism to stay in place under the FF. I'm picturing a 1-1/2" tall collar made of aluminum square stock which has an inside measurement of 14x14, trimmed on the bottom to follow the roof contours. It would provide a place for the FF flange to mount, and it would keep the FF high enough to still have access to the screen over the top of the hatches mechanism.
Yeah, I'm thinking maybe you move the handles (inside and outside) over to the side of the hatch cover. They rotate the rod to latch, pretty similar to the bay door latches. That would open up the middle, just with the rod running across. The fan could go inside the hatch and attach the wind cover in the standard manner.
The inside handle is recessed so a little fiddly work there to get it to look right. Might be similar on the outside.
Jim
Maybe I missed it but is there any specific benefit by placing fan in hatch? Seems just as much work to install in hatch as in the roof while it is opened up. With the fan mounted it will need support to keep from banging the roof and will no longer open flat.
Jim -
There is no exterior handle on the escape hatch, interior only.
There is also no "stop" mechanism to keep it from flopping over completely when opened.
Back in my charter days, we used to prop the front and rear hatches open with a couple of unlit fusee flares when parked to get a little air flow.
I often used the rear hatch to access the roof on my MCI, either to change a clearance light bulb, install a new antenna, place the Tailgater for better satellite reception, or even washing the bus. I miss the fact my current coach doesn't have that option!
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
The roof escape hatch in my bedroom is a major benefit to actually having a bus in the first place - built in passive safety. The last thing I would do is put an air conditioner there. A front hatch - maybe - but my bus doesn't have one. I did remove a Fantastic Vent to install an air conditioner just behind the driver. With an MCI that has a central structural frame member I simply offset the air conditioner to one side. Works just fine, parked and on the road.
Brian
Thanks RJ, that's good info to have and makes planning much easier. No need to worry about what can't be seen at this point then. Excellent.
I have no desire to start cutting holes in the bus. If I can make an existing hole serve double duty without losing the original function I very much like that option. And it seems to me that a gas strut might do a very nice job of holding the hatch cover vertical when open. Finally, it seems feasible to simply remove the cover, mod it on the bench, and then re-install with the gas strut, fan and vent cover in place. Or, I can fit the gas struts first making the hatch easy to use for airflow while I'm building the RV and add the vent later. My guess is that will become increasingly desirable as summer comes around.
Jim
Hi Jim, I did use my two escape hatches for AC installation, a third hole cut for the AC in the kitchen area along with a fourth roof hole in the kitchen, for the fantastic fan in the kitchen and covered the kitchen side area bus windows and recut in, a sliding window with a screen. Giving her great ventilation during boondocking, because she cooked with a gas stove. But I did leave all the escape side windows, except the covered central area for the kitchen and bath. I cut another roof hole for a 2nd fantastic fan half way over the shower stall for ventilation of the shower humidity and over the bathroom sink, lvmci...
I finally got around to installing the hidden intake vent in the rear of the bus. I installed it under the couch at the rear of the bedroom. It allows outside air to be pulled in from the somewhat hidden space between the engine bulkhead and the rear axle bulkhead. Sheltered from the rain, but I'll keep it closed while the engine is running to be certain we never inadvertently pull in exhaust fumes. Made a big difference in the way the Maxxair fan runs - now it's not working so hard to move air when the windows are closed.
Personally, I wouldn't want to pull air from that area. Oil smell, gear oil smell, asbestos dust,etc. Now that you've done it, install a charcoal type vehicle air filter over it. By the way, that nose vent is 4 inches in diameter with mash covering it, reducing the effective surface area to about 3 inches. Not near enough flow to satisfy the vent fan even on low. The fresh air intakes on either side should help.
Quote from: chessie4905 on May 01, 2019, 04:43:22 AM
Personally, I wouldn't want to pull air from that area. Oil smell, gear oil smell, asbestos dust,etc. Now that you've done it, install a charcoal type vehicle air filter over it. By the way, that nose vent is 4 inches in diameter with mash covering it, reducing the effective surface area to about 3 inches. Not near enough flow to satisfy the vent fan even on low. The fresh air intakes on either side should help.
Charcoal filter might be a good idea, but right now I don't notice any odors or dust coming from underneath. I think I have some charcoal filter material left from my wood shop's filter that I can cut to fit that.
That is a good idea...I just have two questions.
Last winter when I was re-insulating the rear over that same area, I noticed something. There were triangle cut outs in the corners of the aluminum floor panels...same place as your vent. Those small triangle areas were covered with grease and grime. How are you going to keep the road grime out from beneath the sofa?
Could you run a length of small duct with a filter from your opening to the front of that sofa cabinet?
Two things...
The vent is not going to be open all the time, especially not when the engine is running. It does close tightly. It's there to allow air intake when the roof vent is on but we're unable to open the windows due to rain.
The area under the vent is fairly clean and mostly separate from the engine bay. It's also separate from the underside of the bus over the axle. It's also separate from the wheel wells. It's kind of a waste of space, and if I could I'd add a door to access the space from the outside so it could be used for storage.
Quote from: richard5933 on April 30, 2019, 07:01:28 PM
I finally got around to installing the hidden intake vent in the rear of the bus. I installed it under the couch at the rear of the bedroom. It allows outside air to be pulled in from the somewhat hidden space between the engine bulkhead and the rear axle bulkhead. Sheltered from the rain, but I'll keep it closed while the engine is running to be certain we never inadvertently pull in exhaust fumes. Made a big difference in the way the Maxxair fan runs - now it's not working so hard to move air when the windows are closed.
A very good idea ! I will try to include something like that in my build.
To help that photo make sense, it's looking up into the empty space between the two bulkheads. The shiny aluminum vent cover is actually mounted facing downward, but doesn't look like it in the photo.
Were the stock coach HVAC intakes on the sides closed off in that coach?
Same for the exhaust points?
There are busnuts in colder climates who try to stop up all the drafts, with varying success.
Rare that busnuts are looking to create more openings in the by design less than air tight coaches.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Quote from: buswarrior on May 01, 2019, 06:00:50 PM
Were the stock coach HVAC intakes on the sides closed off in that coach?
Same for the exhaust points?
There are busnuts in colder climates who try to stop up all the drafts, with varying success.
Rare that busnuts are looking to create more openings in the by design less than air tight coaches.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
We still get some air coming into the bus from the stock intakes on the sides, but not that much. There's a fairly convoluted path the air must take to get inside, unfortunately the easier path is to the front half of the bus. When the conversion was done the ducting to the bedroom in the rear was reconfigured, leading to somewhat of a dead zone in the back of the bus. When the roof vent is exhausting the whole bus can stay pretty comfortable through the stock vents, except for the bedroom. It could be 10 degrees hotter (or more) warmer in the bedroom than the front of the bus, regardless of which direction we're facing.
The little vent in the back doesn't seem like much, but I can tell that there is better airflow in the bedroom with it open. May not work for every bus or every configuration, but for us it will be a help.
Motion rear side windows with screens. (While they are still available) Crack them or open as needed.
Does anybody make those type windows for the D series?
Jim
Quote from: chessie4905 on May 02, 2019, 06:09:59 AM
Motion rear side windows with screens. (While they are still available) Crack them or open as needed.
We have sliding windows. When the rain is blowing, it gets in. That's why the sheltered intake vent.
Motion is no longer making side windows for GM buses, so the only hope on those would be to find some already out there in the field.
This really wasn't that complicated an install - I only had to cut a 4x10 hole in the plywood floor under the couch and screw the thing in using caulking tape to make the seal. Easy-peasy - now I have air coming in without the rain when needed.