Has anyone ever modified their emergency hatches for fans?

[RickB]

Good morning folks,

A couple things.... It's feeling rehter springlike and I am itching to get to work on the "big ol' rollin' turd".

I'm wondering how hard it would be to mount 2 fantastic fans in my existing emergency hatches, I know some of you feel that those still serve a vital purpose but I would really like the conversation , if possible, to stay on a track of "if" it could be done rather than whether or not it is in my families best interests safety wise to do it.

Also,

I am planning on switching out my current house batteries to something that is better suited to our kind of needs as busowners than my current 2-8D truck batteries. It is a 12 volts system with a Xantrex 2000 inverter.

Thanks everyone in advance,

Rick

[RickB]

OOOps forgot to ask the 2nd question:

I am planning on switching out my current house batteries to something that is better suited to our kind of needs as busowners than my current 2-8D truck batteries. It is a 12 volts system with a Xantrex 2000 inverter.

So, what is everyone using to power their inverters and how nappy are you with what you have?

I would really like to get a system that could run a fantastic fan or my heater blower motors all night without being plugged in.

The new bus motor, which hasn't been run since my last update, will have a house battery alternator to keep it charged as well as the Xantrex when we're shore powered or generator powered.

Thanks
Rick

[bevans6]

I don't see why you couldn't do that, you'd have to find a way to plug the hole, seal it permanently, and install the vent.  On my bus it would be hours faster to cut a hole in the roof and install the vent, it took me about an hour to do the one I installed last summer.  I have 220 amp-hours at 12 volts, I think I could run the Fantastic Vent for a week before I had to recharge, overnight is routine.  2 8D's sound like a lot for just overnighting, but you obviously just need to add up the loads and the times and see what your total usage would look like.

I have total respect for the Fantastic Vent folks, they sent me a complete new fan/motor assembly to replace the many years old one I had, for free.  They even paid the shipping to Canada.  Only other thought is I use my escape hatch routinely to get on the roof.  Handy as a pocket in a shirt!

Brian

[belfert]

I don't know why you couldn't install a Fantastic Vent into the hatch itself.  The vent is around 16"x16".  I'm not sure what the hatch size is on a MCI, but it should be bigger than 16"x16" I would think.  This would allow the hatch to stay operational if you can find a way to run the wire.

Any 12 volt battery should be able to run a Fantastic Vent all night.  The battery bank in my bus could probably run my two Fantastic Vents for weeks.  My fridge is the biggest power draw and I can still make it a day on battery.

[bevans6]

I had the same thought, why not install the fan in the hatch itself, so I went out and measured mine.  The hatch on my MCI is about 16" by 20", so the vent would barely fit ( the trim flanges on the vent are wider than the hatch), but the operating handle of the hatch is right in the middle, so it would have to be removed, and then the hatch wouldn't actually work any more.  I thought it would be cool to have the vent and an operating hatch.  I guess you could make another kind of latch for it.


Brian

[belfert]

Opps, I forgot that the MCI hatches have the big handle right in the center.  I was thinking about my Transspec hatch that would work just fine for this.

[white-eagle]

my Eagle has a skylight in the front hatch, and a fan (or maybe the A/C) in the rear hatch (both are in the middle, i just don't know how far back the escape hatch was since i didn't put the A/C in myself)

i've got 6 golf carts on my 2000 inverter.  we run 2 computer, 2 tv's, fridge, etc on a charge for a day.

[RickB]

Thanks for the input.

My idea is to remove the emergency hatches altogether and frame in the hole to fit the fantastic fans. I have 12 volt power right next to the emergency hatches, the holes are in the center of the coach which is where most heat is going to rise to. I just like the idea of making my roof space more useful without cutting new holes.
Brian I always get to the roof of my bus using a ladder from the outside.

Still thinking about it...

Thinking the tall trojans for my inverter

still just thinking about that too!

RB

[RJ]

Rick -

Think about getting out of your coach should, heaven forbid, something cause it to end up laying on it's side, with the windshields still intact.

Have you opened the OEM windows lately?  Imagine trying to push open that window when it's two feet above you and you have to push UP and over center, rather than OUT.

Just some food for thought.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[BJ]

I'm with you. On all 3 of my conversions I mounted the fan where the emergency hole was. It worked out just fine. As for an accident if you have ever seen a bus roll over than you would see that the windows pop out and things fly out of them, including people. Gasp!

[gumpy]

Rick,

We can remove your hatches and install the framework for fans. You will need some 1 3/4" steel tubing and some aluminum sheet to cover the old hole.

If you want to come out, I'll show you how I covered one of my old holes when I moved the rear hatch forward. I'm going remove the front hatch this spring and frame in the hole for a fan or rooftop a/c should I decide I ever want to install it later on. You're welcome to come watch.

craig

[RickB]

Craig,

What are you nuts??? I would never miss an opportunity to watch the fabricator at work!! You let me know when and I'll be there with bells on. For those of you that don't know it Craig has a bit of an "attention to detail" gene in him that most of us missed out on.

I'll call you on my way home from the shop to visit my sick 8V92 so you can talk me off the ledge....

While I got you here, what do you think of my two 12 volt 8D truck batteries that I use for my house setup? Is this the optimum rig for me? I believe I may have killed them over the winter and if so what should I replace them with?

Rick

[gumpy]

I can check on prices for Trojan T105s if you like. I have a guy in Stillwater that I use. He's always given me a good price on them. I've had mine for 6 or 7 years now, I think.

[RickB]

How do the t 105's stack up against my 8D's?

Check and see how much they are for me if you can.

Rick

[gumpy]

How do the t 105's stack up against my 8D's?

Check and see how much they are for me if you can.

Rick

T105s are 225 ah @ 6 volts. 

How many do you think you would want?