We all know how important air flow is in a van. Keeping your van free of condensation to prevent mold and rust is a key function of the fan.
Keeping you comfortable inside is another important function. Having at least one fan and, when doable, multiple fans will benefit both your van and yourself.
As with most choices in life choosing your van’s new roof fan may have you scratching your head. The same fan may not be ideal for everyone and every van setup but here are what the majority of van lifers have chosen.
Why You Need a Van Roof Fan
When buying a roof fan, you will have to consider your needs but there are a couple of things most people should look for.
- There are intake fans that pull air in and exhaust fans that pull air out. The best option is to have a fan that does both. Ideally you should have two fans: one intake and one exhaust.
- The other option that should be looked at is a multi-speed fan. Being able to control the airflow and noise of the fan is something you will find very nice.
Best Roof Fans for Van Life
There are two fans that are overwhelmingly the most popular with van lifers. They are quality fans with tons of positive reviews. Quality construction and easy install are musts for van life.
Maxxfan Deluxe
Maxxair fans are known to be high-quality fans within the RV and van communities. They are easily recognizable by their unique covers. Part of the Airxcel family, these fans have been in production since 1988.
Maxxair has a pretty big lineup of fans and all are great choices. One of their most popular is the Maxxfan Deluxe. This is their fully optioned fan setup. If you want the best van roof fan then this is it!
The Maxxfan Deluxe cover design allows you to operate your fan in rainy weather without having to worry about water getting in. This is a great feature that attracts many buyers as rainy days can become uncomfortable inside with all the windows and vents closed. The cover design also allows for operation while you are driving.
With a 12 inch, 10 blade fan and 10 speeds, this fan really moves air! It is reversible so it can be used as an intake or exhaust fan with the touch of a button. The fan is powered by a 12-volt sealed ball-bearing motor.
The Maxxfan Deluxe also has its own built-in thermostat to help control temperatures. The temperature can be adjusted on the soft-touch keypad. Or it can be set using the optional remote control for full fan control from anywhere in your van.
Maxxair backs up its fans with a limited 2-year warranty on all parts and a limited lifetime warranty on the cover.
FanTastic 7350
Dometic is one of the most well know and trusted names in the RV industry. They have been around forever and made RV life easier with fridges, water heaters, AC units, and fans.
There are more basic fans in the lineup but the 7350 model is the direct competition to the MaxxFan Deluxe. If you are looking for the best van roof vent then you have to check this one out.
Very similar in options to the Maxxair unit, the main difference is this FanTastic fan has a traditional roof vent cover. The disadvantage is, of course, if it rains then water gets in. FanTastic has addressed this with a rain sensor that closes the vent cover when rain is sensed.
The FanTastic 7350 is a 12-volt powered reversible fan with 14 speeds total. The speed can be adjusted manually or adjusted automatically by the built-in thermostat to maintain the desired temperature.
Whether you are building a camper van or upgrading your current van, having the best van roof fan is a must. Both of these fans are in the $350 range which is not cheap, but a fan is one of the most important things you will purchase for your van.
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Maxx Air fans are great…….until they aren’t!
I have 2 of these fans. One gets the dreaded greenlight / load beeping in the middle of the night.
Have since read tons of comments that the circuit board can’t handle the STANDARD VOLTAGE RANGE that you’d get from a typical van’s AGM battery or charger (often over 14+), especially normal if you have solar. They say (but NOT in their data available pre purchase) that the fan can’t accommodate over 13.9 volts – amazing that they sell these for USE IN VANS, where the typical voltage goes over 13.9 all the time. Ridiculous that I paid over $300 each for a fan, and they won’t replace their faulty circuit board with the new corrective one, regardless that I’m past warranty. They’ll gladly sell me the new circuit board for $70. I’ve since installed a DC to DC voltage regulator and set the voltage to 12.6 hoping to keep my other fan from going bad.