Roof Fan Install

Installing Your Roof Fan

A roof vent fan is absolutely necessary if you plan on living in your van. Some people have two fans installed to maximize airflow in the van. You can get by with one, but living without one may lead to a build-up of condensation, cooking smells, and stagnant air. 

Condensation and ventilation while cooking are some of the important things to consider while living in a van. 

Condensation is something you always need to minimize. The vent fan will assist the most with this concern. 

After planning your layout, you should know where your fan will be, where your solar panel wires will enter the van, etc. This is probably the most upfront and intimidating part of the van build. 

On our first conversion, I think that we measured a dozen times and we double-checked out measurements all different ways before we wiped our sweaty palms on our thighs and sucked it up and drilled those pilot holes for the first modifications from the cargo van towards a home. 

This seems more intimidating than it should be, but this task is well within anyone’s wheelhouse that is taking on this DIY Van Build project. 

Not all fans are created the same…. 

Before we go over this we just want to note we have no affiliates or partnerships with any of the Fans. This is all coming from 7 years of van life experience and building multiple van conversions. 

Our Favorite Choice: MaxxAir Standard Model

If we made a “things I would change about my van build” list, this would be on it. We have installed two Fantastic Fans and both times we are asking ourselves, “Why did we cheap out on the fan?!”

Since living on the road, we have met a fair share of vankookz living on the road too. And consensus has it; these are a favorite because they are quieter and seem to draw more air back and forth. There are rain sensors so you don’t have to panic if you leave the vent fan open and the weather changes. These also have a “ceiling fan” mode, which works with the hatch closed just for air circulation. This is the budget version of the MaxxAir Deluxe, which has a rain guard so you can keep the vent open, even if it is raining. Which is nice in the PNW. 

Alternative Choices: 

Fantastic Fan This is the fan we currently have in our rig and the most recent T1N build. On our last build, we installed two Maxx Air fans and it paid its dividends. 

The Fantastic Fan is a more budget-friendly option for a fan, but it is loud. It has manual controls with three speeds, intake, and exhaust settings, but doesn’t have the fancy rain sensor. This is perfect for shower fan applications because it doesn’t have that sensitive rain feature that closes the hatch with condensation. Plus, you can keep the hatch open if it is lightly raining, without the sensors, and you can always get an Ultra Breeze Vent Cover down the road. 

Something to keep in mind with the Fantastic Fan is that it doesn’t last and you will have to replace it after a few years. We will show a clip of our fantastic fan here. After three years it completely fell apart cracked on all sides and was so loud you couldn’t sleep with it on. 

There are also some newer companies coming out with a few new different models of all these we’ve only tested one which was the Hike Crew fan. We also don’t recommend this fan. It doesn’t have a removable screen. The screen screens on these fans get dirty quickly, bugs, dirt, and grime get lodged in the screen and affect the air flow. These fans have a permanent screen and within a few months, it is so caked in. The only cool thing about this fan is that it comes with a pretty nice light. 

Once again we circle back to the Maxx Air fan. This is the best option on the market and we recommend installing this van 10/10 times

If you aren’t going to have any windows in your van to create a cross breeze we recommend you install another roof vent in your rig. Sometimes with solar panel configurations on the roof is hard to fit another 14”14” square on the roof. In this case, it’s a good idea to install a smaller 6” circular vent fan. We don’t have windows in our van and we really want to install one of these little 6” fans over our bed to create a cross breeze while in bed. If you have windows this can help. That’s why it’s important to consider where your windows will be. Having windows near the bed will allow the fan to pull air into the van and create a nice cross breeze on hot summer nights. 

Now that we have gone over what models to consider. We have a great installation video in this module but we wanted to cover a few tools, parts, and tips before you start this project. We have a list of all the tools you will need in the resources guide in this module. 

Make a Template

Get used to making cardboard templates. If you want to have the perfect cut in your van roof you will want to create a template. This only takes a few minutes and will give you the best results. 

Tape Off Your Cut

Most of these van's paint jobs are thin and low quality. To keep your van's roof scratch and rust free use painter's tape to tape off the square you are about to cut. It's also easier to trace your template onto the tape. Here you can use blue painter's tape to create a square. Refer to the instructional video to see how we did this. 

Titanium Metal Drill Bits

It’s important to get a good set of titanium metal drill bits. Trust us on this. We have gone through so many crappy drill bits. You will be drilling through a lot of metal on this project. The number of bits we have broken on van conversion is most likely double the price of a good Milwaukee set. 

Step Drill Bit

You will use this many times in your fan conversion project make sure you don’t cheap out here. You have a lot of holes to drill into your van and a step bit will make life easy. 

Fast Metal Jigsaw Blade

To cut the cleanest hole in your roof and to get the best results you will want to use a fast-metal blade for cutting all holes in your van. You will also need to use this if you plan on cutting any windows as well. We recommend buying longer blades for cutting your windows if you need to cut through the additional supports on the side panels. A shorter blade will work for cutting through the thin roof. 

Clean Your Cut

After you have made your cut use a metal file to clean up the edges. Any small scraps will rust and cause issues. Once you have cleaned the rough edge you will want to use a clear coat or white enamel spray paint to preserve the edge from rusting over time.

Butyl Tape and Lap Sealant

This is what most use to keep the seal water tight and out of the van. The butyl tape will go down first to create a seal on the fan. Then lap sealant will go around the fan to keep the seal water-tight. You will want to use Lap Sealant. This is self-leveling so you can apply a lot and it will settle into all the cracks to give you a good seal. If you use a caulking-type product it will crack and degrade in the sun. 

Parts and Tools


Roof Vent Buyers Guide

Listed by Price (High to low)

Maxx Air Fans (Kook Certified)

Dometic Fantastic Fans

Budget Fans


6” Roof Vent Fans

Tools and Parts


roof fan slides.pdf
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