Best RV Vent Fans: Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2019

While residing in tiny homes like your RV, you get to wander so many different destinations. From the pleasant breeze of the mountains to the salty sea vibes there are so many places you can explore. But, as you get back to the squeezed space inside your RV you may get an unpleasant experience.  The smell of previously cooked food, moisture or just the stuffiness can spoil your mood completely. This is why you need a dependable device to help you in keeping your RV properly ventilated. That’s where the best RV vent fans come into picture.

You may think of getting an air conditioner but they actually consume way more electricity and money than vent fans. It is not always feasible to operate an air conditioner if you lack the generator capability or shore power in your RV. In such situations having a vent becomes a necessity. Vent fans are the ultimate pocket friendly sustainable solution.

Maintain a healthy air flow in RV

A roof vent fan is necessary to maintain a healthy air flow in your motorhome. A normal RV vent fan is made in a 14 X 14” size suitable for the roofs of the RV in general. The Vent fan helps to relieve you from humidity by driving away the moisture in the air. It helps in removing the smell of cooked food or the steam from hot showers. Selecting the correct RV roof vent fan can be a complicated task, taking into account the numerous options and categories available in stores these days.

Before venturing into the range of the best RV vent fans, let’s enhance our understanding about RV roof vents. Most new RVs and trailers come with minimum one or more roof vents as per the model and size of the vehicle. With passage of time, the RV roof vents which are meant for ventilating and protecting the RV from harsh conditions may become redundant. The rains, wind, dust, UV rays, snow or hail stones will deteriorate the vent. In such cases, you need to look for a good replacement.

Types of RV vent fans

The two major types of roof vents are; electric roof vents and non-electric roof vents.  An electric roof vent provides benefits such as:

• multiple speed settings
• ability to push air in as well out of the rig
• sensors and rain covers for protection
• built-in thermostat in order to control the temperature

Although electric vents need at least 12-volt motor to operate and also requires an additional battery. Apparently, they are costlier than the regular non-electric vent fans and prove to be an irritation to your ears.

Non-Electric Vent Fan

A non-electric vent fan on the other hand does not use power and are very economical in contrast to the electric vent fans. They have a quiet operation and help in naturally removing the heat and unpleasant smell by allowing the fresh air from the outdoors to seep into your RV’s interiors. But, you will not be able to enjoy multiple fan speed settings. Sometimes the non-electric vents don’t possess a fan at all.

Understanding Vent Covers

As you know RV vents are a vital feature which every RV user needs to ensure increased airflow and to keep the space breezy. But roof top vents may subject the roof vents to damage from external elements like hails and rains. The vent covers are hence, the best way to help in protecting the roof vents of your motorhome to enable the vents to deliver a good performance for your RV. They are the best companions for the roof top vents of your RV.

What are the popular RV Vent Fan brands?

All Vent fans will make a difference in the amount of cooling inside your RV. But some manufacturers have brought forth consistently great products to please the RV members. The most well received brands include Maxxair and Dometic’s Fan-tastic. They have made different set of designs and inculcated unique features to cater the diverse needs of different RV spaces.        

Are you excited to tour through some popular and well performing RV Electric Vent fans to help you to make the right buying decision? Let’s begin.

Best RV Vent Fans 2019

1. Fan-Tastic Vent 801200 RV Roof Vent Fan
2. Maxxair Corp 00-04000K Maxxfan Plus
3. Maxx Air 0004500K Maxxair Corp
4. Dometic Fan-Tastic Vent RV Roof Vent Model 7350
5. Heng’s RV Roof Vent Vortex II

Fan-Tastic Vent 801200 RV Roof Vent Fan

This budget RV Vent fan is powerful, compact and durable. Use it to exhaust smoke or heat generated while cooking it knows how to put forth a nice job. It comes with a tough plastic base and an easy to click switch. The fan portion is good and provides a lot of air. Moving out all the stale air is a minute work for this device. You can reduce the use of air conditioners and breathe fresh outside air. Installation is easy and it fits in the standard opening provided by most RV manufacturers in your vehicles. 

It features three blade speeds; low, medium, and high and comes with a brushless motor. The product is energy efficient too. You can even pair the fan with the solar panels and can leave it on all day long. However, few users has reported that the fan is little louder. Overall this fan is a good pick. It is priced around a $100. You will be surprised by the build quality and the amount of air it move. It is recommended to test the fan before installation by touching the two wires with the light socket. In case, you want fan to blow ‘in’ instead of ‘out’, just switch the +/- wires.

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Maxxair Corp 00-04000K Maxxfan Plus

This Maxxair unit is a worthwhile upgrade to any RV. The vent fan has a great design, powerful motor and is a reasonably priced version. It comes with 10 speed settings and brings in massive amounts of air. By reversing, you can have it blow air into the van as well. The fan is easy to install and is a great value for money.  In case you face any installation issues, several videos are out there on YouTube. It is virtually silent on lower speeds.

However, over the time the fan may get a little noisy. Since moisture is the enemy of any RV, this unit is particularly useful when showering. Inbuilt thermostat works well and automatically come at the comfortable temperature. The fan is quiet and you can barely hear any sound. It needs to be protected from rain to avoid rusting. Such protection can be done by installing a cover over the top on the outside. If your existing fan is too loud and you have to choose between listening to the fan or the radio, then it’s a perfect replacement for you. It is available for about $140.

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Maxx Air 0004500K Maxxair Corp

Another Maxx Air in the list, this Advanced Maxx Air 0004500K is a nicely constructed fan which fits 14” x 14” roof opening. It comes with an inbuilt rain sensor which closes the lid automatically if it rains bringing peace of mind. The fan does a great job of moving fresh air in and removing hot, stale air and odors. Makes no noise at all on the lower speeds and even on the higher speeds the only noticeable noise is that of the rushing air, not motor or fan blade.

It is easy to install if you follow the instructions. The product is waterproof. Another major benefit which this fan has over other competitors is that you can operate it via the remote control as well as using the built in control panel. You can even run the fan with a closed lid to circulate the air inside your RV like a ceiling fan. This model will cost you around $190.

With its hi-tech features, overall this fan is worth every penny for the full time RVers.

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Dometic Fan-Tastic Vent RV Roof Vent Model 7350

This is another high quality fan which operates very smoothly for a pleasant experience inside the RV.  It comes with 20 speed settings and brings in and out good amount of air. Inbuilt rain sensor closes within a minute or two of the occurrence of rain and automatically shuts off the fan. The fan motor will start and stop automatically as the interior temperature of the vehicle exceeds or drops below the selected temperature level.

It keeps the trailer cooler during the day and she can reverse it to bring in the cooler night air for sleeping. Remote control works flawlessly as long as you point at it correctly. While it is convenient to have a remote to set the temperature, you can’t operate the fan if you lose it. So keep it safely! There are no manual controls except a manual crank to open the lid. Some customers have complained about too much noise from the fan. Available for about $250, this product is a bit costly.

Get this Dometic Fan-tastic vent fan for a fantastic experience in your motorhome.

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Heng’s RV Roof Vent Vortex II

Heng’s Vortex is an affordable and a decent fan. It fits inside the standard 14 inch square and does a good job moving hot air out or cool air in. It comes with multi speed settings of three speeds forward and two reverse speeds. The fan draws between 2.6-3.0 amps. In order to save the energy costs the fan can be hooked up to the solar panel. This can prove be a very sustainable option for you.

Few peoples have complained on the forums that it is little loud. Also, the fan lacks features like automatic rain shut. The model does not come with a thermostat however it can be added if you find the right part. The instructions for installation are present at the back of the box which is pretty conducive. You can check out videos to learn more. It works very well on low and medium speed but not a good performance at the high speed setting. At high speed setting some users have reported that you may hear loud noises and the fan can get unbalanced with some decent amount of vibration.

Despite few issues, overall it is a cost effective unit that provides a noticeable air flow to condition the RV space. You need to invest about a $100 to get this vent fan for your mini abode.

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Get a Vent Fan that suits your RV

We all realize getting a good vent fan for our RVs is undeniably a crucial task to make a motorhomes comfortable and ventilated. After looking into the factors like the size of your RV, the expected weather conditions in the area you drive through and your personal habits, you should pick up the vent fan which will satiate the maximum needs.

Remember to regularly service your fans. The vent fans are used almost every day, all year round. It tends to get dirty very soon which makes it important to clean the fans properly otherwise the air around you will be filled with impurities. At least twice a year you should remove the fan and clean it. This helps in ensuring durability of the fan and enhances its overall performance.