My boyfriend and i had full face chemistry goggles from school that came in handy for insulation and cutting holes into the roof. We're converting a cargo trailer and couldn't get the jigsaw to cut the single layer from inside without shaking the metal up and down so we used a saw knife....by hand.... SO GLAD WE HAD GOGGLES! (And medical facemasks that pinch around the nose). They are a must!!!

That magnet in a bag was really clever!

@4yellowwolf

4 жыл бұрын

Love it 💕

whoever did the editing is good

Thanks for posting this, I will be installing the same fan in a week or two (and uploading the vid) but this has been a big help before I do it. Cheers, Jay

@LevityVans

7 жыл бұрын

CamperVan HandyMan - Glad I could help! Thanks for the comment 🙂

You made it look so easy !!

Awesome video? We’re just about to do this, so seeing someone else do it first made us feel better 😜

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video and are now feeling more confident to cut a hole in your roof! Good luck!

that was a great install, perfectly executed. you would think it should be painfully obvious to paint fresh cut steal, yet i see it so often, another tip is to put dielectric grease, paint it on with q tip. that bought you a thumbs up, and kudos for the magnet tip. i did think it was a bit fast at some points, and still have yet to find a video of the seal when the two halves connect, after their screwed together. thank you for taking the effort of making this video. nicely done..

Amazing camera work!! That video guy must be a professional...

Great install video! I just bought one of these to replace the cheap one that came with my teardrop/micro trailer. Was kinda hard to watch it though as you were standing to close to the edge of the van for my liking, When I was your age heights didn't bother me at all. Don't known when it started but I have to crawl on the top of my trailer now and I hate climbing the latter to put up my Christmas lights.

Very helpful!!

I wish vids would show the under mount installation:)

WOW BEAUTIFUL JOB ..WELL DONE

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Why, Thank you!

I'm about to do this. Your instructions are really good. I was planning on doing pretty much exactly what you did, but I wanted extra confirmation from others who have installed their fan. Luckily I already installed windows in the van, so I feel a lot more comfortable cutting holes in the van now!

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Lisha. Sorry for the delay. The only recommendation I have, beyond what I displayed in this video, is the use of a vent fan adapter from Impact Graphics and using more sealant. Since this has been posted, and with all my other installs, I start the sealant on the inside of the mounting screws and do a circle around the whole thing several times, each time slightly overlapping in the previous circle. I have a new video coming out soon with my latest vent fan install suggestions. If you've already installed it, I'd love to hear how it went!

@lishayost144

4 жыл бұрын

@@LevityVans Hi, thanks for your response. Yes, I installed my fans about a week ago and all went well. I actually did just as you described with the sealant over the screws like that. I did a hose spray test and one of the fans leaked just a tad and I think it's because I raised the little metal tabs too high, where you actually screw in the actual fan to the base. So I didnt smoosh it down enough for that part to seal very well. So I took off the fan and lowered the metal tabs and really smooshed down the fan into the seal when screwing it in. I think it'll be good now. I smooshed down the other fan more when first installing, and it didnt leak in my test, so I'm pretty sure that's why the other one leaked. Blessings to you!

good stuff

Great video thanks. Which fasteners did you use?

nice video

ayyyy it's me again

Nice! Regarding reducing condensation buildup (esp. in winter), do you find that the fan blowing air in or blowing air out helps more?

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

I would imagine blowing air out would help more. However, I haven't had many issues with condensation.

Nice job. I pretty much have the same questions as Bart below. Support under the fan needed for the screws and why did you pick the location. thx

@LevityVans

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Scott. I just replied to Bart. I somehow missed that post. Thanks for brining it to my attention. Hope you enjoy :-)

Good job, you gave me a couple of ideas that hadn't occurred to me. I have the same van & fan & I'm about to drill those same first holes myself so I understand you having a little trepidation at that step! I have a couple of questions that I'd appreciate your comments on. 1) I wanted to put my fan in the same location you did but am leaning more toward farther back thinking that I'll get better air flow from front to back that way. Any thoughts or reasons you can think of not to go further back? 2) I was also thinking about adding a wooden frame under the opening & having the screws that come down from the outside thread into that frame. Do you think that would be wasted effort? 3) Everyone uses self leveling lap sealant but I already have a new tube of non-leveling, non-sag lap sealant & was planning to use that. It seems to me that it should work fine if I "tool" the bead to eliminate any air gaps. Comments? Thanks!

@LevityVans

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Bart! I'm so sorry to have not responded sooner. I somehow missed your comment and Scott Wood (Above) just referred to it. Yes, those first holes were scary and now I've cut holes in the sides and installed windows. I'm feeling much more comfortable with it. (1) The reason I chose that location for the vent fan was because it would be right above the kitchen cooking area and I thought it would work best for venting that area. It is also just above the area where I built the rear seats. Because of that, I thought it would pull the air past the passengers to help cool on hot days. It seems to work really well. I also considered putting a rack on the back rear of the van for extra exterior storage so I wanted to leave room for that. Other than all of that, I think the rear of the van is a fine choice. (2) I don't see any need to have a more sturdy wooden frame to support the fan. I used self taping screws and I believe there are 12 screws in total. It's not going anywhere! (3) I'm not familiar with the sealant you have or why you should or shouldn't use it. I am familiar with how well the sealant that I used worked. I don't think I would try anything else ever with how well this worked. Have you installed your fan yet? If so, maybe you could comment on how well it worked and what you decided to use. I hope this helps :-)

@fbillh8568

6 жыл бұрын

I appreciate you taking the time to reply even though I've installed it already. I did end up using the non-leveling lap sealant & it seems to be a good option too. And I have mine installed way in the back because I was planning to put my bed across the back. But now I'm probably going to build the bed along the driver side so I think I may have been better off putting it in the same location you did. I built a wooden frame around mine & it may not have been necessary but I think it will be good having it when I'm putting up the ceiling. Drilling that first hole was kind of scary but now I'm fearless!

Safety glasses bradah!!!!

Really great video, thank you. I'm about to install the same fan in my ProMaster. So you didn't have to worry about anything in terms of fitting/sealing from the inside? Also I've seen some people frame theirs from the inside. Is that just to get it flush with where their ceiling paneling is going to go and make it easy to attach around the fan? I plan on securing my ceiling directly to those cross ribs. What was your setup? Thanks again!

@LevityVans

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Kara. Thanks for the comment and questions. I wouldn't worry about framing it from the inside since you have a piece of plastic that screws into your headliner when you finish the inside. Just make sure it's sealed really well on the outside. I have a picture of the final product but can't post it here. I'm happy to connect with you on Facebook if you'd like to see pictures. Just look up Jimmy Grey Santa Cruz.

@karashirl

6 жыл бұрын

Awesome, that'd be great! I'll connect on Facebook.

Wow, that guy doing the van conversion is really hot!!!

@MYTOYMAKERZ

7 жыл бұрын

Well Thank You from your picture you aren't so bad yourself. LOL Thanks

@jono4708

6 жыл бұрын

I was guessing you're his wife

Any videos of how you wired it to the battery or power bank?

@LevityVans

3 жыл бұрын

No videos for that but all you need to do is extend the black wire (positive in this case) and the white wire (negative), down to a fuse block.

What size wire does the fan use to hook it up to the fuse box.

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

I believe it's 16 gauge.

Black is almost always the hot wire. 12v batteries are the exception, not the rule.

@lishayost144

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, when doing AC (house) wiring, then yes, black is hot, white is neutral. There's no red in AC wiring. But yes, 12v wiring, red is hot, so be careful everyone :)

Good clean video, just bought mine , installing this weekend, I got the smoke color lid, they wanted $50 more for a white lid? Anybody run into that? Bought mine from a big RV company.

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

Happy to hear you're installing a vent fan! I hope my video helps out a lot! Feel free to reach out with any questions during the process and I'm do my best to respond as soon as possible. About the color, my experience has been that the black is usually more expensive...

How'd you get all the dents out of the roof after walking all over it?

@LevityVans

3 жыл бұрын

Transits are super tough because their metal is so thin. Sprinter's and Promasters are much tougher. If you do step on the wrong spot and dent the roof, you should be able to push it back out from the inside. The only safe areas to step on a Transit are the roof rack mounting areas and the edges whereas you can step along the cross braces and edges on a Promaster and Sprinter and it's pretty safe.

Do you need two fans? How do you get good circulation with only air coming in?

@LevityVans

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment Benjamin! My professional recommendation is 1 fan at the opposite side as where you sleep and having vented windows above your bed. Setting the fan to exhaust mode and opening your window will pull the hot air out from the ceiling and pull fresh air in where you are sleeping. This is also a great way to cross ventilate your van. Having two fans in the ceiling, one set up blow and the other exhaust, seems like a great idea, however, it mostly circulates the air at the top of the van. If you are parked in the sun, you are pulling hot air in from above the vehicle. If you don't have any windows and aren't planning to put any in and also aren't willing to crack your front windows, then 2 fans makes sense. I'm sure there are many theories but I've been in some really hot temps and this seems to work great for me and my customers. Just my two and a half cents 😁

@benjaminlandheer1

3 жыл бұрын

@@LevityVans Thank you so much for the response and advice!

@LevityVans

3 жыл бұрын

Sure thing! Happy to help!

I see you posted this a year ago, in that time have you had any leaks or problems? Also did you cut into the framing in ceiling? Any problems?

@LevityVans

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Joe. I have not had a single leak and I've been in some large downpours. Granted, I do live in California so I haven't seen as much rain as other parts of the country but I feel at this point, it is tried and trued. I absolutely did NOT cut through the framing. I wouldn't recommend that at all. Good luck and let me know if you have other questions.

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

I'm just looking through my old posts and thought it may be helpful to tell you... We've had a ton of rain this past winter in my area! And, no leaks in the van 😁

What size fuse did you use for this? Thanks!

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question Matthew. I didn't mention this did I? The Maxxair Deluxe pulls 5amps max and also has a built in fuse that you can reset if you disconnect power (pull your fuse out). Because the fan has a built in fuse does not mean you don't need a fuse though. The fuse protects the wire going to the device. You should be using a minimum of 16 gauge wire and I'd recommend using a fuse slightly higher then the current draw of the device. In this case, I'd recommend 7.5amp fuse. If you have a really long wire run, it will cause more resistance which means you'll want to up the gauge of the wire and install a larger fuse. I hope this helps 😊

@matthewbissinger4569

4 жыл бұрын

@@LevityVans thank you very much for replying. This Information will help greatly on my Van build. Thanks again keep up the great videos :)

Thanks for this! One question though, what do I do with the "garnish ring" that came with it? The directions that came with it don't make much sense, and I see you didn't even use one.

@LevityVans

6 жыл бұрын

Melody Groundflyer, thanks for the comment and question. That last piece goes on after you have paneled the roof. It will be the final piece that hides the crack around the fan.

@lovelymetaphors

6 жыл бұрын

OK GREY ohh, I gotcha. Is this on the inside? Sorry I am having trouble finding anything about it online.

Hey the MaxxAir fan link and the link below it aren't really working

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Iris! Thanks for bringing that to our attention. I've updated the link to include both the black and the white version of the Maxxair Deluxe vent fan that I used. I also just recently updated the video to include a couple things that I've learned after installing so many of these. You can view it here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z6afp7aGqJnFedo.html. Also, if you're interested, I'm happy to sell you a fan directly as I am a dealer now. Feel free to reach out at contact@levityvans.com. Thanks for watching and for your support!

My husband has a man bun! In his shorts haasa

@LevityVans

4 жыл бұрын

Are you guys building a van? At some point, someone commented on my man bun and said it was cliche for me to have one and be building a van. I think it's a prerequisite 🤪 Obviously I'm kidding but I thought it was a funny comment. Oh, and your husband has good style! Last thought because I'm feeling chatty this morning, maybe it should be called a van bun?

@sonyathompson7570

2 жыл бұрын

@@LevityVans your man bun is awesome!! You carry it well.

It's called a shop vac

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

Wireless silent and power free shop vac, actually 😉

Walking a around and kneeling on a Promaster roof is going leave dents. If you care about that lay plywood in the work area.

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

Hey James. Great suggestion. I'm glad you brought that up. I am very conscious of where I choose to step and I'm happy that you are saying this so other watchers will be conscious about it as well. I also now use big rubber knee pads while kneeling. Protects the van and my knees. Another suggestion is to put a blanket down and then plywood. I fear that the metal shavings will fly under the plywood and then when the wood is moved may cause scratches and future rust. Thanks for the suggestion and I hope the video was helpful.

ok after 2 years, any leaks?

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

Nope! However, I have changed my method a bit and my work looks much nicer on the newer installs I do. I use a trim piece that you can get from Impact Graphics on eBay and I also use 1 1/2 tubes of self leveling lap sealant. I begin the sealant as far in as possible, without going over the edge and I circle around until I have a nice even later from the most inner part to the van roof. It looks really clean and, although it's a bit overkill, I feel certain it will last for many years!

@jackjune156

5 жыл бұрын

@@LevityVans good to hear

One metal shard embedded in our cornea will ruin your day (or more). Yes, I know how much. ALWAYS wear eye protection especially overhead. It isnt funny.

I lost interest when you said you'd finished the final cut.Measure twice,cut once and you had a template as well !

@LevityVans

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Tony. Thanks for the comment although, I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say. More info would be great!