Cutting holes in the van
A 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 is the biggest thing you have to worry about while living in a van. This 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 intimidating part of the van build. 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 cargo van towards a home. This seems more intimidating than it should be, but this task is well within any one’s wheel house that is taking on this DIY Van Build project.
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. This 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.
This will definitely get the air flowing, but we recommend the MaxxAir Standard Model if you have an extra $30 to throw at it.
Read more about what tools and products you need to install your fan here.
2009 Subaru Outback, we built it out to travel and live in until we were finished with our Sprinter Build out. Here, we show how we easily added a removable sleeping platform, as well as, some other accessories to make life on the road more comfortable. Free blueprint of the build, so you can make your own! As always, budget friendly.
Sprinter Van Conversion
Here, you can browse through all the topics and phases of our Sprinter build. And you can find just about everything you need to know about converting your Sprinter. We have links to products and step by step how to's and videos. Be sure to check out our YouTube channel for more videos!