Roof vent for campervan air quality, comfort and safety
It took me awhile to become a convert. I was perfectly happy with an open door or windows.
But I kept seeing excited, even zealous comments on social media about the Fan Tastic vent, Maxxair roof vent fans and other roof vent products.
In preparation for some cold weather camping last year, I installed a roof vent with a 12 volt fan and I became an instant convert.
The main advantages are the improved control I now have over air quality, temperature, humidity and another layer of protection against potentially dangerous fumes.
A good roof vent fan can actually save lives and many van travelers rely on their roof vent along with a carbon monoxide detector to stay safe from C0 poisoning.
Air quality
Dust, odors, fumes… it’s important to keep in mind that your conversion van space is tiny and the air can get used up fast. If you’re relying on open windows or a roof vent without a fan, you’ll be surprised how great a roof vent for camper van life will be.
Temperature control
A few seconds of running the roof vent fan can be just enough to get the van temp right. In the summer, using the fan to pull in fresh evening air can lead to great sleep.
I prefer to cook outside whenever possible, but since I was going to be traveling in very cold weather, I needed to cook most of my food indoors.
Whether I was running some campsite cooking equipment like a Crock-Pot for a few hours while driving, or even just boiling a quick pot of water to pull some espresso shots, my camper van roof vent saw constant use.
Reducing campervan humidity
If you’re like most campervan owners, you’ve spent a lot of time, money and effort learning about insulating a campervan, or having it done right. G
Installing the best roof vent for your campervan is crucial to keeping moisture out of that insulation.
There are some unexpected sources of moisture in vans.
For example, when we sleep, we off gas water. This often results in condensation on windows, and elsewhere in your van.
In fact there are a multitude of sources of humidity in a van and a roof vent fan will massively reduce this possible source of humidity, mold and mildew.
What size campervan vent fan do you need for your van?
Tip: Think of your van like a soda bottle. If you seal your lips over the opening and try to blow in air, the bottle will immediately fill up and the air flow will stop. If the bottle were open at the bottom, air would flow freely through.
Opening a window slightly (or floor vent) will allow your roof vent fan to more effectively move air out and pull new air in.
Since this is a site about conversion vans, not full sized RV’s, keep in mind that the volume of air flow needed to completely replace all the air inside any van is quite low.
The vent fans I’ve included below will easily keep you in fresh, clean air at all times.
The exception might be if you’re cooking something very smokey or steamy and don’t have window and/or doors wide open during that process.
And even with windows and doors open, you’ll want a fan to pull steam and smoke out through the top of the van if you’re cooking inside.
If you need to cook inside a lot, consider a second fan vent above your stove, or even a dedicated stove hood.
Many of my readers spend a lot of time in very cold climates and don’t want to keep the van wide open because of the cost of heating, so they rely on a roof vent directly above their cooking area.
Power considerations for van roof fans and vents
Any fan draws significant power, so be mindful of your power source and use your fan sparingly if it’s powered by your solar system or portable battery power pack.
Again, it doesn’t take much air flow to move all the air out of a van quickly, so avoid the temptation to buy the most powerful fan you can find. The extra power consumption and noise are rarely worth it.
We’ve carefully chosen the best products for power usage.
Our Top Picks for campervan roof vents and vent covers
This is the number one choice of roof vent for camper van among conversion van folks.
The 12 volt DC, three speed motor uses low amps for long hours of low battery use.
The smoke color lid minimizes UV ray impact on the mechanism.
A removable screen allows for easy cleaning of dust from blades.
Our Rating
If you’re looking for a campervan roof vent that gives fresh outside air quietly and efficiently, the powerful Create-a-Breeze by Fantastic Vent is an excellent option.
Its three-speed 12V motor that pushes stale air out and pulls fresh air in.
This roof vent for campervan air quality has a hand knob that makes it easy to increase or decrease the fan speed.
It’s energy-efficient since it only uses 3 amps. You can set the speed you find the most comfortable from low, medium, and high.
This camper vent adds extra ventilation and requires 14” x 14” opening in your camper van’s roof.
The size of this vent is 17.2 x 17 x 11.6 inches and weighs about 9.9 pounds.
MaxxFan exclusive: Remote control includes backup controls at ceiling.
Ceiling Fan Mode runs with lid closed for air circulation.
Simple cleaning keypad (flush mount) for fan speed, temp, intake and exhaust.
Fits 14″ x 14″ roof opening.
Our Rating
In any camper vans, proper ventilation is a must no matter what size of van you have.
For over 30 years now, Maxxxair has been producing high-quality roof vents, ceiling fans, and replacement shrouds for all types of campervans.
Maxxair Vent 04000K offers 10-speed levels that you can set according to your preference using the remote control with backup controls for convenience.
This campervan roof vent is lightweight and easy to install and easy to use.
The product dimension is 17.4 x 17.2 x 10 inches and weighs around 12 pounds.
It can fit 14 by 14 inches opening in every standard camper van roof and ceiling.
This is a rare beast in the campervan and RV accessories world, a sub $100, 12 volt roof vent for your campervan!
But don’t let the great price fool you, the Heng’s vent fan is built to last.
Heng’s Standard Mount Universal Vents are engineered to withstand strong wind and rough weather.
One of the highlights of this product is that it’s watertight and has positive-seal weather stripping.
The metal base is coated with a protective layer of zinc making it durable and stronger than other campervan roof vents.
It also features a self-centering metal base and an interior garnish with a more than average width of 1-1/4″ flange that covers all screw holes.
It’s made to fit the standard 14″ by 14″ vent openings that campervans are usually equipped with, making it a convenient purchase for any campervan owner.
This roof vent for camper van measures 7 x 5.3 x 17 inches and it’s very portable because it only weighs 4 pounds. Installing it shouldn’t be a hassle since it’s lightweight.
Our Rating
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