Contents
The Maxxfan Deluxe roof fan has many roles in our Ford Transit campervan conversion. It keeps the air fresh, helps to increase airflow, to evacuate cooking odors and to control moisture. We use it when we’re parked or when we’re driving, day or night, during summer or during winter… it might not seems important at first, but without the fan, the van would quickly become undesirable to live in. Here is our review!
Key Features
- Can be left opened when raining (Built-in Rain Cover)
- 10 Speed Intake & Exhaust
- 900 CFM
- Lid Opening: Manual or Electric (models 7000K & 7500K)
- Can be left fully closed or fully opened when driving (partially opened may damaged it)
Models and Features
Where to Buy
| MODEL | COLOR | BUY FROM |
| 5100K / 6200K | White / Smoke | Buy from Amazon.com |
| 7000K | White | Buy from Amazon.com |
| 7500K | Smoke | Buy from Amazon.com |
Runner-Up
Fantastic (See it on Amazon.com) offers a product similar to Maxxfan in term of performance and quality.
PROS
- The Fantastic fan is relatively cheaper.
- It was reported that Fantastic fan has outstanding customer service and support.
CONS
- The Fantastic cannot be left opened when raining. This is a major issue, since ventilation is very important when it’s raining and humid outside. The Fantastic features a rain sensor on some models, so the lid will close automatically when it rains (some users reported that the lid will close if there is condensation on the roof, which is not good)
- 3 speed (vs 10 for the Maxxfan). As it turns out, we use speed 1 and 2 a lot on our Maxxfan as it reduces noise and minimizes electrical consumption.
For us, the cons did not outbalanced the pros so we’re glad we went for the Maxxfan.
Specifications
Dimensions:
Fits a standard RV fan cutout of 14″ x 14″.
Flow:
900 CFM
Power Consumption:
| SPEED | AMP |
| 1 | 0.1 |
| 2 | 0.2 |
| 3 | 0.3 |
| 4 | 0.4 |
| 5 | 0.6 |
| 6 | 0.9 |
| 7 | 1.1 |
| 8 | 1.5 |
| 9 | 2.0 |
| 10 | 2.8 |
Installation
We covered the Maxxair Fan Installation previously in the following post. It includes the material list and how we installed the fan, step-by-step:
Operation
Exhaust or Intake (reverse)?
We normally use the fan in exhaust mode (pushing air outside) so that fresh cool air enters the van near the floor and exits at the roof through the fan.
The fan can also be run in intake (reverse) mode with the lid closed; this way, it acts just as a home ceiling fan.
Speed
Here is a general guideline on how we set the speed:
Lid Opened (Speed 0):
- While driving during a warm summer day. Driving will create a natural draft and create an air circulation in the van.
- Light cooking in winter.
Speed 1 or 2:
- Warm summer night. The fan is really quiet at these speed and it creates a sufficient ventilation.
- When cooking in winter.
Speed 3 or 4:
- Warm summer day.
- When cooking in summer.
Speed 5 to 9:
- The fan starts to make more noise at this level and requires a sufficient passive intake.
- Deep Fried Bacon cooking odors evacuation!
- We found that it is not generally necessary to use that mode.
Speed 10:
- LUDICROUS MODE
Lid Opening
We bought the model with the manual lid opening, because our fan is installed in the center of the van. We did not see the need to have a remote, except we can now see that it could be useful (when we forget to close or open the fan while driving or at night to avoid getting up from bed). Also, we were worried that the automatic mechanism could suffer in snow/ice, but we did not read any report that there is actually a problem with that. Opening the lid manually is very easy; just turn the knob a few turns and voilà! We were glad to see that the lid doesn’t tend to get stuck in ice or snow.
Reliability
We’ve been using the fan since June 2016 and we had no issue so far!
Conclusion
While we hesitated to get a Fantastic to save some cash, we’re glad we went with the Maxxfan. As it turns out a fan is especially useful during a humid rainy day, the Fantastic can’t beat the Maxxfan on that. We really appreciate the 10 speeds as well. It’s money well spent!
Resources
Manufacturer Website (look for the installation and operating instructions at the bottom of the page)
You Might Be Interested In:
A&I–
So I don’t know where you are on your current build, but we went with the 7500 three years ago and have been really happy with it.
With the remote you can change the fan while in bed. Nice.
But our latest fix (yesterday) was to install hardwired switches in the roof console (where the front overhead lights are) to turn off the fan when turning on to the highway to avert the maxxair roar. I can’t tell you the number of times that one of us has to camber into the back to close that fan vent!
–d
Highly recommend including information about installing a voltage regulator for the fan for lithium battery owners. Battery chargers and solar charge controllers can cause the voltage to be ~14v, which can fry the circuit board.
Voltage regulators are ~$12 on amazon and will prevent a bunch of headaches.
Hi Caitlin,
any recommendations on which/what kind of V regulator to use, & to determine if it is applicable for the MaxxFann application? There are a number of different options available, & want to make sure the applications work with each other!
Hey, Have you guys had any issues with the brushed motors squeaking? I’ve had my two fans installed on my Ford Transit since May of this year, and after two months they started squeaking at lower speeds. If you have, any luck with how to fix?
We had squeaking happening then it went away. This happened a few times.
The motor assembly can be cleaned, but I have not personally done this so I’m not sure of the exact procedure, sorry.
antoine
Are the max fan deluxe noisy?
They’re very quiet, unless you crank them to max speed. But at normal operation speed they’re very quiet 🙂
Looking for info on exterior dimensions of Maxx fan 7500. We are replacing a vent that the lid cracked-it is located between solar panels and when we closed it all the way it hit a panel and broke-bought van used so unaware shouldn’t close lid tightly.
Hello,
Is it normal that when the maxxfan 7500KI40T is completely closed it is not completely airtight?
My maxxfan still gets a lot of air when it’s closed.
Other than that i’m very happy with it!
Thanks for responding.
Grtz from Belgium
Tom
Anyone know which is better, 7500 smokey or 7000 white?
My Maxxfan on full blast wouldn’t blow out a lighted match. Anyone else disappointed in the air flow? Can I do anything to improve on it’s performance?
You need at least one intake; if all the windows are closed it won’t do much.
It snowed for a couple of days and we left the fan slightly opened. We noticed that that van started to leak. It looked like the leak started from the fan and traveled to the sliding door area. Is it possible that the snow got inside the fan and caused the leak? Or is it possible that that van was not sealed correctly?
We used the van a lot in winter (Canada) and never had snow coming in through the fan. Maybe a small leak or simply condensation?
The maxxfan is not opening when turning the unit on.
Can’t open it with the manual opener – it won’t turn. Read in the manual to pull out the handle and then turn it but it does not pull out.
Any recommendations?
Thank you
This doesn’t sound good. You should probably contact the manufacturer…
Is installing a maxxfan above the kitchen (that is located behind the driver’s seat) in combination with a domestic heki skylight above the bed (at the back of the van) a good idea or are 2 maxxfans better? I really love stargazing though.
From our experience, the area above the bed can become pretty warm, so some sort of ventilation is required! I think the air flow would be good enough if you plan on opening the Heki while having the fan in the kitchen running.
Thomas let’s talk – I think I may have a solution and I’d love to get your feedback. Isabelle and Antoine I’d also love to hear your feedback. Thanks for the great article!
Hi there! I’m wondering if you’ve had any issues with the MaxxAir circuit board (I think that’s what’s wrong with mine). I have the 6200k. It worked flawlessly for about 6 months, then suddenly stopped working, and beeped for about 30 seconds with the green light flashing, then became unresponsive with a solid green light. Removing the power source for a few minutes will reset it, but the problem returns within a few seconds of turning back on. Tech support is sending me a new circuit board, and I understand from various forums that the core problem may be that the allowable voltage range is too narrow in the MaxxAir electronics. Thus, I’m concerned that after replacing the circuit board, I’ll run into the same issue. Thinking about installing a voltage regulator between the fuse block and fan to deal with this. Before buying, I wanted to see if there’s any FarOutRide wisdom with respect to this issue, or if you’ve encountered anything similar? Thanks for everything!
We did have to change the circuit board as well once in 2017. I think it was due to overvoltage, but can’t confirm. In 2017, we had a PWM solar charger controller that was going above the maximum voltage we had set (we now have the Victron MPPT solar charger controller). We never had any issues with the fan since we change the circuit board (and we didn’t install a voltage regulator).
I am having the same issue. Google search seems to indicate this is common. I have had the fan for about a year, but only used it maybe a 1/2 dozen times. It is now unusable. Twice it failed with loud beeping and bright green light in the middle of the night, and then it is dead except for the green light. So, in the middle of the night we have to fumble with finding the fuse to disconnect. Still waiting for a reply from Maxxair support.
This is still ongoing in 2022. I had success for a few months, then it went crazy. They sent me a replacement circuit board and keypad only after TWO MONTHS of a delay. No apologies. Luckily, I was out of the country, but normally I live full-time in the van.
The new circuit board worked for 3 days before the same problem. They had me test if the circuit board was shorted, and it was. Their customer support phone number never answers, and they only slowly respond to emails… sometimes. It’s been a while since I heard from them. It’s mid-June on the east coast and humid.
Worst $390 I ever spent in my life. If anyone is reading this, look up the 6200k on Amazon and read all the 1 star reviews. The circuit board issues are common. I would not recommend buying from them.
Thank you so much for the wonderful resource! I’m working on determining what all is needed for our electrical system. Where did you get the power consumption for the fan? Everything I can find online says it needs 5 amps to run.
We measured it ourselves with our monitor: https://faroutride.com/simarine-pico/
cheers
Thank you for the review. We are deciding between electric and manual. Can the electric model be opened manually as well? Also do you know if the smoke lets in less light than the white?
Thank you
I have the 7500k smoke and it can be opened manually(hand knob) as well with the remote and has electric buttons on the fan if the remote gets lost or what have you
Thanks so much for the detail instructions!
We are planning our conversion right now but we are not sure between 1 or 2 maxxfan.
I was planning 2 because we will be travelling in 3 (me, GF, and the dog) and also I get uncomfortable at night if it’s too warm.
On the other side, we do plan to have a tvent windows on the sliding door, and another small window in the bed area.
Do you think the 2nd maxxfan will be useful, or it will be totally extra given windows and the one in the front?
Any suggestion from your experience?
Thanks!
Ps: the van is a promaster 159
Is it possible to run the fan with the vent partially opened? I am considering putting solar panels over the vent and I won’t have to clearance to open it all the way. I am wondering if you think this would be a problem? Thank you!
No ideal for air flow, and in addition Maxxfan recommend NOT TO drive with the cover partially open (could damage the mechanism).
Regarding the Maxxfan…
Is road noise increased? I.e.. does it sound like a window is cracked while going down the highway?
It’s basically a hole in the roof, so it does increase noise. But the aerodynamic cover makes it smooth and OK.
cheers
I love Far Out Ride it’s the bible of conversions.
My wife and I are retiring. We want our comfort and I’m worried about the heat. Have you ever wanted air conditioning to cool your van down?
We are fortunate enough to have the flexibility to follow the climate… So we go North in summer and south during winter. Add to the fact that we spend 99% off-the-grid, an AC would not be practical in our case. So we don’t want one, but someone living in Texas/Florida might want one…
We’re about to install a Maxxfan in our Promaster Van. The roof of the van is “ribbed”. I understand there is an “adapter” which can be installed on the roof (under the fan unit) to provide a level surface.
Is this necessary? Where can I get the adapter for a reasonable price?
We highly recommend to get the adapter, otherwise you’ll have to find a way to fill the corrugation by your own means. The adapter will make the process much easier! The adapter for the ProMaster is listed in this article (under “material” section): faroutride.com/fan-installation
We found that there was a leak when we left the fan fully open during a storm.
Is this something you would do , or would you tend to close the fan when there is heavy rain?
Have you ever noticed that the hood moves up and down when left partially open in windy conditions? I guess this is where damage could occur so we have been closing the fan completely.
Cheers
Ben
Indeed it is recommended to leave the cover fully in OR fully out when driving (or during a big storm) to prevent damage.
We notice small drops sometime during heavy wind, but it seems to come from “rebound” rather than getting in directly. We don’t worry much about that.
Antoine
Hi!
Thank you for everything you do for the community.
I am wondering if I install 1 or 2 fans. A fan is cheaper than a window that opens and is probably better in term of insulation.
I’ve read a lot on forums about people installing 2 fans in Sprinter 170.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
I think either ways will provide similar ventilation; it depends on your budget and preference (roof estate & solar, look, etc)!