Part 4: Ventilation
There’s a great segment in one of the Backstreet Boys documentaries where Chris is with Brian in some antique shop and after finding a massive fan (the ones that blow air) he says, “Brian, I think I just found our biggest fan!” The pun hits extra hard in the moment as, from what I can remember, The Perfect Fan begins playing in the background. I can’t for the life of me find this clip so maybe I’m just making it up in my mind but I got confirmation of its existence from Caroline, so if you’re gonna call me a lier, you gotta take on both of us. If you’re still with me, here’s a link of my favorite BB song. Now to talk about fans - the ones that blow air.
Early on in my research it became very clear to me that somehow you have design for a way to move air through the van. There’s a variety of ways to do it, but at the end of the day you just can’t expect to live (and probably more importantly sleep) in a van with stale air. Most of the ways to do it also include installing windows or vents in the van, and it’s important that those things be done early on in the build process to make life easier. You can certainly do add-ons later, but think of it like a house: you don’t want to build a nice house with walls, insulation, etc. and then punch out a bunch of holes for windows and vents. So, here we are, just about at the beginning of the whole process, with the plan for ventilation.
What I did, what I used, how long it took, and how much it cost?
For ventilation I decided to install a small window (36” x 12”) in the back of the van above the bed, and a Fantastic Fan on the roof of the van in the front right where the cargo compartment begins.
As I was at the beginning of my first project, and rightfully scared to drill holes and cut the sheet metal out of my van, I decided to have someone else install the window and the fan. All in, in order to find and coordinate with the upfitter, drop off the van, wait for installation, and pick it back up, it was about four hours.
While I definitely saved time going to an upfitter, cost is where I lost out. $835 total for just two items. Each item was just under $300 a piece and the rest was for labor.
Why I did it (including counterpoints)
Design: I kept it simple with just one path of air flow in the van from the front to the back (or vice versa). I’ve seen many designs with multiple fans or multiple windows, but it just seemed like overkill for my purposes. I’m pretty content sleeping in poor conditions from all the backpacking and hiking I’ve done, so that combined with the fact that I don’t plan to be anywhere too hot for too long made it an easy choice to keep it simple. Also, to help with the heat, I did design to have the window right above the head of the bead so if it’s really hot one night, the breeze is coming right across your head.
Window: I picked a small window for multiple reasons. First off, in making decisions related to the outside of the van, I always tried to go for as low of a profile as possible. To me, the more windows you put on and the bigger they are, the more you attract attention to yourself as living inside. I hear the argument about not having any natural light, but I’m not trying to spend all my time inside my van during the day - I’m trying to get outside! If I’m stuck inside during a rainy day and the lighting sucks, that’s fine by me in order to be more discrete. Additionally, the more windows you have, the more you have to worry about covering them and limiting light pollution if you’re really trying to be incognito. Lastly, the most important part of my window is the sliding vent. If the window doesn’t open, it won’t serve its purpose. Mine has a slider with a screen attached, and locks from the inside.
Fantastic Fan: For the fan there are really only two good options on the market: the Fantastic Fan by Dometic and Maxxair. They both pretty much offer the same set of features on the high end (bidirectional air flow, wide range of speeds, precipitation auto shutoff, etc.) , and cost about the same. I think the Maxxair fan is typically seen as the better product as it has a more aerodynamic shape and a more waterproof designed lid, but I went with the Fantastic Fan. The upfitter had it in stock and consequently gave me a bit of a discount, so given their similarities it was the right choice for me.
What went well
Going to an upfitter was a breeze. I think all in all they took about one hour to install both items. They did a great job, and if you’re in the Chicagoland area I would highly recommend Custom Connections out of Roselle. They came as a recommendation from the guys at Roesch where I got the Promaster originally who also rock! Honestly, after years of traveling and constantly buying from Amazon or big box stores, it felt really great to support some local businesses in my hometown. 10/10 would recommend.
What didn't go well/What I might’ve done differently
Given this was my first van build I think it made sense to get the big add-ons (like the window and fan) installed, but after working on the van all the way through, and punching many more holes in my car, going to an upfitter is honestly my biggest regret. Not because I think I could have done a better job (I probably definitely would not have) but because now when it’s all said and done, this is the only thing on the whole van that I didn’t do. Not a big deal, and definitely just a pride thing, but would have been fun to have said I did every part of the build. Next time, I’m definitely going all in!
Build tips
In contrast to my last bullet, if you are uncomfortable doing something on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Peace of mind wins out over pride and the potential for a thousand dollar blemish on your new van any day.
