Smaller fan than Fan-Tastic?

Anything to do with mechanical, construction etc

Postby GuitarPhotog » Tue Mar 22, 2011 1:14 pm

Thanks Gus

The local computer store sells fan controllers like the one you linked to, so I'll check that out when I go.

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Postby GuitarPhotog » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:20 pm

OK, I picked up a 120 mm computer fan and a 3-fan speed controller at the local electronics outlet today.

Now I need to make a mounting plate to hold the fan, and find a way to stick a 1/4" potentiometer shaft through the 1/2" thick electrical panel :thinking:

I'll let you know how it works out.

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fan vent

Postby nrody » Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:03 pm

The fan/vent that so cal teardrops sells can be found on etrailer.com. Lots of good info in the vidio clips too. I just ordered mine and it cost + or - $65 (including delivery) you can find it under bathroom vents. I believe the manufacutre is Ventline.
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Postby GuitarPhotog » Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:23 pm

As I said in an earlier post, the So-Cal can could not be made to work in my circumstance. The roof/ceiling of my TD is one piece of 0.055 aluminum only. No lining, no membrane, no nothing.

The fan under discussion requires a ceiling/roof thickness of >1"

I installed a 120mm computer fan yesterday, holding it to the sheet metal with double-stick foam tape. It works well with the speed controller. We'll see how well the sticky tape holds when the temp in the trailer exceeds 100F, as it will in the sun on a warm day (exterior is brown).

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Postby camptyler » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:39 pm

I just ordered a small round vent that has a 6 1/4" rough opening. It pulls closed for travel and has an on off switch. I also am not going to have enough room on my TD roof for a large fan after a glass skylight and solar panel.
http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/12V_Air_Powered_Roof_Vent_p/vts-152.htm
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Postby GuitarPhotog » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:41 pm

That fan is the same one So-Cal sells. It need a roof thickness of >1" to mount properly.

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Postby camptyler » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:58 pm

Ohhhh gotcha,
No lining at all! :thinking:
Post a pic so we can check it out.
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Postby GuitarPhotog » Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:56 pm

I didn't take a picture while I had the fan, but the mounting flanges are such that they require more than an inch between them.

The roof of my Tin Tent is 0.055" thick aluminum, with nothing else 'twixt me and the sky, so it wasn't going to work without some kind of thick mounting ring adapter. And I wasn't confident I could keep that weather tight.

If you look at the picture on the web, you can see the lower mounting flange (white in the pix) has a deep flange.

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Postby 48Rob » Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:29 pm


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't take a picture while I had the fan, but the mounting flanges are such that they require more than an inch between them.

The roof of my Tin Tent is 0.055" thick aluminum, with nothing else 'twixt me and the sky, so it wasn't going to work without some kind of thick mounting ring adapter. And I wasn't confident I could keep that weather tight.

If you look at the picture on the web, you can see the lower mounting flange (white in the pix) has a deep flange.



I just installed two of them in my trailer, which has a roof that is 1/4" thick.

I cut a piece of 3/4" ply a little bigger than the fan (about 9" x 9") and cut the hole in the ply to match the hole in the roof.
The fan has 8 mounting holes, which pulls the fan down very tight to the roof, making a very good seal (with roll putty between the flange and roof).
The roof is sandwiched between the fan's mounting flange and the 3/4 plywood inside.

The interior trim ring was too thick/tall, so I simply cut it in half at the step-down.

Painted the ugly white parts brown and they look pretty good.

Rob
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:01 pm

Version II of the case fan has a switch which will turn on one or both fans or off But it is not yet installed Here is CaseFan V1

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Postby GuitarPhotog » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:07 pm

Rob, you did what I would have had to, but I didn't have enough confidence in my ability to make all that water/weather tight caused me to go with the computer fans on the existing side vents.

I didn't even think of cutting down the inside mounting flange, but doubt I have the tools to do it anyway.

If I decide to go with the roof fan, I'll reconsider that fan. Thanks

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Postby 48Rob » Tue Apr 26, 2011 7:51 am

Charles,

I understand, took me a few years to build up my confidence and skills, some of it through trial and error, with a bit of frustration mixed in...

You may already know (I just recently learned) that all computer fans are not created equal...

I have two in my trailer, that I pulled from a pile of my son's computer parts.
They work, but are kinda lame compared to a "real" fan.
I had reason to look for a replacement, and discovered that computer fans can be had in some very high CFM models, up to 265 cubic feet per minute!

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g36/c43 ... y_CFM.html

Fantastic fans are 920 cfm @ 4 Amps
The Ventline fans are 100 cfm @ 1.5 Amps
The big computer fan is 265 cfm @ 2.25 Amps
Average computer fan is 30 cfm...

Rob
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