ventilation which would you recommend?

  • Thread starter weekend warrior
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weekend warrior

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hi all!
first post so be gentle,
im currently building a small stealth camper (swb mk6 transit), and im currently stuck for choice on adequate ventilation. my choices are mushroom type roof vents or a skylight.
my first choice was a skylight and i have already sourced one for free but now im having a few thoughts on fitting issues such as fitting and sealing it properly, with the van having a corrugated roof that will need to be leveled and ofcourse fitting framework inside to match. im very competent in doing this myself but its a lot of work if problems occur later on.
my next thought was the mushroom type vents, easy to fit and will let less light (if any) to escape at night.

as i have never done this before im looking for as much info as i can get on both vents so many thanks in advance and any pros and cons on both would be very helpful.

thanks again
martin.
 
Personally, I'd fit both.
The mushroom vents are best sourced from a decent yacht chandlers. If you fit a couple of computer case fans in them, they'll work very well for extraction.

I assume that you'll be fitting a fridge of some sort? If so, while everything is stripped out, fit one as an extractor. It really helps make the fridge work more efficiently
 
Ive been looking at using computer fans.Are they 12v or do they need a resistor or summat to allow them to run on 12v?
 
Rodeo said:
Ive been looking at using computer fans.Are they 12v or do they need a resistor or summat to allow them to run on 12v?
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Loads on Fleabay from 0.01p (yes, I had to look twice)
Get a half decent one though :) the silent running type are worth paying a bit extra for and, yes, they do run on 12v
 
I fitted a Fiamma 280mm to the back of my Kangoo van and it made a huge difference - heat escape during the summer and good night-time ventilation all year round. Thanks to the tall upstands, it could still be used in heavy rain without a single drop entering the van.
 
Easy to fit a opening roof light over the roof corigations cut the hole using a jigsaw making sure you miss the roof supports inside use a good silicone and make up the gaps with bits of PVC strip and bed the roof light onto a bed of silicon don't overtighten as you will squeeze all the silicon out leave to set before tightening up seitz roof lights have built in ventilation good luck
 
sorry have to advise on mastic,better to use a non setting mastic,or mastic tape or a combination of both.can give you links if you need them,or any caravan shop will stock both.fitting a roof light is pretty straightforward,first make up the internal wooden frame and glue that in place with gripfill or sikaflex,next day when firmly glued,,drill a hole in each corner through the roof,join the holes and jigsaw out
 
Brother did mine, cut the vent hole between the corrugated section. Like mentioned, check for the roof supports.
It made me feel sick and dizzy at the thought it wouldn't seal.
All went well.
Then again i do worry at most things.
Can you stomach cutting a hole in your perfectly good van roof??
 
it's not so bad ! trick is,if the wood frame fits the vent,then using the method I described means the hole will fit. if you do a self build you may have 10-14 holes to cut in your van--scary !
 
My LWB hi roof Mk 6 Transit came with 2 whirly gig vents fitted - Flettner vents - front and back of the main body. Both leaked so I took them apart and discovered that the seal was not making a proper seal because of the corrugations in the roof and it was pretty rotten so needed replacing. Flettner sent me new seals free of charge and with some silicon the front one was soon sorted.

I decided to remove the rear whirly gig vent and fit a window light in the roof, near the back of the van where I sleep, where it is darkest. It has made a massive difference. A forum friend sold me a second hand Fiamma for £15, and another friend fitted it for me. I couldn't look as I saw his jigsaw emerge inside the van as it reminded me of opening a tin can and I was really worried about leaks. But he's done a fantastic job, with wooden frame and loads of silicon, and it has never leaked a drop since fitted 11 months ago.

I am so pleased with the difference it's made, I want to fit another when £££ allows. My van is a stealth van too, I've been toying with the idea of looking out for a sliding door with a window on ebay or at scrap yards but too many more important jobs to do first, and also would prefer to remain windowless, although I do miss being able to see what's going on outside. I am toying with the idea of some sort of periscope to peer out of the Fiamma with if I hear strange noises outside the van.

I will keep the Flettner whirly gig vent as it's right above where I cook (camping gas butane cooker so ventilation is important) and I have glued velcro on to the inside frame of the Fiamma roof window above my bed, and I attach a piece of wool blanket over the Fiamma as there was no blind with it, to cut out draughts at night and to cut out light in the early morning.

I think the spinning mechanism in the Flettner has broken as even in gales now it's not spinning round any more (probably just rusted up again inside) but am not bothered as on windy nights the noise of it spinning round was annoying when trying to sleep. So it's just effectively a permanent roof vent now. It's obviously sufficient ventilation, as despite there being me, 2 dogs, 1 cat, my carbon monoxide alarm has never gone off when using the butane cooker even for an hour at a time as a heater.

I can't give technical advice on the actual installation of the Fiamma as I didn't do it but apparently getting the frame right, and having plenty of silicon to fill in gaps is the key to it. It probably only took no more than a couple of hours.

Also if your Tranny is like mine, there is plenty of other ventilation in the form of gaps around all the doors which provide plenty of draughts, and big draughts into the back from the cab :scared:
 
Why not fit a camera outside the van an infrared one you could see outside without windows fitted also see outside at night wouldn't be beyond the wit of man to fit it on a swiveling rod say from a TV antenna
 
baloothebear said:
Loads on Fleabay from 0.01p (yes, I had to look twice)
Get a half decent one though :) the silent running type are worth paying a bit extra for and, yes, they do run on 12v
Click to expand...
Got few old comps at work to get fans from.I think the bigger equipment , like servers and stuff, have larger fans.Will have to see if they run on 12v.
 
grahamb said:
Why not fit a camera outside the van an infrared one you could see outside without windows fitted also see outside at night wouldn't be beyond the wit of man to fit it on a swiveling rod say from a TV antenna
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:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049: tv antenna? what's that then?

I'm completely stealth - with tv antenna and camera fitted I might as well fit a window. It's more out of nosiness than concern - the dogs alert me to anyone / thing prowling around outside long before I hear anything and I am absolutely 100% convinced that they would both protect me to the death. And I always park facing outwards ready to drive away quickly if necessary so I can usually see most of a car park. But it would be good to see outside behind the van sometimes, just to see if there's anything behind before opening the back door without having to get out the side door to check. I might just look at putting one of those eye hole viewers that you get in front doors in one of the back doors - just a tiny hole to drill and a rubber grommet so a quick and easy job and if carefully placed, virtually unnoticeable.
 
whitevanwoman said:
:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049: tv antenna? what's that then?

I'm completely stealth - with tv antenna and camera fitted I might as well fit a window. It's more out of nosiness than concern - the dogs alert me to anyone / thing prowling around outside long before I hear anything and I am absolutely 100% convinced that they would both protect me to the death. And I always park facing outwards ready to drive away quickly if necessary so I can usually see most of a car park. But it would be good to see outside behind the van sometimes, just to see if there's anything behind before opening the back door without having to get out the side door to check. I might just look at putting one of those eye hole viewers that you get in front doors in one of the back doors - just a tiny hole to drill and a rubber grommet so a quick and easy job and if carefully placed, virtually unnoticeable.
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That wouldn't be a bad idea .
 
Stealth camper ventilation.

Check out some of the marine chandlers, for example Force 4 Chandlery, they stock variety of compact, solar powered ventilators / fan kits, open / shut / reverse flow, 25 cm per hr, with nominal 3 hrs run time at night from integral nicads. ... so says the descriptions.

Rgrds,

Rob H.
 
What is used to fill the corrugations (channels) in the roof to allow the lip of the rooflight to sit on? I was thinking about filling the dips with p40 the width of the lip then smoothing off to the height of the rest of the area.Ive never encountered a van with such deep corrugations on the roof!
 
Rodeo said:
What is used to fill the corrugations (channels) in the roof to allow the lip of the rooflight to sit on? I was thinking about filling the dips with p40 the width of the lip then smoothing off to the height of the rest of the area.Ive never encountered a van with such deep corrugations on the roof!
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Not sure exactly as I didn't go up on to the roof to watch my friend fitting mine but I think he just used plenty of silicon / sikaflex. I don't remember needing anything other than some timber for the frame and some silicon sealant. But your corrugations might be deeper than mine. I need to give the van roof a good clean soonish so I'll have a good look at it and get some pics if possible to show you.
 
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