Hey everyone, I’m thinking about adding a fantastic fan or a maxxair (if the roof rack clearance allows) to replace the crumby bathroom fan in my 26.5 RB. That being said I’m guessing the 12v wiring to the original fan/vent is insufficient?? That being said how hard is it to access additional 12v to run the fan?
... I’m guessing the 12v wiring to the original fan/vent is insufficient?? That being said how hard is it to access additional 12v to run the fan?
The 12V wiring to the BR fan is all you would need with another 12V replacement fan. The original wiring should be fine unless there's a problem with the wiring. Did you have a reason why you thought there'd be problem?
Just considering the size of the stock 6 inch fan I figured the wiring to it would be rather anemic, if I am wrong in this assumption that’s good news for me!
I upgrade the wiring when installing a FF in the bath of our '83. FF uses resistors to control the lower speeds, so even at low current draw exceeds 1A, and on high typically about 3A. Although the original wiring won't melt, voltage will drop, affecting performance. If the roof rack intrudes, it can be cut away as needed. I did that with our '04 to clear the bath vent cover I installed.
Steve
"FF uses resistors to control the lower speeds, so even at low current draw exceeds 1A, and on high typically about 3A."
That was true for many years. But newer Fan-Tastic Fans use a PWM speed controller, which offers a number of advantages: ten speeds instead of three; several super-slow, super-quiet speeds; and much lower power consumption (half an amp or less) at low speeds.
You can get an upgrade kit (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027XIFA0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that replaces the guts of an older Fan-Tastic fan and adds the more efficient PWM speed control, a rain sensor that closes the lid automatically when the first drops hit, and a wireless (IR) remote control, for about $150.
"FF uses resistors to control the lower speeds, so even at low current draw exceeds 1A, and on high typically about 3A."
That was true for many years. But newer Fan-Tastic Fans use a PWM speed controller, which offers a number of advantages:
Glad to see they have improved efficiency - but note at high speed, current will still be as high as before...