Chinook RV

There’s ought to be a "Murphy’s Law" category here to assure us we are not alone in suffering crazy, needless incidents. It's always in the details. For example, I raced to install my shiny new Fan-Tastic Vent fan this morning before the heat wave kicked in. First rule - heed the 80/20 time & effort rule where 80% is spent organizing, devising work arounds and searching for misplaced tools with only 20% remaining for completion according to plan.

The old fan came out reluctantly as the Phillips screws had been covered then corroded by silicone that prevented a good screwdriver bite. Then of COURSE the new fan’s screw holes didn’t line up perfectly and I had to oversize some and work with a couple of larger screws to compensate. If I had more patience perhaps epoxy might have worked. At least I was sure to defy Murphy’s plot involving an inoperative motor and made a temporary 12V hookup to be sure the electricals worked.

Then I devised a neat trick with nails projecting out of all roof screw holes. These helped the base flange align correctly then the nails could simply be pulled out and replaced by permanent screws. Nothing worse than having to pry off the tacky lid for blind realignment after a sticky bead of Dicor lap sealant had been laid down.

OK, so far so good and I even double checked the lid opening was properly facing to the rear. I was smug another opportunity for Mr. Murphy to have me put it on backwards was foiled. But he had another trick up his sleeve as the ground wire got caught under the flange as I buttoned everything up. Another lesson - it's better to have two people, with one observing inside to confirm proper fitment.

Final lesson for the morning - there WILL be a mess when working with Dicor. Time out to clean up and leave the wiring and inner garnish for fresh time, at least after a cup of tea. Besides, who can guess what page Murphy will have turned to in his voluminous law book by then.

Ha, good tale. Murphy always finds a way

This heat wave is something, isn't it? And it hasn't really even arrived yet. Sheesh.

I removed the original Fantastic Vent, but am going to "save" the installation of a new one until after the heat wave most likely. You are probably tougher than I am But also I'm doing an experiment...

I'm going to test the combination of a low-profile base and a flat lid to see if the "vent a bit too close to the front of the roofline" wind noise goes away, so I have it taped in place and will take a spin on the freeway. If the noise does go away, then I may try it with the domed lid, just to see. The flat lid doesn't seem to open as far, boo.

Then (right now epoxy would instantly cure into a giant heat bomb!), epoxy the holes (new ones are completely different) and install whichever combination I settle on. Maybe Murphy will be in your corner of AZ

Indeed, it has been an unusually hot and dry season to date with an excessive heat warning in effect the coming week. Perfect recipe for wildfires and we have had more than our share here in SW Arizona. Lots of dust devils too; in fact one swept right over our Chinook and stripped the gear tooth that initiated this whole saga. I guess the warranty excludes unnatural forces of nature?

I hear you (pun intended) on the wind noise from turbulence around the leading edge of the fan box. I look forward to a neat solution; didn’t you try a spoiler once? By the way, just for reference the new fan came with these current draw specifications: Lo, Med and HI = 1.8, 2.3 and 3.0 amps, respectively.

Never underestimate the wiles of Murphy. I finished up the project, relished the hum of the fan exhausting hot air when my wife remarked she liked the old fan’s knob style better. By now of course the remains were festering in the local dumpster and I had to embarrass myself rummaging around in the stench to no avail. Another scavenger had beaten me to it!

Nice timing on the fan replacement story. Mine is done. Brittle plastic on the inside cracked away again and my crank assembly is hanging by its wires. I've been nursing it along but I'm just done with it when it fell again. I was going to buy the latest Fan-Tastic but the reviews have been bad. Apparently the new owners aren't putting out a good product anymore. I ordered a MaxxAir (less $/good rep) and hope to install it this week.

I was going to buy the latest Fan-Tastic but the reviews have been bad

I was apprehensive about Fan-Tastic Vent’s stellar reputation being compromised after Atwood Mobile then Dometic’s succession of profit-driven corporate takeovers. That’s the main reason I got the most basic model with less to go wrong.

UPDATE: Hmph…. just stripped the engagement splines on the manual lift knob. The new one is cheapened and all plastic, unlike the original that used a die-cast zinc extension. Fortunately the metal one is still available. Just another Amazon click away....

Good luck with the MaxxAir vent. I installed the original MaxxAir translucent vent cover over my new skylight (where the air conditioner used to be) and was impressed with its robust thickness.

Just thought I’d share the following from fantasticvent.com about the chemical resistance of the polycarbonate lid and sticking to the rubber seal. ‘303 Aerospace Protectant’ is approved.

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Oil or oil derivatives and Polycarbonate are not compatible, they're actually enemies. Any oil or grease on a Polycarbonate dome will cause cracks in a very short time yet Polycarbonate in the proper thickness is literally "bullet proof". Structurally, Polycarbonate remains the strongest exterior polymer available (hence, Fan-Tastic Vent lifetime warranted dome / flat lids) but, unfortunately, it's resistance to many chemicals and oil is not good.
 
EPDM rubber is the highest quality weather seal on the market and has been for many years. From our experience, it does not break down under severe Ultra Violet ray (UV) conditions and has remained soft and pliable for over 20 years. EPDM rubber's formula or recipe must include a lubricant for the extruding process. That lubricant is a small amount of "oil"! The amount of oil in the recipe is very slight but when subjected to heat and intense UV the rubber seal "bleeds" (a faint trace of oil develops on the surface of the seal).
 
The combination of Polycarbonate dome, compressed bleeding seal and sun, generates a chemical reaction resulting in a "stuck dome / lid". Historically, only a small percentage of seals extruded in the large lots we purchase bleed enough to cause this problem.
 
Our treating of all seals prior to packaging for 18 years with AK-1000, a silicone based protectant, eliminated sticking but occasionally required additional treatment, generally, prior to storing coach. A few years ago seals  began sticking and re-treatment with AK-1000 didn’t correct the problem. Upon investigation, some component suppliers actually stated "EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) constraints in conjunction with dramatic cost increases and availability of essential chemicals lead to changes in the components they supplied without advanced notification”. Since then, we have used a release agent (rubber manufacturer recommended), redesigned and re-tooled the seal profile, changed the adhesive we apply inside seal to hold it to the main base and finally, changed rubber suppliers!
 
FIX: At your local dealer you can purchase 303 conditioner.  Wipe the seals with the conditioner or you can purchase new seals at your local dealership.
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