How to Install a MaxxFan | Van Build Series | Van Life

[@garyfluitt201]

Took your advice of going down boat deck bedding rabbit hole. Got sold on the butyl tape-only solution by those boaters. I too hate the look of lap sealant slathered all over flange. Used stainless bolts as you recommended and didn’t spin them once bedded. A little more difficult than metal screws but it’s super waterproof and looks super clean. Thanks for your “what we would do differently” comments at the end of this video.

[@DavetheUberSlave]

Your videos are so thorough. You guys came up with your own style of video instead of copying what other people do.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks! Appreciate the comment. As you know from your own vlog, it's a lot of extra work!

[@deirdre444]

By far the most precise and detailed MaxxAir fan installation video I've seen yet. I LOVE the way you made the wooden frame. I've never seen it done that way before. I will be copying your technique.

[@deirdre444]

I just recently saw a video in which the installing couple used white, paint-on Flexseal instead of Dicor lap sealant for the same reason, for a finer, nicer outcome avoiding the melted ice cream look of lap sealant. Yours looks very nice just the way it is (with the 3M product). I think using only butyl tape invites problems later on; butyl tape cracks over time. Again, nice job.

[@catw6274]

THEE best, most thorough, fan install I've seen, thank you!!

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks! Hope it helps for your build 🙂

[@oneworld2642]

Love your dilligent craftmanship , job well done !

[@SamAminisam]

Make sure you read about regulated 12v for maxair. The little motor will fail if the voltage drops often.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks for the heads up! We'll look into that.

[@davewenners6722]

For cutting the sealant off of the roof they make plastic razor blades. I've used them to scrape junk off of tinted windows. Not all places carry them.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Great tip, thanks! I'll have to look for those. Would have been very helpful for this project.

[@thisfinitelife]

I think I like the butyl tape between the roof and the adapter plate. I've seen Sika adhesive used/suggested here, but I like that the butyl tape is probably easier to remove in future (be it for changing out a defective fan or changing out to an AC unit on the same location.

[@ultra_daryll]

By far the best video on fan install. Thanks for taking the time to make. Awaiting our Promaster. Wife and I also travelled by motorcycle for over a year and now trying van travel.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks so much! Congrats on the Promaster. Hope you don't have to wait too long! Where did you travel on moto? A van is a perfect complement to motorcycle travel. Sometimes it's just nice to not have to set up a tent 🙂

[@ultra_daryll]

@@wanderlibre4434 Winter here in Canada, so don't mind the wait. Lots of research now. We rode our DR650's from Vancouver, BC to Ushuaia and then from SA up the coast of East Africa to Kenya. Regarding the ten, that's exactly the way my wife feels, she is done sleeping in a tent after our bike trip. We have a teardrop trailer now which we love, so the van is pretty much the 3rd upgrade in our travel lifestyle. P.S. noticed your GS's in the garage!

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@ultra_daryll There's plenty of research to do, that's for sure! Awesome trip on your bikes. We have a soft spot for Africa. Looking forward to going back when things return to normal (thinking about dirt bikes up the West Coast). Sadly, we sold the GS's you saw in the garage. We needed to downsize the toys that were starting to spread in various places 😂

[@liberatingleash]

Wow! This a very detailed video.Thank you for sharing this with us as I'm sure a lot went into it. Can you share more about how you mounted the wood frame inside the van?

[@photojbartlett]

We are just waiting for our van to arrive at the dealership - we had to order it. Your videos are the best we found, so can't wait to see more as you go!

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thank you Jeff! 😁 We'll have more coming out soon! Hope you don't have to wait too long for the van.

[@Vinny_108]

Your videos are very helpful. I start by build in a few days :)

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks so much! Good luck with your build!

[@rdwilander]

Your vids are so well done and projects so well thought through and prepped they are hard to top so I am a new subscriber. If you are really "upset" about the blobs of sealant at screw holes you can scrape off the sealant and redo with sealant AND those small plastic button screw cover caps over top of new sealant-haha

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks so much! This means a lot 😊 Comments like yours are a great motivator for our upcoming build videos we have lined up!

[@lkazanov]

Just stumbled upon your channel, very nicely done! Continue with what you’re doing.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks so much! We'll be publishing a new video tomorrow 🙂

[@jess4mathews]

Going along great with your build...fab...thanks for sharing 🤓 I'm wondering if anyone out there has ever found it useful to keep that piece of the roof that was just removed?

[@wanderlibre4434]

We kept ours to practice using rivnuts 👍

[@davewenners6722]

A little tip. Take a magnet and stick it to the screwdriver for a few minutes. That will magnetize the screwdriver

[@wanderlibre4434]

Another great tip, thanks! I'll check this out.

[@remnl]

nice how to. small rip when cutting the roof you have the issue the roof ribs are higher so you have to balance the jigsaw. when you use a some wood on the other side you level it out and you don't have to balance the jigsaw

[@lauriegibson2246]

Love all the detail in the video! Can you tell me why you (and most on KZbin) use a jigsaw instead of a grinder to cut the hole?

[@MTtroutfisher406]

Hello! I’m currently building my van too. Grinders are not recommended due to the millions of tiny metal debris that flies everywhere.

[@outlaw7x77]

New subscriber today. Really appreciate the level of detail you provide here. The episode about Gasoline vs Diesel is great as I've been tossing those same ideas around for a full year niw... I have definitely decided on the Gasoline Sprinter mostly for the same reasons you mention. Now we need to go down and but one.

[@wanderlibre4434]

We're glad you found us! Glad you found both videos useful. Good luck finding the van you want - very exciting 👍

[@bjbhehir]

Nice install. I like how you used washers to spread out the load on the plastic fan mount, I was thinking the same thing when I installed mine, why would they make this piece out of plastic? What I did was cut out pieces of aluminum to go around the whole top of the fan mount so it would seal better. Definitely recommend Dicor Self Leveling Lap Sealant to go on top of everything, it's used on almost every van and every RV. Looks like you're in Alpine Meadows doing your build?

[@stevehori673]

Jim can you expand on the bolts vs. screw issue you had? When I think of a bolt, it includes a nut on the other end? I'd like to copy your install as I hate the look of lap sealant. There's just no way for that stuff to look nice. Thank you.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Yes, I'm referring to a bolt with a nut vs. screw. Here's a link to a video which explains how it works on boat deck hardware - which can be applied to installing the fan. If you go this route, would love to hear how it turns out!

[@ironwooddesigns9532]

@@wanderlibre4434 link is missing. This is a good reference: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aobTnKagZp6fr7c

[@corbinkoepke4598]

Thanks again for the great video! For the fasteners, are you saying that if a process is followed using bolts (instead of screws) that you don’t need to cover the fastener heads with 3M 4000 marine sealant? I’ve seen all other vanlifers cover their fastener heads with sealant but didn’t realize that step could be avoided.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Hi Corbin! I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction, but, if you do some research and follow the correct process, I think it may be possible to avoid sealant on the bolt heads. Just do you homework first. Here's a link (kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5iUgpJqi9ycepI) to example video on how to bed a boat hatch (basically same as fan flange) with only Butyl Tape and SS bolts / nuts. My understanding (and where I think we went wrong) is that you must take care not to turn the bolts once they are inserted through the BT and you need to make sure the bolts are carefully wrapped in BT for a complete seal. To avoid turning the bolt, you tighten everything down using the nuts. In this video, he also countersinks the bolts to create a BT gasket where the bolt enters the flange. My recommendation is to do a search on 'bedding boat hatches with butyl tape' as there's a lot of useful info on sailing forums that should point you in the right direction. If you find an approach that you think would work for you, you could start by using the SS bolt / nut with BT approach to install your fan and then do a thorough water test with a hose to make sure it doesn't leak.Worst case, if you find a leak through any of the bolts, you can just take the extra step of applying sealant over the bolt heads (or even the more aggressive approach of sealing the entire flange with Dicor or Flexseal) like everyone else. If you decide to go this route, definitely let me know how it turns out. I like the clean look of no sealant on the the bolt heads so I'd love to hear how it works out for you.

[@corbinkoepke4598]

That’s absolutely brilliant to gain inspiration and ideas from the boating community! Who else know better how to keep out water? After watching the boat hatch installation, I totally get your entire video. Thank you again for your time in responding!

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@corbinkoepke4598 Glad to help! Good luck with your installation. Would love to hear how it goes!

[@larssmith3915]

@@wanderlibre4434 As usual for you guys, fantastic video! Great production and detailed presentation. That video link above is now a 404 but I'm following what you are saying. Thinking it though, using bolts with the butyl sealing is then a different set of extra complexity. You can't just use a threaded insert on the top side of the wood frame since you need to turn the nut while holding the bolt to keep the butyl around the bolt head. And because of the trim ring, I assume you wouldn't want the nuts to be surface mounted on the bottom of the wood frame. So then I guess you would drill out a recess in the bottom of the frame for each washer/nut and then use a socket wrench to tighten the nuts... Seems like a lot of work to avoid a messy looking seal. Or is there a different reason you don't like the self-leveling sealant? If it's just appearance OCD, I totally understand and support you :-D But I would say that I think people see the deck of their sailboat more often than you'll see the roof of your van. Or are you planning a roof deck? :-O

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@larssmith3915 Hi Lars. Haha, you're 100% correct - it's just appearance OCD. Trying to have it look as professional as possible. There's no problem with Dicor, it's a great product. If you share our OCD and want to avoid Dicor as well, you don't necessarily need to drill out a recess for the washer/nuts. In our case, we have space between the ceiling and wood trim so it wouldn't be necessary (we're not using the trim ring provided). We'll find another link to replace the one that is now a 404 error and post it in the description.

[@davidbarrow]

It's 2*1 before it's been planed down, to give it a smooth face. The original raw material is 2*1

[@BobCollins42]

Can you explain the why on your sealant choices? I have already decided on the all butyl tape bedding sealant, though yours is the first example I have seen it implemented. How did you reach this decision? On the other hand, the Lap sealant makes sense to me as a top layer sealant. Why did you choose the 3M 4000 sealant adhesive instead? Thanks for your excellent video!

[@wanderlibre4434]

We went with the butyl tape because we're familiar with the sailing world and butyl tape is what they often use as sealant. And since the sailing world has been around longer than the van life world, we thought we'd give it a try. The other reason is because of our OCD tendencies 😂 We don't care for the messy look of lap sealant.

[@BobCollins42]

@@wanderlibre4434 Thanks for your reply. I agree on using the sailing world analogy, though as an engineer I should note that the vibration profile is very different. The RV world does use butyl tape for fan mounts, though I don't have much respect for their engineering. I did look up mounting hardware with butyl tape for sailboats. They are focused on fiberglass clad decks where there is room to cut a bevel in the bolt hole. I don't see that applying for a road vehicle fan install. I get you on the messy look for lap sealant, but the tech looks correct to me. At over 9 feet in the air, few people are going to be looking at the lap sealant very close anyway. ;-) BTW, I will be using SS M5 bolts, nuts, and washers. A good source is McMaster-Carr. One of my criteria for van assembly is the ability to undo and redo as much of the work as possible. "Permanent" adhesives such as the 3M 5200-which Hein recommends-are to be avoided.

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@BobCollins42 Thanks for sharing your expertise. Good info, as we are not engineers :) Haha, yes, practically no one will see the lap sealant that high up. 100% agree with you about the ability to undo work if necessary. Which reminds me - it's another reason that we tried the butyl tape and 100% why we didn't use the 3M 5200. Best of luck with your build!

[@torlandmusiq]

25:50 is the answer

[@mishafrog8786]

As a little OCD UK based is black sealant not available in the states ?

[@wanderlibre4434]

I don't recall being able to find the 3M in black. We could have used Flex Seal, which comes in black.

[@AZRockRunner]

Ditto. I just installed my Maxxair this morning. I used butyl tape to build up a thick stack to compensate for the ridges of the roof. Before I apply all the screws, I realized the screws will compress the plastic flange onto a pile of..mud. So my engineering mind kicks in, this is not structurally sounded... stop. Now I just saw you used an adapter plate. But the link does not work any more. Hmm. I may have to rig up something. Could you verify the link for us. TIA

[@AZRockRunner]

Never mind. Found them with new search. But $60 geeze. I can make one out of alum, or plastic, or hardwood.

[@lindseyiman9052]

Hey there, building out a van this summer and looking for a review of the airmaxx. We are bringing a cat and Guinea pig so want to make sure that we are able to keep the van cool enough. Do you feel like you can keep the van cool in warmer temps with the fan? TIA!

[@mealama]

You didn't tall about the groove you have for the wires. Where did you place that and how did you make it?

[@wanderlibre4434]

Good point! We missed that. We cut a 1/2 inch dado in our wood frame directly below where the wire comes out of the Maxx fan. (You can use a table saw or sliding miter saw, or even a drill). It provides enough room for the wires to pass through. Does that help?

[@jcrefasi1]

@@wanderlibre4434 I thought that's what the gap was for at 3:43 when you left the space between the 2 pieces of 1x2 you glued to the 17" piece.

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@jcrefasi1 Ha, good catch. It was glossed over, we meant to point it out in the video to bring more attention to it. But your correct - you can do it like we did or cut it out with a miter saw, table saw, etc)

[@jcrefasi1]

@@wanderlibre4434 I thought using the 1x2 scrap was genius!! I was saying to myself "that's the way to go!!", it makes the corners easy to join and the space for the wire so easy. Then you threw me a curve when you mentioned cutting a dado!! I had to re watch that part. Just glad I don't have to learn what a dado is 😂

[@tomwilberscheid542]

Aren’t the slotted vents supposed to be facing the back of the van when installed?

[@craigwilson8615]

May i please ask what gauge screws you used to screw thru the roof. Would you recommend screws or nut n bolt

[@marcusallenyt]

how are you feeling about your 4cly ? how you get it again? im still on the fence

[@wanderlibre4434]

We've driven it 8K miles and we're still very happy. If I had to make the same choice today, I'd still choose the gas. 🙂

[@marcusallenyt]

@@wanderlibre4434 is there any con for the 4 cal so far . I will ask again when you finish the build and have the weight on it . great detail in the way to show us

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@marcusallenyt no con that we've seen yet!

[@BebeJayeola]

links for the adapter??

[@wanderlibre4434]

Sorry, here it is! (choose the appropriate adapter - the size of your van and if you want it for the front or back): rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FSprinter-NCV3-or-VS30-2007-present-Roof-Vent-Adapter-for-14-x-14-opening%2F143539173702%3Fvar%3D442494115400&campid=5338752222&toolid=10001&customid=Maxxfan

[@Jerenemy]

Everyone has a Maxxair maxxfan install video. And every one of them install it exactly the same way. yet, look for a video on wiring up the Maxxfan to a starter battery and no where does one exist, no images on messageboards, not wiring diagrams, nothing. the Manual that comes with Maxxair fans/vents, doesn't even have a single word about wiring. It's by far the strangest thing about building a conversion van from scratch.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Looks like that would be a great video for you to add to KZbin!