So today's post is actually about a little fan that is making a big difference!
Not huge, but big enough.
My little motorhome has 3 roof vents. Which is pretty good for a rig this size.
One over my bathroom, with the little exhaust fan.
One in the center.
One over my overhead bed area.
B - U - T
I do not have one of those wonderful vent fans that the lucky folks get to use to help cool their rigs down.
A 12 volt fan would be a dream -- but is not in the current budget.
Soooo, I went out yesterday in search of some kind of fan that I could possibly attach to my center roof vent.
Went to Academy first to look at tent fans. They didn't have any.
So then I went to Walmart. They actually had one on clearance!
YAY!
I looked at it, inspected it, debated over it, put it in my cart & let it take a ride all over the store while I debated.
Problem is, it ran off of 4 D cell batteries. Fine, I'll get some rechargable batteries, right?
They have 4 on the shelf! OkeyDokey. Put batteries in cart too.
Then I look for a charger for D cell batteries as mine only charges AA & AAA batteries.
Nope, they don't have one.
The tent fan, which is made to suspend from the top of a tent has a couple of problems.
3 actually.
It comes with an attached battery port, which you put 4 D cell batteries in.
BUT if you want to use electrical power, you have to buy that port!
And if you want a rechargable port, well, you can buy that too!
Hmmmm, at this rate, I might as well buy a 12 volt vent fan & install it because this thing is costing nearly as much.
I put it back.
I go to the fan dept & find this little jewel -- the O2Cool Fan. Cool!
It's lightweight. It's small. But not too small. And it's cheap!
Alrighty then, it's going home with me!
And I was able to suspend it from my center vent!
Hooray!
So I used those small tiny bungie cords that we all buy & wonder what the heck we'll do with them. Wrapped one end around the vent handle.
Put the other end of another bungie into the small hole on my vent screen. Perfect!
Attach the other ends of the bungies to the grills & it works fine this way!
This fan will run off of 8, yes, 8 D cell batteries! Gulp. So I'm using the electric cord that came with it instead.
It has a stand, but the cord plugs in behind the stand part. Which actually worked fine too because with the stand extended a little bit, it actually aims the fan towards the living area anyhow.
And the vent is beside my cabinet that contains my TV, which is always open when I'm not traveling, so I just slipped that cord over the top of the cabinet door.
It's out of the way & this thing has been on all day, helping to keep the rig nice & comfortable today!
I thought this worth sharing in case some of ya'll don't have the 12 volt vent fans either.
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Well aren't you clever? Nice when you can find something and make it work for you without breaking the bank. Well played.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna, at least it's a temporary fix until I can actually get the real deal someday.
DeleteFWIW, if it takes 8 D batteries, it is a 12 volt fan (8 x 1.5V = 12V). If you can find a way to hook it into your RV, you'll be set.
ReplyDeleteThanks Craig. I actually want to get a fantastic fan that is more prepared for the vent for permanent installation. This fan was only a $14.00 fan, so I'll use it there until I can actually afford to get a fantastic fan. But I do appreciate the info!
DeleteMy hubby uses bungee cords for everything. He couldn't imagine life without them. Very creative there and that fan will definitely help keep things cooler. I would like to get a fantastic fan for our bedroom (we only have one in the living area) but it's not in our budget either.
ReplyDeletePPLmotorhomes in Houston has the fantastic fans on sale right now. But even at the sale price, it's still not affordable for me. Darn, but maybe for ya'll?
DeleteVery clever. This is a great makeshift idea until you can afford a Fantastic Fan or a MaxxAir Fan. Just one suggestion. Turn the fan over so that it is pulling the air out of the vent. You open your windows and the fan pulls the hot air out the top. That is how the other permanent fans work.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! I'll give that a try! I saw on the permanent fans, they have a switch to reverse it either way as needed. So your suggestion would be a good solution for that. It's been so nice weather wise lately, I'm going to hate it when our heat arrives....
DeleteWhat a great post today and pics to go with it. Love it when there is a situation that needs figuring out and then one finds an answer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sara :-)
DeleteNow I hate to be the one to bust your bubble and I sure hope I am wrong on this. I have a few of these fans. They run great and for a very long time with the batterys. But if you notice that fan is starting to slow down while plugged in unplug it as fast as you can. That thing heated up so bad I had to get a pot holder to unplug it. Maybe they have improved on that little sucker. Please be careful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo. I have two older models of this fan. I tried them first, but they didn't much like being put upside down, one of them did run slower, so I immediately pulled it down. I'm not sure if it's just old or if the power cord may be different now. I was testing it on the new fans power cord. The new one is smaller & a little more lightweight than my older ones are, but yes, I've been keeping an eye on it through the day to see how it performs. I still use one of the older ones that I have rigged up behind my drivers seat to run when needed too. Thanks for the heads up, I might google troubleshooting on them to see if they've created any dangers. My old ones might actually be more of a problem? Thanks again.
DeleteO2Cool makes several different fans and everyone who buys one loves theirs. Mine can run off 12v or 110v or 8 D batteries. All those adapters came in the box with the fan. I mostly run it off 12V. In fact I had an outlet put above my desk just for my fan. When it gets really hot I sit right in front of it. Ahhhh.
ReplyDeleteI do have a 12 volt outlet behind my TV. But this one didn't come with the 12 volt adapter. I'm sure yours came in handy yesterday! Are you in a cooler place today?
DeleteYes, I'm in Austin parked where there's shelter I can take if that storm coming gets bad. Only two windows open now and it's cooling down just fine. No fan needed.
ReplyDeleteWell you are just amazing...get it? No really you are very clever and always finding something to improve your life style. I hope this fan works many years for you with no problems, especially since summer is on the way.
ReplyDelete