By Gail Marsh
Many RVs feature roof vents with a built-in ceiling exhaust fan. Our current RV has two exhaust fans—one in the galley area ceiling and one in the bathroom ceiling. An RV exhaust fan can help make your interior living space much more enjoyable and perhaps even healthier! Here are some tips to help you get the most from your RV’s exhaust fan.
Freshen the air
It’s best to use the exhaust fan in conjunction with an open window, door, or vent. This will allow the fan to draw outside air into your RV. We usually open a window farthest from the fan when wanting to draw in fresh air. The fan pulls the outside air into our rig and causes stagnant interior air to be expelled out of the RV via the exhaust vent. The resulting ventilation helps keep our RV’s interior air fresh.
Remove humidity
Your exhaust fan is particularly useful when cooking or showering. Cooking can produce odors and, just like showering, can add excess moisture to the air inside your RV. By turning on the exhaust fan during these activities, you can prevent mold and mildew, and also keep your RV’s interior smelling fresh and clean. Hint: If you battle allergies, you’ll want to be especially vigilant about removing excess humidity inside your RV.
If you have two separate ceiling exhaust fans, as we do, use the fan that’s closest to the humidity source, e.g., kitchen exhaust fan for cooking humidity and the bath fan for shower humidity. Also, open the nearest window to the source of moisture. That way it isn’t drawn throughout the RV. Instead, the humidity is more directly pulled up and out of your rig.
Regulate temperature
Your exhaust fan can also help regulate the temperature inside your RV. We turn on our fans in the early morning to draw in cooler temperatures through several open windows. Before the outside air warms up, we turn off the fans.
Later in the evening, we activate the fans once more. We open one bedroom window just a little bit and a great cross breeze results. The fans pull in the cooler nighttime air, exhausts warm interior air, and we can usually sleep without using the air conditioner.
Vent only
In nice weather, we keep the exhaust vent open, without using the fan. This helps promote natural air circulation throughout the RV.
Fan adjustments
Experiment with your exhaust fan. Try different speed settings (if available) to find the optimal setting for your varying needs. Also, try opening different windows or doors to see which combination produces the best results.
Cleaning
Like everything else in your RV, the exhaust fan requires cleaning. I use a microfiber cloth to remove dust from the exhaust screen, or sometimes I’ll remove the screen and use dish soap to clean. After a thorough rinse, the screen can be patted dry with a towel or set outdoors to air dry.
To clean the blades, you’ll need to remove the screen. On our fan, the screen simply pulls off. Check to find the best way to access the fan blades on your fan, as it may be different. I use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe each blade, turning to a clean part of the cloth as I go.
To clean the top “window” on the fan you’ll most likely need to get up on the RV’s roof. I use a window cleaner to remove dirt from the plastic cover. Keeping the exhaust fan free of dust, rust, or debris will help the fan function at its best and extend the life of the fan, as well. Cleaning may also help with allergies.
Follow these tips and you’ll get maximum benefit from your exhaust fan. Your RV’s interior air will be comfortable, fresh, and well-ventilated, too!
RELATED
- Why you need RV roof vent covers, plus cleaning tips
- Two clever RV fan screw hacks to add functionality to your RV
RVDT2902
The vent/window combination is the “V” component of the RV’s HVAC system. When I worked in a public school district I was required to ensure a fresh air flow of 25 cubic feet per student per minute in each classroom.
When running down thw road, I have the rearmost vent open. It helps the engine A/C cool the total interior by drawing the air flow towards the rear.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work. In some situations in some RVs, it can actually pull exhaust fume back in to the RV. So, be careful. If you are getting sleepy while driving that might be the reason.