bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 24, 2016 17:41:21 GMT -8
My trailer has a bit of a non-traditional construction of the ceiling. It ends up being fairly thin, basically 1/8" ply with a layer of 3/4" CDX over top of it (They are glued together). I am a pretty tall guy and just barely clear the ceiling, so I was thinking that I was being clever by positioning the vent right over the kitchenette where I would be most likely to spend the most time standing in the camper. Unfortunately, I am not so clever, as I placed the fan in the hole, and found it to be much thicker than I expected, actually reducing head clearance. I know that it's recommended to add spacers around the vent hole (per mobiltec) and taper them out before adding the roof aluminum, but that still leaves the fan too low for the trim to properly fit, even if I trim it down substantially. Im thinking the solution will be to install spacers as recommended, but then adding an additional 3/4" spacer OVER the aluminum. That would position the bottom of the fan right where it should be, and make the trim fit perfectly. I'm thinking 1x2 Azek would be perfect for this spacer, tied together with kreg jig. Some photos of the fantastic fan in place with a quickly constructed 3/4" spacer just for fitment: Untitled by Thomas Marks, on Flickr Untitled by Thomas Marks, on Flickr Untitled by Thomas Marks, on Flickr Untitled by Thomas Marks, on Flickr Any thoughts?
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Post by vikx on Aug 24, 2016 23:40:01 GMT -8
The aluminum is your last barrier to leaks. Personally, I would NOT add a spacer above the aluminum; a leak wanting to happen.
Scotties are not tall. Live with it and go for water tight.
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bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 25, 2016 5:04:18 GMT -8
The aluminum is your last barrier to leaks. Personally, I would NOT add a spacer above the aluminum; a leak wanting to happen. Scotties are not tall. Live with it and go for water tight. Is it though? You still have a seam above the aluminum regardless. it seems like there would still be only one seam that would be subject to leaking, and that is where the spacer meets the aluminum... I was thinking that an Azek spacer flush trimmed with the outside radius of the vent flange would provide no additional area for water to sit or penetrate, but you are the experts, and I'm probably just trying to convince myself.... How tall of a spacer do you think I could get away with under the aluminum if that was the only one, and I tapered it out? Would a spacer made from 1x4 poplar (3/4" height) be too much under the aluminum? I'm worried about creating too much of a gap beyond the spacer... although I guess I could add foam and taper that out too... At this point, I'm mostly concerned with the ability for the inside trim to fit properly for the fan, and I probably need 3/4" of added thickness to the roof in order to achieve that. -Tom
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Aug 25, 2016 5:05:19 GMT -8
I agree with vikx. A spacer seems like an extra potential area for water leaks. A risky gamble. Especially with this kind of roof.
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bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 25, 2016 5:27:32 GMT -8
Update: I called Fantastic Vent to run my problem by them, and they actually make a part for this specific problem. It raises the fan about 5/8" of an inch, and they even gave it to me (including shipping) for FREE!
Between the 5/8" from this part, and a 1/4" spacer under the aluminum, I think this should give me plenty of clearance.
I'll keep you all updated on what it looks like and how it works!
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Post by vikx on Aug 25, 2016 11:09:05 GMT -8
The roof metal will tell you how much you can shim the Fan. Slip the spacers up and in; when properly fit, glue in place. Even 1/4" is better than nothing but try for more.
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bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 25, 2016 13:49:12 GMT -8
The roof metal will tell you how much you can shim the Fan. Slip the spacers up and in; when properly fit, glue in place. Even 1/4" is better than nothing but try for more. It's new skin so I can probably put whatever height I need in there.
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Post by danrhodes on Aug 25, 2016 14:12:47 GMT -8
I thought 3/4" was extreme, but when I looked back at my original framing, it had 3/4" plywood shims as well. Didn't help since PO never resealed the vent in 50 years, but it was there.
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bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 25, 2016 16:37:32 GMT -8
I thought 3/4" was extreme, but when I looked back at my original framing, it had 3/4" plywood shims as well. Didn't help since PO never resealed the vent in 50 years, but it was there. It had 3/4" shims under the aluminum? Wow. I would think that would leave pretty big voids under the aluminum that would be prone to denting, piercing, etc... Do they fill it with anything? I was thinking the most I would be able to use would be 1/2" tapered out over 4-5 inches.
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Post by danrhodes on Aug 25, 2016 17:35:13 GMT -8
I thought 3/4" was extreme, but when I looked back at my original framing, it had 3/4" plywood shims as well. Didn't help since PO never resealed the vent in 50 years, but it was there. It had 3/4" shims under the aluminum? Wow. I would think that would leave pretty big voids under the aluminum that would be prone to denting, piercing, etc... Do they fill it with anything? I was thinking the most I would be able to use would be 1/2" tapered out over 4-5 inches. My whole roof is a bit wavey, but nothing special about the vent area. Just 1-3/4" wide plywood that wasn't even tapered. I eased the edges and corners, but left it as it was.
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Post by vikx on Aug 25, 2016 20:37:57 GMT -8
I shim every vent with 3/4 if I can. (tapered out 5 to 6") There are times when the build doesn't allow that but most roofs will give that much. Yes, there can be voids, but if you use a support board or piece of ply when on the roof, no damage.
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bullseye17
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Post by bullseye17 on Aug 26, 2016 5:51:14 GMT -8
I shim every vent with 3/4 if I can. (tapered out 5 to 6") There are times when the build doesn't allow that but most roofs will give that much. Yes, there can be voids, but if you use a support board or piece of ply when on the roof, no damage. Wow that's great to know. I'll definitely be using 3/4" under the aluminum and with the new part, I should be able to create a good amount of clearance.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Aug 27, 2016 18:31:35 GMT -8
Keep in mind that the amount of shim under the aluminum is going to depend a lot on how close to the edge of the trailer you are. The closer to the edge the less you can shim without having buckling problems. The closer to the middle of the trailer you are the more you can shim without buckling problems. I'm glad to hear about the accessory shim that Fantastic Fan company has available. I've never installed a Fantastic Fan in a trailer before. I have two of them going into the 66 Super Shasta and one in the 59 Airflyte. I'm starting to wonder about the one in the bathroom of the Super though because of this shimming problem you are talking about. That vent is only inches from the edge of the trailer. I'll be looking at that very closely when the time comes.
There are other types of fan vents that are no where near as expensive and I may use one of those in the bath room.
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Post by danrhodes on Aug 27, 2016 18:59:46 GMT -8
Keep in mind that the amount of shim under the aluminum is going to depend a lot on how close to the edge of the trailer you are. The closer to the edge the less you can shim without having buckling problems. The closer to the middle of the trailer you are the more you can shim without buckling problems. I'm glad to hear about the accessory shim that Fantastic Fan company has available. I've never installed a Fantastic Fan in a trailer before. I have two of them going into the 66 Super Shasta and one in the 59 Airflyte. I'm starting to wonder about the one in the bathroom of the Super though because of this shimming problem you are talking about. That vent is only inches from the edge of the trailer. I'll be looking at that very closely when the time comes. There are other types of fan vents that are no where near as expensive and I may use one of those in the bath room. I've been researching many trailer fans and it keeps coming back to fantastic fans. Others are noisy, move less air, fail quickly or are just cheap feeling. I'm considering a retrofit fan kit, but don't trust it will fit the vintage vent trim.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Aug 27, 2016 19:47:20 GMT -8
Keep in mind that the amount of shim under the aluminum is going to depend a lot on how close to the edge of the trailer you are. The closer to the edge the less you can shim without having buckling problems. The closer to the middle of the trailer you are the more you can shim without buckling problems. I'm glad to hear about the accessory shim that Fantastic Fan company has available. I've never installed a Fantastic Fan in a trailer before. I have two of them going into the 66 Super Shasta and one in the 59 Airflyte. I'm starting to wonder about the one in the bathroom of the Super though because of this shimming problem you are talking about. That vent is only inches from the edge of the trailer. I'll be looking at that very closely when the time comes. There are other types of fan vents that are no where near as expensive and I may use one of those in the bath room. I've been researching many trailer fans and it keeps coming back to fantastic fans. Others are noisy, move less air, fail quickly or are just cheap feeling. I'm considering a retrofit fan kit, but don't trust it will fit the vintage vent trim. The ceiling in both of the trailers I'm working on is only 7/8 inch thick.
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