Hi Folks.

I would welcome some ideas / help.

We are loving our Sprinter campervan (see avatar) and we plan to do some extended 'work from the van' trips.

I'm lucky in that I can work online.

The van is a factory converted LWB Sprinter by KEA.  They are made for the rental market so are built 'to a budget' and not that smart in some areas.  Like ventilation!

So.........

The van gets really hot.  We have a layout like this diagram below. Though at the rear we have a permanent bed. 

I work at the small dinette table behind the driver seat.

For ventilation, the sliding door has an opening screened window, the two rear side windows have a screened opening section (we added those), above the bed is a roof hatch (no fan though), and if we have a power hookup, we have an AC Unit above the bed.

The challenge, is that the area of the dinette gets really hot! Really no air flow.   It's tucked around in front of the toilet / shower area.

And in hot weather, even if we have power hookup, the AC really only cools the bed area (not much air flow elsewhere)

So.............

I'm thinking of trying to add a Maxxfan somewhere above the dinette. But there is not much space, as the solar panel is there.  I'll really need to get to an 'installer' and let them take a look.

Maybe another option is to replace the window next to the dinette, with one that will open?  But I'm yet to find one.

I just feel that it needs something towards the front, that will suck the air out, so as to draw the air from the rear, either through the open side windows, or if the AC is on, from the cooler air around the bed area.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Or if you know of someone in Sydney who can install a Maxxfan?

I found one, but they want all the roof lining stripped out before they can do it.

Beyond me I'm sad to say.  I'd just screw it up...

-- Edited by RoboLB on Friday 15th of September 2023 11:07:09 PM

Thinking as I'm typing.

Seems to me that your best option would be to find an opening window to fit next to the dinette. That alone may be enough If not a Maxxfan (or FanTastic Fan) fitted anywhere on the roof (although preferably toward the rear of the vehicle).

Opening up all ventilation together is often not the best solution. Creating a 'ventilation tunnel' can be far more effective. So if you have a 'dead air' spot at your dinette, & open a window there it may or may not help much , for example if the door were wide open & the ceiling fan exhausting. Shut the door & bingo you have fresh air where you want it. With an external breeze the open dinette window + open door & no fan may work just as well. Experience will improve parking with breeze direction in mind.

A possibly easier alternative may be to just fit a ceiling exhaust fan (not above where you sit, but elsewhere in the vehicle) & to open the driver's door window. Again creating a ventilation tunnel from window with you seated in the 'tunnel'.

If you have opening rear doors you could try just a combination of having one or both open plus the drivers door window with everything else closed. It may help.

Or if you have an extractor fan in the toilet cubicle, a ventilation grille in the cubicle wall behind where you sit may help.

Design layout is always a compromise, & floor to ceiling structures which impede airflow whilst offering other things (storage, internal shower facility etc) come at a cost of dead air spaces.

Is the drivers seat a swivel type which would allow you to sit at the table next to the open drivers window?

Many thanks Cuppa.  Some good ideas to consider.

I was thinking of the Maxxfan at the front, because we have opening rear side windows and a rear roof event, so it could draw the air forward through those.

But you have given me some other option to consider.  Many thanks.

Perhaps ..... even simpler might be a Caframo Sirocco or similar fan mounted some where between the drivers door window & the table? Sirrocco are good because they are quiet but move quite a lot of air, directional (on a gimbal) & can be folded flat(ish) out of the way when not in use.They are also very economical with power compared to most.

Window socks over the driver's & passenger windows.

Is it a daytime or a nighttime heat issue. Putting in accoustic foam insulation is also brilliant to stop thermal transmission.

But if it is fundamentally an ambient nighttime temperature issue, runnig the AC is basically your only option. So a generator may be your only option.

You can move all the air you want but if ambient conditions are too much, not a lot of passive intervention will make any difference.

Cuppa wrote:

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Perhaps ..... even simpler might be a Caframo Sirocco or similar fan mounted some where between the drivers door window & the table? Sirrocco are good because they are quiet but move quite a lot of air, directional (on a gimbal) & can be folded flat(ish) out of the way when not in use.They are also very economical with power compared to most.

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 Not a bad idea. we have a couple of those at the back over the bed.

Whenarewethere wrote:

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Window socks over the driver's & passenger windows.

 

 

Is it a daytime or a nighttime heat issue. Putting in accoustic foam insulation is also brilliant to stop thermal transmission.

But if it is fundamentally an ambient nighttime temperature issue, runnig the AC is basically your only option. So a generator may be your only option.

 

You can move all the air you want but if ambient conditions are too much, not a lot of passive intervention will make any difference.

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True.  It's a daytime issue really.  Pulling over to work for a couple of hours and do online meetings.

At night we are either hooked up to power and can use AC, or we have side windows that open and have fans.

I do have a generator, but sadly I can't fit it anywhere in this van.  The bed height is quite low and that limits the storage.  Maybe I could fit an external 'box' to store it?

Eaglemax wrote:

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I think the other guys are on the right track. Here's my thoughts. 1. This item is a vent/LED light/two way fan that I installed in my last caravan I made. Once you get 12v up there you might as well use it for all 3 purposes. 2. The sirocco fans are great, very low current draw and points in any direction. 2 3. Consider an extra AC unit, it's your workplace so is justified. 4. Consider a fold down table above the bed 5. Definitely change the dining window. Regards

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Some good thoughts, many thanks.

I needed some out of the box thinking!