Double Max Fan vs AC

[KarenW]

Ordering a 5.0 and thinking of installing 2 Max fans instead of an AC. I saw this on one of their videos recently and like the idea as we rarely plug in. Any experience with this option?

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by KarenW

Ordering a 5.0 and thinking of installing 2 Max fans instead of an AC. I saw this on one of their videos recently and like the idea as we rarely plug in. Any experience with this option?

We went with the double fan option for three years. Worked best with one blowing in, one blowing out. We also skipped the stove hood and relied on the double fans. This worked well - until we camped in south Texas in the summer. A/C became a survival necessity. Since we had ordered the trailer A/C "ready", it was a simple matter to drop in a standard rv A/C.
--
Alan

[steve dunham]

Try making a search , there was recently a rather lengthy thread discussing this very topic .

[Ron in BC]

We have one Maxxfan and one opening vent, works for us even in hot places.

One benefit of the opening vent is that it's like a skylight and lets in much more light than a window does. In the Winter we put a piece of foam below it and we're amazed at how dim the trailer feels with the vent covered.

Personally, I'd go with the factory Maxxfan and a vent. If after some use and you really feel the need for a second fan it's no biggie to install.

Ron

[UncleTim]

I agree with Alan! When you hit the hot areas of the country, you will be begging for air conditioning. I spent the Christmas holidays in the Florida Keys and (no trailer) air conditioning was necessary. I want to do that again with a trailer. And I am bringing my own AC. Shark fishing for a solid week. So much fun. All of them let go alive and well.

I mentioned this to julieinwy (a new member) in her welcome thread. Someone mentioned to me to get this fan (link included). The MaxxFan blows up and down and this one blows across the trailer so you can distribute the air nicely. It increases the air flow to the point that may be enough. With the kitchen window open, the MaxxFan blowing in or out and this little guy pushing air across the trailer, we have a nice little system. But when the temperatures hit 100°, nothing but AC matters.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Doug2000]

One max fan should be sufficient. They do move a lot of air.

My wife insisted on the AC, besides at some point I want to head south.

[steve dunham]

We got the A/C not because we plan on going to the far South , been there done that !
We wanted the A/C because of the high humidity in the Summer .
When the humidity is high a fan is basically worthless IMHO , all it does is circulate the hot humid air . We use our roof fan at night when temps are in the 50’s & 60’s to keep the interior of our trailer at a comfortable temperature level

[Perry Butler]

Depends on where you live, camp, and your needs. We've needed an AC once in our 15 campers, over 30+ years. For the cost of the AC we could have slept in a motel. Others can't live without it. The one change we would make in our 5.0 is to delete the AC and the range hood, and install a second Maxx Fan.

An AC can always be installed later.

Enjoy,

Perry

[KarenW]

Thanks everyone. We definitely won't be traveling south in the summer but could in March so maybe fans will be enough. Usually camping in the PNW or BC. I'll check to ensure it's AC ready though as that may become an issue if we travel south more often.

[rubicon327]

Everyone is different. We have a custom mini-split A/C so have the second roof opening available. So I’m thinking about two MaxxFans AND the A/C!

[Greg and Kathy]

We have the 2 maxfans in our 5TA and love it. South in winter is no problem. Had another trailer with AC and never used it for 5 years. Too noisy and hardly ever had shore power.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by KarenW

I'll check to ensure it's AC ready though as that may become an issue if we travel south more often.

Escape trailers have been A/C ready from at least 2014.

In normal times we head South every Winter. Often the weather is very hot by BC standards. In that case we just use a directed airflow using a small computer fan. Very effective.

Ron

[SFDavis50]

I live in Colorado and haven't needed an A/C so I had two Maxx Fans installed on my 2017 5.0TA. The forward fan is the upgraded 7500 with the smoke cover and it works like a pair of sunglasses, it also has the remote. The aft fan is a white manual 5100 and it is very much like a skylight. The back of the trailer is very bright when the sun is shining. I often use both fans on 2 or 3 instead of one on 5 or 6. I also don't have a kitchen exhaust fan so I use the Maxx Fans to exhaust the fumes. We don't cook greasy foods in the trailer; once I cooked two strips of bacon, never again.

I have the 160 watt solar panel and no generator. Someday, if I decide to go somewhere warm I will buy one and a small window mount A/C and mount it in the escape window on the aft driver side. Not this year though. Between Covid and the fires and smoke I have reserved and then cancelled several trips.

[steve dunham]

We use our A/C far more than we use our furnace , probably a ratio of about 100 to 1
We run our roof fan with the windows open when temps are below approx 72 to 75 degrees and it does an adequate job of cooling off the trailer
Above 75 deg we run the A/C to maintain a comfortable temperature and drop the humidity level
Everyone has a different tolerance for heat and cold
I am spending today waxing my truck , temps are in the low 60’s , which I find perfect for working outside or camping .

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

Someday, if I decide to go somewhere warm I will buy one and a small window mount A/C and mount it in the escape window on the aft driver side.

Yup, that works too. Although despite traveling to SOCAL, AZ and Baja each Winter we never used it in 5 years.

Ron

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Yup, that works too. Although despite traveling to SOCAL, AZ and Baja each Winter we never used it in 5 years.

Ron

maybe its only me but that looks ghetto chic..

[Ron in BC]

Maybe with flowers, not so much.

Ron

[TazzyTazzy]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Everyone is different. We have a custom mini-split A/C so have the second roof opening available. So I’m thinking about two MaxxFans AND the A/C!

Do you have a post detailing split AC somewhere?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by TazzyTazzy

Do you have a post detailing split AC somewhere?

It’s a very long thread but contains all my work installing Fujitsu 9RL2 mini-split units (on a 19 and 21), evaluations of other A/C alternatives to the stock Dometic, and another member installation of a Pioneer mini-split unit on a 5.0...

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...ofit-8249.html

[felix2]

I deferred the AC on my new 21NE, accepting the Maxfan/vent option, and Escape delivered me two Maxfans - I figured they were just out of the standard vents that week, and stuck in the extra Maxfan as a substitute. Lucky me! I so far have used one on intake, one on exhaust and it does work well to really move air; leaving the one closest to the bed off, as a vent, and the far one on the lowest exhaust setting while sleeping seems to keep things vented well without producing a draft.


In a couple of week we'll be at the Oregon coast, and we'll see how different venting options work (I just added under-mattress ventilation scrim too). I loathe condensation!