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10-10-2015, 06:39 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 147
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My fantastic fan opening tool
I must be vertically challenged because I can't reach the knob to open my fantastic fan. I even have trouble reaching it from a step stool. Obviously a tool was needed.
I made the tool from the following materials:
3/4" PVC pipe, length to suit (I think I made mine about 32" long)
3/4" PVC pipe coupling
1" PVC pipe coupling
3/4" PVC pipe cap (to finish the bottom end)
PVC cement
I took the knob off of the fan and traced around it on a piece of paper so I would know where to cut the notches in the end of the 1" coupling. After cutting the 4 notches, try it on the knob before gluing everything together. You want a loose fit on the knob.
It is light weight, works great and stores easily.
__________________
Joe in NH
2016 Rockwood A192HW A-Frame
2013 Ford F-150 XLT 3.5 Twin Turbo Supercrew
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10-10-2015, 06:51 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: St Pete/FL
Posts: 347
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WOW, you get an award for that ! I am pulling out in the morn for Lake Wateree SP, Winnsboro,SC then on to OH or I would be at Home Depot now, geez!
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Dobe Fanatic - Largo, Florida
2012 Flagstaff T12RB A-Frame 
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10-10-2015, 10:27 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 10,447
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Great idea! I know this isn't hard to make but if you ever go into business with selling this item I would be a customer.
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Great choice for "Living within my means" and camping for one...
Formerly owned 2011 Salem Cruise Lite 20RBXL & 2011 Toyota Tundra Dbl Cab
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10-11-2015, 12:02 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Ohio North Coast
Posts: 569
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Nice job! There is a product out there called a "vent stick". It comes with a new vent handle with a "D ring" attached and and a pole with a wire hook on it. Been using it for about a year. My wife is also vertically challenged.
Bob
__________________
2013 Ford F250 SD 6.7L
2014 Wildwood Heritage Glen 282RK
Certified Rumble Strip Tester
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10-11-2015, 07:06 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 147
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Hi Bob
I didn't know about the Vent Stick. The reviews for that say their knob is too long for use in an A-frame because it interferes with closing the roof.
My design uses the existing knob, is much less expensive, and fun to build!
__________________
Joe in NH
2016 Rockwood A192HW A-Frame
2013 Ford F-150 XLT 3.5 Twin Turbo Supercrew
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10-11-2015, 09:00 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Napa Valley, CA
Posts: 513
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Now figure out how to attach it to a cordless drill and you will make a fortune!
__________________
2015 Rockwood A128S
2010 Rockwood 2604
2014 Ford F-250 CC SB 2WD
2008 Toyota Sequoia 2WD
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10-11-2015, 09:26 AM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 18
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Nice job! Now if it would only work to turn the fan on/off (I have an all manually operated fan).
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10-11-2015, 11:36 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 147
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Thanks TJ
I can reach the lock and the on-off switch from the floor, so I guess I am only semi vertically challenged! I just couldn't reach the cover opening knob.
__________________
Joe in NH
2016 Rockwood A192HW A-Frame
2013 Ford F-150 XLT 3.5 Twin Turbo Supercrew
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10-11-2015, 11:52 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Where I'm parked! Sometimes MN
Posts: 3
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Fan Opening Tool
Great idea. Off to Lowe's!
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10-11-2015, 12:18 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Midland, MI
Posts: 954
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Need to send this into Trailer Life for their "10 min Tech" column
__________________
Cathy & Jeff
Midland, Michigan
2020 Cedar Creek 34IK / 2019 Ram3500 CID
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10-11-2015, 01:38 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 109
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Great Idea
Joe, I love this mod. Now, I have another item on my 'to do' list. 
__________________
2015 Rockwood A192HW
2011 KIA Sorento 6Cyl
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10-11-2015, 03:46 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern Calif
Posts: 101
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Thanks for the tip. Bob has a new to do on his list.
__________________
Donna and Bob (retired USAF),
fur babies Casey (mix), Lucy and Loki (standard poodles)
had a 2015 Rockwood 8281 WS - traded for another brand.
2016 RAM 3500
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10-11-2015, 03:54 PM
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#13
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 5
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If you put a crutch tip on the opposite end you can turn the fan off and on. The rubber in the crutch-tip grabs the knob and it is easy to turn from the floor. I only need the stool to lock and unlock the fan.
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10-11-2015, 05:43 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Ontario, California
Posts: 2,147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swampweasel
I must be vertically challenged because I can't reach the knob to open my fantastic fan. I even have trouble reaching it from a step stool. Obviously a tool was needed.
I made the tool from the following materials:
3/4" PVC pipe, length to suit (I think I made mine about 32" long)
3/4" PVC pipe coupling
1" PVC pipe coupling
3/4" PVC pipe cap (to finish the bottom end)
PVC cement
I took the knob off of the fan and traced around it on a piece of paper so I would know where to cut the notches in the end of the 1" coupling. After cutting the 4 notches, try it on the knob before gluing everything together. You want a loose fit on the knob.
It is light weight, works great and stores easily.
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Nice could have saved me big money. DW had to have the very expensive model with the remote.
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10-12-2015, 02:07 PM
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#15
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Senior Member - Retired
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Posts: 398
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What a great MOD idea. I made one today with a slight modification to the original post. Rather than putting a cap on one end I installed a 3/4" to 1" fitting, then ground out a portion of the 1" end to accommodate the two round knobs on our Fantastic Fans. One knob is for temperature control, the other to turn the fan on/off and set fan speed. Some of the cuts are a bit rough on the end which is used to open/close the fan lid so I consider it a prototype which I will redo once my wife has an opportunity to use it for a few days. One picture shows one of the two round knobs, the other picture shows the knob captured by the modified 1" fitting.
__________________
John & Gloria Hunsaker FROG Member CA-0030-988
2014 Georgetown XL 334QS (class A with 4 slides)
2013 Smart Car TOAD
Blue Ox Aventa LX tow bar, base plates, diode kit
SMI Stay-IN-Play Duo auxiliary braking system
25' Off shore blue water fishing boat
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10-12-2015, 02:49 PM
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#16
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Retired
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 250
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Nice mod! 
If this were the 70's it could double as a TV remote control! 
__________________
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 LTZ CCLB DRW D/A - Rancher Grille Guard - Transfer flow 40 gallon Toolbox/Tank Combo - Line X - Edge Insight
2015 Palomino Sabre 33CKTS - Platinum Edition - Progressive Industries EMS HW50C - JT Strong Arm Stabilizers - Ground Control 3.0 - 320 Watt Solar with 2000 Watt Inverter
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10-12-2015, 04:40 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 276
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Now that's some good
thinking and doing!
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10-12-2015, 10:44 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 246
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Just wanted to add that there are many mods on the aliner forum for a-frame campers like ours. This mod for fantastic fan had appeared in the aliner forum over a year ago and yes it is a good mod. There is no fee to register for this forum and there are many good mod ideas for our type of trailers such as this one.
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10-12-2015, 11:32 PM
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#19
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,024
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Wow, kudos to coming up with a great idea!
My lovely but vertically-challenged wife says THANK-YOU and I do, as well, as I don't like getting up in the middle of the night to open the fan for her!!
This is, now, on my winter season "RV MOD" list which is, unfortunately, rapidly approaching us....
__________________
Rick & Karen
(Retired USAF, MSgt)
Monument, Colorado
8-year Travel Trailer RVers
2013 Forest River Rockwood Ultra-Lite 2904SS
2014 Toyota Tundra Maxcrew SR-5 TRD 4x4 (with Firestone airbags in the rear)
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10-13-2015, 07:17 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 147
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Thanks MZAK, I was not familiar with the Aliner forum or that somebody else had built a similar tool. Now heading off to check out the Aliner forum!
__________________
Joe in NH
2016 Rockwood A192HW A-Frame
2013 Ford F-150 XLT 3.5 Twin Turbo Supercrew
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Linear Mode
