|
01-19-2020, 08:07 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 22
|
Add ceiling fan to 5th wheel?
I’d like to add a ceiling fan in the living/kitchen area of our 17 XLR Nitro 36T15.
I was thinking of pulling power from of the ceiling lights but I am concerned about the structure being strong enough for the fan.
Has anyone added a ceiling fan? Any tips or tricks? Recommendations?
|
|
|
01-19-2020, 08:39 PM
|
#2
|
Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
|
When you say ceiling fan are you talking a 12v vent fan or an actual 120v home type ceiling fan?
Many have added a vent fan to the ceiling light circuit as the ceiling lights are 12v. The vent fans are 12v and fit a common vent size of 14" x 14".
If you are talking about a home type 120v ceiling fan with revolving wood blades then yes, you should have structural concerns. Many R/Vs have these but sufficient bracing was added when the unit was built.
Also, other than the A/C unit, there typically isn't any 120v circuits in the ceiling.
You may get lucky and find a 12v version of a home ceiling fan but neither of my two R/Vs that had ceiling fans were 12v. They both were 120v.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=64
|
|
|
01-19-2020, 09:16 PM
|
#3
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 22
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
When you say ceiling fan are you talking a 12v vent fan or an actual 120v home type ceiling fan?
Many have added a vent fan to the ceiling light circuit as the ceiling lights are 12v. The vent fans are 12v and fit a common vent size of 14" x 14".
If you are talking about a home type 120v ceiling fan with revolving wood blades then yes, you should have structural concerns. Many R/Vs have these but sufficient bracing was added when the unit was built.
Also, other than the A/C unit, there typically isn't any 120v circuits in the ceiling.
You may get lucky and find a 12v version of a home ceiling fan but neither of my two R/Vs that had ceiling fans were 12v. They both were 120v.
|
I should have specified, we are wanting a residential type fan, something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E58D0W8..._U0qjEbPTZN9F2
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 01:23 AM
|
#4
|
Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,888
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadie00
|
I worry about the power requirements and the small gauge for the lighting wires. I do feel like if you open up the ceiling, you could brace the are enough between the joists.
And please do this! I've wanted a ceiling fan in our dining area for 2 years now since we switched rigs.
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 09:21 AM
|
#5
|
Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southwest Alabama
Posts: 9,850
|
If your RV is like ours, the wire running to the lights is 14 awg, so that wouldn't be a problem.
The biggest issue I see is running the wiring for the control. The Q&A says that it requires 12 volt power (2 conductors) to the wall control and 4 conductor cable from wall control to fan. So the power has to go to the wall control and not to the fan.
__________________
Salem 29RKSS Pushing a GMC Sierra 2500HD!
Gotta go campin!
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 10:00 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Dayton Ohio
Posts: 3,566
|
Easy to say, tough to do.
A ceiling fan requires a special box that structurally connects two roof trusses together. In a house not a tough job to install. An hour.
Then you have to run #14 copper wire to and from power and a switch,. There is the real problem.
With no crawl space, well you gotta be creative, and lucky.
Lucky means it was an option and they ran the wire. Unlucky means they didn't, you are screwed.
A fancy floor fan or Dyson fancy devil might make sense.
The DW always travels with a 16" floor fan we use under the awning in hot weather. Makes a big difference outside.
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 04:22 PM
|
#7
|
Weekender
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Whitesburg, GA.
Posts: 35
|
Add ceiling fan to 5th wheel?
We added a 12v ceiling fan to our travel trailer. Just be sure to buy a 12v fan with a remote instead of a wall switch. It will be a lot less trouble than putting a wall switch in. I mounted it next to the ceiling exhaust fan. There is 12v that is hot all of the time there and there is a metal lip around the exhaust fan you can screw the new fan too. Good Luck. I got my fan at ghttps://www.pplmotorhomes.com/rv-parts-rv-accessoriesot
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 08:11 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,413
|
12v? Sure!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
You may get lucky and find a 12v version of a home ceiling fan but neither of my two R/Vs that had ceiling fans were 12v. They both were 120v.
|
Our 2008 Cherokee 38P came with two 12v BLDC fans installed at the factory. I can't tell you the brand right now. They have electronics in the wall switches and three buttons: - On/Off
- Speed (High, Medium, Low)
- Direction (Up, Down)
Be sure to get an RV fan. They are very short vertically to compensate for the low ceilings.
This support cranks open from inside the box. You crank it open until the nails on the ends bury themselves in the roof truss. The box can be anywhere along the rail--it doesn't have to be exactly in the center between two roof trusses.
The problem you will have is getting wire between the switch on the wall and the fan box on the ceiling. If you can start on the wall near another switch, you can pick up 12v. But getting wire around the corner between wall and ceiling wil be the tricky part. If you have wooden stud walls, there's a 2x2 header at the top. There's also a 1x2 ribbon above the header attached to all the trusses. So you have to make a hole for the wire in the inside half of the 2x2 header. It's hard to see how you could do that without making a hole high in the wall. Maybe if you are lucky there's a cabinet there you could take down. So using two hooked fishing wires, you might be able get wires from the switch to the box opening.
It goes without saying that you should try to get the wall switch and ceiling box at the same distance from the front or back of the trailer since you don't know where the studs or trusses are. Hopefully you hit the same channel from both ends.
__________________
Larry
"Everybody's RV is not like your RV."
"Always take pictures with the button on the right."
"Always bypass the water heater before opening the low-point drains."
Sticks and Bricks: Raleigh, NC
2008 Cherokee 38P: at Ivor, VA permanently
|
|
|
01-20-2020, 09:07 PM
|
#9
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 22
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by burks
We added a 12v ceiling fan to our travel trailer. Just be sure to buy a 12v fan with a remote instead of a wall switch. It will be a lot less trouble than putting a wall switch in. I mounted it next to the ceiling exhaust fan. There is 12v that is hot all of the time there and there is a metal lip around the exhaust fan you can screw the new fan too. Good Luck. I got my fan at ghttps://www.pplmotorhomes.com/rv-parts-rv-accessoriesot
|
This is what we want to do, wireless remote.
Thanks for the link!
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|