Booner Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 I've installed sunroofs and vents ( as in post 25) on the roofs of full sized vans with ribbed roofs with no problems with leaking. Make a template of the hole your going to cut and mark it on the roof. drill a hole big enough for a saber saw blade to fit in and cut your hole. The lower portion of the rib is probably less than a 1/2 inch from the raised portion of the roof and I've fill in the lower ribbed area with aluminum or plastic strips. The key to prevent leaking is a good sealer, and I've always used clear silicone sealer, the 30 year kind. lay a good healthy bead all the way around the hole, and what ever you' going to installed will be screwed into the roof so pre-drill the holes for the screws and run sealer around the holes. if your using a filler in the low ribbed area, run another bead on top of the filler and set whatever your installing on the sealer. run some extra sealer in the low ribbed area and smooth it out. screw down the vent, sunroof,whatever and wipe away the sealer that squeezed out. I've installed windows in vans in this way also, and have never had a leak. It takes about 24 hours for the silicone to fully set up. I"m thinking of mounting two vents in the roof at the rear of the van, and now I'm thinking about mounting two in the roof right behind the driver and passenger area. I'm modifying a cargo van into a camper so I like the idea of plenty of roof ventilation. The nice things about the vent like I posted in post 25 is that when you open the vent, they can be positioned so they are scooping air into the van or exhausting out. So I could position then so the ones behind the driver/passenger area are bringing air into the van and the ones in the rear area are exhausting air. And its been my experience that if you forget and leave them open and it rains, they don't let in that much. And they have screens on them so bugs aren't getting in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 @booner - thanks for sharing your experiences. please keep us posted on any mods you make in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booner Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I'll be happy to. I'm retiring in April and moving to Missouri, so I won't be doing much until then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hein Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 (edited) New to the forum and have something to offer for those wanting to install an RV style vent fan. This is a CNC machined expanded PVC adapter that provides a flat surface for the vent's flange. The photo below shows it offset to one side but it can also be used in the middle of the roof. We also produce these for other vans (Transit, Promaster, Sprinter). The Maxxair vents are popular. Please PM me for more information. Edited April 26, 2016 by Hein G B L 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G B L Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Very Nice thanks for posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booner Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 I've installed the roof vents I spoke of in a previous post and I'm very happy with how they turned out. I'm using a tablet as I write this and will try to post some pictures when I'm done. With vents opened all the way it seems that my left ear doesnt get blasted as bad as it used to until I'm going over 45-50 mph. However at freeway speeds when theyre full open you do hear more wind noise. Close the vents down to their smallest open position and they don't make any noise. I've got the weatherguard wind/rain reflectors on the window and when I leave the Windows cracked open a little along with the vents the van does stay cooler We've been getting plenty of rain lately and with the vents closed nothing gets in. If their open at their minimum open setting still now water Their made from aluminum and I painted them white but the spray can white doesnt quite match The vans color so I'll repaint then sometime in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booner Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 I've posted some photos of my vents in the photo section under "mini camper modifications" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G B L Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 (edited) Great Job It will very interesting to see the project progress. good Photos. Have you Retired and moved to Missouri? Congratulations on that! Edited May 23, 2016 by G B L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booner Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Great Job It will very interesting to see the project progress. good Photos. Have you Retired and moved to Missouri? Congratulations on that! Thank you. Yes I retired at the end of this past March, moved to Missouri and looking for a house here--sold my place in Colorado which should more than pay for a new place here My family is from Missouri. I like the people and the pace of life, and reasonable living cost, the biggest negative for me is the humidity. June-July-August can be kind of rough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.