Fantastic Fan motor comparison
My RV has two Fantastic Fans, one installed in the rear bath, one over the bed up front. The FF in the bath has the older (and IMO better) tall motor, the other had the flat gold motor. The flat motor FF has been noisy since new (installed in 2015).
I recently attempted to remove the fan blade on the new unit for cleaning but the plastic was brittle and it broke. Rather than just replace the fan blade, I contacted Dometic via their website to find out if an improved motor was available. Dometic responded quickly and stated that the replacement motor would be the same as the motor in my 2015 FF.
I decided to take a chance and order a new motor/fan assembly with the hopes that the new one would be quieter (I ordered it from Amazon, less expensive and free shipping).
The motor on the new motor/fan assembly is different from my original flat gold motor. The motor is black instead of gold, the housing is different, as is the location where the wiring exits the housing. There is a tag on the gold motor that has ‘Atwood’ and part # ‘8017A-03’. The new black motor has ‘Dometic’ and part # ‘8017-09 Rev. B’ printed on it.
The installation was very easy, just two wires and four screws.
The new black motor is much quieter, but not as quiet as my older FF with the tall motor, but very close. The new black flat motor has a slightly harsher sound to it.
I’ve read several discussions on the forums about the FF tall black motor vs. the gold flat motor. Hopefully this post will help someone if they’re making a decision about roof vent fans.
I recently attempted to remove the fan blade on the new unit for cleaning but the plastic was brittle and it broke. Rather than just replace the fan blade, I contacted Dometic via their website to find out if an improved motor was available. Dometic responded quickly and stated that the replacement motor would be the same as the motor in my 2015 FF.
I decided to take a chance and order a new motor/fan assembly with the hopes that the new one would be quieter (I ordered it from Amazon, less expensive and free shipping).
The motor on the new motor/fan assembly is different from my original flat gold motor. The motor is black instead of gold, the housing is different, as is the location where the wiring exits the housing. There is a tag on the gold motor that has ‘Atwood’ and part # ‘8017A-03’. The new black motor has ‘Dometic’ and part # ‘8017-09 Rev. B’ printed on it.
The installation was very easy, just two wires and four screws.
The new black motor is much quieter, but not as quiet as my older FF with the tall motor, but very close. The new black flat motor has a slightly harsher sound to it.
I’ve read several discussions on the forums about the FF tall black motor vs. the gold flat motor. Hopefully this post will help someone if they’re making a decision about roof vent fans.
