Leaving ceiling fan on while traveling

[mockturtle]

I'm been RVing for many years and always presumed that the ceiling vent should be closed while traveling. Today I was traveling in very hot weather and found, when stopping for lunch, that I had not only left the vent open but the fan running! :S But the good news was that the inside of my coach was wonderfully cool! 🙂 While I probably wouldn't be tempted to leave it open on purpose, it occurred to me that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. Thoughts?

[valhalla360]

If you have the vent covers, it's a smart idea. That will protect the vent from damage and keep rain out.

Without the vent cover, the vent lids are flimsy and won't keep the rain out.

You could test it but likely you won't need to run the fan as the suction from running at speed will vent plenty well.

Note: I'm referring to the vent covers that go over the top of the standard vent as opposed to the vent lids that are part of the standard vent.

[schlep1967]

And there is always the chance that the sloshing around will empty a drain trap enough that you pull air in through your grey water tank vent. Wouldn't be so bad in our trailer if it was the shower grey tank but if it was the kitchen grey tank it would stink something horrible.

[ktmrfs]

fan on really helps. But not a good idea if you hit unpaved roads or dusty areas.

[TurnThePage]

I think with a motorhome, it's not a big deal, as you will be aware of what's coming into your vehicle. With a trailer, you might get a surprise after a long day of travel.

I've gone down miles of bumpy, dusty roads, then found that I accidentally left a vent open resulting in a heavy layer of crud all over everything. The tow vehicle was perfectly fine on the inside.

[Lynnmor]

Keep in mind that you might draw in dust.

[JaxDad]

I’ve been leaving the rearmost roof vent open to dramatically boost my cooling and heating for decades.

People are amazed that I can cool my entire C all the way to the back with nothing but the dash A/C running. I’m not sure why they’d be surprised, in an E-series Ford the factory A/C is a 5 ton unit, the short-coming is the lack of fan capacity to keep up with it. By leaving the rear vent open (I have covers on all of them) the vacuum created by driving down the road pulls cooled air down the back.

[hypoxia]

No reason to close the lid if you want the air flow. They are made to operate when moving.

[rk911]

Mmwtdh wrote:
I do it all of the time.

My vents point to the rear and I have Maxx covers that face the rear, so no problems.

When I'm parked at home and turn the refrig on a couple of days before heading out, I make sure and let the vent fan run to keep the interior temp down and help the refrigerator.

running the fans with vent covers is a good idea.

[Mmwtdh]

I do it all of the time.

My vents point to the rear and I have Maxx covers that face the rear, so no problems.

When I'm parked at home and turn the refrig on a couple of days before heading out, I make sure and let the vent fan run to keep the interior temp down and help the refrigerator.

[rk911]

i'd be concerned about wind danage to the lid. on hot days we run the genny and AC. we do leave the bedroom overhead ceiling fan running 24/7.