Why Are Maxx Air and Fantastic Fans So Popular for RVs?
One of the most popular upgrades for an RV is swapping out the factory installed roof vent fan for a Maxx Air or Fantastic fan.
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The old RV roof vent fans with the tiny fan that only covers about half of the vent and makes a ton of noise aren’t the only option anymore.
That old style of RV fan moves hardly any air and uses up more electricity than it should.
In newer campers manufacturers have started installing an upgraded RV vent fan that covers the entire vent that works much better, but the things those newer fans can do are still pretty limited.
There’s where Maxx Air and Fantastic fans come into the picture.
Both brands make some of the best RV fans available today. They are quiet, powerful, efficient, and there are lots of different options.
Even the basic RV fans made by each company are better than the newer factory installed fans.
Because of the many options and quality Maxx Air and Fantastic fans are being used to replace old RV fans, camper air conditioners, and even being added to non-powered roof vents.
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You can really get the air moving inside your camper with a Maxxair or a Fantastic fan.
It’s a great way to cool off the RV on hot summer nights and they’re powered by the RV battery, which means even boondockers can use them.
Our RV Roof Fan Setup
When we bought our first RV, a 2013 travel trailer, the first thing we did was replace the bathroom fan for this Maxx Air Fan (click to view on Amazon).
It was one of the best decisions we ever made, mainly because we were full-time living and traveling in it.
After a full year of traveling around in our travel trailer, the Maxx Air fan was still running like new.
We decided to sell the travel trailer and switch to a motorhome instead.
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The motorhome we ended up with is a 24 foot Class C. It had one of the slightly better bathroom fans installed but it wasn’t nearly as good as the Maxxair fan we had previously.
Maxxair is a very common name in the RV world but Fantastic Fans are also very popular. We decided it would be fun to try both.
We got a Fantastic fan (click to view on Amazon) for the bathroom and a Maxx Air Fan (click to view on Amazon) to replace the non-powered roof vent above the bed.
Both fans are towards the back of the RV, basically, side by side.
We use the Fantastic fan slightly more because it’s in the bathroom, but the Maxxair fan also gets a lot of use since we often have it on 24/7 during the warmer months.
There are quite a few things that are the same when comparing Fantastic fans to Maxx Air fans and we got the models that were the most similar.
Maxx Air & Fantastic Fan Comparison
Advanced
Advanced
Basic
Basic
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In the table above I’ve added the most advanced and the simplest versions of the Maxx Air fans and Fantastic fans.
There are also a few models in between that can be good options as well.
I’m going to talk about the most advanced ones since those were what we installed in our motorhome.
Maxx Air 00-07500K MaxxFan Deluxe Pros & Cons
PROS
- Built In Rain Cover
- Good In Windy Conditions
- 10 Speeds
- Quiet
- Remote Control
- Temperature Control
- Motorized Cover
CONS
- Beeps sometimes when humidity is high
- Rain cover can reduce airflow
Fantastic Vent Model 7351 Pros & Cons
PROS
- Standard Cover Opens All the Way (moves the most air)
- 10 Speeds
- Remote Control
- Temperature Control
- Rain Sensor
- Motorized Cover
CONS
- Must Be Closed When Windy
- Many Have Problems With Fan Squeaking
My Review of Maxx Air & Fantastic Fans After 1 Year of Use
Overall I was the most impressed with the Maxx Air fan after a year of full-timing in our Class C motorhome.
Not just because of the quality but the design ended up being better most of the time.
When compared side by side, there aren’t a ton of differences between the Maxx Air Maxx Fan Deluxe and the Fantastic 7351.
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Both models have motorized covers that will open at the press of a button, temperature control, air in/out settings, 10 fan speeds, and remote controls.
But there are a few major differences to consider when deciding on which one to install on your RV.
Rain Resistance
The covers are the most obvious difference. Most Maxx Air fans come with a long cover that opens a little more than 45 degrees.
It creates a small roof over the fan so it can be open even when it’s raining.
Fantastic fans use the standard square cover that opens to almost 90 degrees leaving the motor exposed and susceptible to water damage.
The pro to the cover that opens all the way is the Fantastic fan can move some serious air, but it can get damaged by rain.
To combat the rain problem the Fantastic fan has a rain sensor that will automatically close the cover the second it gets wet.
That feature works really well. Our Fantastic fan has closed itself a bunch of times when it started to lightly rain outside.
You can get a rain/wind cover for Fantastic Fans (click to view on Amazon), but they are pretty tall and less aerodynamic than Maxx Air fans.
Wind Resistance
Another problem with the Fantastic fan’s cover is it’s more affected by the wind, even when it’s only opened a little bit.
The Maxx Air fan can be used even when it’s almost all the way closed, and even when opened the design is pretty wind resistant so long as the wind isn’t hitting it directly from behind.
Sound
In the beginning, both fans sounded about the same. Very quiet on the low settings and a little noisy on the highest setting.
After about 5 months, the Fantastic Fan started to make this squeaking noise that has been getting worse the more it’s used.
It gets worse with higher fan speeds but you can still hear it even on the lowest setting.
After doing some research I’ve found that this is a common issue with Fantastic Fans.
Some have reported being able to get a replacement but it’s not a guarantee that you’ll get a new one if you have this issue.
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It also means you will have to reinstall the new fan which is a pretty big job that requires buying new sealants and working on the RV roof.
The squeaking sound is one of the main reasons I recommend the Maxx Air fans over the Fantastic fans.
The only strange sound the Maxx Air fan has ever made was on a hot humid day.
It started making the chirping sound it makes when you turn it on or off randomly throughout the day.
It only happened a few times and it hasn’t made any strange noises since that day.
Our theory is water from the air might have gotten into the electronic part causing it to turn on and off randomly.
It only happened that one day though and so far the Maxx Air fan has been working phenomenally.
Maxx Air vs Fantastic Fan Conclusion
Since both brands make pretty similar fans it can be hard to choose between the two.
I’ve only owned one Fantastic fan but I’ve installed two Maxx Air fans on two different RVs and so far the Maxx Air fans have been less problematic.
The squeaking noise the Fantastic fan makes is the biggest reason I don’t like it but I also prefer the rain cover on the Maxx Air fan.
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I’m sure there are a few Maxx Air fan lemons out there that might have some issues but in my experience, they have been better overall.
That’s why Maxx Air wins over Fantastic Fans in this review.
Have any questions about Maxx Air or Fantastic Fans? Leave a comment below.
Good article on the cleaners. You are correct the Starbright is really a great cleaner. Only thing I dislike is you pushing buying from Amazon. I understand you make money from this “advertising” but it sucks.
Hi,
Thanks for your comment, I understand that you don’t like that. We decided to go with Amazon Associates and do affiliate links instead of displaying regular ads on the site. We do, however, only recommend products that we have done extended research about and have bought/would buy ourselves.
I really don’t understand people like you… They did a wonderful comparison and you have to make your issue with Amazon their fault?Then don’t buy it from Amazon. Just because you don’t want to purchase it from them, doesn’t mean everyone else feels the same. Plus this gives people the option to see full specs on both without having to scour the Internet for information when it can be seen at one location.