ArboursAbroad contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase using one of the affiliated links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
We went back and forth with the idea of including a camper van vent into our current van build. With the van being so small, we weren’t sure we really needed one. However, thinking back to our first van and remembering the mold issue we began to have, we decided we definitely wanted to install a roof vent. For the relatively low price point, it’s really not a bad investment for a campervan build.
We went with this 11-inch van camper van vent, and are super pleased with the ventilation it provides. With that said, if we had a bigger van, we likely would have gone with a larger camper van fan, or possibly even two. Check out this post for camper van fan options, to help you decide what fan is best for your build.
And in case you’re concerned with cutting a massive hole in your camper van roof. It’s not as bad as it seems. Even with little instructions coming with our camper van vent, we feel confident in our installation. So confident in fact, that we made a video and did a full step-by-step guide to how to install a campervan fan. Check it out here.
9 Reasons You Need a Camper Van Vent
1. Prevents Mold, Mildew, and Rust
Mold, mildew, and even rust can form in a camper van if proper ventilation isn’t occurring. And that mold, mildew, and rust can all be happening behind your van panels and ceiling. AKA, in places you can’t see and would never know it’s there until it starts growing through your walls and ceiling. A camper van vent provides a way to circulate air, pull out condensation from the air, and offers an escape to any dampness in your campervan.
2. Fresh Air When Pooping
Just like a bathroom fan in a house, you definitely need one in a camper van. It’s the worst when your partner is dropping a load and the smell is just stuck in the van. And no, simply opening a window or cracking the door does not get the smell out. You need some serious airflow in the van… hence the necessity for a camper van vent in this case! Blowing air in the van or sucking air out helps tremendously with the stench opening the toilet brings!
We also recommend grabbing some Poo-Pourri and essential oils to drop in the toilet each time you use it and when it’s just sitting!
READ MORE | How to Choose The Best Toilet for Your Van Conversion
3. Pull Out Cooking Smells and Oil
You know how every stove has a hood vent that pulls out the smells, steam, and oils in the air when cooking on a stovetop? A camper van vent works just like a hood vent at home.
Pulling out the steam prevents water build up in the van.. that’s an obvious benefit. But pulling out the smells and oils in the air may not be so obvious. A great way to keep your van, clothing, and bedding smelling fresh is to avoid the lingering smells and oils in the air from cooking!
4. Easy Screened Window for Keeping Cracked
In our current van, we have ten windows. However, those windows do not have screens on them. So, when we want to leave a window open for fresh air but avoid the bugs and creepy-crawlers the roof vent is perfect for leaving open! It’s also super nice to leave open in a super windy spot, knowing the screen of the roof vent will prevent anything from blowing in.
5. Ventilation for Condensation When Sleeping
Jay and I are hot sleepers. Even in freezing temps in the van in Scotland, we slept with a window open. However the open window only allowed cool air in, it didn’t pull any air out. So, as we were sleeping, the van was filling with condensation. Which at some points turned into icicles inside the van. It was a reoccurring problem that could have been fixed with a simple van fan installation.
We will say, we don’t always sleep with the van fan on at night in our current van. However, with warm air raising, it provides and escape for the warm air we breath out, eliminating the condensation build up.
6. Create a Breeze in Your Van
One major perk of this camper van vent is the way you can blow air in and suck air out of the van too. By blowing air in the van with the roof vent, you essentially have a fan that you can sit right under when you need a fresh breeze.
By opening a window, and turning the fan on the sucking mode, you also can create a draft in the van. This is perfect and honestly needed on those warmer days. And by warmer days, we’re talking anything over 70F. As that temperature outside means an even warmer temperature inside your camper van.
7. Help Keep Your Animals Cool
Holy smokes!! If you’re traveling with a pet, installing a camper van fan is a must! By cracking a window and turning the fan on low, you allow your pet to stay cool. If also gives your pet fresh air by circulating clean, fresh outside air into your van.
Obviously, if it’s super hot out, you DO NOT want to leave your pet in your van. But for the cooler days, it’s perfect! You can leave your pet for hours with fresh water and the camper van vent open and running while you go to the gym, on a hike, or heck, go shopping.
8. Safer Window to Keep Cracked without Worrying About Break-in
To help keep the van cool and smelling fresh(er) we like to keep a window cracked in the van. A camper van roof vent is the perfect “window” to keep open when away from the van! Nobody can fit through the window, or even shove something through it to open up a door.
And what’s great is you can choose how “open” you leave it. You’d be surprised how fresh just a wee crack keeps the van.
9. You Can Open it Without Water Entering Van
Unless you get a camper van roof vent that has an automatic rain sensor, you can keep the vent open when it’s raining without getting the inside of your van wet. Obviously, in a crazy wind and rain storm, this won’t be the case. However, when it’s just a drizzle, cracking the roof vent is awesome! It helps tremendously with fogging up the windows!
More on Van Life
Installing Your Camper Van Roof Vent
Choosing the Best Toilet For Your Van Build
Getting Insurance in the United States for Your DIY Campervan
Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Van Panel Walls
How to Screw Into Your Campervan Walls
9 Things to Avoid When Doing Your Campervan Floor
How to Save Money for Life on the Road
Save + Share Here
When you save this post or share it to different platforms, you really help our small business out! If this post was helpful to you… give us a virtual high five by sharing it. Saving it, sharing it, or even commenting below lets us know we should continue with posts like this in the future!
