Best 12 volt fans for motorhomes: complete UK guide

If you want to be truly comfortable in your motorhome whatever the weather, it’s essential to have an effective cooling system. An easy and cost-efficient way to do this is to install a 12v fan that will run off your motorhome’s leisure battery. But how do you know what to look for when considering a 12 volt fan for a motorhome? Our guide tells you all you need to know, plus rounds up our top five 12v fans to buy in the UK!

Banner image: Roadie_, motorhome for hire in St Austell.

5 best 12v fans for motorhomes in the UK

1. MaxxFan Deluxe 7500k

£399.99

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A 12 volt fan for a motorhome can come in a wide range of styles and budget choices. The MaxxFan Deluxe 7500k roof fan is our list’s highest priced 12 volt fan for a motorhome, but is well worth the cost. This high quality 10-speed fan fits to the 14 x 14-inch aperture in the roofs of most motorhome models, so is discreet and space saving as well as powerful. It’s also the only RV ventilation system on the market to incorporate a vent, fan and rain shield in one single unit.

The remote control makes operating the fan very simple, while the reverse air system can bring cool fresh air into the motorhome or push out warm air or cooking smells.

Benefits:

• Extremely powerful roof fan with 10 speeds, a vent and a rain shield

• Reverse air system

• Mounting screws and installation hardware included

• Electric lid opening with remote control

Considerations:

• Higher price than most other 12v fans

• Has to be installed

• Roof sealant must be purchased separately

2. Dometic Fantastic Vent – 2250

£275

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The Dometic Fantastic Vent roof fan comes in with the second-highest price in our best 12 volt fan for a motorhome list, but again is well worth the cost. Combining a roof light with a fan in a 14 x 14-inch design, the Fantastic Vent’s 10-blade system makes it very powerful for its compact size. It’s designed to maintain a constant temperature inside your motorhome even when you’re not inside: simply set the thermostat to the level you want and let the fan do its work.

Like the MaxxFan, the Dometic uses a reverse air system, so you can bring air into the motorhome when needed or push air outside.

Benefits:

• Compact and powerful roof rotary fan with three adjustable speeds

• Reverse switch included – bring air into or let it out of the motorhome

• In-built thermostat

• Quiet operation

Considerations:

• Has to be installed

• Manually operated – user must open and close the hood cover each time to operate the fan

3. RoadPro RP-1179 Car Fan

£47.78

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A 12 volt fan for a motorhome doesn't have to be expensive. The RoadPro C3208 is a heavy-duty metal fan that’s small enough at 7.5 inches in diameter to mount almost anywhere inside your motorhome, but strong enough to move air around. It comes with a 3.12-metre power cord so has lots of versatility in where it can be placed in a vehicle – the cord can be plugged directly into a lighter socket or adapter too.

Benefits:

• Small but powerful fan that can be mounted almost anywhere inside a motorhome

• 170° rotation: point the fan where you want without having to move it

• Simple two-speed settings: set the speed or turn the fan on and off with one switch

• 10-foot power cord included

Considerations:

• Noisier than fans with plastic blades

• Blades can’t be removed for cleaning or for fixing problems

4. SEEKR Sirocco II Direct Wire Gimbal Fan

£125.40

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Popular with boat and RV owners because of its solid performance aesthetics and its ability to stow flat against a wall, the SEEKR Sirocco II is an excellent choice for a mid-range 12 volt fan for a motorhome. It has a long-life motor and low power draw and can be wired directly into themotorhome electrics system. The gimballed design allows complete 360° airflow. As this 12v fan is so light (under 1kg), it’s suitable for permanent mounting or to use with its base as a standalone.

Benefits:

• Lightweight mountable or portable fan

• Minimalist design for noiseless operation

• Programmable with four timer settings: programme the fan to run for two, four, six or eight hours

• Low power consumption

• Three-speed setting – low, medium and high

Considerations:

• Better suited to smaller motorhomes

5. Transcool evaporative cooler

£340

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For something a bit different when looking for a 12 volt fan for a motorhome, consider this stylish and effective product from Transcool. Its fan works as an evaporative cooling device, meaning it produces cool air from cold water – the fan blows air over wet cooling pads. This makes it much more effective than standard fans, as cool air is produced rather than existing air being moved about. The cooler is easy to use too: simply fill the tank with water and set the speed you want.

Benefits:

• Effective and environmentally-friendly cooler in a stylish and sleek cube design

• Lid with easy slide option to add water and ice

• Carry handle

• Comes with replacement cooling pad, external 5L water tank, carry/storage bag and mains transformer for use at home

• No installation necessary – fits into the lighter socket

Considerations:

• Can be noisy when run at full speed

Why do I need a 12v fan for my motorhome?

There’s a large range of 12v fans for motorhomes on the market, but why do you need one?

Simply put, anything that runs on 12v will run on your motorhome’s battery system, rather than the mains power source that you hook up to at a campsite. A motorhome will have both electrical systems on board. With a 12 volt fan for a motorhome, you can ensure fresher air without having to plug into a mains power supply or having to use a generator.

What makes a 12v fan best for cooling?

As well as 12v, fans come with voltage values of 5, 24 and 48v, with 48v obviously the most powerful. However, powerful fans like this will need a high-voltage battery system, which a motorhome generally won’t have.

A 12 volt fan for a motorhome is made best for cooling when its consumption is matched to a motorhome’s power supply/battery system. As this is also 12v, a 12v fan will run efficiently and safely without draining the motorhome leisure battery

Considerations when buying the best 12v fan for a motorhome

12v fans come in a range of styles. Here’s what to consider when buying a 12 volt fan for a motorhome:

Portable 12v fans

Portable fans can be a great idea if you want full flexibility on where you place your fan in your motorhome – for example, moving the fan into the bedroom at night. You can also leave them at home if you’re travelling in autumn or winter, thus saving space and cutting down on your motorhome’s payload. And as they’re portable, they don’t require any installation.

The main downside to portable fans is that they’re often not as powerful as mountable/bigger fans.

Mountable 12v fans

A neater option for 12v fans for motorhomes is a mountable fan, which can usually be placed almost anywhere in the vehicle. If you opt for a roof-mounted fan, this will fit discreetly into your motorhome roof for a smooth and discreet appearance.

12v fans with other features

As our best fans show, it’s fairly easy to find a fan that’s designed for multi-purpose use. Rain shields, air filtration and mosquito screens are all additional features for roof-mounted fans, while thermostats, timers and a choice of fan speed are on many different types of fans.

Noise

If you’re a light sleeper, you may prefer to pay a bit more for a fan marketed as particularly quiet.

Ease of installation

Some fans come with brackets so they can be attached to the wall quite easily; others such as the MaxxFan Deluxe will need some DIY skill to install.

Make back the costs of a 12v fan for your motorhome

Even if you’re not travelling in summer, a 12 volt fan for a motorhome is a useful way of getting some airflow inside. Because of this (and because they’re so unobtrusive and user-friendly), fans are a great addition to any size motorhome.

Plus, adding a 12v fan can make your motorhome more comfortable and therefore attractive to hirers - which in turn, can help to generate bookings that easily cover the costs of buying and installing the fan. And with Camplify, hiring out your motorhome is easy.

Why Camplify?

Camplify connects owners like you with local and international holidaymakers - all of whom are verified to maximise the safety when you hire out your motorhome. Discover more of our advantages for owners below:

• It's free to list your motorhome.

• If you don’t have all-risk insurance, we can provide you with it when you sign up.

• We give your van a 24/7 RAC breakdown cover.

• You have complete freedom to approve or reject guests interested in hiring your motorhome. Your wheels, your rules.

• We provide you with tips and step-by-step guides on how to improve your service and your vehicle to get more and more bookings!

The sooner you set up your listing, the sooner it will start to receive visits and bookings! See how much you could earn if you hire out your motorhome with ourfree income calculator or sign up now to start enjoying the above advantages today.

If you still have questions, want to discuss your income potential with an expert or get more information on how to list your vehicle, call us on ☎ 0330 808 1811 or visit www.camplify.co.uk. We’ll be happy to help you with anything you need!