No matter the size of your van conversion, you will always need fresh air in your cabin. A good campervan vent extracts moisture, removes odors and pollutants, and ensures that you have fresh air at all times.

Managing heat and humidity is crucial when living in a van. Heat from the sun and excess moisture generated by humans, pets, cooking, showering, and even burning propane, can attract mold and mildew. Also, everyday activities can cause unpleasant odors and introduce pollutants into the air.Humidity and foul odors, combined with hot weather, can create quite an unpleasant environment to live in.

Thankfully, all of this can be prevented with an appropriate campervan ventilation system. In this guide, we’ll go over the fundamental parts of choosing a van vent that’s right for you. So read of if you want to install the perfect van ventilation system in your motorhome.

As the sun warms the van, as you breathe, move around, cook, and shower, the air naturally gets warmer inside the cabin. If not vented out, this can make staying in the van quite unbearable.

Because hot air is less dense than cold air, hot currents rise to the ceiling and cold air naturally sinks to the floor. This means that the roof of your campervan is the perfect place to install a ventilation fan, as it can more effectively push out the hot air from the van.

Ideally, you want two points of ventilation for proper air circulation. One van vent pulls in fresh air, the other one pushes out hot air. This way, you’ll ensure that you have oxygen-rich air any time of day, creating a more comfortable environment. Stuffy air can cause headaches, make it harder to focus, and even cause trouble sleeping.

According to a study by the National Center of Biotechnology Information, the average person exhales approximately 80 milliliters of water vapor every hour. Activities such as cooking (especially boiling), taking hot showers, and simply washing your hands, can all drastically increase the humidity of the air.

Excess moisture in the air condenses on cold smooth surfaces like windows and exposed steel and can cause a lot of unpleasant problems. A warm, moist environment is ideal for mold and mildew growth, which, apart from being unhygienic, can cause serious respiratory problems and allergic reactions.

A single campervan fan can produce enough air circulation to get rid of any excess moisture in the air. Installed above the kitchen sink or in the bathroom, a simple MaxxFan Dome can make a major difference, and prevent any excess condensation and mold growth.

A lot of our everyday activities can cause unpleasant odors. Human perspiration, passing gas, a wet dog after a swim, overdue food, unwashed dishes, and dirty laundry in an enclosed area can introduce some pretty bad smells.

Although we can get used to smells pretty quickly, it’s still more pleasant to breathe in fresh air. Additionally, if one of the travelers falls ill and you need to stay on the road, it is absolutely vital that you have proper air circulation. Good ventilation will reduce the risk of others in the van catching it, and can substantially speed up the sick person’s recovery.

If you’re living in a van with multiple people or with a pet, we suggest you get a van roof vent that provides active ventilation. The community favorite and hands down the most popular option for most vanlifers is the MaxxAir MaxxFan, which provides a great amount of airflow. It’ll ensure that any odors and pollutants get cleared out.

Air moves around on convection currents. Essentially, this means that hot air rises while cool air sinks to the floor. Using this principle, you can plan out where you’d like the cool air to come in, and the hot air to come out.

Having a point down low to pull in fresh air and a vent in the roof to push out the stale air will create proper circulation. It doesn’t have to be exact, but think about where in your van do you generate the most moisture and heat. Try and position the fan that will be pulling hot air out somewhere in that area.

Cubic meters per hour or minute (m3/h or m3/min) only applies to active ventilation systems. It is the volume flow rate of stale air the vent is capable of pulling out.

However, similarly to air conditioning, the space needs to be sealed for the fan to work most effectively. So if you have a window or side door open, the rate at which the fan works will be compromised.

Essentially, the faster the more cubic meters can be ventilated, the more effectively the air in your van will be circulated. But a higher number doesn’t automatically mean a better ventilation solution.