[Brandon]

Hi.
We have a high roof, extended Transit 250 and are planning on putting in a Maxx fan Delux and Dometic 200RTX AC and were trying to work out fan placement.
We are planning on putting the AC in the middle of the van but not sure wether to put the fan in the front near the stove or the back above the beds. We are leaning towards the back to we can have more ventilation in the winter near the beds without having to crack the windows (all which are fixed except for the front two).
We figure when we cook we will be wither outside in the summer or in the winter can crack the door a bit to let in ventilation.
Would appreciate any feedback and previous experience knowledge.

I will be doing the same and I'm also trying to decide on placement. I was thinking AC in the back over the bed and fane up front but I'm just not sure. I also want to have room for 2-400 watts of solar and maybe a small spot to sit or stand also.
I will like to see what others have to say.

 

[Brandon]

I believe an extended van could have a maxxair in the rear and front, dometic rtx in the middle and 100w panels mounted on each side of the fans for 400w total.

The placement of the ac would be critical, but the middle bay has lots of space between the roof ribs.

Would also require a rack of some kind since the racks extend out over the roof where it starts to slope down in front and gives you more flat space for the solar panels.

I believe most racks for the extended are about 140” in length.

I have some concern about the AC in the middle because of that space. I want supports but not sure how I'm doing them yet as I'm putting an AdWag kit in and need to make sure I fit with that.
I will be using a roof rack.

 

[Brandon]

I am not familiar with the adwag kit, but if the bay between the roof supports is clear, something like DIYvan’s roof support or something similar should work.

Ford Transit Inside Support Strips for 148WB and 130WB Medium/High Roof

Interior Support Strips for the Ford Transit 130 and 148 Regular and Extended wheel base Med/High Roof Transit. If you are ordering these you DO NOT need the interior backing frame that is on a separate listing. The Front bay is around 26" between cross members. The Mid bay is around 35.25"...

diyvan.com

Yes I'm looking at his supports and his mounting options for the AC unit.
I should say I plan on getting his stuff.

 

[Brandon]

Humble Road YouTube channel has a good video concerning structural support for AC unit and load rating of the Transit roof:

I saw that but I cannot have angles coming down below the crossmembers. I need something flush with those. Roof panels will be right under them.

 

[Brandon]

I'll be doing the same in about a month. I have the Dometic Penguin that has a pretty large footprint. My plan is to put the AC just ahead of the C pillar in that first gap (with support), with the Maxxair at the back. I've done a rough measurement and this leaves about 60 inches between each for solar which suits my needs. I had this same setup on my last van and was happy with it.

During the hottest part of the day our time is spent in the front part of the van and we like having the AC there versus right over the bed. I'm in the northern part of California and typically camp in areas where it cools down well at night to where the fan suffices.

I like this plan. Upfront would be better for us too.

 

[Brandon]

Here is a layout that would work well. Solaria XT400 is an awesome panel. We can also do two 200 watt panels in a similar configuration. Or move the AC towards the middle with a panel ahead and behind. AC mid-ship would provide better air distribution but could be nice to have it over rear bed. Could also do 200 watt, AC, 200 watt and then vent at rear. I am happy to create a layout once you decide.

All the best
Hein
DIYvan

Hein, can you show me one with the AC in the front and Maxxair in the back?
How does that single 400w panel do in partial shade? What would it look like with the two 200w panels?
Do you sell the panels?

 

[Brandon]

Please send me an email so I can do some other layouts for you. The Solaria panel is wired to work when partially shaded.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan

Info sent in PM

 

[Brandon]

My Transit is a 2019 148” WB, non extended. A platform bed is in the rear. A Dometic Penguin II 15,000 BTU is installed in the back and a Fantastic Vent is placed up front. Two 115 W (230 W total) Zamp solar panels are installed in between. No rack. Having the fan forward allows air to circulate from the windows in the rear of the van, over the bed and out through the fan vent.
This set up works great for us, as we seldom use the AC.

View attachment 168048

That is close to what I am planning for ours except we will be an extended with an RTX 2000 AC on the roof. I'm hopping to get 400+ watts of solar on the roof. I know solar is not always the best option for charging but in places where we stay a while it would be nice to have the solar keep up with lights, cooking and fridge.

Do you have any details on your awning and mounting it? I may go with a small roof rack for solar mounting only and a body mounted awning would be needed. I like that it is lower and can be pushed forward more.

 

[Brandon]

We think mounting the awning to the side of the van is the best way to go with high roof Transits. We are producing a contoured spacer plates for the mount to account for fore/aft curvature of the van body. These are not listed on our site yet so please reach out to Kim to order.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan

I think I'm going to be buying quite a few items from you when I'm ready to start my build. I think I may be using your roof rack mounts too to keep it light on the roof and as big or small as I need.

 

[Brandon]

Here is a CAD image of the Fiamma F45S mounts we are developing for the high roof Transit. Through bolts (and respective holes in pads) are not yet shown but we will be supplying those as well. Our intention is to use blind T-nuts on the inside pads to make installation easier. The pads will attach and seal to the van side with VHB tape. The drip cover will be made of 4mm black or white ABS. We are looking for a customer who is willing to test this design. View attachment 168398

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan

If I had my van I would be happy to test this for you as I plan on side mounting my awning. I want it side mounted to be lower and closer to the slider and to have it as far forward as I can. I'm hoping to have my van near the beginning of May. I will then be making a trip out to Oregon to get stuff from You, Rixen and Adventure Wagon.

 

[Brandon]

You should be successful in that goal. For what it's worth I've got that same AC, 2 MaxxFans, and room for 400w of solar on my 148 non-extended, (though I'm only running 3 + a cargo box.) I'm using a FVCO rack, and there's just enough room for a 100w Renogy panel on each side of the MaxxFans, with room for the AC in the center:

View attachment 168400

What roof rack do you have on your van? I'm only planning 1 fan and the AC unit.