Fans and Vents

Fans, vents and even AC

Dometic Fantastic Fan Review – All Models + Maxxfan Comparison

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dometic fantastic fan

This detailed review will cover all of the fantastic fan models, pro’s and con’s, and put the two RV vent fan front-runners in our Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan matchup.

Sweating in a stinky camper-van or RV sucks.

Do you know what else sucks… but in a good way? 

Get your mind out of the gutter! 

I’m talking about the Dometic Fantastic Fan.

These roof vents boast a powerful fan to keep you cool and remove stale air from your home on wheels. And Dometic produces many other van life essentials, making them a well-known brand.

There are many different models of the Fan-tastic Fan, but not all are one click away from your doorstep. A lot of the models are OEM, meaning they’re only sold to specific RV or camper van manufacturers. Because of this, I’ll only cover the five Fantastic vent fan models easily available to you and me as well as how they might stack up against their biggest competitor, the Maxxair Maxxfan in our Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan matchup.

Table of Contents

However, if you want to skip over all of our hard work here and go check out the Maxxair Maxxfan review, here it is.

Fantastic Vent Fan - General Overview

Before getting into each model, let’s talk about the basics that apply to all five of Dometic’s Fantastic Fan models.

  • 12v / DC power
  • 12 inch, 10-blade fan
  • White base
  • High profile base
  • One crank arm supporting the dome
  • Fits standard 14” x 14” rv roof vent opening
  • Dome must be open at least 3” to turn on the fan

Let’s move on to the pros and cons.

Fantastic Vent Fan Pro’s

I don’t know about you, but I like to hear the good news first… 

All but one of the Fantastic Fans operates as a vent fan (sucking) or a ceiling fan (blowing). Either way, the fans move a lot of air. Because of the translucent dome, the vent fan doubles as a subdued skylight. Additionally, online reviews boast easy installation across the board.

Fantastic Vent Fan Con’s

Now, for the bad news. Many reviews complained about how noisy the Fantastic Fan is, especially at higher speeds. However, this might not be a deal-breaker for you. Only one lift arm supports the dome, making it far less stable in windy conditions and while driving. Also, operating these vent fans while it’s raining is not wise. In other words, keeping the dome open while it’s raining can result in a fried fan motor and soggy interior.

A Quick Look at the FAN-Tastic Vent Fan Features

 Fan SpeedsReversible Air FlowThermostatRain SensorAutomatic Dome LiftRemote
Fantastic Fan 1200
Check Price		3NoNoNoNoNo
Fantastic Fan 1250
Check Price		3YesNoNoNoNo
Fantastic Fan 2250
Check Price		3YesYesNoNoNo
Fantastic Fan 3350
Check Price		3YesYesYesYesNo
Fantastic Fan 7350
Check Price		14YesYesYesYesYes

Fantastic Fan Models

Fantastic Fan 1200

fantastic fan 1200

This is a bare bones camper vent, and all it does is vent (suck). As a result, this is the one and only Fantastic Fan on the list that doesn’t double as a ceiling fan (blow). The dome is manual lift and seals tight when lowered. It offers three speeds to meet your cooling needs.

Check Price
Dometic Fanstatic Fan 1200CFMAmps
Low4781.86
Med6532.29
High9203.00

Fantastic Fan 1250

fantastic fan 1250

As you might have guessed by the model number, this Fan-Tastic Fan is almost the same as Model 1200. The only difference is the 1250 is a vent AND a ceiling fan. With the flip of a handy rocker switch you can go from pulling air out to pushing air in. All other specs are the same as the Model 1200. Anticlimactic, I know. 

Don’t worry, it gets better.

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Fantastic Fan 2250

fantastic fan 2250

Take Model 1250, add a thermostat, and you have the Dometic Fantastic Vent Fan Model 2250. Although it doesn’t sound like much, a thermostat is a game changer. It maintains the temperature in your camper van or RV for you. All you do is select the fan speed and set the temperature control knob. After that, the thermostat does the rest. It monitors ambient temperature and cycles the vent fan on and off to maintain your desired temperature. This is a great feature for when you’re sleeping or if you need to leave pets inside.

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Fantastic Fan 3350

fantastic fan 3350

This model adds two fancy features onto the 2250.

First, Fantastic Fan 3350 comes with automatic dome open/close switch. Don’t worry there’s still a manual dome-lift knob in case you need it. 

Second, the 3350 has a rain sensor! When the rain sensor senses moisture the dome automatically closes and turns off the fan. Thus, the fan motor and your camper van or RV interior are automatically protected from the rain. 

However, there is a catch.

When the rain sensor dries out the dome doesn’t reopen automatically. Therefore, the camper fan doesn’t restart automatically either. This can bite you in the butt. For example, let’s say you have the thermostat set to keep your dog cool while you go out for the day. A quick drizzle right after you leave could trigger the rain sensor, turning off and closing the vent fan. As a result, your dog is now stuck in a hot camper van or RV until you return. Not ideal.

If you’re willing to trade a wet interior (and a possible fried Fan-Tastic Fan) for your dog’s life, you can turn the rain sensor off. Additionally, you can use the manual dome lift knob to open the dome after the rain sensor secures the vent fan. This overrides the rain sensor which won’t reactivate until it has dried out.

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Fantastic Fan 7350

fantastic fan 7350

This model spices things up a bit from the 3350. The Fantastic Fan 7350 has 14 fan speeds instead of a measly three! 

Because of the speed variability, the vent fan motor is more efficient. Therefore, it only draws 0.2 amps at the lowest speed and 1.9 amps at the highest speed. For those concerned about power, this is the van roof vent/fan for you!

Another fun feature of the 7350 is the wireless remote. With the remote you have all the controls at your fingertips without having to get up. 

However, there are some downsides to the remote. If the batteries die and you have no replacements, you’re shit out of luck when it comes to operating the vent fan. Some users complain about the signal from the remote not always registering with the Fantastic Fan. Additionally, the temperature control units are only in increments of 5°F. While not horrible, you lose the fine tuning of the manual knob. But speaking of manual knobs, the 7350 does still have the manual dome lift knob.

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Dometic Fan-Tastic Ultrabreeze Vent Cover

fantastic ultrabreeze vent cover

Now, we’ve mentioned before that NONE of these models come with a rain cover and only TWO of them have a rain sensor.

If you want to protect your fan, and your camper van, from the rain, then the Ultra Breeze Vent Cover from Fant-Tastic Vent is your answer. They make the vent cover in white, black, and smoke grey so you can choose whatever color best fits your camper van or RV.

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Fantastic Fan VS Maxxfan

There’s definitely two front runners when it comes to campervan and RV vent fans: Fantastic Fan vs Maxxair Maxxfan. People are going to have their own personal opinions on which one they like better, but since we have done a write-up on both, we feel confident enough to compare the two RV vent fans for you.

 

Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan Round 1
Fan Speed Comparison

Fantastic Vent Fan

All but one of the Fantastic Fans only have 3 speeds (the model 7350 has 14).

Maxxair Maxxfan

3 out of 5 of the Maxxfans have 10 speeds. Two models have only 4 speeds, which is still more than the Fantastic Fan’s 3 speed standard.

CONCLUSION

In our eyes it is considered better to have more speed settings. This allows you to run the fan at a slower, more efficient, speed as well as higher speeds for ULTIMATE COOLNESS. For this reason, we have to say that Maxxfan takes the cake.

Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan Round 2
Fan Power Draw

Fantastic Vent Fan

According to the Dometic’s Fantastic Fan website, the fan draws 1.86 amps / hr on it’s lowest setting.

Maxxair Maxxfan

Across Maxxair’s 10-speed fans, they draw 2.66 amps while on the highest setting, and only 0.17 amps on the lowest. Wow.

CONCLUSION

It’s obvious here, but the Maxxfan is by-and-far the most efficient out of these two RV vent fans. This is partly due to the fact that Maxxair’s 10-speed settings allow you to operate the fans at a lower, more power efficient, speed. 

Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan Round 3
General Operation

Fantastic Vent Fan

The fantastic fan needs a rain guard in order to be operated in the rain. However, some models do come with a rain sensor which automatically closes the lid when it senses rain.

Maxxair Maxxfan

The majority of the Maxxfans have a built in rain guard that allows operation during the rain.

CONCLUSION

The rain guard might not be a deal breaker for some people. I know many people in sunny-Colorado that went with the Fantastic Fan because it simply doesn’t rain that much.

Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan Round 4
Cost

Fantastic Vent Fan

The most basic Fan-tastic Fan model 1200 is just shy of $150 and their most “luxurious” model 7350 is just over $300. 

Maxxair Maxxfan

Maxxfan is a bit more expensive. Their base models usually run around $175 and their top end model can be anywhere between $400 and $500!

CONCLUSION

This is the main reason why Fantastic Vent fan is still a popular choice among vanlifers and RV enthusiasts… the price point. If you are going for a budget build, you can get the Fantastic Fan for a cheaper price than Maxxair. However, if you factor in the cost of the rain guard, they are pretty comparable.

Summary

Despite what the above Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan comparisons hints at, if you’re looking for a RV fan or van roof vent, a Dometic Fantastic Fan is still a solid choice. They provide great airflow, are simple to use and affordable. On the other hand, if operating your vent fan while it’s raining is a must, or if you want the most energy efficient RV vent fan, you will probably want something like the Maxxair Maxxfan or invest in Dometic’s rain cover.

If you think you might be more interested in reading more about the Maxxair Maxxfan, check out this detailed review for more information.

Maxxair Maxxfan Review – All Models (2022)

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maxxair maxxfan

Maxxair Maxxfan is often considered the most popular RV vent fan on the market, and for good reason. In this review we will take a deep dive into the 5 most popular maxxfan models, their specs and power consumption, and stack them up against their biggest competitor in our Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan Challenge.

Do You Even Need a Vent Fan?

Do you really need a Maxxair Maxxfan? Or any RV roof vent at all? Well just imagine that…

It’s been a long day hiking and you get back to your camper van to find out that the shade you’d parked in has vacated…

It’s been hours since your home on wheels has been sitting out, baking under the hot afternoon sun.

Or, were you out mountain biking and needed to leave your camper van’s solar panels in the sun to recharge after your Strava speed run?

Or maybe you’ve been sitting in some café in Sedona working while your van has been sitting out under the blazing desert sun. 

Whatever the situation, anyone who lives the van life will need to park under the warm sunlight at some point and we all know what it’s like to get back into a hot car after a long day of work or play. 

It isn’t fun. 

That’s where the Maxxair Fan comes into play.

The Maxxfan is the leading van roof vent on the market, and there’s a good reason for this.  Most of the products from Maxxair offers the ability to blow air up or down, and while it may not seem like much, this makes a huge difference for someone living in a small space.  We talked about scenarios where you might want the fan to blow air down into your camper van, ie: when it’s too hot inside and you need to circulate air quickly.  But there are plenty of other times people living the van life may want to use a RV vent fan. 

What happens when you cook a curry meal only a few feet from your bedding? 

Or when you spend ten minutes on your composting toilet while your partner brews coffee? 

Or when… well you get the point. 

There will be times when you want to air inside of your van to leave.  There’s no better way of doing this efficiently and discreetly than the Maxxair Maxxfan.

Now, let’s get into the different models and specs, as well as how the fan stacks up in the Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan challenge. 

If you wan’t to skip to the FULL Fantastic Fan Review, head over here. (We suggest you finish this review first!)

Table of Contents

The Maxxfan Deluxe

This is Maxxair’s top of the line rv roof vent and fan. As their website states, it is the only RV fan on the market that includes a built in rain guard vent cover. With the Maxxair Deluxe you can ventilate your camper van conversion, even in the rain, at a rate of 900 cubic feet per minute (CFM).  

That’s a ton of ventilation.  

To put that in perspective, the Home Ventilating Institute recommends a ventilation system of 50 CFM for a 1000 square foot home.  The Maxxair Deluxe provides nearly 20x that rate of ventilation, if you want to turn it to max, of course.  Even on the lowest setting, a Maxx air fan will offer 274 CFM of airflow.  

It’s also mad quiet and will run off very little power. 

Maxxair offers four models of the Maxxfan Deluxe – the 5100k, 6200k, 7000k, and 7500k models are the ones you want for your ideal cargo van roof vent fan.  All of these models offer both intake and exhaust features, allowing you to blow air either out or into your camper van, and at 10 different speeds.  

Of course they all come with the rain guard vent cover, and all fold down to a low profile.  You can use these RV roof vent fans when they’re folded down as a sort of built in ceiling vent to allow for air circulation as well.

MaxxFan Deluxe 5100K (WHITE) and 6200K (SMOKE)

MaxxFan Deluxe 5100k
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL CONTROLS
  • RAIN SHEILD
  • THERMOSTAT
  • BLOW & SUCK (hehe)
  • 10 SPEEDS

DOESN’T HAVE

  • REMOTE CONTROL
  • ELECTRIC LID CLOSE/OPEN

MaxxFan Deluxe 7000K (WHITE) and 7500K (SMOKE)

Maxxfan deluxe 7000K
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL & REMOTE CONTROLS
  • RAIN SHEILD
  • THERMOSTAT
  • BLOW & SUCK 
  • 10 SPEEDS
  • ELECTRIC LID CLOSE/OPEN

DOESN’T HAVE

  • REGRET
  • THIS FAN HAS NO REGRETS

There are additional benefits of the Maxxair Deluxe 7000k, including a remote control with a wall mount, temperature control that allows the fan to act as an air conditioning unit, and two support arms allowing you to use the fan in high winds or while driving. 

These features, along with the built in rain guard set the Maxxfan Deluxe apart from the competition.  In fact, we can go as far as saying that the rain guard itself makes the Deluxe worth the money.  Having proper moisture control in the rain is key and no other product on the market can do what this rv roof vent fan does—ventilate air even in a downpour.

While at first it may seem like all fans are created equal, this is not true.  A simple and often overlooked aspect of the perfect camper van conversion build, having a reliable and effective ventilation system is hugely important.  This is why we recommend the Maxxfan Deluxe, as it gives the user the most versatility in ventilation.  

You can literally use this RV vent fan at any moment, and its power draw is so small that you can run it all day and night with a solar set up.

One of the largest benefits of the Maxxair Fan is it’s low power draw.  The Maxxair Deluxe 7000k draws only 2.66 amps of power while on the highest setting and 0.2 amps of power on the lowest setting. To put this in perspective,

You could run a single Maxxfan Deluxe off of a standard camper van 100watt solar panel and a deep cycle battery 24/7, all summer long. 

A quick rundown on roof vent usage...

Brought to you by Paradigm Van Conversions

Trying to conserve battery power, but still want to run your roof vent? A quick physics lesson may help you manage your usage!

The fan affinity laws expresses the relationship between electrical power and speed such that power is equal to the cube (^3) of speed. 

So what does that mean? 

It means that if you reduce your fan speed from 100% to 80%, you use approximately 50% less energy. 

maxxfan electricty and power usage

The graph shows the power draw of a MaxxAir Deluxe fan across it’s 10 different speed setting, and you can see that the power draw is not a linear 1:1 relationship. The efficiency of the fan gets dramatically worse at higher speeds.

So, the takeaway is this: Simply avoid speeds above 80% as much as possible and you will effectively double the run time of your fan. If you are trying to decide on what kind of fan to buy, consider one with variable speed, not just for comfort reasons, but for energy efficiency reasons.

Happy camping!

–Paradigm Van Conversions

Of course, the Deluxe model may not fit into everyone’s price range, but Maxxair offers other fans as well. Enter, the Maxxfan Plus.

The MaxxFan Plus

Budget conscious van lifers can choose the Maxx fan Plus, which offers many of the features of the Deluxe—exhaust and intake, 10 speeds, and easy installation. The 4500K model even comes with a remote control, electric lid opening, and a rain sensor (NOTE: Not a RAIN GUARD. The rain sensor is supposed to sense the rain, turn off the fan, and close the lid to protect the inside of your camper van)

The MaxxFan Plus 4000K (WHITE)

Maxxfan plus 4000k
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL CONTROLS
  • THERMOSTAT
  • BLOW & SUCK (hehe)
  • 10 SPEEDS

DOESN’T HAVE

  • RAIN SHEILD
  • REMOTE CONTROL
  • ELECTRIC LID CLOSE/OPEN

The MaxxFan Plus 4500K (SMOKE)

the maxxfan plus 4500k
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL & REMOTE CONTROLS
  • RAIN SENSOR (NOT GUARD)
  • THERMOSTAT
  • BLOW & SUCK (sorry, still doesnt get old)
  • 10 SPEEDS
  • ELECTRIC LID CLOSE/OPEN

DOESN’T HAVE

  • RAIN GUARD

The Regular Maxx Fan

Last in the line of these Maxxair fans is the plain ol’ regular Maxxfan. It only offers exhaust, and neither of the models have the thermostat or rain guard.  

Other companies offer similar products, such as the popular Fantastic Fan, but these products also fall short of what the Maxxfan Deluxe offers.  However all the Maxx air fans, and fans such as the Dometic Fantastic Fan, fit into one standard 14”x14” opening.  

This means that you can always upgrade to a higher end RV vent fan later in your van life journey. Here’s the spec’s on the regular Maxx fan. Please note, the only difference between the two models is the color scheme.

MaxxFan 4301K (WHITE) and 4401k (SMOKE)

maxxfan 4301k
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL CONTROLS
  • 4 SPEEDS ONLY
  • EXHAUST ONLY

DOESN’T HAVE

  • NO RAIN GUARD/SENSOR
  • NO INTAKE FAN
  • NO REMOTE CONTROL
  • NO THERMOSTAT

There is also one less talked about model of the Maxx air line of rv roof vents that is basically just the Regular Maxx Fan, but with a rain guard. This model is the MaxxFan Deluxe Model 5301K and 6401K (only difference, again, is the color). We put this fan down in this section, even though it sports the “Deluxe” title, because it has such basic features.

MaxxFan 5301K (WHITE) and 6401K (SMOKE)

maxxfan 5301k
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DOES HAVE

  • MANUAL CONTROLS
  • 4 SPEEDS ONLY
  • EXHAUST ONLY
  • RAIN GUARD!

DOESN’T HAVE

  • NO INTAKE FAN
  • NO REMOTE CONTROL
  • NO THERMOSTAT

A Quick Review of the Specs

That was a lot to take in, so here’s one more chart that put’s all the Maxxair Fan features and specs together:

maxxair maxxfan chart

Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan

It is pretty obvious that Maxxair and Dometic (Fantastic Fan) are the leaders in the RV vent fan industry, but how do they stack up against eachother?

Now we went into a bit more detail over on the Fantastic Fan Review (found below) but we will summarize the differences between the Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan here.

Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan in PRICE POINT

Now this might be the only thing the Fantastic Fan hands-down beats the Maxxfan in… price point. When you do a side by side in the models, you can typically get the Fantastic Fan anywhere from about 15-35% cheaper than the Maxxair.

For example, check out the prices of each of the company’s top-of-the-line models.

Fantastic Fan 7350

Fantastic fan vs Maxxfan
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Maxxfan 7500k

maxxair vs fantastic fan
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Now, of course if you factor in the cost of the additional rain guard (for the fantastic fan), this difference in price starts to dwindle. Also note that the more basic models of each brand are more similar in price.

Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan in SPEED CONTROL

Speed control is one thing that Maxxfan reigns supreme over the Fantastic Fan. 3 out of 5 of the maxx fan’s have 10-speed, the other two have 4-speed. The Fantastic Fan, on the other hand, only has one fan that has more than 3-speeds, and that’s their model 7350.

Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan in POWER DRAW

Again, the maxxfan wins this one. On their lowest setting, the fan uses only 0.17 amps / hr on it’s lowest setting! Compare that to the WHOPPING 1.86amps/hr that the Fantastic Fan uses on it’s lowest setting and it’s clear to see who wins this Maxxair vs Fantastic Fan matchup.

Fantastic Fan vs Maxxfan WRAP-UP

A final note is that NONE of the fan tastic fans come with a rain guard. None. 

You have to buy that separately. 

Now, for people doing a budget build (and don’t plan on being anywhere that rains) then I would recommend the Fantastic Fan.

For everyone else, I’d go with the Maxxair Maxxfan. 

Conclusion

Overall, we believe the Maxxair Maxxfan is the best van roof vent. No other fan is going to do what the Maxx fan Deluxe does, working in any condition and on such a small power supply. Nor will any other fan be as reliable.  

Like many things in a good van build, it is worth it to spend the extra money on important components and one should not overlook the importance of ventilation and air flow.

However, if you are looking for a more budget-friendly option and plan on being in drier climates, go check out our Dometic Fantastic Fan review below.