Maxxair Deluxe vs Maxxair Plus

dgravlin

Member
I'm looking at putting two roof vents into my 170 sprinter. Curious as to which model is more popular with Sprinter owners? The Maxxair Deluxe vents from the underside of the cover so it can operate in the rain. But it appears to sit up higher when closed which might be an issue with a roof rack. The Maxxair Plus is a traditional style with the hinged cover. You'll get wet if it rains but it appears to sit lower when closed. I don't see any other differences with these two models.

Anyone gone through this purchase decision before? Why one over the other?

Thanks!
 

russinthecascades

Active member
Maxxair deluxe for us. Nice when you forget that you have it open and sleeping while it's raining. My son has the Fantastic with hinged lid and wishes he would have gone for the Maxxair deluxe instead; he lives full time in his van.
 

GSWatson

2013 144
Deluxe, hands down. When it’s raining is when you lost appreciate the ventilation - front door window covers cracked and the fan on low keeps things comfortable.


Cheers,
Greg
 

Totaled108

Captain Slow
Maxxair Deluxe for our van.

Having reduced ventilation when it’s raining, or ingress of rain is no good.

We are very happy with the Deluxe, worth the larger sticker price if you’re staying in the vehicle for longer then a few hours.

How much higher is it anyway?
 

hippy

Hardware Modifier
4th vote for the max air deluxe , an excellent device with a cool thermostat feature. It is large when it's open but I think it's worth it.
The build quality on the fan is good but the remote feels a little cheap
 

hein

Van Guru
Maxxair Deluxe is by far the most popular vent used on vans. Our patent pending adapters make installation very easy even in areas where there are bumps.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

P.S. As an intake vent you might consider the Maxair Mini with fixed cowl and no fan. Not many are aware of the Maxxair Mini line up. It is a confusing product line. We can shed some light on that if you are interested. We do stock Maxxair products including the mini line up.
 
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autostaretx

Erratic Member
The one down-side of the Deluxe (which is what i have) is that the rain hood restricts simple free flow of air ... those days you just open the lid and do NOT turn on the fan (our usual mode of operation).

When driving, the passing air's suction probably overcomes that ... i'm speaking of when parked.

But it's certainly nice being able to leave the vent open all (soggy) summer in Seattle.

--dick
 

irvingj

2015 RT SS Agile (3.0L)
Just watched a video on the Deluxe version.

We purchased a 2015 RT Agile that came with the "Plus" model... had no idea they made the "Deluxe" version with the built-in rain shield. That would be FAR more preferable!

The vent we have works well, but it's frustrating when it automatically closes even in a light rain; if it's hot & humid, it quickly becomes almost intolerable in the camper. We even carry a small battery-operated fan for relief when that happens. Have avoided buying a vent cover because they stick up so much higher than the original fan. The Deluxe version takes that problem out of the picture.

Going to put the Deluxe version on my wish list!!
 

owner

Oz '03 316CDI LWB ex-Ambo Patient Transport
I have the plus. Its even more frustrating when it DOESNT close in the rain and all your stuff gets wet. The rain sensor corrodes after a while and stops sensing the rain. It needs to be cleaned and invariably gets forgotten.

I would have bought the deluxe but couldnt get it shipped here, so had to go with the plus. But I would 100% buy the deluxe over the plus every day of the week.
 

Wyuna

Member
Wouldn’t even think of using the plus after having the deluxe, it’s great when it’s raining.

Will be grabbing some more for the next build
 

Wrinkledpants

2017 144WB 4x4
I'm looking at putting two roof vents into my 170 sprinter. Curious as to which model is more popular with Sprinter owners? The Maxxair Deluxe vents from the underside of the cover so it can operate in the rain. But it appears to sit up higher when closed which might be an issue with a roof rack. The Maxxair Plus is a traditional style with the hinged cover. You'll get wet if it rains but it appears to sit lower when closed. I don't see any other differences with these two models.

Anyone gone through this purchase decision before? Why one over the other?

Thanks!
Plenty of options to get cross bars that clear the vent. There is no way I'd trust the rain sensor to keep the inside of the van dry.
 

sparkplug

Well-known member
Can't comment on the plus as I've never used it, but extremely satisfied with the Deluxe.

I also don't have roof racks, but I would guess that it would not be too difficult to either adapt existing mounting points to be higher, or to fabricate some roof bars which clear it.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I'm going to be lazy and not visit the MaxxFan website ... but can't you buy an add-on rain cover that effectively turns other MaxxFan models into a Deluxe?

--dick
 

HarryN

Well-known member
Perhaps the most precious space on a conversion van is the roof.

A rack has the potential to expand the convenience of using roof space, but it doesn't increase the load capacity of the van's roof rating, so it is a trade off.

Since I tend to look at things from an electrical perspective first, putting two fans on a van roof seems like a sacrilege vs filling it with panels or other electrical stuff.

I have not done this yet, but my thinking is to instead use something like a bathroom exhaust fan / blower and duct it out through the floor or similar. That way there are no large holes in the roof.
 

hein

Van Guru
I have not done this yet, but my thinking is to instead use something like a bathroom exhaust fan / blower and duct it out through the floor or similar. That way there are no large holes in the roof.
We plumbed our bathroom vent through the rear door. The air is is moved by a bilge fan. It is very effective at removing stink and moisture from the bathroom.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan.com
541 490 5098


more info, links and photos: https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=276946&highlight=vent#post276946
 
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OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
Perhaps the most precious space on a conversion van is the roof.

A rack has the potential to expand the convenience of using roof space, but it doesn't increase the load capacity of the van's roof rating, so it is a trade off.

Since I tend to look at things from an electrical perspective first, putting two fans on a van roof seems like a sacrilege vs filling it with panels or other electrical stuff.

I have not done this yet, but my thinking is to instead use something like a bathroom exhaust fan / blower and duct it out through the floor or similar. That way there are no large holes in the roof.
What do you consider or is the load rating of the sprinter roof?
 

HarryN

Well-known member
What do you consider or is the load rating of the sprinter roof?
It's surprisingly low. I did a quick check on the body builders guide to see how my memory is functioning and its about 300-350 lbs on the rails.

Those reinforced pre made factory holes in the gutter area are pretty thin sheet steel.

I have never been able to find any other numbers to rely on. Do you have other numbers that can be used?
 

mikeelillyric

New member
Maxxair Deluxe is by far the most popular vent used on vans. Our patent pending adapters make installation very easy even in areas where there are bumps.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

P.S. As an intake vent you might consider the Maxair Mini with fixed cowl and no fan. Not many are aware of the Maxxair Mini line up. It is a confusing product line. We can shed some light on that if you are interested. We do stock Maxxair products including the mini line up.
I am curious if you can replace a deluxe fan with a plus or a mini without replacing the flange? Building a roof rack and the “overhang” of the deluxe Is making it difficult. The other thought I had was to put the fan in backwards so it would open facing the front of the van vs the rear? Any thoughts on that?
 

sparkplug

Well-known member
Well, I've never tried, but my concerns about mounting it backwards would be:

It might result in water being pushed in through the opening when driving (especially in the open position).

It might cause excessive wind noise.

It might not be strong enough to drive with the fan lid in the open position.

Pure speculation on all counts but if you already have the fan mounted it shouldn't be difficult to flip it round and try it backwards to see if any of these things are actually a problem.
 

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