Best roof fan for a camper van: MaxxFan, Fiamma Turbo-Vent, Thule and Dometic compared
· 13 min read
On the spec sheet the Fiamma Turbo-Vent Premium is the best 400 × 400 roof fan you can buy: the highest rated airflow, the lowest price, 85 mm on the roof. In a van you sleep in, the MaxxFan Deluxe is, because it is the only one that keeps running with the lid up when it rains. That gap — between what ranks and what you live with — is the whole story of this guide. Six full-size fans from MaxxAir, Fiamma, Thule and Dometic are ranked on rated airflow, price, rain capability, height above the roof, weight, draw and speed count; two small extractors are described but kept out of the ranking, because a 5.7 m³/min bathroom fan should not outscore a 35 m³/min one on price alone.
I have not run these fans side by side, and the airflow figures are the makers’ free-air ratings — the method box says what that means. The layout part is where I can help: every fan here is a footprint and a height you can drop on the roof of your van in VanPlot, next to the solar panels it competes with.
Best on the spec sheet
Fiamma Turbo-Vent Premium 40
35 m³/min rated, 85 mm on the roof, 4.6 kg, from ≈ €226 — the best numbers of any full-size fan.
Overall 8.1 / 10 · 4.6 kg · ≈ €226
Lowest profile, with blackout
Thule Vent Motorized (ex Omni-Vent 12 V)
78 mm tall with a blackout blind and insect net in the frame: the bed-end vent that darkens.
Overall 5.4 / 10 · 4.5 kg · ≈ €263
Best for van life (runs in rain)
MaxxFan Deluxe, manual lid (5100K white / 6200K smoke)
The only fan here that runs with the lid up in rain and while driving; 10 speeds from 0.2 A.
Overall 4.8 / 10 · 6 kg · ≈ €249
Closes itself in rain
Dometic FanTastic Vent 3350 (rain sensor)
A rain sensor closes the lid when wet and reopens it dry — for the van you leave open.
Overall 1.9 / 10 · 5 kg · ≈ €461
The comparison
| # | Product | Overall | Rated airflow (m³/min, maker figure) | Price (€) | Runs open in rain (0 no / 1 yes) | Height above roof, closed (mm) | Weight (kg) | Max draw (W at 12 V) | Speeds | Draw, lid, roof range (as reported) | W × H × D | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiamma Turbo-Vent Premium 40 Best on the spec sheet 400 × 400 crank roof fan | 8.1 | 35.0 10.0 | €226 10.0 | no 0.0 | 85 mm 8.6 | 4.6 kg 9.3 | 36 W 10.0 | n/p — | 35 m³/min max, 0.2–3 A, stepless touch control, Polar Control thermostat (Camping Wagner / UK dealers); Reimo's page still carries the older Turbo-Vent's 14–28 m³/min and 4.3 kg; roof 30–50 mm, adapter above 45 mm (Fiamma) | 460 × 85 × 460 mm | 4.6 kg | ≈ €226 |
| 2 | Thule Vent Motorized (ex Omni-Vent 12 V) Lowest profile, with blackout 400 × 400 crank roof fan | 5.4 | 20.0 0.0 | €263 8.4 | no 0.0 | 78 mm 10.0 | 4.5 kg 10.0 | 36 W 10.0 | 6 4.3 | 20 m³/min max, 0.17–3 A, 6 speeds per direction (Thule now writes "12 speeds"); lid opens 40°; 100 cm² forced ventilation closed; insect net and blackout blind; roof 25–60 mm (Thule / Reimo) | 472 × 78 × 459 mm | 4.5 kg | ≈ €263 |
| 3 | MaxxFan Deluxe, manual lid (5100K white / 6200K smoke) Best for van life (runs in rain) 400 × 400 roof fan, rain-open | 4.8 | 26.0 4.0 | €249 9.0 | yes 10.0 | 127 mm 0.0 | 6 kg 0.0 | 44 W 0.0 | 10 10.0 | Same body, fan and 10-speed control as the 7500K; crank lid instead of motor and remote. Note: the 7000K is the white-lid twin of the 7500K, not the manual one (etrailer / MaxxAir) | 585 × 127 × 417 mm | 6 kg | ≈ €249 |
| 4 | MaxxFan Deluxe 7500K (remote, electric lid) 400 × 400 roof fan, rain-open | 4.5 | 26.0 4.0 | €288 7.4 | yes 10.0 | 127 mm 0.0 | 6 kg 0.0 | 44 W 0.0 | 10 10.0 | 26 m³/min max (AIRVA datasheet; US copy says 900 CFM); 0.2–3.7 A across 10 speeds; 237 mm tall with the lid up; US retailers list 20 lb (9.1 kg), the EU datasheet 6 kg; roof 28–165 mm (MaxxAir) | 585 × 127 × 417 mm | 6 kg | ≈ €288 |
| 5 | Dometic FanTastic Vent 2250 400 × 400 roof fan, manual lid | 3.8 | 26.5 4.3 | €303 6.7 | no 0.0 | 125 mm 0.4 | 5.5 kg 3.3 | 36 W 10.0 | 3 0.0 | 13.5 / 18.5 / 26.5 m³/min on 3 speeds; 3 A (36 W); reversible with thermostat; fits 350–400 mm cutouts; roof 27–65 mm; retailer 125 mm build height vs a 190 mm "installation height" on dometic.com (Dometic) | 470 × 125 × 470 mm | 5.5 kg | ≈ €303 |
| 6 | Dometic FanTastic Vent 3350 (rain sensor) Closes itself in rain 400 × 400 roof fan, auto lid | 1.9 | 26.1 4.1 | €461 0.0 | no 0.0 | 125 mm 0.4 | 5 kg 6.7 | n/p — | 3 0.0 | 920 CFM (≈ 26 m³/min) US rating; powered lid with a rain sensor that closes it when wet and reopens dry; thermostat; reverse; current not published; EU box 470 × 470 × 190 mm (Dometic) | 470 × 125 × 470 mm | 5 kg | ≈ €461 |
How these are rated — and what I did not do
I have not run these units side by side. This is a spec-sheet comparison: every number in the table is a manufacturer or retailer figure, linked per product and checked September 2026. Where makers publish energy figures under different conditions they are shown as reported and kept out of the score, because a number measured at 32 °C cannot be ranked against one measured at 25 °C. What can be ranked fairly is arithmetic on published dimensions, weight, capacity and price — the things that decide whether a unit fits your layout, what it costs you in payload, and what it costs per litre. That is what the score is.
Each metric is scaled 0–10 across this set (best = 10, worst = 0), then weighted:
- Rated airflow (m³/min, maker figure) — 25 % (higher is better)
- Price (€) — 20 % (lower is better)
- Runs open in rain (0 no / 1 yes) — 15 % (higher is better)
- Height above roof, closed (mm) — 15 % (lower is better)
- Weight (kg) — 10 % (lower is better)
- Max draw (W at 12 V) — 10 % (lower is better)
- Speeds — 5 % (higher is better)
- Rated airflow is the maker's free-air figure (m³/min; US CFM converted at 0.0283). It is the one metric here I take on the maker's word, because no fan is rated through a van with a real intake — treat it as a claim, scored because it is the only airflow number that exists.
- Height above roof is the closed lid; MaxxFan Deluxe opens to 237 mm. The Mini's height is not published and is excluded from that metric; the Dometic 3350's current is not published and is excluded from draw.
- Weights: the MaxxFan Deluxe is 6 kg on its EU datasheet and 20 lb (9.1 kg) on US retail pages; the Dome Plus 1.5 kg at EU retailers and 5 lb (2.3 kg) in the US. EU figures are used and both are shown.
- Prices: fritz-berger.de, geizhals.de, idealo.at, obelink.nl, campingplus.de, camping-kaufhaus.com and eBay.de as noted per product; the MaxxFan Deluxe alone spreads €249–429 across German shops.
- Manufacturer pages could not be opened from this build environment this run; figures come from the makers' published listings and datasheets as indexed, cross-checked between retailers, with every disagreement shown in the product's reported line.
No affiliate links: product links go to the manufacturer or the spec page the numbers came from. If a spec here is wrong, tell me and I will fix it and note the change.
How to choose: rain first, roof second, airflow third
Rain decides the brand. A fan you have to switch off when it rains is off on the nights the van is wettest — two people asleep, doors shut, rain on the roof. Only the MaxxFan Deluxe here runs with its lid up in rain; the Dome and Mini are rain-proof by shape but move a fifth of the air. Fiamma, Thule and Dometic crank lids close when it rains, and the Dometic 3350 closes itself. If the van is a bedroom in northern Europe, that is the decision; the rest of this guide is about how much the MaxxFan costs you in roof and profile, and whether that price is worth paying.
Then the roof. A MaxxFan cover is 585 × 417 mm and 127 mm tall closed, 237 mm open; a Fiamma or Thule is 460–472 mm square and 78–95 mm tall. On a 6 m van the roof is already a fight between fan, solar and a second vent — the solar-roof post has the panel sizes, and a tall fan shades the panel behind it in the morning. Height also matters under a 2 m barrier: a low-roof van at 1.99 m with a 127 mm fan is a 2.12 m van.
Airflow last, and with a grain of salt. Every airflow figure here is the maker’s free-air rating — 900 CFM from MaxxAir’s US copy becomes 26 m³/min on its EU datasheet — and none is measured through a real van with a real intake. The rating is scored because it is the only airflow number there is, and the method box says so. In practice the intake matters more: a fan can only exhaust what a cracked window or a low EN 721 vent lets in. One fan and one deliberate intake beats two fans and sealed doors.
Passive alternatives for a second hole: the Fiamma Vent 40 (400 × 400, 85 mm, 2.8 kg, ≈ €87), the Dometic Mini Heki Style (400 × 400, 3.3 kg, ≈ €145) and the Midi Heki (700 × 500, 105 mm, 8 kg, ≈ €425) — light and daylight, no electricity, no airflow rating to argue about.
The full-size fans, in order
2. Thule Vent Motorized (ex Omni-Vent 12 V)Lowest profile, with blackout
Overall 5.4/10 · 472 × 78 × 459 mm (16.9 L outside) · 4.5 kg · ≈ €263 (€262.55 + €15 shipping eBay.de, Sep 2026) · reported: 20 m³/min max, 0.17–3 A, 6 speeds per direction (Thule now writes "12 speeds"); lid opens 40°; 100 cm² forced ventilation closed; insect net and blackout blind; roof 25–60 mm (Thule / Reimo)
The lowest full-size fan here at 78 mm, with a blackout blind and an insect net built into the inner frame — the bed-end vent that also darkens the bed. Rated airflow is the lowest of the 400 × 400 fans at 20 m³/min and there is no rain shield. Thule's own copy now says 12 speeds where the Omni-Vent listings said 6 per direction; it is the same fan.
Reasons to buy
- 78 mm — the lowest profile of the full-size fans
- Blackout blind built in: the bed-end vent that also darkens
- Reverse-polarity and blockage protection
Reasons to avoid
- No rain shield
- 20 m³/min rated, the least of the 400 × 400 fans
- Highest price of the three European crank fans
Not a planner preset yet; place a generic item and type these dimensions and weight in. Specs: thule.com, fritz-berger.de, ebay.de.
3. MaxxFan Deluxe, manual lid (5100K white / 6200K smoke)Best for van life (runs in rain)
Overall 4.8/10 · 585 × 127 × 417 mm (31.0 L outside) · 6 kg · ≈ €249 (from €249 geizhals.de (manual white), 2026) · reported: Same body, fan and 10-speed control as the 7500K; crank lid instead of motor and remote. Note: the 7000K is the white-lid twin of the 7500K, not the manual one (etrailer / MaxxAir)
Third on score and first in most full-time vans, because the score cannot weigh what the rain shield is worth: this is the fan that runs with the lid up in rain, overnight, and while driving. Ten speeds from 0.2 A make it the quietest all-night trickle here. The price is the tallest profile on the roof (127 mm closed, 237 mm open), 6 kg, and a 585 × 417 mm cover that takes roof from solar. The manual lid saves ≈ €40 over the 7500K and removes a motor.
Reasons to buy
- Everything the 7500K does for about €40 less
- One motor fewer to fail
- Same rain shield, same 10 speeds
Reasons to avoid
- Crank the lid from inside, every time
- Same 127 / 237 mm profile
- Model numbers are a trap: 7000K is not the manual one
In the planner: pick Roof Vent and choose the preset “MaxxFan Deluxe” — it drops in at these dimensions and this weight, so the fit and the axle load are checked before you order. Specs: etrailer.com, geizhals.de, campingwagner.de.
4. MaxxFan Deluxe 7500K (remote, electric lid)
Overall 4.5/10 · 585 × 127 × 417 mm (31.0 L outside) · 6 kg · ≈ €288 (from €288 fritz-berger.de (RRP €319), Sep 2026; €249–429 across DE shops) · reported: 26 m³/min max (AIRVA datasheet; US copy says 900 CFM); 0.2–3.7 A across 10 speeds; 237 mm tall with the lid up; US retailers list 20 lb (9.1 kg), the EU datasheet 6 kg; roof 28–165 mm (MaxxAir)
The same fan as the manual Deluxe with an electric lid and a remote, for about €40 more on the day I checked. Buy it if the fan sits over a fixed bed you cannot reach the crank from; otherwise the manual Deluxe is the same ventilation for less. One trap: the 7000K is this fan with a white lid, not the manual one.
Reasons to buy
- Runs with the lid up in rain and while driving — the one feature that decides van ventilation
- 10 speeds from 0.2 A: an all-night trickle costs 2–3 Ah
- Reversible, thermostat, remote, tool-free screen
Reasons to avoid
- 127 mm closed and 237 mm open on the roof — the tallest here
- 585 × 417 mm cover takes roof from solar
- Twice the Thule's price on the wrong day; shop the €249–429 spread
In the planner: pick Roof Vent and choose the preset “MaxxFan Deluxe” — it drops in at these dimensions and this weight, so the fit and the axle load are checked before you order. Specs: s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com, etrailer.com, fritz-berger.de.
5. Dometic FanTastic Vent 2250
Overall 3.8/10 · 470 × 125 × 470 mm (27.6 L outside) · 5.5 kg · ≈ €303 (€303 campingplus.de (RRP €369), Sep 2026; €336–351 elsewhere) · reported: 13.5 / 18.5 / 26.5 m³/min on 3 speeds; 3 A (36 W); reversible with thermostat; fits 350–400 mm cutouts; roof 27–65 mm; retailer 125 mm build height vs a 190 mm "installation height" on dometic.com (Dometic)
A metal-framed RV fan with a thermostat and reverse at the price of a Thule, and the only one here that drops into a 350 × 350 mm hole as well as 400 × 400. Three speeds is the limit: the lowest is 13.5 m³/min, not a night-time trickle, and 125 mm of height buys no rain shield. 5.5 kg, the heaviest fan in the guide.
Reasons to buy
- Fits a 350 × 350 hole as well as 400 × 400
- Thermostat and reverse at the price of a plain Thule
- Metal-frame, decades of RV service
Reasons to avoid
- 125 mm tall for no rain shield
- 3 speeds: the low one is 13.5 m³/min, not a trickle
- 5.5 kg, the heaviest fan here
Not a planner preset yet; place a generic item and type these dimensions and weight in. Specs: dometic.com, campingplus.de, etrailer.com.
6. Dometic FanTastic Vent 3350 (rain sensor)Closes itself in rain
Overall 1.9/10 · 470 × 125 × 470 mm (27.6 L outside) · 5 kg · ≈ €461 (€460.59 camping-kaufhaus.com, Sep 2026; €318–399 in unnamed listings) · reported: 920 CFM (≈ 26 m³/min) US rating; powered lid with a rain sensor that closes it when wet and reopens dry; thermostat; reverse; current not published; EU box 470 × 470 × 190 mm (Dometic)
The 2250 with a powered lid and a rain sensor: it closes itself when wet and reopens when dry. That is a convenience for a fan you leave open when you go out, and the opposite of the MaxxFan's answer — when it rains, the 3350 stops ventilating. Dometic publishes no current figure, so it is unscored on draw, and at ≈ €461 it is the most expensive fan here.
Reasons to buy
- Closes itself in rain — the fan you can leave open when you go out
- Thermostat plus reverse
- Half a kilo lighter than the 2250
Reasons to avoid
- Closing in rain is the opposite of ventilating in rain
- Most expensive fan in the guide
- Draw not published — unscored on watts
Not a planner preset yet; place a generic item and type these dimensions and weight in. Specs: dometic.com, camping-kaufhaus.com.
Small extractors (not ranked)
These two do a different job — a permanent, rain-proof trickle out of a bathroom or the bed end — and scoring them against room fans would rank a 5.7 m³/min extractor above a 35 m³/min fan on price and height. So: specs, no score.
MaxxFan Dome Plus (12 V, LED)Best bathroom extractor
220 × 75 × 220 mm · 1.5 kg · ≈ €153 (€153 obelink.nl sale (list €195), Sep 2026; €149–199 DE shops) · reported: 200 CFM (≈ 5.7 m³/min), exhaust only, one speed; 2 A max with LED on; cutout 6¼ in (159 mm) in the US manual, "150 mm" in EU copy; US 5 lb (2.3 kg) vs 1.5 kg at EU retailers; roof/wall 25–150 mm (MaxxAir)
A Ø 220 mm, 75 mm-tall exhaust fan with a fixed rain hood and an LED: the bathroom or bed-end extractor. Rated 200 CFM (≈ 5.7 m³/min), one speed, exhaust only, 2 A with the light on. It fits between solar panels or in a wall where no 400 × 400 fan can, and it is rain-proof by shape. It is not a room fan and the table above would have flattered it — that is why it sits here.
Reasons to buy
- 75 mm tall and Ø 220 mm: fits between solar panels or in a wall
- Rain-proof by shape — no lid to open
- The bathroom or bed-end extractor, 1.5 kg
Reasons to avoid
- Exhaust only and one speed: it is not a room fan
- About a fifth of a MaxxFan's rated airflow
- Ø 150–159 mm hole — the two MaxxAir documents disagree by 9 mm
In the planner: pick Roof Vent and choose the preset “MaxxFan Dome Plus” — it drops in at these dimensions and this weight, so the fit and the axle load are checked before you order. Specs: etrailer.com, campingwagner.de, obelink.nl.
MaxxFan Mini Plus (manual lift)
360 × 0 × 360 mm · 3.4 kg · ≈ €199 (€199 fritz-berger.de, Sep 2026) · reported: 200 CFM (≈ 5.7 m³/min), single-speed 6 in exhaust fan under a fixed rain cover; 2 A; EU listing 360 × 360 mm, roof 25–90 mm (US guide: 14 × 14 in); height above roof not published (MaxxAir / Fritz-Berger)
MaxxAir's single-speed 6 in exhaust fan under a fixed rain cover, in a 360 × 360 mm hole (EU listing; 14 × 14 in in the US guide). 3.4 kg, 2 A, ≈ €199, open in any weather. For the same money the Fiamma above moves six times the rated air; the Mini is for the second hole, over a toilet or a wet room, where a quiet permanent extractor matters more than volume.
Reasons to buy
- Rain cover fixed: open in any weather
- 3.4 kg, standard 360/400 hole
- Cheapest MaxxAir with a 14 in opening
Reasons to avoid
- One speed, exhaust only
- Height above roof not published — unscored on profile
- For the same money the Fiamma moves six times the rated air
Not a planner preset yet; place a generic roof vent and type these dimensions in. Specs: maxxair.com, fritz-berger.de.
FAQ
Do I need a roof fan in a camper van?
For sleeping in it, yes — two adults exhale around a litre of water a night and a fan is the only way to move that out faster than it condenses. A 400 × 400 mm fan on its lowest speed (0.2 A on a MaxxFan, 0.17 A on the Thule) draws 2–4 Ah over a night. The passive route — an EN 721 high/low vent pair — works without power but moves far less air; the ventilation post covers it.
MaxxFan or Fiamma Turbo-Vent?
The Fiamma Turbo-Vent Premium wins the spec sheet: 35 m³/min rated, 85 mm on the roof, 4.6 kg, from ≈ €226. The MaxxFan Deluxe wins the night it rains: its rain shield lets it run with the lid up in rain and while driving, which no Fiamma, Thule or Dometic here does. If the van is a bedroom in a wet climate, buy the MaxxFan; if it is a summer camper, the Fiamma moves more air for less.
How much power does a roof fan use?
Makers rate the full-size fans at 3–3.7 A maximum (36–44 W at 12 V) and 0.17–0.3 A on the lowest speed. A night at low speed is 2–4 Ah; a hot afternoon at full speed is 25–30 Ah — which is why the fan belongs in the battery-sizing sum next to the fridge.
Can you drive with the roof fan open?
MaxxAir says the Deluxe's lid can stay open while driving; the EU distributor's datasheet repeats it. Fiamma, Thule and Dometic crank lids are to be closed for driving. The Dome Plus and Mini have no lid at all.
What size hole does a camper roof fan need?
400 × 400 mm for the MaxxFan Deluxe, Fiamma Turbo-Vent, Thule Vent and Dometic FanTastic (the Dometic and Fiamma also fit 350 × 350 / 360 × 360). The MaxxFan Mini uses 360 × 360 mm in EU listings; the Dome Plus needs a Ø 150–159 mm hole. Roof thickness ranges differ per fan — 25–60 mm (Thule), 30–50 mm (Fiamma, adapter above 45), 28–165 mm (MaxxFan) — check yours against the box before cutting.
Where should the roof fan go?
Over the bed if there is one fan: it exhausts the warm, wet air where it is made, and pulls fresh air in through a cracked window or the low vent at the front. Between it and the solar panels is the layout fight — a MaxxFan cover is 585 × 417 mm and 127 mm tall, and panels behind it are in its shadow in the morning. The solar-roof post has the fit; VanPlot places both on the roof of your van.
