Maxxfan keeps cutting out. (1 Viewer)

[Shropshire lad]

We are currently in France and the temperature is extremely high. We have been running the Maxxfan for long periods and after a while it stops responding and cuts out. Anybody got any suggestions? Many thanks.

 

[Two on Tour]

We are currently in France and the temperature is extremely high. We have been running the Maxxfan for long periods and after a while it stops responding and cuts out. Anybody got any suggestions? Many thanks.

Does it beep and the green light flash when it stops, if so then it's a known problem with the supply voltage to the fan being too low or too high.

 

[Shropshire lad]

Does it beep and the green light flash when it stops, if so then it's a known problem with the supply voltage to the fan being too low or too high.

Thanks for your reply. You may be onto something there. Yes, beep and green light. The first time it happened we were off grid and we only have a 80 ah agm battery. The fan has difficulty opening and then gives up. This time we are on 10amp hookup and masses of solar. After giving it a rest it responds again.

 

[activecampers]

The fans should be connected through a voltage regulator to give 12v. I've heard of lots of failures due to this being omitted. The units are 12v not 14.5v (etc) so with hookup/good solar, if wired direct there can be problems.

(We use 12v regulation on lighting circuits for example as lots of our LEDs are rated at 12v (not 14v) - and it also stops flickering when water pump runs for example)

You may get away with out a regulator for ages, and no doubt many will say its fine. Which it is, until it isn't.

 

[Two on Tour]

Thanks for your reply. You may be onto something there. Yes, beep and green light. The first time it happened we were off grid and we only have a 80 ah agm battery. The fan has difficulty opening and then gives up. This time we are on 10amp hookup and masses of solar. After giving it a rest it responds again.

You can fit a small voltage stabiliser within the Maxxfan casing to stop this problem as I have done with our Maxxfan.
It's a fairly easy job to do and a voltage stabiliser that will do the job is around a tenner, and there are videos on Youtube to guide you on what to do.

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[Shropshire lad]

You can fit a small voltage stabiliser within the Maxxfan casing to stop this problem as I have done with our Maxxfan.
It's a fairly easy job to do and a voltage stabiliser that will do the job is around a tenner, and there are videos on Youtube to guide you on what to do.

Good advice. Thank you. The motorhome is back at the dealer who fitted it so I will get them to sort it out.

 

[Howard B]

We had similar last year. There were some fans fitted with faulty control unit. Maxxfan sent a new controller which sorted it, though was a pain to pull the fan out again.

 

[Lenny HB]

Just bought a Maxxfan , apparently they have now cured the voltage problem and it looks like the board may be coated. I will ring them before fitting to double check.

 

[Two on Tour]

Just bought a Maxxfan , apparently they have now cured the voltage problem and it looks like the board may be coated. I will ring them before fitting to double check.

That was not the case when I rang the UK importer a few months ago Lenny.
They said that new voltage stable pcb's were under test in the US, and fans with the new pcb's were unlikely to hit the UK before the late Autumn or the New Year.
Ring the importer Lenny rather than a supplier to get a true answer and please let us know if UK supplies date has come forward.

 

[tony_g]

Our Maxxfan was fitted by Rhino five years ago. It's never missed a beat even in the Balkans oven this Spring/ Summer.

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[Barryh]

As was ours earlier this year. We've just had a problem with the remote which eat batteries then stopped working completely. A quick call to Phil at Rhino, followed up by super service from Dan Palmer at Leisure Vehicle Services and the remote was replaced in just a couple of days.

 

[Lenny HB]

That was not the case when I rang the UK importer a few months ago Lenny.
They said that new voltage stable pcb's were under test in the US, and fans with the new pcb's were unlikely to hit the UK before the late Autumn or the New Year.
Ring the importer Lenny rather than a supplier to get a true answer and please let us know if UK supplies date has come forward.

I've emailed the importer with the board number and build date, it's 10-21277KZ, 2024.03

If needs be I can put a small buck converter in the fan housing with a switch as I don't want to leave a cheap buck converter permanently powered up.

 

[Two on Tour]

Our Maxxfan was fitted by Rhino five years ago. It's never missed a beat even in the Balkans oven this Spring/ Summer.

 

[Lenny HB]

Paul Two on Tour just had a thought in the middle of the night like you do.

We don't need to really Stabilizer the voltage just drop the volts a bit so it never goes over 13.8v.
So why not just fit a 6 amp diode like a 6A10 I series with the input as that has a forward volt drop of 1.1v.

 

[Two on Tour]

Paul Two on Tour just had a thought in the middle of the night like you do.

We don't need to really Stabilizer the voltage just drop the volts a bit so it never goes over 13.8v.
So why not just fit a 6 amp diode like a 6A10 I series with the input as that has a forward volt drop of 1.1v.

Morning Lenny, my first thought is, if it was that simple, why has the factory not gone your route, but then not every one is on lithium and those on LA would likely incur the beeping/flashing LED early if their battery voltage drops too far.
Your theory sounds sound Lenny, so are you going to go that route for your Maxxfan?
I fitted a voltage stabiliser simply as an insurance policy along with the conformal coating of the PCB.

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[Lenny HB]

I think I'll give it a try it's appealing not having another lot of electronics powered up all the time as there will only be power drawn through the diode when the fan is running.

I'll do some voltage checks first I think with my 1400w air fryer running voltage was 12.8. Planning on getting an induction hob for outside use so I I'll see what it's like with a 2000w load, I expect it will still hold up at 12.8v.

The fan is supposed to be OK down to 10.8v with a diode it shouldn't drop below 11.5v worst case.

 

[Lenny HB]

Reply from Maxxfan:

Good morning,



The new generations of power control boards, as yours, have been developed to avoid the problems you mentioned.



Thank you, best regards,



Samuel Basso

Controllo Qualità e Assistenza Clienti - Quality Control and Customer Service

Can srl, an AIRXCEL Brand

Via G. Apollonio, 11

36061 Bassano del Grappa, Italy

Tel: +39 0424 1953311

Cell: +39 324 550 6994

www.airxcel.eu

www.cansrl.com

 

[Googlebot]

Mine hasn’t missed a beat thankfully and I haven’t fitted anything that lowers the voltage.

 

[Two on Tour]

Reply from Maxxfan:

Good morning,



The new generations of power control boards, as yours, have been developed to avoid the problems you mentioned.



Thank you, best regards,



Samuel Basso

Controllo Qualità e Assistenza Clienti - Quality Control and Customer Service

Can srl, an AIRXCEL Brand

Via G. Apollonio, 11

36061 Bassano del Grappa, Italy

Tel: +39 0424 1953311

Cell: +39 324 550 6994

www.airxcel.eu

www.cansrl.com

Your reply is not from the UK importer Lenny.
Are they actually in stock with the UK sellers yet ?
How are you going to know that you are not buying old stock ?

 

[Two on Tour]

Mine hasn’t missed a beat thankfully and I haven’t fitted anything that lowers the voltage.

Yet ..,....

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[Lenny HB]

Your reply is not from the UK importer Lenny.
Are they actually in stock with the UK sellers yet ?
How are you going to know that you are not buying old stock ?

Gave them the board No. & date, and their reply.

"The new generations of power control boards, as yours, have been developed to avoid the problems you mentioned."

 

[Googlebot]

Yet ..,....

I have to be honest and say if it stopped tomorrow, I can’t complain. I have used it virtually every day I use the motorhome.

It’s been on full blast the last three weeks in France 24/7.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Not related to the problem but has anyone ever noticed the gunge that builds up on it. While cleaning the van I've always overlooked it till the other week when it caught my eye. I was shocked to see it

 

[Tonks]

Just bought a Maxxfan , apparently they have now cured the voltage problem and it looks like the board may be coated. I will ring them before fitting to double check.

I’m hoping this is the case as I’m due to have one installed in a few weeks.

 

[Tonks]

Not related to the problem but has anyone ever noticed the gunge that builds up on it. While cleaning the van I've always overlooked it till the other week when it caught my eye. I was shocked to see it

This has been a concern of mine and I’ve not even had it fitted yet! How easy is it to clean, and do flies get stuck inside and then leave you with their sad scattered bodies on display?!
I’m quite seriously wondering whether to revert back to the (cheaper) plan a, and fit a Heki instead!

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[Googlebot]

This has been a concern of mine and I’ve not even had it fitted yet! How easy is it to clean, and do flies get stuck inside and then leave you with their sad scattered bodies on display?!
I’m quite seriously wondering whether to revert back to the (cheaper) plan a, and fit a Heki instead!

Very easy to clean, fan comes out easily with an Allen key and you can wash it down and wipe the rest.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

This has been a concern of mine and I’ve not even had it fitted yet! How easy is it to clean, and do flies get stuck inside and then leave you with their sad scattered bodies on display?!
I’m quite seriously wondering whether to revert back to the (cheaper) plan a, and fit a Heki instead!

Never seen a single dead fly. It feels like a thin coating of grease which wiped off with a small sponge with a basin of hot soapy water. Saying that it took 6 years to build up so I wouldn't worry too much, not a major problem

 

[Lenny HB]

Very easy to clean, fan comes out easily with an Allen key and you can wash it down and wipe the rest.

On my one you just turn 4 plastic latches to release the grill, eairler ones you needed an imperial Allan key.

 

[Googlebot]

On my one you just turn 4 plastic latches to release the grill, eairler ones you needed an imperial Allan key.

Yes, sorry, I wasn’t clear. The grill comes off with latches. The fan rotor is secured with an Allen key.

 

[Tonks]

Very easy to clean, fan comes out easily with an Allen key and you can wash it down and wipe the rest.

Never seen a single dead fly. It feels like a thin coating of grease which wiped off with a small sponge with a basin of hot soapy water. Saying that it took 6 years to build up so I wouldn't worry too much, not a major problem

On my one you just turn 4 plastic latches to release the grill, eairler ones you needed an imperial Allan key.

Thank you all for your reassurance!