Prior to our recent trip I noticed our MaxxAir 8500K roof vent fan would not open automatically or manually. The black knob rotated as expected in automatic opening mode, so the opening motor was OK and something else was wrong. I had previously noted that it seemed to be sticking a bit when opening but didn't give it much thought at the time. We did without it on the trip, which was uncomfortable for several fairly warm days with no way to vent the warm air.
Based on some web searches and YouTube videos, I figured the most likely culprit was a broken operator mechanism (MaxxAir terminology - part # 10-20281K-1AF) or gearbox (Winnebago terminology - part # 189640-02-704). I figured I'd order the part and give installing it a try.
Lichtsinn RV said the part had been back-ordered for months and they couldn't provide a delivery date. I check etrailer.com and they were also out of stock. Both vendors listed the price in the $30 to $40 range plus shipping.
A subsequent search led to rvupgrades.com. They had the MaxxAir part in stock for $12 and change, with flat-rate shipping $9.99, so I ordered one. I was a bit skeptical due to the much lower price, but I received a genuine MaxxAir part and installation sheet.
Once the part arrived, I removed the screen and the fan blade assembly to see what I could and couldn't do from inside the RV, hoping to minimize the time and effort on the roof. I tried opening the fan automatically, and with a little push up on the fan cover it opened automatically, much to my surprise. At that point I realized the operator mechanism was actually working.
I cleaned the fan screen, blades, inside of the cover and the rubber seal that the cover rests on. I then applied some 3-in-1 RV rubber seal conditioner to the seal and let it dry for a bit. I then reinstalled the blade assembly and screen. Finally, I cycled the fan on and off several times to make sure it was working as expected.
Prior to this, the fan was making a bit of a squealing noise when it was running. I didn't see anywhere where lubrication could be applied, but perhaps there is a place to do so. So it's still squealing a bit, but tolerable.
Below are a few MaxxAir roof fan-related videos I found useful.
Cleaning the fan:
Replacing the operator mechanism (different RV and MaxxAir fan model, but similar enough):
One of the morals of this story is to spend a little more time troubleshooting before ordering any parts. That said, it does appear the operator mechanism is somewhat failure-prone and having a spare on hand isn't a bad idea. On the road, the problem would be getting on the roof as the Era doesn't have a ladder in the back.
Hope someone finds this useful.
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