Elvin Pal saves hours with this hot tip for installing Sirocco II fans in the van. See how it’s done.

After purchasing a brand new caravan, we started prepping it for off-grid living and high on the to-do list was installation of 12 volt fans to help us cope with the hot Aussie weather. We know how quickly caravans can become hot and stifling without aircon available. I found Sirocco II fans available through SEEKR by Caframo – they appear to be a popular choice of fans in caravans as they are quiet, efficient, yet pack a punch in moving air. So, I got 4 new Sirocco II fans to install in our new caravan.

“As the Sirocco II fans only draw 0.35 amps of power on 12 volts at full speed, the wires were more than capable of handling the load.”

Use Existing Wiring

The whole installation process was an easy job for me as I installed the new fans in place of existing lighting which I had in the caravan. I was able to do this as we had an abundance of light fixtures, sacrificing a few lights would not impact us greatly as we would still have ample lighting. Instead, we would gain fans to help keep us cool and comfortable when power hook-up is unavailable to run the aircon. I was able to use the existing wires which fed the old lights and use them to power the new fans. As the Sirocco II fans only draw 0.35 amps of power on 12 volts at full speed the wires were more than capable of handling the load.

How Did They Go?

Since I have installed the new Sirocco II fans, we have spent many nights camped out without any power hookup available while travelling through outback NSW, Qld and SA. The four fans together have been great in keeping the van cool in the hot outback weather. Even when we have had power hookup available and the aircon running, the Sirocco II fans help in moving the cold air around the caravan more effectively and cool the bunk area far better than without the fans. The Sirocco fans have an off timer which can be set at 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours. This is a great feature which my kids use every time. They turn the fans on at bedtime and set the timer for 3 hours. The fans then turn themselves off during the night.

How Much Power?

Even with all four of the fans running all night, they do not draw much power – approximately 1.4 amps per hour combined. This means we can run them at any time without too much concern of draining the caravan batteries. So far, we are extremely happy with the Sirocco II fans. They are powerful, efficient, multi-way adjustable, with a sleek, easy-to-clean design that coordinates with our interiors. We are looking forward to many more off-grid campouts with our new Sirocco II fans.

Words and Photos: Elvin Pal – The Adventuring Pals