Cooking vent fan retrofit?

[MagicBox]

We have a 2012 Roadtrek that does not have the built in cooking vent/hood like the older models do.

We have never cooked on our propane burners in our van because we are concerned about odor and grease.

Has anyone rigged up a vent/hood? Waste of time?
I am thinking of a dryer vent hose with its own fan directed up to the fantastic fan but I am easily drawn to foolish/ineffective projects.

We do eventually plan on an outside grill but havent gotten one yet and my wife suggests we just try cooking inside because, well, we have a stove in the van.

[mkguitar]

we don;t really cook anything which would spatter much- our pleasure way has a window behind the cooktop which we open and the overhead vent and fan we run at low speed.


we do carry a casstte feu 1 burner butane which we use outside- I suppose anything greasy could happen out there
Mike

[GallenH]

We also stay away from cooking things that would splatter grease. We always, for example, cook bacon and sausages at home, reheating them in our RV. Our ceiling fan works fine for venting odors. Almost all of our means are reheats of things we've made at home for dinner, deliberately having enough left to freeze a meal or two. We usually load them into the RV refridge frozen which helps keep everything cooler when traveling.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

....I am easily drawn to foolish/ineffective projects.
.....
__________________
2011 Roadtrek 190 "The Golden Shipping Container"
....
2014 Camry hybrid-soulless transport appliance.

I don't have an answer for you on the vent, but with a sense of humor like that, I sure hope you keep posting.

___________________
2007 Airstream Interstate - I can't think of anything funny to say about it
2011 Sienna - soulless transport appliance (I am using that)

[rowiebowie]

If you have an outside propane connection, get a grill you can hook up outdoors on those occassions.

[themexicandoctor]

I, like you Magic Box, I am forever drawn to Class B workarounds.

And my piggyback post will be more of a retrofit idea for owners who have existing Cooking Fan/Vent/Shrouds such as mine.

Your thread is timely as this is also my next project.

For me, if I* was unable to cook** meals in my RV, then that would delete one of the reasons for RV Travel & Living.

*, ** cooking is a very vague description of what happens when I create something with heat over the burner, there is a reason why on the outside attachment of the vent exhaust there is some smoke discoloration & why in the first year of now 9 years, I have two charged fire extinguishers nearby.

Plus after replacing the outside BBQ connection twice (it was never used), & the fact i travel in mostly urban areas, any cooking outside removes the Stealth Factor & might attract the wrong crowd.

The issue with using the Fantastic Fan & the Vent Fan is if I am cooking with oil then yhe Fantastic can overpower the smaller fan or at least draw some the cooktop ofours out from under the OEM Shroud & if any fat is involved, it makes cleaning the Fantastic Fan all the more arduous because of aerosolized fan attaching to the dust.

I can tell you that the fan venting design on my model alone can only be describing as a tortured airflow - see diagram.

One thing I did do two years ago is have my upholstrey when the van was 14 years old replaced because of all the modifications I had done, and, getting rid of years of accumulated odours - I had a talented Auto Upholstery guy put in high quality Automotive Fabric - it attracts less & does not hold onto cooking odours.

Which for a lot of people who don't cook in the van, is a big reason why.

The only idea I can come up apart from upgrading the fan motor & increasing the size of the outside shroud with newly fabricated parts is attaching to the lower L shaped ledge of my existing shroud, an extended 3 walled shroud that is at least 12, if not 15 inches deep.

Versus the 5 inch shroud I have now.

This would more than trap & exhaust all the cooking smells created & not allow the Fantastic Fan any cooking draught advantage.

But it would require a way to unbolt the extended shroud easily for cleaning.

If from the photos you are wondering what those 5 threaded posts with the brass nuts are for its because when cooking, if the truck isn't level, I can adjust the screws on those posts so that the pot then becomes level.

Also a few times when it was on an angle before the posts were installed, pots would get knocked off the stove - now they are captured before they move.

[themexicandoctor]

Here is a diagram of the idea.

Bottom line: the closer I can get the shroud to the cooking surface but still be able to work, the less cooking odours will escape into the rig's interior.

Going to begin the work on Thursday,if any of you have a better design or ideas, please share them.

Being able to not have to leave the rig for cooking meals more independent living.

[themexicandoctor]

PS. This is the fabric I had installed.

Repels odours.

Very easy to clean versus that which is OEM, a denser, more porous fabric that was white but with a flecked pattern.

Those very thin lights are led that I got from an electrical supply store - very effective, low power consumption with three different settings - you simply tap onto light & it goes from Darkness, 1, 2.3 & then back to Darkness.

[themexicandoctor]

Here is a diagram of the tortuous pathway odours must travel into the shroud as they are drawn up by the fan & then its a very sharp turn to the outside vent.

When I look at the outside vent I see why it has a low profile to prevent it being caught on trees, etc

[MagicBox]

Wow

You sure have been thinking about this topic, and from a different perspective with your existing oe fanshroud/vent assembly.

Clean, well-thought out kitchen, MexicanKiwiDoctor. Sano as they say in California.

My initial idea was to have an easily removable dryer vent hose with an in-line fan that I could put up when cooking. The inlet would come out the side of a "hood" made of an aluminum disposable roasting pan suspended over the stove.

Then again it might be too Mr Fusion and I need to just cook outside and let folks get back to the lithium v solar debate.....

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

Wow

You sure have been thinking about this topic, and from a different perspective with your existing oe fanshroud/vent assembly.

Clean, well-thought out kitchen, MexicanKiwiDoctor. Sano as they say in California.

My initial idea was to have an easily removable dryer vent hose with an in-line fan that I could put up when cooking. The inlet would come out the side of a "hood" made of an aluminum disposable roasting pan suspended over the stove.

Then again it might be too Mr Fusion and I need to just cook outside and let folks get back to the lithium v solar debate.....

Do.you have a diagram/roughnsketch of your idea?

I sort of envision it but in terms of exhaust would it be to & out the Fantastic Fan?

Or would you have a cutout of the vehicle skin with a waterproof shroud externally?

Do you have a Maxx Air Cover or Shroud over your Fantastic Fan opening? (I took mine off to reduce the shadow effect on my solar panels).

Mr Fusion will remain dormant until one day you when have an excess of energy & time meeting the lack of independence Class B cooking offers & you boil over.

The issue with I presume I ribbed vent hose that is more easily stored is the ribs collecting the grease, etc & frequent replacement or cleaning & then where & how do you store it, its going to get greasy.

If you send a photo/s of your existing set up maybe the Giants amongst us can weigh in with their suggestions.

For me, a less convoluted pathway for the air without the sudden departure turn to the outside would be a smarter design.

This might work for you also with a well sealed outside vent - perhaps a powerful (versus less so), computer fan mounted on the outside of the van directly online with the cut out opening & then an easily accessible shroud over the top.

An internal toggle switch.

Easily accessed & reinstalled when cleaning the fan, etc.

Then the vent hose could be permanently attached to the vertical rear wall of the cooking area.

[MagicBox]

I think you might be right about the suitability of a dryer vent hose. The ribs would def catch and retain grease and be a slimy mess.

What about somehow routing it behind the fridge to share it’s outside vent. Maybe the last thing the overworked fridge needs.
Hmmmmm.

The components to my half baked design are fairly low budget so I might try it at some point. Even if I delete the overhead duct and pull from the side it might have some value as long as I don’t take up any valuable counter space.

Retired and miss solving problems.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

I think you might be right about the suitability of a dryer vent hose. The ribs would def catch and retain grease and be a slimy mess.

What about somehow routing it behind the fridge to share it’s outside vent. Maybe the last thing the overworked fridge needs.
Hmmmmm.

The components to my half baked design are fairly low budget so I might try it at some point. Even if I delete the overhead duct and pull from the side it might have some value as long as I don’t take up any valuable counter space.

Retired and miss solving problems.

If you can send some photos of your particular layout, I have an idea.

[GallenH]

Hmmm. Well the last time we camped we had ribs. I had smoked them at home following the 3-2-1 formula. They simply went into a frypan on the stove with a cover over them for a few minutes to reheat.

If I were trying to do something from scratch at the campsite, I'd probably follow mkguitar and get a butane or propane burner that I could use outside on a picnic table and completely avoid the in-RV cooking odors.

My issues with grills outside the RV is the greasiness that would persist afterwards and the storage. Perhaps others could enlighten as to how they deal with a greasy grill after cooking a steak or hamburger. Perhaps letting it cool and then placing it into a sealed plastic bag????

I would be interested in finding out.

[themexicandoctor]

I go to restaurants for my Red Meat/Filet Mignon charred black on the outside, rare in the center fix.

But almost everything else is cooked in house - its the ultimate in Class B living & a key factor in my new fridge purchase.

DID I MENTION I LOVE MY NOVAKOOL R3800?

I eat out a lot but I do remember as a young Man all the money I threw at Coffeehouses, Cafes & Restaurants.

Plus I need my coffee in the morning, by myself before any Human Engagement.

Cooking inside your RV whether its the 1-2-3 method or whatever, gives you the Ultimate Zombie Lockdown Experience without the Zombies.

The Class B was made for this social landscape - highly maneuverable, low mpg, postage stamp parking, all the amenities, relatively high speed capabilities - we were futurists before our time ...

[GallenH]

FYI: The 3-2-1 method is that you put a rub on the ribs and smoke them for 3 hours in a smoker. Then you remove them and wrap them in foil with a mixture of apple juice, brown sugar and butter for 2 hours. Then you remove them again and smoke them for an additional hour.

A time-honored smoking recipe for ribs. I just bought 2 racks of ribs and a huge brisket. Will smoke soon along with some large chicken breasts. Smoked chicken makes great enchilladas.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by GallenH

FYI: The 3-2-1 method is that you put a rub on the ribs and smoke them for 3 hours in a smoker. Then you remove them and wrap them in foil with a mixture of apple juice, brown sugar and butter for 2 hours. Then you remove them again and smoke them for an additional hour.

A time-honored smoking recipe for ribs. I just bought 2 racks of ribs and a huge brisket. Will smoke soon along with some large chicken breasts. Smoked chicken makes great enchilladas.

STOP!

I start my diet in 2 days.

You & you alone have the ability to get me excited about food...

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by GallenH

....
......

My issues with grills outside the RV is the greasiness that would persist afterwards and the storage. Perhaps others could enlighten as to how they deal with a greasy grill after cooking a steak or hamburger. Perhaps letting it cool and then placing it into a sealed plastic bag????

I would be interested in finding out.

Yes, and yes.

It's not just grills. Far and away the most versatile piece of cookware in a space-limited scenario is a cast iron skillet, because it can be placed on / in every heat source except the microwave (exterior grill, camp fire, oven, stove top) and because it can be used to bake, fry, and reheat. It's even more versatile if it has a removable handle, which my Ukrainian pan model does.

But, even properly cleaned, cast iron still has to retain a layer of grease on it to maintain the seasoning. So it's both the grill and the pan that must be accounted for in terms of storage.

I sewed a fitted sack for my Magma grill, but I really didn't have to. I clean roughly (still some grease because I need a full-on sink, hot water, soap, and Easy Off oven cleaner to do it thoroughly), dismantle, and insert the works into a plastic bag to contain the grease mess. Then the plastic bag goes into the sack. The plastic bag can be tossed when it gets too heavily greased on the inside.



There's also a no-sew alternative out there. Most people have a collection of these swag promotional string backpacks lying around their houses, which are fairly useless for most functions. But they work really well for containing round flat objects like cast iron pans and the flying saucer model of Magma grills. Again, it goes into a plastic bag first. Then into one of these.

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by GallenH

FYI: The 3-2-1 method is that you put a rub on the ribs and smoke them for 3 hours in a smoker. Then you remove them and wrap them in foil with a mixture of apple juice, brown sugar and butter for 2 hours. Then you remove them again and smoke them for an additional hour.

A time-honored smoking recipe for ribs. I just bought 2 racks of ribs and a huge brisket. Will smoke soon along with some large chicken breasts. Smoked chicken makes great enchilladas.

Thanks! I was searching the thread, wondering what the 3-2-1 method is.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by MagicBox

I think you might be right about the suitability of a dryer vent hose. The ribs would def catch and retain grease and be a slimy mess.

What about somehow routing it behind the fridge to share it’s outside vent. Maybe the last thing the overworked fridge needs.
Hmmmmm.

The components to my half baked design are fairly low budget so I might try it at some point. Even if I delete the overhead duct and pull from the side it might have some value as long as I don’t take up any valuable counter space.

Retired and miss solving problems.

From TMD's pics, can't you just use the window behind the galley sink that's already there and find a small fan you can mount there for exhaust?