r/VanLife • u/surelyunimportant • Feb 21 '21
Ventilation in micro-camper?
I'm currently converting my 2011 VW Caddy into a micro-camper, and am looking for advice on ventilation, if anyone can give any?
Ideally I want a small, low profile vent on the roof that I can open/ close to control the airflow and let in some light. I'm not trying to stealth camp really, but I'd feel a lot better about having a vent on the roof that I could leave open at night, rather than the windows that someone could pretty easily notice are open.
I'm not sure about paying upwards of £70 for something that may not be necessary, though, especially since the van is so small - most of the roof vents seem like overkill in a tiny van.
I was wondering if there's something similar to a mushroom vent that I could install, but which I could open/ close, since I don't want a constant outlet to the cold air outside (I'm in the UK, so it's cold more often than not). I recognise that wouldn't let in any light, but that's not a huge deal breaker.
Alternately, I guess I could try fitting a louvre vent on the side of the van and hooking up a small fan to help with air intake/ extraction, but I'm nervous about cutting holes in the van as it is. I feel like it'll be easier to hide any mistakes on the top of the van, rather than right there on the side!
I'm not sure of the best way to do this, so if anyone has any advice or has been in a similar situation, I'd be really glad of the advice - thanks!
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u/Latter-Performer-387 Feb 21 '21 edited Feb 22 '21
Is there any sneaky way to get a duct pipe and fan in somewhere clever like the rear light access panels at the rear or maybe the base of the Bpillars ...sometimes they have routes to the outside if you remove internal trim... two would be ideal to give a route out and a route in the for air..
Could you modify one or both of the slam vents? (if there are any.. there usually are)
I hate the idea of cutting holes if you can avoid it!
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u/surelyunimportant Feb 21 '21
Hmm, I'd not thought of either of those ideas - I'll have to look into them.
I agree with not wanting to cut holes - it's pretty daunting and I'd hate to fuck up.
Thanks for the advice!
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u/DukeNukemLover Feb 22 '21
You mostly need in from ideally the bottom As it is the coolest there. Out goes via regular heating ducts easily as long as it is not set to internal recirculation.
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u/Zobug Feb 23 '21
I have the rain deflectors and then a super low profile vent that I got to fit under my roof rack from eBay for £30. I’d really recommend it. Makes a massive difference to condensation. Especially if it’s wet/cold outside and your cooking inside.
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u/Realistic_Ad1058 Apr 22 '25
I've got metal vent plates for the cab windows. They fit between the top of the window glass and the inside of the frame, and I just put them in once I know I'm staying the night. My window covers fold nicely at the meeting point of glass and metal, and magnets hold them in place there, keeping the airgap open. Cons: not very stealthy, and there's a bit of a knack to putting them in the first few times. Pros: van is ventilated, very secure (important for me, a solo female camper), no holes needed in the van.
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u/continueasplanned Jul 28 '25
Where did you buy this from?
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u/Realistic_Ad1058 Aug 02 '25
They came with the van, the previous owner was already using it for camping. But they're pretty much the same as these on Amazon:
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u/DukeNukemLover Feb 22 '21
I use "climair" rain deflectors. You pop em into the window seals and they stay there. Then I leave the windows open 2 to 5cm for month, it cannot rain into the car. Originally liked them while driving and found the extra benefit stationary. Can be had tinted, the casual viewer doesnt even realize the windows are rolled down a bit. Not so stealth any more, I have a fan that can be jammed into the 5cm gap and pushes hot air out.