Essential caravan gear: 12V fans to keep you comfortable this summer

On the lookout for 12V caravan fans to cool down your next summer camping trip? Fortunately, we’ve tried and tested three brilliantly effective ones, so keep reading to decide which is right for you.

If you pull up at a caravan park, staying cool is usually as easy as turning on the air conditioner. However, you don’t be able to do much free camping if you rely on your air conditioner. Also, not all caravans have an air conditioner, and in fact, most small campers don’t. So, if your accommodation is a camper trailer or a tent, things are going to get very warm very quickly.

Good news. All is not lost. As long as you have access to a 12V power source, there are many portable caravan fans available that provide effective, efficient and cost-effective cooling wherever and however you set up camp.

Let’s look at three brilliant 12V fans that will cool down your caravan.

But first, let’s discuss power consumption of 12V caravan fans

When looking for a 12V fan or cooling device for your caravan, it’s important to know its power consumption. This will typically be listed in the product specifications and described in amps. When it comes to free camping, the lower the current draw, the better.

A fan that draws 1 amp (or 1 amp per hour) can be powered from a 100 amp hour battery for (theoretically) 100 hours. If that fan is left to run overnight for 10 hours, it will draw 10 amp hours from your battery or 10% of a 100 amp hour battery. That may not seem like a lot. But when you take into account the power consumption of all your other 12V devices, it adds up very quickly.

Three 12V portable fans to keep your caravan cool

To give you somewhere to start, check out these three 12V caravan fans. They’re not only energy-efficient but actually work and will make your free camping experience much more comfortable this summer.

Sirocco 12V caravan fan

This 12V fan needs very little introduction to the Australian caravan and motorhome scene. It’s pretty much the standard fan fitted by all the major RV manufacturers. It’s also one of the most expensive 12V fans money can buy, but there is a very good reason for that.

For a start, this Sirocco fan is very light, which is so important to caravanners these days. It’s also extremely energy efficient, depending on which of its three-speed settings you set it to. The power draw is between 0.13 and 0.36 amps. At those low levels, you can run two Sirocco fans at full speed all night and barely make a dent in your battery’s power reserves.

The Sirocco 12V caravan fan also has a very convenient timer that switches the fan off after 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours. It can be permanently mounted inside a caravan or motorhome but is equally useful as a stand-alone device. Mounting it to a small board can make it a little more stable.

It’s very quiet when running with sound levels not exceeding 45db on its highest speed setting.

Transcool Portable Evaporative cooler

Evaporative coolers are making a comeback as they are very energy efficient. The Transcool is a great example of the technology miniaturised in 12V for use as a caravan fan. The Transcool is a small plastic box with, what looks like a large computer cooler fan on one side and four outlet vents on the other three. It comes with a 12V cigarette lighter plug power cord and a 240V – 12V transformer.

To operate the Transcool, fill the tank with water and turn it on to the desired speed. For extended running times, the unit is supplied with an external auxiliary water tank that is plumbed in at the side.

It pushes out a surprisingly large volume of air and is much cooler than a simple 12V caravan fan. The negative of this power is the noise. At full speed, sound levels approach 65db. Fortunately, you would rarely need to run it at this speed, and the Transcool is less obtrusive at lower speeds.

The Transcool 12V caravan fan is also very energy efficient, requiring between 0.7 and 1.7 amps. It features a low-voltage cut-off to protect your valuable batteries. Transcool comes complete with a 240V power supply and external water tank. At $299, it’s not cheap, but it’s a quality product that is ideally suited to adventurous caravanners and campers.

Ryobi One+ portable misting fan

If you have a set of rechargeable battery-powered tools, there’s a very good chance that you can purchase a portable fan that uses the same battery. These fans that are designed to be used in workshops, making them quite suitable for caravans.

If you have the Ryobi One+ power tools, you’re in for a real treat. The Ryobi Misting Fan is a brilliant piece of kit. It is designed to sit on top of a standard 20-litre bucket and draws water from the bucket. It then sprays the water in a fine mist into the airflow from the fan, cooling the area down. The Ryobi Misting Fan is unbelievably effective and can cool the area under your awning, even on the hottest day.

You need to be aware that the mist will render any items sitting within range of the fan rather damp, so you need to keep electrical equipment away. Thankfully, you can opt to switch off the water pump and just use the fan. In this respect, it moves huge volumes of air. It’s not too noisy either, with sound levels not exceeding 60db on the highest fan speed.

You’re probably wondering why I included an 18V caravan fan in this review…

Depending on which battery you use and what speed you set it at, the Ryobi Misting fan can run for up to 16 hours. Ryobi also sells a 12V battery charger, which means you never need 240V mains power to recharge your batteries. Hence why, I’ve included this great fan into our 12V caravan fan list.

With a price tag of just $99 RRP, it’s a bargain. When you consider all the other products that are powered by the same One+ battery that are suitable for camping, you really can’t go wrong.

BRAND	MODEL	FAN SPEEDS	CURRENT DRAW	NOISE LEVEL	RRP
Caframo	Sirocco Cabin Fan	Low, medium and high	0.13 – 0.36A at 12V	>45db	$179
Transcool	E3 Evaporative Cooler	Variable	0.7 – 1.7A at 12V	55-65db	$299
Ryobi	One+Misting Fan	Two-speed	Min 0.31A at 18V	50-55db	$99

Other 12V caravan fans

Although we are yet to test out the following 12V caravan fans, they look like they might go alright and the price is certainly right!

Nothing beats a proper air conditioner when it comes to staying cool. But these 12V portable fans suitable for caravans are effective and energy efficient, making them a realistic prospect for your next summer camping trip.

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