Roof light yes or no ?

[Bouydog]

Just about finished insulating the roof today, four sheets 30mm celotex cut into over fifty separate panels and eight tubes of stixall it’s a big roof.
I have left a space over the bed area to allow a 400 x400 roof light to be fitted , I am unsure if I want to do this or not.
I have two reversible fans fitted in the roof one in what will be the bedroom and one in the living area, do I really want to cut a hole to fit a light that would be nice but not necessary.
As I have not done this before and thinking of possible leaks etc what are your thoughts as experienced converters.
Thanks
Dave

 

[Deleted member 4404]

Properly fitted, there should be no problem with leaks, and an open roof light will provide ventilation without the noise or power consumption of a fan.

 

[trevskoda]

Roof lights are a must in hot summer days,go for it.

 

[Steven]

Yes! Definitely a roof light

Stephen.

 

[Millie Master]

As others have written, as far as I am concerned roof lights are a must, I fitted 3 to the roof of 'Millie', my only regret was that I fitted MPK units as they cost significantly less than Heki but they do at lest let in light as well as giving the essential ventilation.
And yes, before anyone tells me, initially, like the fool I am, I installed them the wrong way round !!

 

[LibertyHall]

We have 3 roof lights small heki in washroom a fan above hob and a heki 2 above rear bed settee. The later is amazing laying there watching the stars pass by!! Ours are from a salvage caravan we used for the build so therefore permanently vented which also helps when van is not being used.
In hindsight not sure we’d fit a fan again as to date we’ve not used it

 

[Deleted member 4404]

A point worth mentioning :- if you are going to fit solar panels at a later date, allow ample space for them when you position the roof lights.

 

[LibertyHall]

A point worth mentioning :- if you are going to fit solar panels at a later date, allow ample space for them when you position the roof lights.

That’s one of the reasons I said about fitting the fan I think with a little jiggery-pokery we may have got another panel up there!! However that’s another story

 

[Millie Master]

Roof lights can quite often result in quite a bit of extra wind noise which is why I installed mine directly behind each other with the solar panel directly in front the result is that 'Millie' suffers from very little wind noise.
The photograph taken in my original post was taken before I blocked off the gap at the leading edge of the solar panel.

 

[Bouydog]

Properly fitted, there should be no problem with leaks, and an open roof light will provide ventilation without the noise or power consumption of a fan.

Good point’s Ihad thought about the noise but not the power consumption.

Roof lights are a must in hot summer days,go for it.

My wife’s view as well.

Yes! Definitely a roof light

Stephen.

Leaning towards it.

As others have written, as far as I am concerned roof lights are a must, I fitted 3 to the roof of 'Millie', my only regret was that I fitted MPK units as they cost significantly less than Heki but they do at lest let in light as well as giving the essential ventilation.
And yes, before anyone tells me, initially, like the fool I am, I installed them the wrong way round !!

View attachment 1183

Interesting that you regret fitting MPK lights ?

 

[Bouydog]

We have 3 roof lights small heki in washroom a fan above hob and a heki 2 above rear bed settee. The later is amazing laying there watching the stars pass by!! Ours are from a salvage caravan we used for the build so therefore permanently vented which also helps when van is not being used.
In hindsight not sure we’d fit a fan again as to date we’ve not used it

Yes I think I am convinced to put one above the bed. I intend to fit an extractor hood above the cooker and a extractor fan in the bathroom.

A point worth mentioning :- if you are going to fit solar panels at a later date, allow ample space for them when you position the roof lights.

I am definitely going to fit solar and it will be at a later stage, my priority is to reach a point where we can use it with the essentials fitted and complete as we go.

Roof lights can quite often result in quite a bit of extra wind noise which is why I installed mine directly behind each other with the solar panel directly in front the result is that 'Millie' suffers from very little wind noise.
The photograph taken in my original post was taken before I blocked off the gap at the leading edge of the solar panel.

Thanks for all of your replies, I thought I would end up fitting one but was interested to see if anyone had good reasons not to.
All that remains is to decide on the make for a 400 x 400 fully opening non fan.

 

[GEOFF]

I think that a single 400x400 is not really enough. I fitted 2 Heki midi's which I think are brilliant and a 280x280 in the washroom. On one of my earlier conversions I fitted a 400x400 with 2way fan, but would not do so again. Err - having said that I have been given 2 400x400 lights with fans (removed from a caravan) so it is possible that in the interests of economy they may find their way into one of the Maxus. Geoff.

 

[Bouydog]

I think that a single 400x400 is not really enough. I fitted 2 Heki midi's which I think are brilliant and a 280x280 in the washroom. On one of my earlier conversions I fitted a 400x400 with 2way fan, but would not do so again. Err - having said that I have been given 2 400x400 lights with fans (removed from a caravan) so it is possible that in the interests of economy they may find their way into one of the Maxus. Geoff.

You may well be right Geoff, I am constrained by the size of the gaps in the stainless box section frame in the roof and I do not want to cut any of these out, the cost of Heki midi’s also puts me off. I will start with a Heki mini in the bedroom as I am doing this part of the build first, then on to the shower sink and toilet room where I may add a Heki micro to supplement the fan, followed by kitchen and lounge and finally the cab. I am doing it this way because we plan to use different cladding in the different areas, so I can do the cladding build the structures and move on. I don’t think light will be an issue due to the acres of glass at the front, but as we progress if we think more roof ventilation is needed more will be added.
Dave

 

[Millie Master]

Interesting that you regret fitting MPK lights ?

Well Dave, all 3 of the rooflights fitted to 'Millie' are MPK units and they are OK as they do allow in a lot of light as well as also being very useful venting points, even when they are closed.
I have used MPK's throughout my 30 odd years of caravan ownership and they were the only units I considered for fitting purely because of their price, however if price hadn't been of such importance I would most certainly have fitted Heki units.

Where I don't like them is that they feel very plasticky and generally cheap in operation, they are also opaque, so unlike Heki owners who can lie back and gaze at the stars all night long all I can do is look at a black hole!
One other significant problem is with regards to cleaning them, as yet I haven't plucked up the courage to do it, but sometime I will have to try and work out how to take the two dome parts apart so that I can clean all the dusty gunge that is now between them.

I hope this helps.

Phil

 

[exwindsurfer]

Just about finished insulating the roof today, four sheets 30mm celotex cut into over fifty separate panels and eight tubes of stixall it’s a big roof.
I have left a space over the bed area to allow a 400 x400 roof light to be fitted , I am unsure if I want to do this or not.
I have two reversible fans fitted in the roof one in what will be the bedroom and one in the living area, do I really want to cut a hole to fit a light that would be nice but not necessary.
As I have not done this before and thinking of possible leaks etc what are your thoughts as experienced converters.
Thanks
Dave

I would say yes to one Dave.

 

[Bouydog]

Well Dave, all 3 of the rooflights fitted to 'Millie' are MPK units and they are OK as they do allow in a lot of light as well as also being very useful venting points, even when they are closed.
I have used MPK's throughout my 30 odd years of caravan ownership and they were the only units I considered for fitting purely because of their price, however if price hadn't been of such importance I would most certainly have fitted Heki units.

Where I don't like them is that they feel very plasticky and generally cheap in operation, they are also opaque, so unlike Heki owners who can lie back and gaze at the stars all night long all I can do is look at a black hole!
One other significant problem is with regards to cleaning them, as yet I haven't plucked up the courage to do it, but sometime I will have to try and work out how to take the two dome parts apart so that I can clean all the dusty gunge that is now between them.

I hope this helps.

Phil

Thanks for that Phil a useful insight, I am going with Heki for the reasons that
a, most people seem to use them so tried and tested.
b, I prefer the clamping fitting as opposed to screwing down.
c, stars will be visible.

Dave

 

[Bouydog]

I would say yes to one Dave.

Thanks for your reply, I say yes as well now.

 

[Darcar]

Have you thought about fitting yacht deck hatches as roof lights, they are built very strong ( you can walk on them ) the motorhome plastic type are set flimsy and crack quite easily.

 

[Bouydog]

Have you thought about fitting yacht deck hatches as roof lights, they are built very strong ( you can walk on them ) the motorhome plastic type are set flimsy and crack quite easily.

I had not thought of that, just had a quick look at some but I have bought a Heki now. Don’t think I will be up there much once the build is finished but a good idea for a viewing deck set up.

 

[n brown]

many a time sat in the van on a baking hot day idly watching flies being sucked out of the skylight by the updraught

best mastic https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Everbuil...m2eba7fcf6b:g:HoMAAOSwhiZaaFsM&frcectupt=true