After 40 years in the RV experience, I came to this conclusion after three years in. Almost without exception, every single manufacturer and third party accessory involved in the RV business is not only disinterested in quality but strive to maintain this low level of junk. I've learned the hard way to stay well clear of any OEM or "RV" parts. I've been satisfied with homemade parts and store bought gear that is not destined for the RV market. True, some undercarriage bits are the exception but the "MaxxAir" is a fine example of my rant.

This was a VERY HELPFUL video. I was read to tear apart the motor in search of the chirp noise- in fact, I already had once before. Your comment that the screws on the top of the motor housing seemed to be too tight was exactly it!! I loosened them and now have a quiet fan! In fact, this solved a second problem as well. Above speeds 2/10, the higher fan speeds would result in the ‘green light and beeping noise’ malfunction. Since completing the adjustment, that issue is now resolved and we once again have full range of fan speeds! Thank you for sharing this was a huge help! -Brian, DIY vanlifer, full time van travel since 2021.

I had the exact same problem. Shot some silicone spray with the straw up the shaft shrouding it with a paper towel and all is good. I am just the opposite of you James, I try to get away with the least first! Great video! I am sure most of the views are owners of the same fan!

I feel your pain. I bought a Corsair computer case with three "silent" fans preinstalled a few years back. One fan clicked endlessly, the other two had grinding noises. Ended up replacing all three with Noctua fans - which cost more than the entire case! Now, seven years later, those Noctua's are still silent and working perfectly. You get what you pay, I guess.

Mine has chirped for over the last year. I got Maxxair to send me a free replacement since it was under warranty. Trying this tomorrow, thanks for the video. I saw one other guy who cleaned the motor a specific way to fix it. Apparently it is the buildup inside that causes the chirp.

Maybe replace the motor with a Briggs and Stratton engine. At least you have a world of experience with them. Always look forward to your videos. Thanks 😊

I contemplated RV'ing or buying a sailboat in my retirement. Watching many vlogs the past several years brings one damning realization about recreational vehicles...they are built on sand. New Boats or Travel Trailers are made of the cheapest materials top to bottom, and they are very expensive to boot. I owned a large boat years ago and that was eye opening back then. Now, a single dad with an empty nest, I purchased an inexpensive fishing kayak and will fish and golf around the USA in my retirement. I don't want to be a on call repairman in my final days.

I use a very large PC type brushless fan in the vent of our RV trailer . Quiet and runs cheap even on battery power . Those Maxxair are nice when they work right though ! Great share ..ENJOYED

I was looking into one of these for my camper after someone on a fb group suggested it. SO GLAD I seen your video first! I'll be getting something else, and cheaper lol

I am having the same issue, luckily enough mine is still under warranty so I was sent a new motor. Came across your video when trying to find out how to replace it seeing the replacement came with zero instructions. Before the replaced the motor the tech had me run the fan for 24 hours on high speed he said this should be done with all of their fans when first installed. It did not fix the issue. He did tell me I should run it in high for 24 hours after installing the new motor. I'm thinking I may first try removing the bolts on the front and back and then reinstalling as you did on the original motor to see if that makes it quieter. Thanks for the video.

I own this fan (but the model below it) and I have the same chirping problem. I’ve tried everything I could at the time. I didn’t manage to take it fully apart on the bench but I got the top off while it was connected and oiled it while it ran from the top down so it lubricate it all. Didn’t do a damn thing to improve it. My circuit board didn’t break but my control panel did. The chirping is more noticeable when I have the fan sucking air out than it does when I have it blowing air in. Blowing air in it can be completely silent but not all the time. I’ll consider taking the full fan apart and putting it back together to see if it improves like yours did as that was really quiet. I’d love mine that quiet when pulling air out as that’s the setting I like to sleep with. Sorry about that new motor. I really had high hopes for that. MaxxAir really doesn’t deliver. It’s too bad there isn’t any real competition for RV fans.

Thanks for the walk through James. I replaced the chirping motor in my MaxxAir Deluxe following your guidance. Luckily the new $100 motor seems silent at low speeds. Fingers crossed that it stays that way for years to come.

That is a bugger!! I suggest skimming 2 mm off the end of the armature shaft on the brushes end, then put a chamfer on the end. This should help. If we lived closer, I'd happily take the 2mm off in the lathe.

C'mon James don't let this defeat you. You are a talented fixer. Pay particular attention to the end housings of that motor, are they properly aligned and match the bearing. Does the motor run silently for a long period without the fan blade. If it does then maybe the fan blade is unbalanced. You should be able to balance it by removing/adding material to the outer circumference.

had a maxxair fan on my rv. for two seasons ran fine and totally quiet. I dont remember the blades shaking at all, and I remember it being a very high quality fan for this reason. You might try hanging the fan blade unit on a string and hook from the center like you would a car wheel and tire to do a rudimentary balance. Also for the hell of it, check the voltage going to the fan ( lower voltage = higher amperage maybe running too hot). Good luck. good vid tks.

Had the same prob but with a brishless fan, got to the stage it was all or nothing, took it outside and let loose with half can carb cleaner everywhere inside and out and the blades, it run quiet and true ever since.

Hi James, Sleeve bearings vs. Ball bearings? Usually the sleeve bearings will fail much quicker than Ball. Knowing that, this configuration will fail even faster because the fan is spinning away from the motor instead of resting on top the motor. The manufacturers in the past used all copper sleeves not todays electroplating. A few millimeters don't last long. Replacement is your best option. Finding micro-ball bearings with rubber boot coverings is other option. The fans I worked on are 180 degrees difference were the motor was closer to the floor instead of the roof. Exhaust, in an Ambulance or an RV is the same function. When I was finished it looked like a mutant but ran perfectly and quietly. Thank you.

Another video showed conclusively that the brush dust causes the noise and simply cleaning it is all that is required. I believe the bearings are sealed.

I looked through the other ideas, and exploring the fan's balance seems logical. Secondarily, I thought of putting a rubber spacer between the motor and frame to absorb vibration.

Thank for another great video. I have enjoyed your channel and content. Always wait for a new video. 😁🇨🇦

Great video, as always James. Thanks!! TBH I'd have just packed the original motor bearings with some grease, while it was apart and called it a day. Quick tip use some Wago 221 or 222 connectors for the 12 volt connection to the RV, as they're a lot easier to connect and disconnect than wire nuts, you know, given you'll probably have to pull this unit out again within another 12 months. I watched the circuit board replacement video and I have to say that fan seems like such a crap design, not to mention the poor quality components and total lack of reliability, especially given the cost of those units. It honestly seems like Maxx Air, or should I say Airxcel, focused far more on the aesthetics or their product rather than on what was under the hood, it really is all show and no go. Some fancy, shiny plastic with rubbish components inside.

I've just put one in my camper. Couple of comments. On the everlanders channel there's a video about the circuit board. They get wet and corrode/fail so when he replaced his he used conformal coating to protect the replacement. Did this to mine before installing. I've seen quite a few complaints about noisy/squeaky fans. The only fixes have been replacement units. Fine under warranty, but not realistic after that. Mine chirps a little. Will live with it. If it really gets me, I'll strip and grease the motor. The opening mechanism is horribly noisy. Like yours. Think I'll strip and grease. It seems to be a well thought out design. I love the way it's usable in the rain. But let down by crappy components/assembly.

It needs a carb kit. :-) I assume the fan is made by the C.H. Ina company.

I'd say it might have something to do with the ball bearings. They're not really designed for axial loads, like what is present when mounting the motor shaft vertical. They have a tenancy to click or chirp from the ball cage being pushed to the side of the race and rubbing on the inner/outer race or both. Cheap bearings especially with sloppy tolerances make more noise when mounted in a way they receive an axial load. Problem is that it's hard to find good bearings. I always have to go to a local bearing and hydraulic shop because I've not found a single bearing online that wasn't trash. Plain sleeve bearings would have been a better choice for the motor, even though they tend to not last as long if you don't keep their oil wicks saturated. They tend to handle axial loads better because the shaft just moves a bit to compensate for the different loading. An alternative solution would be to try a tapered roller bearing on the bottom facing side of the motor, if they make them that small. Or a thrust bearing, either would keep the upper bearing and the rotating shaft assembly from moving up and down.

Just went through the same problem, I tore the motor apart and put it back together to no avail, so today I went to my local skate shop and got some new bearing, and replaced the ones inside the motor👌 good as new

I recall working in manufacturing as a test engineer. I have now retired. We used the same cheap Chinese motor for three different products. The one product was quite demanding in terms of the spec of the motor. Half of the ones we tried on that product did not function properly. The other two products were considerably less demanding. We set up the production and test lines so that the failed items were shifted straight onto the other product lines. It would have been too expensive to have returned the motors to make sense. We never wasted any, Just proves that manufacturing tolerance problems can be dealt with on scales like this anyway. Of course dealing with individual products in an aftermarket situation is a different problem altogether.

Great video!

Great fan video, so sometimes you really do get what you pay for, a highly promoted device which falls short of expectations.

Funny how those little noises can drive you crazy. Had a similar problem happen with my fantastic fan. It was less then a year old and worked perfectly all day on a camping trip. Soon as I went to bed, yup, started making noise. Not very loud but drove me crazy. Had to just shut it off. Luckily it was still under warranty but still a pain to change it out.

I have the EXACT same squeak that comes and goes. I've loosened the bolts to see if it helps. Hard to say for sure right now cause it wasn't squeaking as bad as it can when i did but it made it quieter for now! Side note my blade is also wobbling like yours. I got a replacement and it's the same so maybe thats due to the motor as well.

Maybe the unbalanced fan blade has something to do with the new sound?

Having the same exact problem with two of my MaxxAir fans just over a year old. Got two new motors and just found this video. Keeping my fingers crossed. One thing the Manufacture said is to be sure to turn the fan on high for 24 hours to set the bearings. They should put this in the manual or should be something the RV dealer completes at factory. Well hope you get it sorted out, let us know if you come up with a fix.

Separate motor for the hood? Maybe the noise is coming from there? Is the noise in sync with the spinning fan blade (maybe a small crack in the plastic)? A combination of the audio on my computer and my bad hearing doesn't let me hear the noise at all.

The brushes will make a squeaking if they are misaligned and or have brush dust from wearing. I did see some brush dust on the case and the magnets after you opened the motor. that is the most likely cause for the noise. Edit: The new motor is not worn in. the brushes are clicking and that will go away after a couple hours of use. the noise is just the brushes catching on a new commutator. Once it is worn in the noise should go away.

Do you think the wobble in the fan may be wearing down or messing up something inside the motor. You should try running just the motor alone for a few days and see if the noise on the old motor comes back. Thinking that when you opened the old motor it realigned something and after a few days with wobbly fans it messed up alignment again.

Yes I can agree that is a frustrating experience. I have seen the case where the thru bolts have cause a similar chirp, the cure was to wrap them in electrical tape. The click I can't hear well enough to comment. 40 plus years as an electric motor repairman here.

Hi does the armicher axal need sims does my best typing with one eye ct/ left eye

👍 Danke fürs Hochladen! 👍 Thanks for uploading! 👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you! 👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!

Love your videos! Have the same fan and the same chirp. Dissembled the motor just like you did and found nothing. The only thing I did when the motor was dissembled was to clean out the brush dust. The chirp went away for a few days but started again. Feel like the brush dust is the issue causing the chirp. The brushes being at the top of the motor allowing the dust to fall into the armature seems to be the cause of the chirp. In other words, it’s a poor design.

I installed a replacement MaxxAir fan in my last travel trailer and hated it. Our circuit board also fried after only a few months - it seems these fans are exceptionally sensitive to even slight voltage surges and dips (very common with RVs and campgrounds). There is no practical solution to this issue and the only hope is that these problems happen while the fan is still under warranty (although having it fixed or replaced by MaxxAir is an ordeal by itself). While there are all sorts of gadgets and devices to protect your RV's electrical system, there was no easy way to add a suppressor or filter that would guarantee to prevent a recurrence of these problems so I decided that a fan with a simple mechanical on-off switch was the more logical choice. In a less-than-ideally-controlled environment such as an RV, the simpler the better.

Surely a brushless motor would suit this application best.... maybe install a large PC fan... they're fairly cheap and run silently for years. Keep up the good work ☺

Oh man..... sorry you're having those problems with that fan. Hope you're able to resolve it. It can be very annoying.

Could the chirp on the original motor be the brushes? Had a similar noise on my cars HVAC fan. The brushes were glazed. Lightly sanded them and cleaned the commutator with brake cleaner. Chirping stopped.

Check the hole diameter in the fan and the shaft diameter on the motor..... If excessive perhaps the fan set screw is pushing the fan off center causing the wobble.... You may need to add a piece of shimstock opposite the set screw location to get the fan blade better centered, thereby getting rid of the wobble...

Good Afternoon James and Generator PPL. I hope All of You are doing well.

You had that original motor apart, did you perchance put a drop of oil on the bearings, before putting it back together? I would have. I would have with the new motor as well. Sewing machine oil works well for this. I do this all the time with computer fans, my server case is within arms length of me at the moment, running, and I can barely hear any fan noise though there's one in the power supply, one on the CPU, and two bigger ones in the front of the case.

Could be slightly out of balance ,take it out and put the fan vertically and see if the fan falls to the lowest point.

I had the same problem, I sold the camper, problem solved! Lol

Could you give some Maxxair 7500 advice? Their Maxxair tech said “sounds like” motor. Online research seems to be circuit board After 3 years it just started giving me the green light of death. When you turn it on it will open up and begin working after 10 or 20 seconds of fan operation it will close and begin beeping and giving green light. Voltage meter shows constant 13.55 volts coming in. I thought it may have been where you couldn't turn the fan past 20% but I turned it to 10% left it on for about 20 minutes and finally it gave me the green light again. Any thoughts on this?

When I picked up my new travel trailer a few months back, the technician that was walking me through everything told me what "RV" really stands for. Not "Recreational Vehicle" but "Ruined Vacation".

I have two of these in my class A RV and they are both noisy. You would think for what the RV cost (mine was $389,000 new) they would develop higher quality interior things like fans, lights, faucets, etc. But they are all cheaply manufactured while costing a LOT of money. Your wobbly fan probably cost $1 to make (if that) but will cost $30+ dollars to replace with another wobbly fan. $100 for a motor? Perfect example Just sayin. Thanks James, love your videos!!!

I wonder if the motor can be used as a DC wind turbine but with a different fan blade or make your own blade for it.

I have the Fan-Tasitic vent fan (the low end version with manual controls and non reverseable..) it is probably 6 years old at this point and I've had no issues. Though I notice my fan is a lot more ballanced...

its the motor that lift the hatch or the rail that lift it

ATTENTION!!! BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT TAKING APART THE MOTOR TO FIX THE SQUEAKING! Wish I had known how the motor was put together after watching your video, I thought I'd take it apart but I didn't have a C-clip pliers so not wanting to put the fan back on and off to go buy pliers, I put it back thinking those spring loaded pieces went around the shaft, did not know it wen around the comutator. It sealed but the shaft was tight and realized my mistake. smashed those spring loaded things and damaged the bearings. AND I wish I knew that replacement fans are sold out everywhere since forever. Maxxair basically wants people to buy a new fan instead of providing the part.

Replace or try balance the propeller. The wobble male a sound of it own. Push the propeller on the edge, while you spin it with you hand and see the low or the high point. It will reduce the noise. I found this in new computer fans. Turn out the older model with sleeve bushing not ball bearings are much quitter.

Mine has a click like your new motor. I was hoping to fix it... BTW, the stains on your ceiling can be easily removed with a spray bleach cleaner, soft brush and a wet vac.

The electronics could possibly cause noise in the motor also, especially on DC motors.

Imagine the price if you had to take it to a dealer to fit? Seems a high price to pay for a motor. I thought it was only in the UK that there were rip of prices for parts. I thought you might have replaced the bearings when you had it stripped. Anyway great video, thanks, keep them coming.

I’m surprised you didn’t put a dab of hi temp grease on bearings. Did it squeak in both directions?

I might have replaced the bearings with ones that had the same or better radial load rating and definitely a better axial load rating. The chirp sounded like bearings and I suspect the manufacturer paid no attention to the axial loading condition that the bearings would sustain when they sourced the motor.

Unfortunately, most new fans now come with oiled bushings that are allegedly good for the life of the fan and by life, they mean a few years. The bushings are porous and loaded with oil at the factory and are not serviceable after that. You can add oil, but in order to reload those bushings with oil requires fully removing them and vacuum and heat. The pores are really too small to hold enough oil for "the life" to be more than a couple thousand hours of use, far worse when exposed to the elements like this is.

Brushed motors can be chirpy but you can sometimes stop that from happening by cleaning the commutator with Emory cloth or scotch brite. I'm thinking it stopped simply by taking the brushes off and putting them back on. Sometimes a stronger spring for the brush can help.

Hi, James. Does that setup have a cover over the fan when it is not being used? Does it open and close automatically? The sound might be coming from that mechanism. Good luck.Thanks for sharing! Stay Healthy!

Your listing to the brushes.

I suspected the hatch opening hardware initially.

Balance the fan!!!!! Use a lawn mower blade balancer, the wobbly blade can cause bearing damage eventually.if it's slightly out off balance clear nail polish light side, if it's really out maybe a slight blob of 5 minute epoxy

Is the click from the motor or the fan blade?

Doc., I would bet the blade is rubbing or hitting somewhere. I can't really hear it that well on my phone though. It can drive you crazy hearing the little noises.

did you try oiling the bearings?

Next is going to be the gears for opening the top . It will split apart in the middle . From the tork of the motor opening the top

BRUSH SQUEAK.........very common... PS A wobbly fan it's just that wobbly, it is not an out of balance band, although it could have been, but it did not look to be out of balance… Just wobbly.

Old age and tinnitus has relieved me annoying noises...

The only other alternative that I could see is to find a better quality motor with the same dimensions, but of course the choice is yours to make.

Good information. just saying

Just bought a boat this last year, and we’ve rented many RV’s as well. They’re both fun experiences, but my takeaway is that both are complete money pits and rental is the way to go! Take some material off the motor shaft and see if it’s contacting the housing maybe?

There are videos how to fix

its not a brushless motor so when you took it apart you essentially cleared out the little particle that was stuck on the brushes

I replaced my fan blade and motor with a radiator fan of equal size. Not only are they quieter, they are balanced with little clip on weights. Cost $30 on Amazon. Seems like they expect RV owners to be gullible, like tacking the letters R and V on a product makes it ok to gouge you.

The new motor sounds like it could have a bad commutator - not what you expect for $100. My new trailer has one of these fans. No problem yet, but it is less than one year old.

I have central air and am NOT a fan of fans. When they run I have a hard time hearing.

wowsa

Jim, If I were you, I would replace the bearings in the first motor, and return the second one.

I use rubber wash rings To silence the fan

Replace it with a Hengs. I think they’re better than MaxxAir and cheaper too.

Clean the commutator and replace the brushes. Ensure after commutator cleaning that the insulation is undercut.

I would greased the old motor shaft first or of it was binding denting the inside of the plate out a little with a punch. I wouldn't have paid for a new motor, certainly not at those prices.

"I traded a chirp for a click." Oof.

Hey, I didn't see any torque specs on that hardware! ;o)

Think I'd have tried a little 3-in-1 and a dab of silicone grease before I would have spent 100 bucks on a new one. But then again, I've become old and crotchety and a tight wad....lol. Another interesting video, keep 'em coming, James.

Just lube the fan shaft top and bottom.

James... email the manufacturer and include a link to this video. A good company would step up and make it right. Are there many/any good companies/corporations left? Cutco comes to mind, but scratching my head to come up with another. (I'd be willing to bet the shaft for fan motor got dropped hard somewhere along the way. Just a guess)

As an RV service manager and RV user for many years I suggest you replace the Maxx Aire product with a Fantastic Vent, a much superior product. The fully automatic product has a rain sensor and a remote control. It’s pricey but works very well.

I don't know of any parts that are made to last these days. All the manufactures want is for their product to last it's warranty period and then fail, so that they can get you to spend more money. Gone are the times when things were built to last I'm afraid. 😕

mineral oil extended the motor life indefinitely comped to wd-40

Mazzair listen too these people. Their telling you to save your business. Improve your product

I had to replace the lift motor on our fan, it quit after one year

You might find a generic radiator fan that would work. You could hook it up with the appropriate rheostat for variable speed.

It looks as deliberate limitation of the service life of the goods in order to force a new purchase. I must say, this obnoxious practice spreads from EU also to the US ! The problem lays in poor design and el-mechanics (lack of lubricating points, vibration of the propeller) of the fan.

I would: A. Soak the old fan bearings in synthetic motor oil and refit. B. Apply bearing fit between shaft and bearing to stop the shaft spinning within the bearing C. Balance that fan blade using a rough method