12v Delux Oscillating car fan

This is a lengthy review (I know), but is aimed at those wishing to fit a fan to their caravan or motorhome (please bear with me)! If your looking for a simple clip-on fan for occasional Summer car use, then read no further, as this is the most powerful (although noisy) fan that you can buy for occasional use.I purchased this to permanently mount in my caravan for Mediterranean Summer holidays.First of all, the last reviewer must have been lucky to get the 2 speed version with on/off switch, as the one I received just has the oscillate on/off switch & is single speed. Please note that if wishing to wire this into a vehicle/caravan, the fan is somewhere between 10 & 15 watts (thus requires a 1.5 amp to 2 amp fuse fitting in the circuit, plus a cable and on/off switch rating of 2 amps or above). The wattage is amazingly not documented anywhere (either in the ad, on the motor, on the fan or in the box). I therefore had to ring the manufacturer to get the approximate info (even they didn't know the exact power rating).POSITIVES:1) Very light at just 400g (much lighter than a conventional 240v fan). Small enough so that it can be mounted (inverted) from the underside of caravan lockers quite unobtrusively.2) Looks pretty good.3) EXTREMELY powerful! I didn't believe reviews stating it to be as effective as a mains version, but it really is. With only the 15 watts maximum draw, this is also pretty good news for your caravan leisure battery (64 hours minimum run time on an 80 AH battery).4) The oscillation is effective (if limited, at around 45 degrees) & can be stopped at the flick of a switch. It can also be manually directed.5) The mounting bracket arm gives good manoeverability once the fan is fixed to a surface. As well as a metal bracket that can be used to permanently mount it, the fan comes with a large black plastic bulldog clip for temporarily but securely mounting the fan (in a vehice for example).NEGATIVES:1) The cable it comes with looks like extremely light speaker wire. Although I'm sure that this will probably be safe (it is CE approved), I was permanently wiring it & so did change it to heavier duty 6 amp cable. This is easily done, as the fan comes apart very easily & predictably revealinging the 2 power terminals on the motor for easy re-soldering.The plug is pretty bad quality too, as is the soldering. As stated above, remember to fuse the circuit if permanently wiring it in to a vehicle or caravan. The plug is not fused, as the set-up out of the box relies on the cigarette lighter socket already being protected (as in a car)2) The fan is very loud indeed (it sounds smooth, but loud)!!! The sound/vibration from it can be doubled via amplification from the fitment to hollowed interior surfaces (such as the underside of cupboards). I experimented with lots of insulated materials (cork, rubber etc) in order to find a material best suited to its mounting. I eventually settled on a thick (1 inch, cut from black rubber block) spacer drilled to accept the fan & mounting bracket...A slight background "buzz" still exists in operation, although this is 90% improved by the rubber mounting. Don't bother with only a few mm of rubber, as this makes no real difference at all. It also pays to screw the rubber into place, then the fan on the rubber (not 2 screws through everything (as you will find that the "buzz" still transfers to the surface via the metal screws.Sounds overkill (I know), but I promise you it does make the din that much more bearable.Because I can sleep well enough with an unchanging background noise (but not 30 plus degrees heat conditions), I can live with the extra noise (which although loud, can also be quite sophorific). Many might be less able to sleep through the racket.A 12v/6 amp motor variable speed control can be purchased from another famous four-letter-word site for around a fiver. It is fairly easy to fit if at all "handy", and should give safe infinite control, whilst reducing the hideous racket accordingly....I'm awaiting this part & will report back here if this doesn't work as well as it should (I see no reason why not).3) Watch your fingers!!! The gaps in the wire safety cage are pretty large & it is easy to insert even my fat fingers. I did exactly that (meddling with it whilst working in order to try to work out the best way to mount it in reducing buzz/vibration), and suffered a profusely bleeding/painful finger... Worth considering, especially if young children are in the vicinity.It shouldn't happen really, and I should have known better.Had the fan been just a little quieter, I would have rated it 5 stars. It does nevertheless seem to be the best 12v fan out there.Apologies again for the length of the review, but I hope it all helps someone...UPDATE 4/12/12: I have just fitted the speed controller from that 4 letter bidding site (search for "motor speed controller 12-24v / 6 amp), and there is one for sale from China that is already in a tiny white self-contained box and can be inserted (via the switch-pole) into a hole drilled in the inside-back of a cupboard (or wherever) then screwed in place. You only then need to push the control-knob onto the emerging switch pole then wire as follows (although the instructions come with it):1) Controller black lead to -ve (neg) from battery.2) Blue controller lead to -ve (neg) to motor (fan).3) Red controller lead to +ve (pos) from BOTH battery AND motor (fan).Also, you can forgoe the on/off switch I had previously inserted, as (unbeknown to me) the speed controller knob has one built in (clicks on/off as you turn it).I'm pleased to say that it works perfectly (the main benefit being the noise reduction comparitive to speed).

Arrived in good time and on unboxing fitted the description accurately.I plugged the fan into an accessory socket and was instantly impressed at the power of the fan. This would easily create a nice cooling breeze on hot days and I'm really impressed with the fan.One thing to be aware of is this does not come with a spring clamp for fitting, it requires a bracket to be screwed to something solid and then the fan can be fitted to the bracket. I bought this for my motorhome and fitted to a cupboard where it can be directed into the main area of the living space.There are a couple of minor issues that caused me to drop this to 4 stars. Firstly the metal arm that holds the fan is somewhat loose and it can be difficult to get the fan correctly aimed where you want it, as the weight of the fan will cause the metal arm to drop under the weight. I got around this by mounting sideways so it moves left to right rather than up and down. Also there are no speed controls, it is simply on full blast all the time. This isn't a problem unless you want a gentle breeze at night to sleep with. Others have complained about the noise but I don't have an issue with this. Yes it is quite loud, but it is pushing a good amount of air which always has drawbacks when it comes to noise for a fan of this size. I would rather have this fan than a quiet version that doesn't put out as much air.Overall I think this is a good fan that once set up will provide a good cooling stream of air.

It worked fine for a spell then packed up. The problem was the solder at the 12v plug. I will fix it myself. The clamp is a bit unsuitable as you cannot locate it without screwing it to something. I did this for convenience. Others have fixed it to a heavier object. It reminds me of the fans you see in new york yellow cabs in the movies.When it worked, it is quite powerful. Better than many of the small plastic type fans. it only has one speed - fast - and no switch so you have to unplug it to stop it. I will put a switch on it myself.I am not to sure that the oscillation works too well. it is a little temperamental. Still, it goes like the clappers.I think with this fan you have to adapt if for your needs. in a car, moving along, the bracket is a little flimsy and caused wobble. So, if you buy, be prepared to adapt it to your circumstances.Not to bad a product if your willing to finagle things a little. Get your soldering iron and stouter bracket support stuff ready.

My fan arrived with a pretty substantial clip/clamp on the base which clips well onto surfaces in my car. It is quite loud in use but then its not expensive. 5 stars would require in line speed/on off switch which it doesn't have. The flex is short but that's not an issue for me.Update Nov 2013, after a warm summer I am very glad I bought this fan. It really made a difference to the temperature in the back of the car where the dogs were. As i said above it is noisey in use but you get use to it and I tend to use it only at the start of a journey to get the air moving before the air con takes over. If you want to be sure the temperature in the back is ok, fit a termometer in the back that can you read remotely in the front (i.e. wireless or long sensor flex).