Three fans, one hole
The three most popular full-size rooftop ventilators, the Le Mans, the Le Mans LL and the Round, all sit on exactly the same 230 mm roof opening with a 245 mm outer ring. That is deliberate. The hole in the roof is cut once; the motor on top of it can change whenever the use of the vehicle changes.
So the question is really: which motor? The Le Mans and the Round share the same 80 W brushed motor and move the same 850 m³/h. The Le Mans LL uses a brushless motor that moves less air but draws less than half the power and is built to run all day. The decision therefore splits into two steps: brushed or brushless first, and if brushed, streamlined or round cover. This guide takes you through both with the real figures.
The specifications side by side
The numbers that matter, straight from the product data. All three are available in 12 V and 24 V.
| Specification | Le Mans | Le Mans LL | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airflow | 850 m³/h | 515 m³/h at 12 V, 565 m³/h at 24 V | 850 m³/h |
| Direction | Suction and blowing, reversible | Suction only | Suction and blowing, reversible |
| Motor | Brushed, 80 W, 2600 rpm | Brushless, 34 W, 3100 rpm | Brushed, 80 W, 2600 rpm |
| Current at 12 V | approx. 6 A | under 3 A | approx. 6 A |
| Noise at full speed | 52 dB(A) | 65 dB(A) | 52 dB(A) |
| Roof opening | 230 mm (245 mm ring) | 230 mm (245 mm ring) | 230 mm (245 mm ring) |
| Height above roof | 64 mm | approx. 100 mm | 62 mm |
| Colours | White or black | Grey ring, white cover | White or black |
| Speed control | Separate Speedcontrol 30-3004 | Optional integrated unit | Separate Speedcontrol 30-3004 |
| Snow filter | Yes, 89-5011 | Not compatible | Yes, 89-5011 |
| Price excluding VAT | from 105 euro | from 155 euro | from 105 euro |
The Le Mans and the Round are the same fan in two different hats. The LL is the odd one out on almost every line. And the roof opening never changes.
Brushed or brushless: how you use the fan decides
A brushed motor passes current through carbon brushes to the spinning armature. It is simple and powerful, which is why the Le Mans and the Round shift 850 m³/h from 80 W. The brushes wear, but on a fan that runs an hour here and there that wear is measured in years. A brushless motor replaces the brushes with electronics: nothing wears, efficiency is far higher and low-speed running is smooth, which is why the Le Mans LL can be left on for a whole shift at 34 W.
Choose by asking how many hours a day the fan will actually run:
- Bursts of ten to thirty minutes: clearing a horse trailer after unloading, drying a wet dog van, cooling a camper before bed. Choose the Le Mans or the Round for maximum airflow.
- Hours at a time on battery: a dog van parked at a show, a camper with the fan on all night, an ambulance that must stay fresh with the engine off. Choose the Le Mans LL. At 34 W it draws roughly a third of the current of the brushed units, so a 100 Ah leisure battery runs it for well over a day rather than a long evening.
- Needs to blow as well as suck: pressurising a cab against dust, blowing fresh air onto passengers. Only the Le Mans and the Round reverse. The LL extracts only.
On noise, the Le Mans and Round are rated at 52 dB(A) flat out. The LL is rated at 65 dB(A) at its full 3100 rpm, but almost nobody runs it flat out. It is bought for continuous low-speed running with the integrated speed control, and at low speed a brushless motor is very quiet and free of the hum a brushed motor makes when turned down.
Le Mans or Round: streamlined versus classic
If you have settled on a brushed 850 m³/h unit, the remaining choice is purely about the cover. Motor, airflow, power draw, noise and price are identical: 105 euro excluding VAT in 12 V or 24 V, white or black.
The Le Mans has a long, streamlined cover, 385 x 312 mm, only 64 mm above the roof. The shape directs airflow rearwards, sheds rain at motorway speed and looks right on a modern high-roof van or coach. It is the unit body builders specify for ambulances, horseboxes and buses, and the one we sell most of. The low height matters if solar panels or a roof rack sit close by.
The Round has a classic circular cover, 320 mm across and 62 mm high, with an IP68 rated motor. It suits older vehicles, box bodies and trailers where a round vent is the traditional look, and its symmetrical footprint is easier to place on a narrow or curved roof. If you are replacing an existing round vent on a trailer, this is usually the direct swap.
Both accept the same snow filter 89-5011, a carbon-infused mesh strip that keeps driven snow, insects and the last of the rain out of the motor bay. If the vehicle overwinters outside, budget for one.
Voltage, switching and speed control
All three come in 12 V and 24 V and the rule is unchanged: match the vehicle, not the fan. Vans, campers and car-towed trailers are 12 V. Coaches, trucks, lorry-based horseboxes and most ambulances are 24 V. Two batteries in series means 24 V. Ordering the wrong voltage is the most common mistake we see.
The reversible Le Mans and Round want a three-position switch, on-off-on, giving suck, off and blow from one rocker. The fan switch 89-4008 does this with an illuminated symbol and is rated at 25 A on 12 V, well above the 6 A the fan draws. The round 89-4002 and square 89-4005 do the same in a different shape. For the extraction-only LL you use one side of the same switch or a plain on/off rocker.
Speed control is where the LL and the brushed pair part company again. The Le Mans and Round use the separate Speedcontrol 30-3004, a waterproof stepless controller for 11 to 30 V DC and 25 A continuous, so one controller can run two fans. The LL is offered with an integrated speed control unit for an extra 10 euro, and that is the version most people should buy: a brushless fan without speed control is missing its main advantage.
Finishing the ceiling: what fits all three
Because the roof opening is common, the interior finish is common too. The V12 valve (290 mm, adjustable louvres, manual or electric), the Flower Power valve (280 mm, optionally with 21 white and 9 blue LEDs), the rotating valve 300 mm (with optional micro-switch that cuts the fan when shut) and the fixed large grille 270 mm all fit the Le Mans, the Le Mans LL and the Round without adapters.
Below the roof, an extractor needs an inlet. A 129 mm floor ventilator lets fresh air in low down and clears heavier gases at floor level, which is what turns a fan into a ventilation system.
Our recommendation in one paragraph each
Choose the Le Mans for the most airflow for the least money, the option to blow as well as suck, and a fan that runs in bursts. It is the default for horse trailers, ambulances, commercial vans and coaches.
Choose the Le Mans LL if the fan will run for hours on battery, in a camper at night or a dog van parked at an event. Take the version with integrated speed control. You give up blowing and about a third of the peak airflow, but gain a maintenance-free motor that sips 34 W.
Choose the Round if you prefer the classic look, are replacing an existing round vent, or need a compact footprint on a curved roof. Under the cover it is a Le Mans.
Still unsure? Send us the vehicle type, the voltage and a sentence about how the space is used. As an independent European specialist retailer with all three in stock in the Netherlands, we can usually tell you in one reply which to order, and it ships within 24 hours.
Frequently asked
Can I upgrade from a Round or Le Mans to a Le Mans LL later?
Yes. All three use the same 230 mm roof opening and 245 mm ring, so it is a matter of unscrewing one and fitting the other. Change the switch wiring if you go from a reversible unit to the extraction-only LL; the snow filter does not carry over.
Is the Le Mans LL quieter than the Le Mans?
At full speed, no: it is rated at 65 dB(A) against 52 dB(A) for the Le Mans and the Round. In practice the LL is run at low speed through its integrated speed control, where the brushless motor is very quiet and free of brush hum. If you plan to run any fan flat out at night, fit a speed controller.
Which one should I buy for a 24 V coach or truck?
All three are available in 24 V. For a coach or an ambulance that needs both suction and blowing, the 24 V Le Mans is the usual specification. For a vehicle that must extract continuously with the engine off, the 24 V Le Mans LL delivers 565 m³/h on 34 W.
What is the motorless version for?
The motorless Le Mans and Round are the same ring and cover without a motor, at 55 to 60 euro excluding VAT. They act as a passive vent today and take the electric motor later without touching the roof, useful on trailers that are not yet wired.
