Body, Roof & Weatherproofing
What is a Roof Vent / Rooflight?
The hatch in the roof that clears steam, cooking smells and stuffy air.
Simplified animation — not to scale.
In plain English
A hinged or hatch-style rooflight lets you ventilate the van quickly — essential after cooking, showering, or just a stuffy night with the windows shut.
How it works
Most open on a simple stay or gas-strut hinge, some with a built-in extractor fan. All rely on a rubber seal around the frame to keep rain out when closed.
Signs of trouble
- ⚠Water staining on the ceiling below it — almost always a perished seal, not the vent itself
- ⚠Won't stay open in wind — worn stay or hinge
- ⚠Fan (if fitted) rattling or not spinning freely
Rough UK cost
£40 – £250 fitted, more for a powered rooflight with a fan.
Ballpark only — depends on your van, converter and local labour rates.
Heads up: CamperAutonomy is for general guidance only. Anything gas-related must be signed off by a Gas Safe engineer with LPG endorsement.
More in Body, Roof & Weatherproofing
Skylight
A fixed or opening window in the roof that lets light flood into the van.
Habitation Door & Seals
Your main way in and out — and one of the biggest places water tries to get in.
Roof Seam Sealant
The unglamorous stuff that quietly stops your van's biggest cause of expensive damage: water ingress.