No RV and I'm going crazy

[homedad]

We sold our class A in 2015 and ended up with a 31' TT and hated it. I really would like to go back to a motor home. The reason the family wanted to sell it was because of the noise while driving down the road. It was a Fleetwood Storm 31' with the Ford V10. It did fine with power and was very reliable but the high revving engine, wind noise and squeaks and rattles were exhausting.

I'm interested in The Coach House class C's on the Sprinter Chassis or even the Ford Chassis. I've heard they're put together better than most other Class c's. One child is going off to college so we're thinking of down sizing to about 24'-27'. I know that real quiet can be found with a diesel pusher on an air ride suspension but just can't afford that and don't need something that large.

Any experience with Coach House or something else quiet?
I've had 2 class C's 22', 23' and 31', the class A, 2 TT's and 2 popups. I've found all of the motorhomes to be loud. Would paying a bit more for a Coach House make a significant difference?

[toedtoes]

That's more than one owner every two years. I would be concerned.

[Ramseyiiis]

Is it normal to have 6 or 7 owners on a 2007 holiday rambled augusta?? Thanks

[ron_dittmer]

Placing paper towels in between stacked cookware does wonders for noise reduction.
Also foam cabinet and drawer liners.

[magnusfide]

pnichols wrote:
It's not rocket science to stop the coach noise in a Class C (or B, or C). Just go back in the coach areas, look long and careful at everything back there, and then insulate loose items that "might" bang against each other ... whether or not you actually have "proof" that they are.

We use the same approach in our family sedan ... if something on the floor in the back seat or the trunk is rolling around making some irritating sound ... track it down and take action.

It's outside wind noise on the structure that's very difficult to locate and stop ... especially wind noise from the portruding awning roll mechanism.

The number one noise in our rig was the grate on the stove top. Before hitting the road, we remove it and wrap it in newspaper, stowing it in the under-fridge cabinet on the floor. Doesn't make a sound.

[pnichols]

It's not rocket science to stop the coach noise in a Class C (or A, or B). Just go back in the coach areas, look long and careful at everything back there, and then insulate loose items that "might" bang against each other ... whether or not you actually have "proof" that they are.

We use the same approach in our family sedan ... if something on the floor in the back seat or the trunk is rolling around making some irritating sound ... track it down and take action.

It's outside wind noise on the structure that's very difficult to locate and stop ... especially wind noise from the portruding awning roll mechanism.

[magnusfide]

ron.dittmer wrote:
A noisy rig will be real short built on an E450 chassis with a lot of extra load margin so you bounce the house down the road.

Our 23'-8" long rig HERE is built on an E350 and no slide out. It has just enough margin to offer a smooth-ish ride. Even with that, to get the rig quiet, it took a few years to chase down the worst of the noise-makers. I have to say that I was quite successful with much determination to have a quiet rig. Our rig really does run fairly quiet.....that is until the V10 starts to torque it up.

Double ditto. The Phoenix Cruisers are well made and cheaper than the Coach House brand. http://www.phoenixusarv.com/

Another factor to noise is that the interior of a mh sometimes functions as a resonance chamber for the pilot area and amplifies a lot of travel noise. We just pop in some music or audio books and learn to ignore it. A good set of headphones might help too. At least it all would be cheaper than a Coach House.

[Rolin]

Thanks Ron,
I will try removing the Microwave and see if improved mounting will help reduce the noise.

[Bordercollie]

I don't think that there are quiet riding Class C's. Most concrete highway surfaces are cupped and worn from big rig traffic, rear springs are stiff, tire pressures are high and houseboxes are not insulated well to deaden road noise. If the housebox could be shock mounted in some manner, that would probably help. Best to stop at rest stops frequently to let your brain stop rattling and try to travel on more scenic and smoother secondary asphalt highways enjoying the drive at 55mph.

[ron_dittmer]

Rolin wrote:
Now the only issue I have is something inside the microwave case rattles and when we are hit bumps the E450 springs are pretty stiff.

Our microwave oven created some serious rattling with nothing placed inside. CLICK HERE to read about it. Maybe the same will apply to your microwave installation.

[Rolin]

Some class C/B+ motorhomes are quieter than others. Our Winnebago Aspect is very solid and we can listen to the radio and talk comfortably. We did have to find some of the noise makers. Like the tray in the microwave, and silverware, dishes in the cupboard. Lining the shelves with that waffle padding and putting some around the silverware made a big difference. We had an annoying squeak that took some time to find (cover to the converter).

Now the only issue I have is something inside the microwave case rattles and when we are hit bumps the E450 springs are pretty stiff.

Don't believe that any of the Class C/B+ motorhomes will be quiet like riding in a car. The more expensive units should be quieter...don't know how much. The E350 chassis rides softer and quieter than our E450 unit.

We don't mind the engine noise and I can usually keep it below 3000 rpm except on some of the steeper hills.

Good luck finding an acceptable motorhome.

[homedad]

Thanks. I'll keep looking.

[timmac]

I have 5 Ford vans and 1 chevy van for my business and will tell you they are not very quiet like a car or truck, you should have put sound proofing material on the doghouse and under the floor on that Fleetwood motorhome, I did and my noise level was 1/2 what it was..

Plus 5 star tuning stopped the high RPM's in the hills, that to made a big difference.

[pnichols]

We use honey-combed rubber cushioning material everywhere in all cabinets tucked in between all items and on shelf bottoms. We also use it in the oven between pots and pans stored there during travel. The rotating glass tray for the microwave is stored in it's custom styrofoam travel holder inside the microwave. The cooktop grates sit in rubber grommeted holes in the cooktop's steel top - and if just one of those grommets is missing quiet travel is impossible.

If we keep the V10 rev'd no higher than around 3500-3700 RPM when going up grades and it's sound is not irritable at all. Below 3000 RPM it's real quiet. It's above 4000 RPM where the V10's "music" starts. The V10's boost cooling fan is usually louder than the engine when pulling grades in warm weather ... don't Chevy V8's have whirring radiator boost cooling fans too?

P.S. Maybe lack of noise when going down the road is one of the reasons TT and 5'er owners like their rigs - as they can't hear anything going on inside the RV's living area when traveling. However, not hearing it could be a good thing or a bad thing depending upon what might be causing noise back there in the living area!

[toedtoes]

I think there are various noise issues that have different solutions (if any):

Engine noise - apply sound dampening around the doghouse, under the dash, around the wheel wells, etc.

House rattling - tires properly inflated will help with this. Have someone ride in the back while you drive a beat up road. As they hear a rattle, have them put some masking tape at the source. Then you can explore the area when you stop and look for the culprit and what might be done to eliminate the rattle.

Stove/oven - that can be a big noise maker. Getting some felt pieces and putting them between the oven racks and wall, stove and lid, and stove and burners can minimize the noise - just remember to remove them before using the stove or oven. You might try a silicone mat - one made for cooking - and cut that up to use instead of felt. That would be less dangerous if you did forget to remove them first.

Cabinet doors - some adhesive felt pieces attached to the inside of the doors where they meet the cabinet can help reduce the noise. Even if they don't open, there is often enough of a gap that the doors repeatedly hit the cabinet as you go.