Help Needed to Reduce Installed Generator Noise

You might try a good brand of Scotch, about three fingers.

Happy Prospector wrote:
You might try a good brand of Scotch, about three fingers.

Definitely couldn't hurt.

It depends on how the sound is getting in. A layer of homasote topped by plywood on the sheet metal will greatly reduce transmitted noise, if it i# r3flected from outside, baffling can deal with that.
Those can be made very quiet, it just takes room.

Dynamat? IIRC there are also cheaper brands of sound insulation.

I am very sensitive to sound and would not take one of the RV type generators for free! I personally have a Honda 2000 in a sound box. I also find the RV AC's to be the equivalent of a 747 at takeoff and use a window AC, which the little Honda runs with ease.

I have built a couple sound box's for my RV's and there is quite a bit to it. Your best option is to Google generator sound box's, generator sound proofing, DIY generator enclosure to get a handle on what is needed and different ways to go about it.

Lots of options depending on how much time and money you want to put in it.

Some add a different muffler and are happy, some use heavy material to dampen the sound and some use $$$ material while channeling the intake and exhaust around corners. Sound canceling headphones might also be an option?

You always have the option of a portable generator and a very long extension cord. :)

makes we wonder why the heck they put a generator under the bed in the first place. is it on rubber feet? how much insulation is between you and the gen set?

Kevin, I've used the "three finger' solution often and it does work nicely after a long day of driving.

We use our Class C in winter and summer. Depending where we are, we need the generator for the air conditioner at night. In winter, I don't like to draw down the coach batteries for heater fan all night so the generator is used over night in cold weather when shore power is not available.

Local Onan service department had no suggestions. The area under the rig where the generator is located is a very close space. I was hoping that there was a way to mount the generator on bushings to absorb the vibration to isolate the vibrations from the coach. Nothing is made just for this generator mount application, but I still might be able to find something that will work. I haven’t spoken with Winnebago techs yet; they may have a suggestion.

I’ve thought about using an external Honda, but the convenience of “in rig” push button starting is a lot to give up in winter. I was thinking of removing the generator and mounting it on a rack on front bumper, but wiring and fuel lines would need to be relocated so I discarded that option.

Chris and Ductape, thanks for the Homasote and Dynamat suggestions. I have very little space to insert noise absorbing panels around the generator itself, but I haven't tried that approach yet. I’ll do more research for sound absorbing materials. Perhaps there is a thin product that I can surround most of the generator where it is mounted.

Thanks to all.

Bill

If you check the price of a “utility” grade open frame generator VS the cost of a Honda 2000i it will be obvious that the cost of noise cancellation is an exacting and EXPENSIVE science!

The air cooled engine is basically noisy because there is not a water cooled jacket surrounding the cylinder.

I think that if you look, your generator is likely already mounted on rubber mounts, so you likely won't be able to do much about any vibration that is transferred into your rig (watch your generator as it starts; it likely is shaking all over the place on those mounts until it settles down running). Depending on room in the generator compartment, additional sound-muffling material might help a bit with the noise. I've also heard that laying a piece of carpet on the ground underneath the generator can help with the noise.