Generator Noise

When we tailgated some football games, I made up a Genturi type device to get exhaust up and away from area around MH. It seemed to make the running generator sound quieter...might have just been my imagination. If exhaust is under awning, using a genturi might prevent you from opening awning unless you could get genturi just to side of the awning.

And, as mentioned already, a national park will have restricted hours. You didn't mentioned if running during the allowed time or not.

If the exhaust location is a safety issue, then fix it and argue with the manufacturer about getting reimbursed for the cost. Don't believe I would use it if I really felt it was a safety issue, warranty or not.

The two different generators an 8KW and a 3.2KW have different engines. Some of the diesel pushers have the generator up front in a much better sound box. With the View having it back under the living area, it is bound to be more noticeable on sound and vibration, I would think.

Is the 3.2KW in the View water cooled? I am sure the 8KW was and that will make a big difference. A friend of my bought a small air cooled diesel generator, running a single cylinder Yanmar engine. Those engines are great and will run forever it seems, but the noise put off by it would wake the dead. He installed the Yanmar in an older Prevost, of all things but the noise was unacceptable and soon he took it out.

To me, generators tend to be obnoxious. I have had people tell me how quiet their generator is, that is exactly like mine, and all I can think of is they need to get their hearing checked if they think it is quiet. I have an Onan LPG in our truck camper now, and I have run combines, corn pickers and hay bailers that made less noise when operating. LOL

The number of cylinders will make a big difference. On our last two Class C units, one had a 4KW Onan and one had a 4KW Generac. The Generac was much quieter as I could never keep it running for the 80,000+ miles I hauled it around the country. Our last two gasoline Class As, one had a Onan twin cylinder 6KW and one had a single cylinder Onan 4KW. I believe the single cylinder put out twice the noise as did the twin. Why a twin or multi cylinder is quieter, I don't know but they sure are most of the time.

My Onan 2.5KW LPG generator, in the owner's manual, has the sound readings. In small print, it says something about those were the results of an independent testing lab. Does that mean, I am going to get the same sound level with the unit installed in my camper, not too likely. I am sure if I removed the generator and sent it back to the lab for the same tests, they would get the same results under the same conditions as it was originally done.

And at what time of day/night were you running the gen.?
This could make a difference in why you were asked to turn it off.

Thanks for sharing. It's posts like this that help us what to buy in the future.

As a note of possible interest. I run the sound system at our Church. I use a DB meter to be sure it is loud enough. 58 DB is VERY loud. I try to keep the Pastor well under 60. A constant 70 will run you out of the building. As it is I get many complaints about the volume.

So you see. The so called quiet gen, ain't all that quiet. Especially in a really quiet atmosphere.