Quieting a camp power generator?

Kerry, was that an Onan Camp Power, or some other Onan?

Jim, "The world is run by those who show up."

I read on the Onan site a few years ago that most of the noise is mechanical engine noise. My approach was to replace with a good synthetic. It only takes about 1 quart, so it's relative easy to replace. NOTE: I used an oil pump to pump the old oil out. It's still not as quiet as a Honda/Yamaha/Kipor, but it seems quieter. I didn't add sound deadening material, but that should certainly help as well.

I have an onboard Onan. I installed the Onan brand resonator on the tail pipe, enclosed the compartment with sound deadening material, and mounted the genny feet onto rubber bushings to help reduce vibration. If Im in the cabover its hard to hear the genny running. Down below in the TC its very tolerable. I can watch TV with it running.

Handbasket wrote:
I think the Camp Power is the Microlite in a smaller box, made possible by omitting the Micro's in-the-box muffler. The following is based on my experience with 3 Microlite 2800's. Putting a low-restriction muffler on the tailpipe would be a good start, but it's still going to be annoyingly loud.

Yes, isolation from the frame will help, probably more inside than out. Both will be helped by installing some sound-deadening material in the compartment, if there's room. See the _installation_ manual for your model for required clearances. I used a sheet of foil-faced 1" rigid fiberglass where I had room. That manual will also detail the amount of cooling intake opening you need. My class C's door vent was 'way bigger than needed, and reducing it helped a lot.

But a lot of the mechanical noise exits thru the cooling air exit, underneath around the exhaust pipe. Don't interfere with that. But a piece of eggcrate foam or shag carpet laid on the ground (if there's vertical clearance) may help a bit, especially on pavement.

Finally, the outer end of the tailpipe needs to be free to shake. It's tied to the engine, which sits on rubber isolators. If you tie the tailpipe down rigidly, it increases the amount of vibration. I made up a spring hanger to go there on my last class B.

HTH!

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I was thinking too, maybe even a dedicated fan to assist cooling so that it could be enclosed even more.

I think the Camp Power is the Microlite in a smaller box, made possible by omitting the Micro's in-the-box muffler. The following is based on my experience with 3 Microlite 2800's. Putting a low-restriction muffler on the tailpipe would be a good start, but it's still going to be annoyingly loud.

Yes, isolation from the frame will help, probably more inside than out. Both will be helped by installing some sound-deadening material in the compartment, if there's room. See the _installation_ manual for your model for required clearances. I used a sheet of foil-faced 1" rigid fiberglass where I had room. That manual will also detail the amount of cooling intake opening you need. My class C's door vent was 'way bigger than needed, and reducing it helped a lot.

But a lot of the mechanical noise exits thru the cooling air exit, underneath around the exhaust pipe. Don't interfere with that. But a piece of eggcrate foam or shag carpet laid on the ground (if there's vertical clearance) may help a bit, especially on pavement.

Finally, the outer end of the tailpipe needs to be free to shake. It's tied to the engine, which sits on rubber isolators. If you tie the tailpipe down rigidly, it increases the amount of vibration. I made up a spring hanger to go there on my last class B.

HTH!

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

The only effective way to quiet a loud generator is to replace it with a Honda or Yamaha.

Anything you do that is effective at reducing the noise, will cause problems with the generator. Mostly overheating issues.