Can you name that sound (squeaking)?

[SJ-Chris]

I have a 2013 Coachman 210qb Leprechaun Class C. It has a Ford v10 e350 Super Duty engine. It has 111k miles on it and it hasn't been giving me any issues until now. It has recently started making a squeaking/rubbing noise that I cannot identify. Looking for suggestions....


Here are the symptoms.... After sitting parked for many hours/overnight, when I start it up and start driving there is a rubbing/squeaking noise that starts at about 15mph and continues up to about 40mph. Once up to about 20mph, the noise happens while accelerating, and/or while coasting, and/or while braking. It doesn't matter what gear it is in. The sound stays constant between shifting gears and also if applying a slight pressure on the brakes. After about 1.5 miles of driving, the sound goes away and it doesn't happen again until the car has been sitting parked for many hours (or overnight).


It sounds like something is possibly rubbing (brakes??) during this time and I suspect it has something to do with the rotation of one or more of the wheels. To me, the squeaking noise sounds like it might be related to the tires rotating (...the noise is kind of rhythmic and the speed of it seems related to how fast the car is going). Maybe it goes away because something has warmed up after 1.5 miles???


I did one additional test. I let the RV sit overnight. In the morning, I turned on the car and let it idle for 10 minutes so that the ENGINE itself was warmed up. I thought maybe if the sound is going away once some component of the ENGINE is warming up that I would be able to do this test (get the engine warm and THEN drive it...maybe I wouldn't hear the noise). But when I drove it I got the same noise (rubbing/squeaking) starting at about 15mph for about 1.5 miles and then it once again went away.


Here is a video where you can hear the noise. Turn up your speaker. In this video, it starts at about 2 seconds and goes away at around 8-12 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZz_NoQntB0
(Note: The "D" (drive) flashing in the video isn't real...it doesn't flash/blink like that. For some reason it just looks that way in the video)


Here is another video where you can hear the rubbing/squeak louder right up to about the 20 second mark.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2VmWOJROS-s

Any thoughts?

A friend of mine who is mechanically inclined thought it might be the "indicator clips"(?) of the brake pads making the rubbing/squeaking noise. I'm not convinced that is the issue since the noise is happening NOT because I am braking...it just starts making that noise once the vehicle goes from being cold started and then gets to about 15mph. Could indicator clips cause/behave something like this?

"indicator clips" are the small clips on the brake pads that will hit the rotors (and make noise) before your brake pads get too low.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!
Chris

[bobndot]

How old is the belt ?
Check the tension on your belt . You might have a tensioner that could be failing or the belt it self needs to be replaced.

[klutchdust]

enblethen wrote:
Another possibility is a warped brake rotor.

A warped brake rotor will also give you a "pulsating" pedal when applying the brakes. "dragging" your brakes or riding your brakes going downhill is an easy way to do that.

[Gjac]

It doesn't sound like brakes to me, but just to eliminate that possibility I would just jack up the wheels and then spin them to see if the calipers are sticking. The next thing I would do if you feel comfortable, is bring it up to 20 mpg where the noise starts and shut off the engine and coast does the noise go away? That would tell you if it is something in or on the engine like a worn bearing in a pully. Without the engine noise it will be easier to isolate the noise you are hearing. Also, if you put it in park and rev the engine does the sound change pitch or go away?

[CharlesinGA]

Front suspension radius arm bushings will squeak, and do it till they get "warm" from the squeaking and then quit.

Charles

[SJ-Chris]

Thanks for all the great feedback and suggestions. It sounds like the first thing for me to do is have the brakes checked. That should tell me if it is the squealers (worn pads), or something with the rotors/etc. I'll keep in mind the other suggestions if it is not the brakes. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again!
Chris

[valhalla360]

Had a weird thing like this where it didn't match the RPM, sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn't on our V10 F250.

Didn't believe it until the mechanic changed it but the idler pully was going bad.

[Tom_Anderson]

It definitely sounds like brakes to me. It seems to be at wheel speed, not driveline speed, so I doubt it's a u-joint or carrier bearing.

Can you jack it up when it's cold and rotate the wheels? Ideally, you would put the rear on jackstands and run it while it's stationary to see if you can hear it while you stand outside. Then you could hopefully identify where it's coming from. Unfortunately, most people don't have that capability.

Have you ever replaced the brake pads? If not, I'm thinking it might be about time.

[klutchdust]

On my Jk jeep and Class C that annoying squeak had many stumped. Look for something exhaust related. My shroud would squeak until it warmed up and expanded just a bit then it stopped. My Jeep it was a cross over brace holding the exhaust. Oh yeah, then my Duramax started and the exhaust flange bracket where the pipe connects to the exhaust manifold had a crack in it. A quick weld and no more squeak.

When cold, get under your rig and try pushing your exhaust around, the shrouding, clamps and brackets. On my class C I drove with the doghouse off, yikes that was tough but I narrowed it down.

[enblethen]

Another possibility is a warped brake rotor.

[midnightsadie]

just for fun,drive it down the free way about ten miles nice no stop drive, get out and touch the front rims see if one is hotter than the other. that would tell you your brakes on that side are dragging.

[SJ-Chris]

bobndot wrote:
If not the brakes check the carrier bearing.

Thanks for your suggestion.

I wasn't sure what a carrier bearing is. So I looked it up. I also found this video on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_7woYnE0zs

It doesn't seem like this is my problem for a couple of reasons.
1) It doesn't sound like that.
2) It only starts once the RV gets up to about 15mph.
3) After 1.5 miles it seems to go away. Drove it for 120 miles recently and didn't hear it again after 1.5 miles.

-Chris

[SJ-Chris]

time2roll wrote:
Sounds more like drum brakes than disks. What is in the rear? My guess is the parking brake does not get used enough. Or maybe too much and the shoes are shot.

Can you try lightly applying the parking brake while driving? See if the pitch changes.

Disk wear indicators would change pitch as the service brakes were applied.

I believe it has disk breaks front and back. Not 100% sure, but that is what someone told me after taking a quick look.

I hadn't thought about the parking break. I will play around with it before driving and then while driving to see if it has an impact on the noise. Thanks!

-Chris

[bobndot]

If not the brakes check the carrier bearing.

[time2roll]

Sounds more like drum brakes than disks. What is in the rear? My guess is the parking brake does not get used enough. Or maybe too much and the shoes are shot.

Can you try lightly applying the parking brake while driving? See if the pitch changes.

Disk wear indicators would change pitch as the service brakes were applied.

[stickdog]

Mom would turn the radio up. Worked every time.