Reduce road noise

[CodyClassB]

Has anyone here had experiences in reducing road noise ? Our class B Dodge RAM 3500 is a little old and we hope to reduce some road noises while driving . I saw this products on Amazon, but I am not sure if it works.

link

Has anyone tried to reduce road noise ? if you, how did you do it ?

thanks

[landyacht318]

I added some insulation on the inside firewall by the driver's feet for a noticeable improvement
Also the Door steps and doors them selves are a big source of road noise. Dynamat type products in the door panels on the metal skin and something on the door panel, or inside the door panel will help.

I never noticed any improvement after liberal application of rubberized undercoating in the wheel wells and other areas under the body. I really tried to believe this particular effort made a difference, but could not convince myself.

I made some thick wheel well skirts as when my original one disintegrated and when fully removed I noticed a lot more reflected engine noise.



These wheel well skirts might have effected aerodynamics, as it seems that when driving in the rain, with a waxed windshield, the speed at which the rain drops cruise up and over the windshield needs to be higher. I cannot swear to this effect and will not be removing the skirts to test. It was something I noticed the first time I drove in the rain after installment.


The longer thicker skirts reduced reflected engine noise, and highway/tire noise was lessened to a noticeable degree as well.

Certain tires will make lots more noise than others, and some that were quiet when new will be much louder with half their tread left.

My tires are kind of aggressive AT tires, but most noise at Highway speeds is wind related on my Dodge, and I'm hoping a future smoother transition between windshield and fiberglass roof, as well as the window vent visors will reduce wind noise at highway speeds.

[Handbasket]

As mentioned, check / replace the door gaskets. The 'dollar bill/ sheet of paper method' works, but is slow. Open door, place bill across gasket. Close door while holding bill in place, withdraw bill. You should feel some tension as it comes out. Repeat around door.

Check the doghouse gasket. Be sure it's intact and is seated correctly, with no carpet fibers trapped in the closure.

Check all the cable & control penetrations thru the firewall. Make sure their gaskets / grommets are in place.

Also check & seal all floor cuts that the RV maker made for plumbing, vents, & wiring.

Spray undercoating will help a very little, mostly in the front wheelwells. If your B has a cut-out in the floor with a dropped plastic / f'glass insert like a Roadtrek, the underside of that may also benefit from undercoating.

When you replace tires, select a non-aggressive pattern, tho' this will limit your off-pavement traction.

I doubt you'll ever make it as quiet as even a low-cost newer sedan, but good luck with it.

Jim, " 'Marketing' is offering something you don't need at a price you can't resist."

[govertime]

CodyClassB wrote:
is there anything that I can apply under the body of the van ? just like some of you mentioned below, I don't like to put these in the living area (I have 3 kids and I am worry about the smell/toxins) .

Under chassis methods provide minimal noise isolation. They're primilarly intended to protect your chassis from rust, etc.

The various insulations listed above (and there are a ton of brands/variations available) are intended to be installed under the carpet. All higher end vehicles include these methods installed from the factory. I think its pretty safe to use and are installed in I'd guess millions of vehicles if not hundreds of millions.

These not on lower end vehicles as a cost-saving measure in both the cost of material/installation and decreased mpg (cutting vehicle weight wherever possible).

As for reporpusing roofing/ductwork products, I'd agree with your concern.

Keep in mind, we live in an age where its nearly impossible to avoid some form of off-gassing toxins. Think 'new car smell'. That ain't air freshener. The children's market itself is saturated with controversial fire retardents, as are the foams in our sofas/beds...

[CodyClassB]

is there anything that I can apply under the body of the van ? just like some of you mentioned below, I don't like to put these in the living area (I have 3 kids and I am worry about the smell/toxins) .

[drsolo]

I had all the rubber stripping around the windows and doors replaced. Much less wind noise, also the rain isnt leaking and/or pouring in.

[EsoxLucius]

Low-E from EZ-Cool is the cat's meow.

[mlts22]

The undercoating will be of minimal help. I would second govertime's recommendation and go with a Dynamat-like product. These will not just help noise, but provide added insulation.

[govertime]

I'd think an undercoating would be much less effective at reducing noise than viscous foam based dampening/absorbing products like B-Quiet, EZ-Cool, Thermo-Tec (Amazon.com is a supplier), Dynamat, and many more...

Some even go the cheap route and used asphalt based products typically used for roofing and ductwork. Not my cup of tea as I'm not comfortable with the smell/toxins? released at warmer temperatures.

[My_Roadtrek]

To the OP
You have made 19 posts, now head over to the Forum Tech Support forum, and read the "Sticky" at the top of the page on how to make active links, how to post photos, etc
Then come back and make your link active,

Thank you,