Wind and road noise in late model class A gas?

[Ro646a]

I have a 2004 Southwind Class A gas and I'm considering buying either a late model class A gas or an older diesel pusher. I wonder if the newer units are any quieter on the road than the 10 to 15 year old class A gas units.

Any comments would be appreciated.

[doxiemom11]

Yes, a well insulated coach is quieter.

[J-Rooster]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
Most of the noise in my coach comes from the passenger seat. :B

Another outstanding effort Ron!

[JumboJet]

usersmanual wrote:

doxiemom11 wrote:
It could depend on brand and construction. We have a 2000 Monaco gas and it is not noisy on the road. We can hold a normal conversation. Perhaps yours is missing doghouse insulation/sound barrier or something.

your the only gas owner in the world that does not have a noisy gas A
on the road then

Driving a BRICK with appendages head-on into a 15-30 mph wind will incur noise! Their is a multitude of noise generators on my class A.

Things get much quieter in a no-wind or tail wind situation.

[pslocum]

Engine noise on grades is fairly loud in our coach but the rattling of dishes and such on bumpy roads is more of an erratation to me. On the highway it's not overly noisey and as said before noise from the passenger seat is the most painful

[D_E_Bishop]

In reply to the comment, "Simple question", no it isn't. I doubt anyone has done a noise level/cause study, the answers you are getting are "opinions".

For instance our Bounder with a 454cid V-8 was extremely noisy, our Winnebago with the V-10 is not bad. So in essence my experience validates your experience. But I wear hearing aids in part due to those da** Marine Cannons used in ceremonial 21 gun salutes and I can't hear all my wife can hear.

So however unfortunate it is, it's going to be a tough decision just using other folks opinions. We love our Winnie and the noise is minimal in our opinion. We listen to music, make phone calls and talk to one another with ease. But maybe after having owned the Bounder our expectations were lower than yours are and the Winnie might drive you nuts.

[rgatijnet1]

Most of the noise in my coach comes from the passenger seat. :B

[J-Rooster]

I hands down have the quietest gasser in the World. And I can thank the U.S. Marines and Vietnam for that. This is the only time in my life where it pays to be hard of hearing and I'm getting paid for it!

[billsenick]

usersmanual, I guess I am the second, my 2003 Newmar KSCA with the workhorse chassis is perfectly quite, the only time the noise level increases a little is when the clutch fan engages. I am sure there are many who have quite gas motor homes, I have both and and I know.

[usersmanual]

doxiemom11 wrote:
It could depend on brand and construction. We have a 2000 Monaco gas and it is not noisy on the road. We can hold a normal conversation. Perhaps yours is missing doghouse insulation/sound barrier or something.

your the only gas owner in the world that does not have a noisy gas A
on the road then

[RicoSuave]

Not satisfied with the engine noise intruding into the coach I added additional dog house insulation with mixed results. What I discovered after searching for the source using a DB meter was that most of the noise was penetrating through the firewall. Many class A firewalls are constructed of plywood with minimal insulation applied between it and the carpeting. Another source of noise was the chassis A/C return air register on the passenger side of the firewall. When open the engine noise enters the coach.
Historically, Ford V-10s have been noisier due to their higher engine revs but since introducing the 5 speed tranny noise has been reduced somewhat. I have just learned to live with the noise.

[bluwtr49]

Regarding the older DP's, my experience has been that they are normally very quiet but, under certain wind conditions there is a bit of wind noise. However the mere fact that they are normally quiet a little bit of external noise is more noticeable when it's not competing with the engine noise level. The tinkling of the wine glasses and occasional shades rattling are more noticeable than the wind noise.

Road noise is quite often the tire thread pattern and road surface. I just replaced my front Toyos that had a M/S open thread with ribbed thread Hankooks and the difference was amazing.

Here again, even with the DP's the external noise will probably differ depending on the coach but still should be comfortably quiet.

Good luck in you quest.

[wa8yxm]

doxiemom11 wrote:
It could depend on brand and construction. We have a 2000 Monaco gas and it is not noisy on the road. We can hold a normal conversation. Perhaps yours is missing doghouse insulation/sound barrier or something.

I will second that and add a comment.

On my motor home wind noise has, from time to time, been an issue.

What is happening: The big front windshield is sliding down a bit, and seperating from the rear edge where it wraps around the body a bit.

I wound up adding retaining straps, and re-sealing the seals with chemical sealers.. Worked so far.. Will need to replace straps due to age soon though. The kind I'm using do not like too much sun.

[Greydennyhawk]

We had a 2013 class C jayco and traded last year for a new Tiffin gasser, after I test drove several other brands. It has the 6 speed transmission, and is a bit loud when accelerating in the low gears, and downshifting when climbing. But it is really nice and quiet in regular driving, we can talk, listen to the country stations, and even Bluetooth phone!
What a great floor plan, And NO problems with the coach. I read the Tiffin forum, and see folks write in with serious problems, ( many diesels) but it seems like Tiffin does take care of them , generally.
I wish you luck with your decision.
God bless America.

[Winnipeg]

I think it is one part build and one part location. If you watch the "Gone with the Wynns", they say that their Bounder needed some additional insulation. Maybe other coaches already do that?

Second, and I think more important, is where you drive. My class C is perfectly quiet when we are cruising on flatlands (much of America), but it absolutely roars when we are climbing mountains and large hills (essentially anywhere west of Denver).

When someone suggests that a particular motor/chassis is (or is not) strong, loud, quite, fuel efficient, etc.... consider where they typically drive.