AEC0303 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I definitely need some serious help!! But in the meantime…. ;)….. some advice and experience would be truly wonderful. In summary - please can the experts on the forum help – what models do you know of that are likely to be lower on the noise front. I fully appreciate that noise-free is unlikely, but something that does not deafen would be good. It’s the habitation section that’s causing the bother. Here’s the background… Me and OH want a motorhome. We’re first-timers. We want a Low Profile, 2-berth. We know we want a rear-lounge configuration, or front-lounge, but not a oversize washroom (that’s a waste of space imho). We def don’t want a fixed bed. Around 20-foot max, used, low-ish miles up to 20k tops. We’ve got a (small) pile of dosh burning a hole in the bank account, all raring to go, budget up to around £35k, but would hope to spend £30k or thereabouts. We’ve spent a couple of months trawling around “dodgey-derek”-type dealers and recently private sellers without success. As first-timers, we don’t really know the things to watch for, other than what we’ve picked up, so a dealer+warranty seems prudent, albeit at a price premium. Test drives of a variety of vehicles have been very disappointing. Ignoring the bit at the front that goes brmmmm… I can nearly cope with that bit, the “bit at the back” is where the confusion creeps in. Here’s how it’s tended to pan out…. We identify a nice model We find a dealer (or private seller) We go visit We find shabby, unclean, badly worn M/H We find a dealer (or seller) who falls into one of two distinct groups – the over-hyped incessant talker (see my other post), or the totally disinterested, ill-informed with a “CBA” attitude (my god-son taught me that phrase). We’ve found private sellers who tell me that “bobbling” and “delamination” is nothing to worry about, that spongey floors makes it easier on the feet, (apparently) and “yes, we get 45 mpg from it”. Yeah, right. We’ve found vehicles that claim (and actually have) a reversing camera, but have no monitor (!). We’ve discovered bad (and undeclared) LPG conversions and ones with loose (very loose) bike racks. Next… On dealer test drives, we’ve found huge noise from the conversion/habitation section, and even when we eliminate the floating things (grill rack, over trays, rattling stored table, fixable doors and cupboards etc) the whole constructions make more noise than the massed outputs of the midlands spanner factories. Yes, you can turn up the radio (when they work!) but your ears start bleeding at some point. We’ve tried a couple of Swift Boleros (both very very noisy), a Bessacarr (better), an Auto-Sleeper Nuevo (oh bad) and an Elite something-or-other (worst of all). So, please can the experts on the forum help – what models do you know of that are likely to be lower on the noise front. I fully appreciate that noise-free is unlikely, but something that does not deafen would be good. Hope we can crack this, as we’re desperate to get cracking…. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I'd rather have the perfect layout and put up with a bit of noise...........as being comfortable onsite is the raison d'etre of a camper for me ;-)........... Besides earplugs are cheap :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 seems like your getting there...I did warn you about swift etc... Just keep looking and learning, but for well screwed together vans your chances are better with a German one. Just get out there and try em..... Have a look at adria and autotrail. its sunny today, I guess you are retired so just have to do some serious foot work I'm afraid...we cant do it for you, and only so much that you can learn from a forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I can tell you that my 2005 Hobby T-600FC is near-as-dammit silent as far as habitation-area noise is concerned. However, this peace and quiet has not come easily and I've had to perform various 'interventions' ranging from significant deconstruction of the vehicle's overcab section to reach screws that were grating where the bodywork was attached to the cab, to carefully adjusting the fit of living-area's entrance door and adding felt 'buffers' to all the interior storage lockers' doors. Ovens are regularly criticised as an on-road noise source (my Hobby does not have one) as are cheap 'caravan type' Heki 2 rooflights. Otherwise (given your stated size/type/layout motorhome requirements) I think you may have to take pot-luck with the manufacturer, test drive the vehicle you might be interested in and (assuming it's not deafeningly noisy on the road) address the remaining noisiness yourself. I note that you appear to have restricted yourself to UK manufacturers so far, so you might try a few Continental European-built models to check if they are any better. I suspect that many motorcaravanners are vehicle-noise functionally deaf. I loathe this type of noise myself, but (when our Hobby was creaking like an old sailing ship in a gale) it didn't seem to bother my wife one bit. If (like me) you are particularly sensitive to irritating on-road noise, you may have a lot of trouble finding a motorhome that matches your expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Our Hymer is low on noise from hab area, as said buy German and you should be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Well we have owned three coachbuilts, two of which were low profile models, then one day finding ourselves a little bored went to a dealers and was struck by a panel van conversion that we wondered, would it fit our needs. A test drive was arranged there and then, and it was a revelation, virtually zero rattles and bangs, and with car like handling, we were instantly sold, I can't stand rattles, or creaks. Trouble was we were so overwhelmed by the relative quietness we overlooked the more practical side of things, the layout. So just a few months later we found ourselves swapping again, this time for our current IH Savannah Tio van conversion, and this was better in every respect again, made all the more so by the rear doors being replaced by the converters with a one piece GRP panel, so all in all a great van with all the facilities of a coachbuilt. Now the story moves on, as it is only a two berth, and wanting on occasion take our granddaughter with us we had temptation put in our way a couple of weeks ago, with a Hymer low profile, 9000 miles on the clock and immaculate condition, on closer inspection the fittings and build quality were excellent, but boy oh boy a quick test drive and we were instantly reminded of our previous coachbuilts. So needless to say it stayed where it was. I would urge you to at least consider a panel van conversion for peace and quite,preferably a LWB, and yes they are still a commercial vehicle at the end of the day, and are never going to be as quiet as a car, but in our experience far less jarring on the nerves from "conversion noise" than any coachbuilt. So in short why not check out a good second hand IH conversion such as this which would seem to tick all your boxes http://www.ihmotorhomes.com/used-motorhomes/details/357/3/used-vehicles/2008-08-ih-tio-r.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Totally agree Dave, some lovely 632m panel vans around, and I will never go back to a coachbuilt The only annoying sound from my adria panel van is the long blind on sliding door...solved with a pair of socks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 It is my belief (right or wrong) that noise from the habitation area is an indication of how well the thing is screwed together. However, they all creak and rattle a bit, my Hymer is not bad, like Derek I have made a few mods with felt pads etc and unless it is a very bad road it is fairly quiet. Something like a rattling cutlery drawer can make a noise well out of proportion to the problem so you have to try and identify a noise and decide if it is fixable. German vans seem to be well screwed together and my hymer uses an aluminium frame that is a lot stiffer. Some others are using aluminium frames now. Good luck with your search. It took me just over 12 months and lots of visits / miles before I found what I wanted. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 An empty van sounds noisier than when its fully loaded......... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 pelmetman - 2012-06-20 12:08 PMAn empty van sounds noisier than when its fully loaded......... ;-) I agree with this when loaded our Autosleeper is really quiet but when stripped out for the habitation check its a lot noisier . The worst noise is from the 2 way wall heater which seems impossible to shut up , but after a while its like a nagging wife you tend to ignore it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC0303 Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 The worst noise is from the 2 way wall heater which seems impossible to shut up , but after a while its like a nagging wife you tend to ignore it !! How true - with my OH, it normally takes a pork pie or a cream slice - maybe you could try that on your heater too ?? Works a treat but only for about 20 minutes, though :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 There was a thread some time back where a poster mentioned the excessive noise, at time I posted that my Campscout was very quiet, but afterwards I took more notice and decided that at speed (70mph) it did indeed get a bit noisey, such that if radio volume was set at 70mph it would need turning down at low speed. Not so much rattles or conversion noise, but just a general build up of noise. There was a couple of rattles we solved, grill pan got wrapped in cloth and couple of blobs of high temp silicone between door and stainless panel, The dinette and SLD window stays got a bit of knicker elastic to stop then ratlling. For the general build up of noise it's much more difficult to solve, it seems to be a bit of engine noise plus a bit of tyre noise plus the 'normal' wind noise plus a bit of wind noise from front skylight and dinette and SLD windows, it all adds up and you have a big box for it to reveberate around in. IMO layout and contruction can add to this, so a coachbuilt has more angles to get wind noise and a front lounge gives a bigger 'box' to amplify the sound. I do have an answer to the problem, but doubt many would want to do it, put a bulkhead between cab and habitation area, I did this on our last homebuild and it worked a treat, in fact I suppose on some rear lounges it could work quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 AEC0303 - 2012-06-20 1:44 PM The worst noise is from the 2 way wall heater which seems impossible to shut up , but after a while its like a nagging wife you tend to ignore it !! How true - with my OH, it normally takes a pork pie or a cream slice - maybe you could try that on your heater too ?? Works a treat but only for about 20 minutes, though :-S Cor............ how does he make a pork pie and cream slice last that long 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Might be worth having a look at the Tribute 615 front lounge, but built by Autotrail who usually screw thing together as well as the better manufacturers. Although over your £35k, it should come in within budget where there is not Trade-in. http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/auto-trail/tribute/2012-auto-trail-tribute-t-615-diesel-doncaster-mfpa-8ab5b63435e7b8670135fc55701a3d11 (Danum Leisure) Another source of noise in the cab, can be the bottom bar for the Remis Blinds. It vibrates in it's central mounting, especially at low engine revs. But easily cured with a strip of felt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 hallii - 2012-06-20 11:57 AM ...and my hymer uses an aluminium frame that is a lot stiffer. Some others are using aluminium frames now... H I hesitate to say this, but I don't think your Hymer Van is built round an aluminium 'frame'. Hymer has, for years, used a "PUAL" bodywork construction that omits the wood framework employed by many motorhome manufacturers and that leads to so much trouble if water-ingress occurs. Hymer's 'glued together' construction methodology (with no external screwed-together joints) should produce a very stiff, strong body that should reduce rattles and provide better insulation than a traditional wood-framed body, but there's no certainty that a genuine metal-framed body would do the same. A small number of European motorhome manufacturers have chosen to build on a metal skeleton - Eriba used to use steel tube, while LeVoyageur did/does use an aluminium frame to which the bodywork panels are attached. Other manufacturers (eg. Eura Mobil and Frankia) have used an aluminium-section jointing technique to attach the bodywork panels, roof and floor together, but (unlike Le Voyageur) there's no underling metal skeleton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 colin - 2012-06-20 7:33 PM I do have an answer to the problem, but doubt many would want to do it, put a bulkhead between cab and habitation area, I did this on our last homebuild and it worked a treat, in fact I suppose on some rear lounges it could work quite well. There's currently a couple in an Autotrail Tracker parked next to us and that's exactly what they've done but for a different reason! They go skiing and park up for weeks on end with their motorhome so, as they don't use the cab seats at alll (despite them having swivels on), they've put in a conti-board bulkhead which can be removed if needs be (not sure how quickly) which apparently keeps the rest of the van lovely and cosy and cheap to heat when they're skiiing or on the move in winter. Instead of a bulkhead, you could instead put in some thick curtains behind the cab seats to block out the noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Mel B - 2012-06-21 10:30 PM colin - 2012-06-20 7:33 PM I do have an answer to the problem, but doubt many would want to do it, put a bulkhead between cab and habitation area, I did this on our last homebuild and it worked a treat, in fact I suppose on some rear lounges it could work quite well. There's currently a couple in an Autotrail Tracker parked next to us and that's exactly what they've done but for a different reason! They go skiing and park up for weeks on end with their motorhome so, as they don't use the cab seats at alll (despite them having swivels on), they've put in a conti-board bulkhead which can be removed if needs be (not sure how quickly) which apparently keeps the rest of the van lovely and cosy and cheap to heat when they're skiiing or on the move in winter. Instead of a bulkhead, you could instead put in some thick curtains behind the cab seats to block out the noise. Curtains might work if you have a passenger that can be relied on to give warning of traffic at angled road junctions, in our case the bulkhead had door with 'window' so driver could see throu SLD window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Don't know where in the Midland you are but White Arches in Wellingborough have a large selection for you to play with at the moment. They have been selling caravans for years and a few people I know have bought from them and been very happy. They use the Caravan repair shop in Rushden where they also have a parts shop for repairs and servicing. Good luck with the noise, would agree they are noisy when empty, less when weighted down and your on your way to explore :-D you don't really care then. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Mel B - 2012-06-21 10:30 PM Instead of a bulkhead, you could instead put in some thick curtains behind the cab seats to block out the noise. Yes....... works a treat, we have a self lined curtain behind the seats in both the camper and my works van.......... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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