RV Rattle

maids · Senior Member

RV Rattle

KevinJ · Senior Member

Turn the radio up to full volume. biggrin

Possum3 · Guru

I imagine "rattling" is coming from tow hitch - most have some sort of anti-rattle adjustment screw - if not, you could attempt to pack the gap between tow tongue and hitch with a sound deadener - ice cream containers are usually the best source of "plastic sleeves" and usually has varying thicknesses. If the gap is minimal you may use PTFE tape or even duct tape wrapped around tongue.

If rattle is coming from the ball and coupling (this is serious) - purchase new parts or change over to DO35 Coupling.

yobarr · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
I imagine "rattling" is coming from tow hitch - most have some sort of anti-rattle adjustment screw - if not, you could attempt to pack the gap between tow tongue and hitch with a sound deadener - ice cream containers are usually the best source of "plastic sleeves" and usually has varying thicknesses. If the gap is minimal you may use PTFE tape or even duct tape wrapped around tongue.

If rattle is coming from the ball and coupling (this is serious) - purchase new parts or change over to DO35 Coupling.

Don't think they're towing, Possum? Cheers

Bobdown · Guru

Possum, the hint is in Maids signature..........VW Campervan.

I don't think she tows, but inside the van objects rattle around.

Cheers Bob

-- Edited by Bobdown on Sunday 13th of November 2022 11:26:57 AM

86GTS · Guru

We hired a motorhome to travel the 2500kms from Broome to Darwin.
Everything rattled & squeaked all the way.
Its just the nature of the beast.

Cuppa · Guru

Most people resort to teatowels & the like to wedge in to spots. When we had a motorhome the specific teatowels, foam wedges etc each had their place & became a normal part of the packing routine.

StewG · Senior Member

With rattles and squeaks, it is all a matter of finding the causes and to take appropriate remedial action. If that strategy doesn't work, get earplugs or walk or put up with it. Our towed van (I'm told) rattles along. Keeping the windows wound up and the radio/music on and everything is quiet.

Roger Roger · Veteran Member

We find and cure any major rattles, (repack, wrap up, use foam rubber strips,) after 4 years, cured any rattle which is annoying, yes, things stil rattle on some roads, but a pleasure to drive on good bitumen.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Rattles can sometimes be notoriously difficult to track down, including some stupid thing in a door pocket. You may have to take off trim panels, & it could be the trim panel itself.

maids · Senior Member

86GTS wrote:
We hired a motorhome to travel the 2500kms from Broome to Darwin.
Everything rattled & squeaked all the way.
Its just the nature of the beast.

yes you are probably correct,

I was thinking of trying a bit of foam on each door to try stop the noise.

Whenarewethere · Guru

If you need to quieten the vehicle add some accoustic insulation, it also makes great thermal insulation.

https://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t65443581/car-acoustic-insulation/

PeterInSa · Guru

SWMBO in our Sprinter Campervan uses paper tearoff towels?? between stacked cups/mugs/plates, small and larger pots/saucepans etc etc.

Could also be under the vehicle ie re shocks, unfortunately to find the source inside the vehicle, someone may have to walk/crawl.........edited, comment is dangerous and illegal.

maids · Senior Member

PeterInSa wrote:
SWMBO in our Sprinter Campervan uses paper tearoff towels?? between stacked cups/mugs/plates, small and larger pots/saucepans etc etc.

Could also be under the vehicle ie re shocks, unfortunately to find the source inside the vehicle, someone may have to walk/crawl.........edited, comment is dangerous and illegal.

It is the doors, I found a good you tube that suggest packing foam or paper towel wedged in the offending doors, will test that

woolman · Guru

We found the same thing moving to a motor home. Over time we eliminated them but actually they happen in a caravan, just you don't hear them.

You eventually turn off to the normal squeeks

The main thing if there is a neworacle it should be investigated

Neil

PeterInSa · Guru

re ( packing foam or paper towel wedged in the offending doors)

Not a Long Term solution, if your window seals leak, and they will, water in the foam/paper towel will eventually rust the inside of the door. Vehicles have holes in the bottom of the doors to let water out.

But treat the door interior panels to a Fish oil spray, or, or, and check occasionally and may last without any rust.

maids · Senior Member

PeterInSa wrote:
re ( packing foam or paper towel wedged in the offending doors)

Not a Long Term solution, if your window seals leak, and they will, water in the foam/paper towel will eventually rust the inside of the door. Vehicles have holes in the bottom of the doors to let water out.

But treat the door interior panels to a Fish oil spray, or, or, and check occasionally and may last without any rust.

This is just for inside cupboards not exterior doors

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day maids

May I add to the above suggestions

In our MH when we first took delivery now 20+/- yrs ago we had what sounds like similar rattles as you are describing

Cupboard doors always have a tiny loose bit as part of their fitting allowance ... so we found a pack of 1cm diameter stick-on / plastic things (24 to a sheet for $2) and we inserted them onto cupboard doors / drawers / etc wherever we found a small (ie- 1mm) gap in the fittings. They fall off after about 5 yrs, and we replace them as needed. This cured 75% of our internal rattles

We also reduced other rattles as

Stove top -- placed a piece of 5mm thick feltex ($2) between the burners and metal grille that pans sit on whenever we started on a dirt road
Used a CD/DVD stacker on its side to hold plates (a $5 purchase) ... all plates are melamine and if they drop they bounce
Bought wine glasses as Tasting glasses in a box of 6 for $20 and then we get a tight box with cardboard interleaves between each glass (we have the nice curved glasses, not the awful tennis-ball shaped glasses)

Nowadays just about all of our rattles comes from the locking mechanism inside the flyscreen door - something that we cannot alter

Hope this helps
Phil

Ivan 01 · Guru

Some comments offer no help at all.

If it is difficult to locate the source of rattles while driving.

An old trick that mechanics sometimes use is to raise the vehicle either on a Jack or a hoist and have someone hit the tread surface of each tyre with a large rubber hammer.
This will simulate your vehicle hitting a bump.
Have someone inside the vehicle to move around to locate the cause of the rattle.
Blindly packing items may not fix a fitting or accessory that is loose.
I hope this may help you find that illusive rattle.

-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Wednesday 16th of November 2022 10:50:57 AM

maids · Senior Member

Ozzie_Traveller wrote:
G'day maids

May I add to the above suggestions

In our MH when we first took delivery now 20+/- yrs ago we had what sounds like similar rattles as you are describing

Cupboard doors always have a tiny loose bit as part of their fitting allowance ... so we found a pack of 1cm diameter stick-on / plastic things (24 to a sheet for $2) and we inserted them onto cupboard doors / drawers / etc wherever we found a small (ie- 1mm) gap in the fittings. They fall off after about 5 yrs, and we replace them as needed. This cured 75% of our internal rattles

We also reduced other rattles as

Stove top -- placed a piece of 5mm thick feltex ($2) between the burners and metal grille that pans sit on whenever we started on a dirt road
Used a CD/DVD stacker on its side to hold plates (a $5 purchase) ... all plates are melamine and if they drop they bounce
Bought wine glasses as Tasting glasses in a box of 6 for $20 and then we get a tight box with cardboard interleaves between each glass (we have the nice curved glasses, not the awful tennis-ball shaped glasses)

Nowadays just about all of our rattles comes from the locking mechanism inside the flyscreen door - something that we cannot alter

Hope this helps
Phil

funny thing hubby suggested the stick on just yesterday.

We will try them

Tony Bev · Guru

Unfortunately there is no one cure fixes all, as all rattles come from different places

As others have already said, pack things up tightly, and/or use something to stop stuff touching

I can confirm, that it is possible to stop all rattles in an RV, as one of my brothers has already done it

I am still trying to stop all rattles, but I have only had my RV for eight years

N33224 · Member

Have not travelled for a few years now, but when we got our first motorhome I wrote this. Hope it is of some help!

Email address at top no longer valid, is an old .pdf file. Motorhome was a Sunliner, bought a second larger Sunliner after a few years and reluctantly sold it after 13 years of travel...

Geoff

-- Edited by N33224 on Wednesday 28th of December 2022 02:09:49 PM

Geeco · Senior Member

Geoff, your conclusion in your "rattles" pdf back then was imho very accurate " the industry is still in its infancy", and I believe it still is.