engine noise

Outhouse · 03-22-2020, 08:53 PM

Hello Everyone, We own a 2001 Adventure V10 Triton. Pulling a Toad that weighs 4343 lb + dolly. The engine sound is load and almost sound like it going to blow up. my Question is ,is ths typical. Do you have same experience?
Outhouse

akeagle · 03-23-2020, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outhouse

Hello Everyone, We own a 2001 Adventure V10 Triton. Pulling a Toad that weighs 4343 lb + dolly. The engine sound is load and almost sound like it going to blow up. my Question is ,is ths typical. Do you have same experience?
Outhouse

Nature of the beast! It develops most of its power at high RPMs - and that means 3500 - 4000 RPMs - so that means a lot of noise from the fan alone. That and the driver and passenger seats are only 2 - 3 feet from the engine and the sound deadening material leaves a lot to be desired.

We took noise cancelling headphones on our last trip but didn't use them out of concern that law enforcement would frown on it.

be happy · 03-23-2020, 04:58 AM

As said its the nature of the beast. However you may want to pull the "doghouse" off and check the insulation. A lot of folks have replaced the doghouse insulation with a better product and seem to have good results.

eldermike · 03-23-2020, 09:00 AM

The newer ones are much better at noise reduction. I would look at what manufacturers did to make them quieter and do that.

Outhouse · 03-23-2020, 10:05 AM

Thanks for your inputs,i get it motor is close. I will check insulation on dog house, maybe replace with thicker.
What about getting a lighter toad to pull? I know VW Bug 1963-1979 only weigh 1789 LB. And pulling 4 down would also get rid of Dolly weight.

theSane · 03-23-2020, 10:38 AM

What insulation do you recommend for the dog house?

akeagle · 03-23-2020, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theSane

What insulation do you recommend for the dog house?

I've seen some aftermarket sound deadening material - I think it was on Amazon. Comes in self-stick "tiles" about one foot square and with enough flexibility to conform to curved surfaces and heat resistant. Cost not exactly cheap but not exorbitant either.

Unfortunately I don't remember the brand name. Will try to look it up. It might even be here on this site under another forum name.

Just used the Google search feature at the top of this page. Type in "engine sound deadening material" and several sources will appear.

**creativepart** · 03-23-2020, 11:16 AM

It's especially noisy on pre-2017 models with the 5-speed transmission. The newer models have 6-sp transmissions and it has double overdrive gears. Ford also remapped the engine to produce higher torque at lower RPMs. It cut the horse power rating down to 320 HP but it's the torque and gearing that matter in this case.

There are a number of good sound deadening materials for your doghouse. These are sold online, but also at car stereo installers. Dynamat is probably the biggest brand but there is also Kilmat and Noico. Here's a more complete list:

Noico Sound Deadener
Design Engineering
Hushmat
Dynamat
SoundQubed
Mat 66
Thermo-Tec
FatMat RattleTrap

Many people also get an Engine "Tune" kit from 5 Star Tuning. It cost's $500 but it remaps the engine and the transmission shifting points. It will make your RV better and a bit quieter on hills, but not really faster and you'll probably use a little more fuel.

https://5startuning.com/got-a-v10-rv/

I doubt you'll notice a huge improvement with a lighter toad. We used to tow a Fiat 500 behind a 2015 F53 Class C. When we replaced it with a Lincoln MKX it really didn't make any difference in noise from the engine. The Fiat weighed half as much as the MKX.

Goodspike · 03-23-2020, 11:22 AM

My guess would be you have a gas engine. That is the nature of the beast because the higher RPMs are required to generate HP. Surprisingly diesels can be quieter, particularly the pusher models.

If you watch this IKE Gauntlet test it sounds as if they are torturing the poor little pickup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnl9OUg5YxY

tallen · 03-29-2020, 05:15 PM

Make sure your fan clutch hasn't gone out. With the motor off see if you can spin the fan blade. If not you need to replace your fan clutch. They are extremely noisy if they are frozen.

Goodspike · 03-29-2020, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallen

Make sure your fan clutch hasn't gone out. With the motor off see if you can spin the fan blade. If not you need to replace your fan clutch. They are extremely noisy if they are frozen.

Excellent suggestion!

Farco · 03-29-2020, 05:42 PM

I flat tow a VW Bug behind my 32’ Adventurer and the engine hardly knows it’s back there!
I only notice any noise when I kick it down a gear. Other than that, not to bad.
I found adhesive backed foil insulation at Home Depot at a fraction of the
cost of some of those name brands.

Outhouse · 03-29-2020, 08:15 PM

What year VW are you towing?The early models up to 1979 are onl 1780 lbs. What does yours weigh?

Bones2003 · 03-29-2020, 08:27 PM

Outhouse,
Good tip above from tallen about the fan clutch. Have you looked at your exhaust system to be sure there are no problems like loose connections or rusted through spots? Where does the noise seem the worst? As mentioned above, they are generally pretty noisy in the "dog house" area between the front seats. I also recall reading that V-10's from that time frame have problems with rusted and broken bolts that hold the exhaust manifolds to the engine.

Kg0gp · 03-29-2020, 08:38 PM

Dynamat?

Bones2003 · 03-29-2020, 09:07 PM

There are quite a few postings on various internet forums about insulating the doghouse. I recommend you do some research before you jump into adding insulation. The insulation is very close to the engine and can get very hot. You don't want a fire. I don't mean to scare you off about it because it does help and many people have insulated with no problems. The insulation has two benefits - one it reduces engine noise and two it reduces the amount of engine heat that gets into the driving compartment of the motorhome.

Farco · 03-30-2020, 04:34 AM

Outhouse:
Click on the avatar picture next to my name.
Its a 1979 convertible.
Its around 1850#

NeilV · 03-31-2020, 12:13 AM

My 2001 Adventurer 35U on the Ford chassis since I put the dynamat on the dog house is so quiet you can barely hear it idle. Be aware though that the max allowable speed is only 75 mph which the tires are only rated to handle for a short period of time.

The fan clutch should not be engaged at highway speeds though and if its stuck in the engaged position will be very noisy.

I have pulled a 4,000+ lb toad on a dolly all through the mountains on the East Coast with mine and noise was not a problem driving at reasonable speeds meaning 65 mph and below especially when pulling a grade.