Sound proofing Generator Bay

[Jeff Bayley]

I ordered replacment fire proof sound deading material for my generator bay after the original stuff started falling down. Some of it is still in place but I have enough new stuff to do the entire bay due to a minimum order required. It's hard to squeeze in behind the generator to do the work even with the generator slide mechanisim pulled all the way out. Does anyone have a place they could recommend where I can pay to have this done ? I'm in So. California. An out of work jockey would be perfect for the job. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those things I have to wind up doing myself in the end.

If anyone has done this themselves, what did you use to fasten the material in place with ? I think the old stuff is attached with contact cement but my plywood is dirty now so I was thinking of using a staple gun or nail gun.

Jeff

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jeff,

With a mover's four wheel dolly, some blocks and the ability to raise and lower your coach via the airbags you can remove your generator without even breaking a sweat. Enlist the help of a friend (it may cost you a beer or two) and you avoid having to rely on someone else.

Now, to the question at hand....just use some screws and large plastic washers such as what is used to mount foam insulation. Lowes or Home Depot has them. Before you go to a lot of trouble, look at other sound deadening installations. This is not as simple as slapping on some foam. The materials generally are multi layers composites. As long as you are going to the trouble it might as will be done right. You will be happy with the results. Both Liberty and Vantare seem to me to have the most effective sound deadening systems.

[win42]

Jeff B: Once again Jon is correct.
If it's worth doing it's worth doing right.

If you want to sound proof a space you are going to occupy you put sound deadener on the walls. If you are trying to keep sound from penetrating the walls of the noise generating object, such as your generator, you add mass to the walls. I would add a new layer of 3/4 plywood to the interior of the space using thin rubber spacers between the two walls. This will stop the sound from penetrating the coach interior. Then if you want to add sound absorbing material to the interior of the new plywood wall do it.
The sound deadener will help quiet the noise escaping through the ventilation holes to the outside of the coach. Sound gives up it's energy to heat energy by vibrating the material put around it. To quiet a noisy boiler room in a building' they line the boiler room with plywood or other dense material to keep the sound from penetrating the walls and entering the adjoining space. If you want to lower the sound level within the boiler room to help the occupants of the boiler room you add add a soft material such as fiberglass insulation, or fluffy rubber sound material to the interior walls. Sound vibrates the material transfering its energy into heat and quieting the space within. Long drawn out explanation I know but this is how Acoustic Engineers make big bucks solving problems. Dense stops penetration ie. the block walls along the freeways to protect adjoining neighborhoods from noise. Engine mufflers quiet noise by a series if baffles causing the sound energy to be absorbed by vibrating the baffles or other filler material. If all this works for you please remit $$ to the OAFOHH. ( old age fund of Harry Hoppe )
H

[Jeff Bayley]

Harry and Jon-

Thank you for the feedback. I don't think I need to rework the design or add any more plywood. The gen is not loud at all and I'm happy with it Even with some of the original material missing it is not a problem. I think I just want to keep the coach maintained and not start letting things go. Hense, my compulsion to fix things right away when they go down. The air bags were not holding air and with the air bags flat that made a noticeable difference but I had Prevost replace the fittings and it's holding air now.

One thing on the gen removal (which would make this so much easier) is that John Klocek at Monico (aka Royal) wrote to tell me DO NOT try to take the generator out and to work around it. Not sure why he was so passionate about emphasizing this but it does look like getting all the wires installed correctly would be one issue you avoid by leaving it. My radiator for the gen is mounted on the other side of the coach so I have cooling hoses to disconnect and reconnect. I'd have to look again at it to see for sure but memory seems like the hoses are not easy to access. Plus, there is not a lot of play to give you working room to reconnect everything forcing you to have the gen right up against the coach and subsequently forcing you to work from the space in the rear. If I'm going to go through all that trouble I might as well just eat it and crawl in there for the primary job.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

There is a whole lot to disconnect and connect if you intend to remove a generator, but if you intend to do things right that may still be the best solution. If for no other reason than to do a complete inspection of the condition of all the generator components and accessories that are never seen, but have a huge potential to make your life miserable. I would want to know the exhaust is leak free, that the wires that were attached ten years ago are still sound and not chafing, that there is no potential for fire, and that when the new insulation is installed it is done, it is to no less then factory new quality.

Think of all the work you do in the long term and all of a sudden these nasty jobs don't seem so daunting.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Ditto everything Jon said! Add, this is a GREAT project if aproached in the correct mannor. Im doing ours, weve almost 5000 hrs. and its now 21 years old. Id love to freshen everything up. Mabye tighten the oil pan bolts and such. Insulation wise, lot a different things out there.
Thin lead sheets line the gen. bay door. They were damaged so we removed them and thats one of those unfinished things. I assume its also behind the foam padding, but if its not we will add it when I get to that project. This is another good project for a rally. Now that I think about it we have all kinds of things you all could help me fix:D

Ditto what Win42 said also, that is what our converter practiced.

This lead was also on the floor at the rear of the bus. Just like the stuff a plumber and tile guy would use for a custom tile shower basin.

Layers went as follows-plywood,lead sheet,thick rubber mat, carpet pad, carpet, full runners. Mucho sound deading factor!

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

I ordered replacment fire proof sound deading material for my generator bay after the original stuff started falling down. Some of it is still in place but I have enough new stuff to do the entire bay due to a minimum order required. It's hard to squeeze in behind the generator to do the work even with the generator slide mechanisim pulled all the way out. Does anyone have a place they could recommend where I can pay to have this done ? I'm in So. California. An out of work jockey would be perfect for the job. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those things I have to wind up doing myself in the end.

If anyone has done this themselves, what did you use to fasten the material in place with ? I think the old stuff is attached with contact cement but my plywood is dirty now so I was thinking of using a staple gun or nail gun.

Jeff

Hector, maybe what you want is in this thread. I am just going by the title. I have not re-read through it.


JIM

[Jeff Bayley]

I ran across this site and book marked it. Check it out. http://www.nelsonfirestop.com/. Navigate to "composite sheets" and see if this might be a useful layer to put in the gen bay before putting the fire retardant sound proofing material. I still have not reworked mine yet.