Are all Class-C RV's noisy?

[Riverman]

I drove a used Class-C the other day and I've never heard such squeaking, rattling and cracking going on in my life. It sounded like all the wood joints in the unit were coming apart while traveling down the road. I wonder if the frame joints had nails instead of screws in them.

It was not a Jayco, and I won't mention the brand name.

I sure don't want one if they are all that noisy.

[Studiovette]

When cruising on smooth hwy mine is completely silent. I have done about 500$ in suspension mods and have j ride plus. If you're expecting a completely quiet right you're not gonna get it but that shouldn't be your deciding factor.

[EA37TS]

You don't mention the age or mileage of the used unit. That makes a significant difference as things wear with age.

[Riverman]

It was around 10-years old and 35k miles.

[don_kleinschnitz]

My RV required a lot of attention to loose and moving elements in order to get it quieted down.
Such as:

• Refer doors
• Shower doors
• Screen doors
• Windows

[GCAT9110]

We work on a lot of RVs and I find later model Super Cs (2013-2017) on M2 Chassis to be the quietest.

[Antper]

Originally Posted by Riverman

I drove a used Class-C the other day and I've never heard such squeaking, rattling and cracking going on in my life. It sounded like all the wood joints in the unit were coming apart while traveling down the road. I wonder if the frame joints had nails instead of screws in them.

It was not a Jayco, and I won't mention the brand name.

I sure don't want one if they are all that noisy.

Not being a Jayco says it all.
My has the plus suspension and very smooth quiet ride. But I have to say mines a 2019 with 4k on it. I also baby it on rough or undesirable roads.

[Riverman]

I can't afford a Super C

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Riverman

It was around 10-years old and 35k miles.

Ten years of wood shrinkage, plastic deterioration, rubber dry rotting I imagine it is one noisy thing rolling down the road.

One thing I would definitely look into are the suspension bushings. With 10 years of age and only 35K miles there is liable to be considerable dry rot and that could be an expensive proposition to repair unless you plan to do it yourself.

I would also look closely for oil and other fluid leaks especially around the brakes (wheel cylinders) and power steering pump.

[Riverman]

I do all my repairs on everything.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Studiovette

When cruising on smooth hwy mine is completely silent. I have done about 500$ in suspension mods and have j ride plus. If you're expecting a completely quiet right you're not gonna get it but that shouldn't be your deciding factor.

I would not call it "completely silent" on any road and I have at least that much in suspension mods as well as JRide. That is with my hearing aids off.

[tom463219]

Wind noise and tire noise are what I hear the most. Overall, not too bad.

[madmaxmutt]

For road and wind noise, the newer sound deadening material for cars is awesome. Since you do all your own work, you are just talking about the cost of of the deadener.

Squeaks and rattles are that same as a car. Find out exactly where it is coming from, and either fix it or live with it.

[Riverman]

My post was not about wind and road noise..... I know how to deal with those noises.

It was about excessive squeaks and rattles on a unit that I drove.

[msherw]

Originally Posted by Riverman

My post was not about wind and road noise..... I know how to deal with those noises.

It was about excessive squeaks and rattles on a unit that I drove.

Our RH24B is really quiet. Seems they attached most of the cabinetry correctly using pocket screws.

We do have a rattle from the glass cook top cover - just put a pot holder in there and viola - no rattle.

Our kitchen window screen rattled a bit but I just removed it and reset it. I was prepared to use foam tape on the screen to window frame but it was not needed.

7K miles and J-Ride on ours. Most any noise is the road, V10 engine, and improperly stowed pots and pans. We live with it as it is a small price to pay to arrive to a destination with our home.

[Camper_bob]

It seems I spend some time each time I drive my MH chasing down noises. Got pretty much all of them for a LONG time. Now I have a couple new ones to chase down, and will get to them this week.

My point is that no matter how much you've chased down squeaks/rattles/creaks/thumps, there always seems to be a new one crop up eventually. The only way I know of to deal with them is as was already said, chase them down and either fix them or live with them.

Right now I have one that developed in the joint between the driver/passenger compartment and the overhead bunk. I intend to remove the plastic trim, tighten every fastener I can find (seems that fasteners loosening up over time, causing a creak or crack sound is pretty common), fill any voids with insulation, and button it all back up. My water heater also started squeaking (again). I think I'm going to do something different with that problem. I think I'm going to put insulation/heat barrier (automotive specific) on the back of the panel that hides the water heater, and remove the screws and install magnetic fasteners to keep the panel on. I still need to have access to that compartment so I can bypass the water heater when winterizing.

It takes time and effort, but once you've chased them all down, it's a MUCH nicer ride.

My in-laws' rig used to make a HUGE racket, I don't know how they could stand it...

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Riverman

My post was not about wind and road noise..... I know how to deal with those noises.

It was about excessive squeaks and rattles on a unit that I drove.

I had a good friend rent his first RV. Came back and said it "was like riding in a silverware drawer!" I loved that description.


Rattles and squeaks drive me insane.
I'll pull out all of the stops to make them go away.


The recent one was the microwave had rattled itself loose from the wall. I disassembled what I could to drive some more screws in.


I'd say ours is pretty quiet - relatively.

It's NOT squeak free. I'd suggest anyone who insists their unit is squeak/rattle free really should get a hearing test.


Mine's tolerable.
I don't think I'll every be able to drive out all of the squeaks.


There's one caused by the counter cabinets rubbing on the wall. I'll live with that one for now.

[Silvernelle]

Although even when brand new there are some noises to be tracked down, as these rolling suites age and obtain miles things get loose. When underway it is like subjecting all of the components to an earthquake, so it should be expected.


Perhaps the one you drove was formerly owned by someone who either couldn't hear the loose stuff or didn't care. Probably everything can be tightened up, as other folks have posted, as you track them down. The only thing I would wonder is if the inside has been left to its own devices what has been the general maintenance on the rig? Like oil changes, tire rotations, transmission fluid maintenance, etc.



Just a thought...


Good luck with your search for the perfect rig! Happy trails..

[Tcdoughboy34]

Originally Posted by Riverman

I drove a used Class-C the other day and I've never heard such squeaking, rattling and cracking going on in my life. It sounded like all the wood joints in the unit were coming apart while traveling down the road. I wonder if the frame joints had nails instead of screws in them.

It was not a Jayco, and I won't mention the brand name.

I sure don't want one if they are all that noisy.

Most every motorhome is more noisy than you might expect

[Johnynorthland]

Was it Completely empty? If so, an empty RV sounds much worse if there’s nothing inside of it to absorb the noise. It’s simple physics. It’s called acoustical absorption.

Having said that they all make some type of noises, my 2019 JayCo C is not all that terrible. But I do remember driving it empty what a racket!