a/c fan noise
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9061
Printed Date: 19 May 2024 at 8:28pm
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Topic: a/c fan noise
Posted By: 6163
Subject: a/c fan noise
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2016 at 9:07pm
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A/c , heater fan very noisy in my small -171 unit Service at dealer says normal anyone have a solution. keeps me from sleeping |
Replies:
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 22 Nov 2016 at 9:26pm
Ear plugs  you kind of get used to it...................  ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 8:59am
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It's a small space.. So the a/c and heater are pretty close to you. Many just leave the a/c fan on low, so the noise is easier to ignore. What many owners do if camping when heat is needed, AND with hookups, is use a small ceramic heater. Ours is 1200 watts, about 7-8 inch cube, keeps the pod comfortable down into the teens. ------------- |
Posted By: 6163
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 8:59am
| thanks that's what i was afraid of |
Posted By: 6163
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 9:01am
| thanks for heater details and will check fan setting |
Posted By: osage
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 10:26am
| after all the complaints about noise ac it looks FR would put a more quiet one in. I would think a 7000 t0 8000 btu should cool a pod no bigger than they are. The ac in our 175 will freeze you out on a 95 deg. day |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 11:11am
| It takes a while for the 13.5k BTU A/C to cool down our Pod on a Texas summer day, so an 8k BTU model would probably be inadequate. We put the fan on low at night; it provides continuous white noise which I've found to be easy to sleep through. The first night in the Pod, we left it on auto and I woke up every time the fan turned on and off. |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 23 Nov 2016 at 7:19pm
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I feel A/c is a total disaster. I have now experienced two PO'd campsite neighbors, at different times, greet me in the morning, telling me the a/c kept them awake all night. Both brought management with them. Management says "so what" big rigs with 3 a/c units are loud too. Both neighbors left after many unkind words. Just saying, whats up with the jet engine sound of the a/c unit ? Happy trails Joe
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Posted By: ArenaBlanca
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2016 at 11:31am
| I had a Forest River representative tell me that an Atwood A/C was quieter and more efficient. That would be an expensive solution. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2016 at 12:00pm
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Again.. the R-Pod is built to a price point. The 13.5 Dometic is made and sold by the truckload, so it's the least expensive option.. Gets owners into the TT world as inexpensively as possible. I would wager that for most owners, $$$ outweigh Decibels in a first RV.
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2016 at 12:03pm
In decades of RVing, I have never heard such a thing said. 2 years ago we did have a family in a tent behind us in a cramped/full campground tell us in the morning they hated us all night.. it was like a very muggy with 90F for a LOW kind of night... That's as close as I have been to someone being upset about hearing ANYTHING on our campers. ------------- |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2016 at 7:20pm
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Furpod... I know...I've been at it two decades as well. The exhaust side of the ac on the outside is very loud. But so what. Others are too. My trailer before the Pod was a Casita. Very quite AC. The first complainer was actually fist fight ready...an older guy about 70. I guess I po'd him off more when I told him his new truck was NOT a Dodge Ram... Dodge does not make trucks anymore. They are de-branded. It is a Fiat Ram...That'll teach him to call my Honda truck un American, but that's a whole new post in itself. Happy trails Joe
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2016 at 7:39pm
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While the air conditioner is not exactly quiet, it is no louder than the ones I have heard on a lot of motor homes in campgrounds we have visited. It may seem a bit louder because it isn't as high off the ground, but it is not loud either. Perhaps if something is not in adjustment, there is noise, but we have not had any complaints from those camped near us since we have purchased it. Our house AC is much louder. Of course, it is more powerful and located at ground level in a package unit. We live with it because it will be a while before we can afford to replace it with a quieter unit. I have thought about replacing it, but price is a factor at this point.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2016 at 7:43pm
If your AC noise is a problem for other campers it means one of two things. 1. There is simething wrong with your AC and you need it checked, or 2. The complaining campers are new to camping. These units are used on other campers and are no quieter. My guess is that if they couldn't sleep it was the heat and not your AC. ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2016 at 7:01am
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And the sad truth about the fan being noisy is that it can be solved with excellent blade design. An A/C unit needs about 300-400 CFM of air per 12,000 BTU of cooling. This is a design parameter so the A/C unit operates efficiently and the evaporator coil doesn't freeze up by having too low of air flow. The makers of the A/C are making the fans too small, and the blade shape is making a lot of noise because of it. If the fan was bigger it could turn slower, make less noise, and still deliver appropriate amounts of air flow. Ever hear some of the new house mini-splits? The condenser is outside and the evaporator is wholly mounted inside on an interior wall. They are VERY quiet. Good fan design. I was going to look into finding a new fan blade design, but decided not too because I don't use the A/C, even in June/July. I camp without hookups. State Parks and small tent campgrounds. If someone knows a design engineer who works with fan blades, ask them about it. Maybe someone at fantastic fan can be persuaded to make and aftermarket option for the rooftop A/C untis, they would make a small fortune. ------------- 2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler 2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2016 at 5:29pm
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So to take this to the next level . . . what is the recommendation for a quiet a/c unit that would fit on the pod? We have never had a/c (our 177 was special ordered w/o it) but are contemplating it in the next couple years after I retire in case we want to go south during the summer months. We are like you Toolman, usually camp without hookups.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2016 at 2:15pm
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I agree that the outside noise is no different than every other A/C in the campground. I've never heard someone complain.
As for the inside noise, see this thread (below). I explored options and somewhere around page 6 I list a few fixes which helped reduce the inside noise by reducing the air turbulence as it flows through the unit. We always sleep with the fan on low (pod and current camper) which helped in the pod. During the day we leave the fan on auto (pod and current camper). http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433 - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433 ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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