Super loud heater

[wrvond]

Inadvertently left the propane heater on last night. This morning, from inside the house I heard what sounded like a large truck in the driveway so went outside to investigate. The camper heater had kicked on and standing outside it sounded like a jet about to take off! I'm glad I don't have vinyl siding as I'm sure the exhaust would have melted it. I turned the heater off using my phone (didn't go inside the camper) and when it shut off - that is quit making heat - and entered the cool down cycle (blower still running) the noise level sounded closer to what I'm used to hearing out of heaters. Once it cooled down it completely shut off. The camper hasn't burned down, so I don't think anything is wrong but I'm not sure the sound level is normal. I'd hate to be the "guy next door" in an RV park or similar with that thing blasting at one or two in the morning!
So is this normal, or is there something I could/should do to reduce the noise?

[Brantel]

Yeah they are noisy and they send a ton of the heat out with the exhaust. They are terribly inefficient.

Open one up and you will see they are little more than cool air being blown over a fire tube and then out to the vents. The fire tube combustion air is also pressurized by the fan blower. This makes them roar.

If the combustion mixture ratio is off, it can make them louder in some cases.

[Javi]

The newer ones are the worst.
Sometimes you can hear them from two or three sites away.

[dutchmensport]

Your comment is most amusing. When we first purchased our Montana High Country and turned on the furnace (in our driveway), the neighbor came over the next day and asked what that noise was coming from the trailer. He said it sounded like a jet engine. That was over 3 years ago.

Since then, we've done our share of cold weather camping. And it can't be hidden at all.... when the furnaces in all the later models of RV's turn on, they all sound like jet engines. And yes, campgrounds in cold weather can sound like a US Air Force landing strip!

After hearing other RVs make the same "roar", I never let it bother me again. Inside the camper, it's not near as noisy.

[sourdough]

The furnaces can get quite noisy. I compare them to hot air balloons when they fire up those propane heaters/flames to fill the balloons (and keep them filled). It is normal and can be quite loud. I've noticed that some sizes/brands are noisier than others. I haven't determined if it's the Suburbans with the dual exhaust port (I think) or the sizes; my last 35k was considerably louder than the previous 30k btu (I think) furnace. Just go to sleep and let the noise help you drift off.....but don't stand in front of the exhaust!

[BubbaShoots]

Yep, mine sounds like a jet engine. If your furnace exhaust is campside, don’t set anything in front of the exhaust…like a table with stuff on it. Don’t ask how I know.

[flybouy]

So is this normal, or is there something I could/should do to reduce the noise?

Normal is a relative term. Without hearing yours all I can say is that I've heard newer units in campgrounds that sound like a jet afterburner launching from an aircraft carrier. I don't know of any way to reduce the noise and would advise against trying it.

[wrvond]

Thanks folks, glad to know it's not just me!
Danny, I can't remember offhand what the BTU rating is, but it's only got one exhaust port FWIW.

Marshall, when I asked about steps to mitigate the noise I was thinking more like loose mounting screws or mounting over a void acting like a sound box or similar item. I would never modify a heater assembly.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by wrvond

Thanks folks, glad to know it's not just me!
Danny, I can't remember offhand what the BTU rating is, but it's only got one exhaust port FWIW.

Marshall, when I asked about steps to mitigate the noise I was thinking more like loose mounting screws or mounting over a void acting like a sound box or similar item. I would never modify a heater assembly.

The specs show your trailer comes with a 35k btu furnace. The one exhaust port should be an Atwood furnace (now Dometic as I recall). I figure that exhaust noise is going to be normal for a unit that size. You have seen the furnace outlet behind the pass through. The furnace is probably mounted directly to the floor behind the pass through wall. You could pull that little wall and see if there is anything going on with the mounting, ducts etc. that might cause extra noise to you.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by wrvond

Thanks folks, glad to know it's not just me!
Danny, I can't remember offhand what the BTU rating is, but it's only got one exhaust port FWIW.

Marshall, when I asked about steps to mitigate the noise I was thinking more like loose mounting screws or mounting over a void acting like a sound box or similar item. I would never modify a heater assembly.

Typically the vast amount of noise is from the exhaust and not a resonation caused by vibration. Something loose will rattle and knock or bang. The furnace roar is a product of the forced air combustion.

[rhagfo]

One more reason I love running our furnace using RV Comfort Systems "Cheap Heat". While most people use electric spaced heaters. We heat electrically with our furnace, on a 50 amp service we get 5,000 watts of heat, on a 30 amp service 1,800 watts of heat. While not exactly cheap to purchase, and have installed, sure beats having electric space heaters kicking around, using the scary RV outlets.
The noise while running is just that of the furnace fan, and even heat throughout the 5er. I can still heat with gas if we have a power outage.
https://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/

[Courser Farm]

Originally Posted by wrvond

Inadvertently left the propane heater on last night. This morning, from inside the house I heard what sounded like a large truck in the driveway so went outside to investigate. The camper heater had kicked on and standing outside it sounded like a jet about to take off! I'm glad I don't have vinyl siding as I'm sure the exhaust would have melted it. I turned the heater off using my phone (didn't go inside the camper) and when it shut off - that is quit making heat - and entered the cool down cycle (blower still running) the noise level sounded closer to what I'm used to hearing out of heaters. Once it cooled down it completely shut off. The camper hasn't burned down, so I don't think anything is wrong but I'm not sure the sound level is normal. I'd hate to be the "guy next door" in an RV park or similar with that thing blasting at one or two in the morning!
So is this normal, or is there something I could/should do to reduce the noise?

Laughing because we had the same reaction first time we fired up the furnace. Same unit as yours. But it is more quiet inside, and as others have said, we are all in the same boat...er... camper. On the positive side, as we don't winterize and so we run the furnace prn, it is comforting to hear it run off and on on cold days/nights.

[RollaMo]

We also have the Cougar 24RDS.
To me, the furnace isn't any louder on the outside than our last Jayco travel trailer.


As flybouy mentioned earlier "Normal is a relative term".
To me, ours sounds normal since it sounds the same as our previous Jayco (inside and out).

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by RollaMo

We also have the Cougar 24RDS.
To me, the furnace isn't any louder on the outside than our last Jayco travel trailer.


As flybouy mentioned earlier "Normal is a relative term".
To me, ours sounds normal since it sounds the same as our previous Jayco (inside and out).

Quite true. Our previous unit was a Coachmen travel trailer with a rear kitchen. The heater fit under the oven on the back wall with a single duct going up the center of the camper to the nose. This new heater is moving a much larger volume of air inside and outside.

[jsb5717]

They are pretty much all noisy. The main variable for indoor noise is the furnace's location and how much "insulation" is between the furnace and the main living space. When we first bought this 5er I thought the furnace was the quietest we'd ever had...until I stood by the exterior exhaust port. All of our furnaces over the years have been noisy outside...just different volume levels inside. This one is the best so far.

[Carrottop]

We have not taken possession of our new trailer yet. But it has a 40K furnace and I am now dreading firing it up as the vent will be right next to my neighbors deck area.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Carrottop

We have not taken possession of our new trailer yet. But it has a 40K furnace and I am now dreading firing it up as the vent will be right next to my neighbors deck area.

Ah, don't worry about it. Just think about it; if the furnace is on it's cold outside. If it's cold outside and they're on the deck they will appreciate the free heat!!

[wrvond]

Funny post!

[Carrottop]

Good point. I did not look at it that way. Maybe I can charge him for the heat.

[ChuckS]

You will find that usually those RVs with the Suburban series furnace ( two ports outside ) are much less noisy and more reliable than any Dometic Atwood AFM DFM 35 series furnace

Mine is the SF42Q and makes way way less noise to the other units