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Old 11-12-2018, 10:13 PM   #1
OregonDuck
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Mystery sound in the night...

Hi all. Just finished a trip and have one for ya...

Woke up to the sound of a, guess I would call it, a clang? Woke me up first. Turned over and went back to sleep. It was pretty windy, so I had at first thought it was just a branch or something falling into the truck bed. Woke the wife up next; we could tell it was coming from the front left of the rig.

It was cold and we took full advantage of the furnace. Which I mention, because as we tried to figure out what the sound was, we realized it happened every time the furnace stopped. I figured it would be the propane tanks? Went out to listen next to the tank and changeover valve, and I heard nothing. Wife still heard it inside the bedroom. Was intermittent, sometimes louder than others, and we only noticed it on the last night.

Any ideas?
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Old 11-13-2018, 03:53 AM   #2
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Perhaps the sound of metal contracting as it cools?
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Old 11-13-2018, 05:32 AM   #3
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What rig do you have? I've read about auto leveling systems making noise. It could be metal ductwork cooling down. Noises are the most difficult to diagnose without hearing it.
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Old 11-13-2018, 07:56 AM   #4
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Air flow coupled with heat tends to expand the duct work, the burner shuts off before the fan does as the fan cools the heat exchanger so it turns off second. cooler air and stoppage in fan causes the duct to contract. Usually the more air tight a system is the more pronounced the sounds of contraction and expansion will be.
That would be my guess
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Old 11-13-2018, 09:04 AM   #5
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If you have the auto level hydraulic system it's most likely the jacks creaking/popping. The fix for that problem is with the jacks up, slides in if equipped with hydraulic slides, remove 1 quart of fluid from the reservoir & replace with a anti stiction oil (fancy word for 15w motorcycle fork oil), top off reservoir to within 1/4" to 1/2" from the fill opening, then cycle jacks/slides a few times, popping should stop.
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Old 11-13-2018, 11:07 AM   #6
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Just a WAG (certainly not a SWAG): It could be the blade on the sail switch inside the furnace heat exchanger. When the furnace shuts off, the sail switch blade "falls down" to the "off position". Possibly that "clang" is the blade hitting the bottom of the heat exchanger and is being transferred through the trailer heat ducting to the register in the bedroom. Is your furnace "under the stairs in your trailer?
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Old 11-13-2018, 07:01 PM   #7
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Rig is a Cougar 29RDBWE. Furnace is under the refer. Auto level is electric.

Had not thought of the duct work or the blade from the heat exchanger.... That makes complete sense. Guess since I could swear the sound was coming from underneath in front I was fixated on the propane tanks. But sound can travel/play tricks on ya, so absolutely could be the case.

Will have the 5'er out again next week; I'll hover my head over a duct / near the furnace listening this time vs. the propane tanks! LOL
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Old 11-13-2018, 07:27 PM   #8
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Let us know what you find.... No "beer bets" involved, but it'll be interesting to hear what's causing your "clunk".....
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Old 11-14-2018, 05:18 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelin texans View Post
If you have the auto level hydraulic system it's most likely the jacks creaking/popping. The fix for that problem is with the jacks up, slides in if equipped with hydraulic slides, remove 1 quart of fluid from the reservoir & replace with a anti stiction oil (fancy word for 15w motorcycle fork oil), top off reservoir to within 1/4" to 1/2" from the fill opening, then cycle jacks/slides a few times, popping should stop.
X2. I ended up removing/adding two quarts and it still pops on occasion if parked for long periods. YMMV.
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Old 11-14-2018, 08:36 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OregonDuck View Post
Rig is a Cougar 29RDBWE. Furnace is under the refer. Auto level is electric.

Had not thought of the duct work or the blade from the heat exchanger.... That makes complete sense. Guess since I could swear the sound was coming from underneath in front I was fixated on the propane tanks. But sound can travel/play tricks on ya, so absolutely could be the case.

Will have the 5'er out again next week; I'll hover my head over a duct / near the furnace listening this time vs. the propane tanks! LOL
The furnace in our old RV makes a lot of creaky/clanky noises as it heats and cools and the metal expands and contracts. I can hear the sail switch turn on and shut off, too, but it's more like a "click" than a "clank". In that rig, there are two ducts, and you can definitely hear the noises coming from the vents if you get down near them.

Now that I think of it, the furnace in our new Passport is pretty quiet so far. It's under the refrigerator as well.

The talk about noise traveling around and fooling you as to where it's coming from reminded of a day in the new Passport at a campground when I distinctly heard some kind of noise from the bathroom at the back of the trailer. Even went back there to check it out and I would have bet money it was coming from back there somewhere. Turns out when I went outside to continue checking it out the noise was actually coming from outside, in FRONT of the trailer, from a campsite across the way! Couldn't tell you the science behind it, except that maybe it's because the bathroom is like a big cave, with no windows, and only one door.
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Old 11-27-2018, 04:59 PM   #11
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I was glad to see someone else has these noises, I have a 2011 30FKV Cougar tagalong. Drives me crazy trying to figure what it is. It is connected to the furnace system, but is not from heat. As long as the thermostat is turned to heat I get it, but most nights the heat does not come on, just the noises. Wonder if it is part of the air circulation system for the belly under the floor. There is no timed process that I can see, it comes whenever, but below about 50 degrees outside. I would really like to understand what it is and if normal. It is going to 23 degrees tonight and the heat just cycled on , no noises, just the heat flow, blower soft noise and low whistle from the furnace it has always had.
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Old 11-27-2018, 05:52 PM   #12
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There are LOTS of noises in an RV depending on the time of year and what you have going on; suspension noises, stabilizer noises, creaking/popping, AC noises/stopping/restarting etc./heater noises/blower noises/creaks, pops and cracks from heat/cooling.....you get the idea. I like listening to Marty Robbins as he adds to the cacophony of sound. On the other hand, if that doesn't work and it bothers you, just have a few brews and grab 3mg of melatonin with the old arthritis medicine and hit the sack;...still hear "noises"? Use ear plugs.
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Old 11-27-2018, 05:58 PM   #13
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As long as everyone is hearing noises. If you start hearing voices then you may have issues.
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Old 11-27-2018, 06:10 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
As long as everyone is hearing noises. If you start hearing voices then you may have issues.
You mean like the one that says, "Your black tank is really connected to the gray water system and the handles are reversed....." ???? Hmmmmm
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Old 11-29-2018, 09:04 PM   #15
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So quick update. After a week out to visit family for turkey day I believe I've found a culprit, although still can't be 100% positive. We only heard it once, so did not have enough "samples" to chase down.

It sounds like the duct work under the bath and bedroom, that travels through the basement pass-through storage. It was warmer on this trip, and only occurred on the coldest night. I would assume then that it is just simple expansion/contraction, which occurs when my furnace is working more often (i.e. warmer ducts) and as it turns off, the colder temp of the basement provides a nice clang to the ambiance.

Should I ever confirm, and find a way to kill the clang, I'll be sure to share.
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Old 11-29-2018, 09:24 PM   #16
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There are many "weird noises" that happen in our trailer when we go from warm/hot/cold when the systems try to take care of us. I just let them lullaby me to sleep unless I hear a "clang".
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Old 11-30-2018, 04:19 AM   #17
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You mean like the one that says, "Your black tank is really connected to the gray water system and the handles are reversed....." ???? Hmmmmm
The older I get the more common the voice in my head says "get up and go to the bathroom!"
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Old 11-30-2018, 07:51 AM   #18
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Thanks to all those having contributed to this thread, I have finally realized a "benefit" of my U.S. Navy - flight deck induced hearing loss/tinnitus.
When I remove my hearing aids, I don't hear anything (except the jet engines in my head)
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Old 11-30-2018, 08:04 AM   #19
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Sometimes I wish my four kids would be quiet long enough so I could here those noises. Lol.
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Old 11-30-2018, 09:15 AM   #20
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I finally found my clunking noise, could be yours also. Check valve seeping back in water pump kicks the pump on for split second causing a clunk and the sound following piping. Thank you to those who tried to comment to help. Some have mental problems with voices in their heads.
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