Thor Forums

[mcr1010]

I posted this over on irv2 and thought I would do the same over here in case some owners don't get over there.

When I first drove the Vegas, I found the engine noise to be very loud compared to our other coach which was a diesel. So much so that my wife and I could not carry on a comfortable conversation at highway speeds. Also, the cockpit engine cover got kinda warm. I wanted to see if there was any insulation on the back side of it. I have a pic that shows the stock cover as it was removed and a pic with the foam insulation installed. The only stock insulation is a pad with foil on the large face. This leaves a lot of vacant areas for sound and heat to transfer into the cockpit. The foam has reduced the engine noise considerable and was worth the time and effort. I had to use a right angle head to get at the screws under the dash. Also, had to remove a wood diagonal support which was only stapled in place. I drilled a couple of screw holes to re-attach.

The foam I used was Great Stuff which is available most big box stores and home improvement stores. It has a temp rating of 240F, so that should cover most of the engine compartment temps.
It will stick to anything it touches, so be aware and protect yourself. I wiped the surface down with alcohol to remove any residue from the fiberglasing and provide better adhesion. Had to do a little trimming with a sharp knife to clear some of the stuff on the back of the engine, but it trims easily and marks well on the interference's so, you know where to trim.

After insulating the engine cover, I noticed that a slight engine noise was coming from the windshield area. There was a gap on each side where the dash does not meet with the glass almost all the way around the width of the windshield. Also a gap at the corner posts for the windshield. I stuffed some 1 1/4 sq. soft foam ac insulation in the gaps and that has quietened it down.