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Titus · 01-28-2018, 06:36 PM

I too would be worried about over-insulating an air-cooled engine. It is located in an area with little air flow (unless the van is moving) and I would not to reduce the air flow even further. I can see how it would help to have a less-rigid connection to the van frame, but worry about having a weak connection if you have replaced the bolts with a rubber pad. How do you ensure a tight connection that will not loosen if you insert a rubber spacer between the generator frame and Sprinter frame. Double nut? Locking nut? A lock washer would probably not be effective against a rubber surface? And it you torque the rubber too much, you have reduced its effectiveness.

dapolrbear · 01-29-2018, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWH

Thanks all! I’ve ordered the resonator - for $50 even a small improvement is worth it.

The steering wheel is no longer available on the benzpartsforless website and a google search of the part number didn’t reveal another online seller. May contact Airstream or double back to my Mercedes dealer with the part number. I saw a 2018 steering wheel in person and liked it a lot and I prefer OEM so going to go that route even if pricier. I spend a lot of time with my hands on that wheel...

Steering wheel is special order from any MBZ dealer. Just find an Interstate with that steering wheel and copy down the VIN number, then you call the MBZ dealer and tell them you want the leather steering wheel that comes with that VIN number and you cross check the steering wheel part number with the one I provided. benzpartsforless doesn't list this part number on their website, you'll have to call them, they'll be able to special order for you.

InterBlog · 01-29-2018, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

I too would be worried about over-insulating an air-cooled engine. ...

+1... bingo, that's why I was asking about the EXACT product that was used.

I want to see what it is, and investigate how widely this kind of step is taken. I can't google it if I don't know its name.

I mean, it sounds like an excellent idea -- as long as it doesn't cause a thermal interference of some kind.

wachuko · 01-29-2018, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

I too would be worried about over-insulating an air-cooled engine. It is located in an area with little air flow (unless the van is moving) and I would not to reduce the air flow even further...

The material is placed so that it does not block existing vents.

Anyway, after doing the rubber grommets and metal washers with neoprene rubber, I did not feel much reduction inside the AI. Did not measured anything, I know, not very scientific... Wife and me just sat inside before, made the changes, sat again inside... could not tell the difference. So I will just leave this alone for now.

FlyFishinRVr · 01-29-2018, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wachuko

The material is placed so that it does not block existing vents.

I'm not talking about blocking vents as that's an obvious no-no. I'm talking about covering a metal surface that the engineers who designed the thing expected to have an air gap or be open to the environment to shed heat, but if covered won't be able to. I've been around small engines my entire life, and generally the only part of a system that's safe to wrap in anything is the exhaust. Anything else and you really mess with the internal temps, with unpredictable results (cooking the oil, pre-detonation due to excessive cylinder temps [not sure if this is an issue with lp vapor combusion?], etc.).

wachuko · 01-29-2018, 10:09 AM

Ohh, okay, got it.

amirm · 01-29-2018, 11:31 AM

My solution to the generator noise is two-fold:

1. Ear plugs.

The darn AC is too loud anyway and that is the last use we have for the generator. Alternatively I wear my In-ear Monitors (IEMs) for listening to music, etc. and that blocks a lot of noise.

2. Upgrade the inverter to 2 Kw so that you can run the microwave from it. We feed our dogs raw food that is frozen so we have to use this once a day. When we did the lithium conversion I also did the inverter upgrade and it is fantastic. Yes, it uses a lot of juice from the batteries but all it takes is a short drive and it is back full.

Titus · 01-29-2018, 11:53 AM

I have never crawled underneath to touch the generator enclosure while, or soon after, it was running.

My opinion: It is probably safe to put sound deadening material on any surface that you can comfortably leave your hand on after running the generator long and hard on a hot day. A surface that you can comfortably touch would not seem to be dissipating too much heat - compared to the heat rejected by the cooling fan and vent holes.

Note: If you can safely touch the surface you might have a helper judge how much you can reduce the noise simply by holding your hand or a sound-deadening material against the generator enclosure.

wachuko · 01-29-2018, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amirm

My solution to the generator noise is two-fold:

1. Ear plugs.

The darn AC is too loud anyway and that is the last use we have for the generator. Alternatively I wear my In-ear Monitors (IEMs) for listening to music, etc. and that blocks a lot of noise.

2. Upgrade the inverter to 2 Kw so that you can run the microwave from it. We feed our dogs raw food that is frozen so we have to use this once a day. When we did the lithium conversion I also did the inverter upgrade and it is fantastic. Yes, it uses a lot of juice from the batteries but all it takes is a short drive and it is back full.

Funny... was having a conversation with my wife about how loud the A/C was... since we were testing the generator by running also the A/C to give it load...

For the summer we plan to run it with the fan always on rather than in Auto mode... that fan will become white noise if constant...

Also a forum member is following up with Advanced RV to see what their super quiet A/C will go for... They still do not have pricing on the AC unit.

Listen to the difference at 4:35

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk7Ol80x2K0

And yes... inverter upgrade is also on my list... not sure if to go with a 2K now and then upgrade to a better one whenever I go with Lithium Iron Phosphate(LiFePO4) batteries (or whatever technology is available at that time).

amirm · 01-29-2018, 02:09 PM

If that has the same cooling and air volume, that would be nice. Sadly it seems they want to lock up an exclusive distribution which would highly limit availability.

InterBlog · 01-29-2018, 03:49 PM

WOW. That thing is a game-changer. And thank goodness that someone is pressing for improvement in this woefully-underserved area.

One thing I would recommend, though, with any such a/c product: open it up and verify that the guts of it are of an all copper and aluminum construction. There should not be any galvanized anywhere in that system (that should go without saying, but it does not).

Until a noticeably better alternative comes along, we are hoping to keep the dinosaur that is currently on our roof, for that reason. We opened it up last year to install an EasyStart, and I was impressed with the quality of the components. It's a decade old, sitting on a van roof, but with no obvious visible signs of degradation.

In comparison, the piece of junk a/c unit installed in our stick-and-brick house rotted out in just over seven years because it was not all aluminum and copper.

Titus · 01-29-2018, 04:09 PM

Interblog:
Why did you decide to install an EasyStart? When running on the generator our power monitor briefly goes about 20A when starting the AC but then drops below 20A before the EMS kicks it off-line.

FlyFishinRVr · 01-29-2018, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InterBlog

WOW. That thing is a game-changer.

It is. I think this comment (in the comments.....) was the best bit of news:

Thank you for your question. We can retrofit this quieter air conditioner if you already have a standard unit in place. Give us a call at 440-283-0405 to learn more or schedule service.

Since it appears that the "standard" unit they've been using is the typical Dometic Penguin I/II, etc., and the new unit can be retrofit in place of it, then the same can be true for ANY RV using the noisy Dometic units (like ours!). Once Mike divulges the make and model of this new, quieter A/C unit, it should be relatively easy to track one down.....

wachuko · 01-29-2018, 07:42 PM

Looks to be a Houghton Belaire RV (Caravan) HB 3200 Air Conditioner from Australia

amirm · 01-29-2018, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wachuko

Looks to be a Houghton Belaire RV (Caravan) HB 3200 Air Conditioner from Australia

You are right!

Looked up the spec and it is a 240 volt unit. So we are out of commision on using it on our current 30 amp 120 service. It is also spec'ed at 50 Hz. And 3.2 KW. At $1,800 it is also quite a bit more expensive than the Domic.

Wonder if the rest of their line has a 120 volt unit.

amirm · 01-29-2018, 08:27 PM

Correction: it is 2.7 KW

Total cooling is 3.2KW. Our current Domic is 3.9 Kw. So some loss of cooling capacity there.

wachuko · 01-29-2018, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amirm

You are right!

Looked up the spec and it is a 240 volt unit. So we are out of commision on using it on our current 30 amp 120 service. It is also spec'ed at 50 Hz. And 3.2 KW. At $1,800 it is also quite a bit more expensive than the Domic.

Wonder if the rest of their line has a 120 volt unit.

Advanced RV quoted a forum member 2400.00 for the install + the cost of the A/C unit (that is still pending pricing)...

They must be working with the vendor to convert to 120...

Advanced RV is using, what? 48 volt systems in their vans?

Also, researching this, I see a few comments on that company being acquired by Dometic... and selling this one in AU under the Finch brand...

So we might see that coming in 120 if Advanced RV is working with Dometic on it...

https://www.caravancampingsales.com....command-50874/

InterBlog · 01-30-2018, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

Interblog:
Why did you decide to install an EasyStart? When running on the generator our power monitor briefly goes about 20A when starting the AC but then drops below 20A before the EMS kicks it off-line.

Because we routinely run our roof a/c off our lithium battery bank. It's an 11,000 BTU unit and can be run for between 1 and 2 hours on the battery cells alone.

This is essential for me when I'm long-hauling with no relief driver (especially this past summer, when I hit temps as high as 103 degrees in Alabama). I drive 5 hours, stop for lunch in the parking lot of some Subway or Chipotle, get my food, eat, and then take a nap before getting back on the road for another 5 hours of driving. If I'm getting back on the road, then it doesn't matter how far down I suck the lithium cells during lunch. The alternator will take care of the drain before sunset.

I cannot run the a/c off the generator instead because I'm in public places, tight parking lots, and it would be far too much noise. That would be out of the question - I'd be asked to leave promptly if I tried it.

InterBlog · 01-30-2018, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wachuko

Advanced RV quoted a forum member 2400.00 for the install + the cost of the A/C unit (that is still pending pricing)...

They must be working with the vendor to convert to 120...
...

If this adaptation were pending or soon-to-be-attainable, I have to wonder why James Adinaro apparently (?) didn't know about it - if he'd known about it, I assume he would have aspired to be among the first to get it and report on it, as has been the case with other upgrade options. He communicates routinely with ARV and has them do some of his upfits, including the recent E&P leveling system installation. It's hard for me to imagine such a major step forward (quiet a/c!!!) not entering into the natural flow of conversation among the employees at ARV. And yet James went to big trouble just six months ago to "upgrade" to another Dometic that really didn't net him very much noise improvement. Plus they have a high vaulted bed in their rig, which means that the noise issue is vastly more important for them than it is for those of us who sleep closer to the floor.

Curiouser and curiouser.

wachuko · 01-30-2018, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InterBlog

If this adaptation were pending or soon-to-be-attainable, I have to wonder why James Adinaro apparently (?) didn't know about it - if he'd known about it, I assume he would have aspired to be among the first to get it and report on it, as has been the case with other upgrade options. He communicates routinely with ARV and has them do some of his upfits, including the recent E&P leveling system installation. It's hard for me to imagine such a major step forward (quiet a/c!!!) not entering into the natural flow of conversation among the employees at ARV. And yet James went to big trouble just six months ago to "upgrade" to another Dometic that really didn't net him very much noise improvement. Plus they have a high vaulted bed in their rig, which means that the noise issue is vastly more important for them than it is for those of us who sleep closer to the floor.

Curiouser and curiouser.

I saw that YouTube video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azX83omvSwQ

I wonder if it was because it was to early in the process... but yes, when they were done with the replacement, did not seem like they made much progress with the noise... sounded just as loud in the video...

They do mention it during their visit... see at 2:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNmX11blPRg

At 8:35 they mention the ability to run the A/C on batteries for 7 hours at full duty cycle... nice!!

I like some of the improvements shown there... ability to open part of the doors on the bathroom with that curtain slide out... nice... makes it more comfortable to take a shower...