Is This Squeaking And Shaking Normal For A New Interstate?

[Luckysnuck]

After listening to your recording multiple times I'm taken back to when I picked up my brand new 2018 AIGT in North Carolina for the 400+ mile trip back home to Cincinnati...absolutely identical sound experience.

Being brand new to RV ownership at the time I knew no better as to what was an acceptable level of internal rig noise (squeaks, rattles, etc.)...ignorance is bliss. Today 16,000 miles later some of this noise remains, who knows maybe most of it and I've just grown conditioned to it, but I made the decision at 4,000 miles that not only improved the ride quality (enormously) but as a result lessened the severity of the internal rig noise demons...that decision was to swap out my OEM Continentals for Michelins (see below link to my AF post discussing this).

Admittedly this remedy did not directly go after the root causes of these noises as you are attempting to do, but indirectly it absolutely provided some internal noise abatement while vastly improving my driving experience. I'm not trying to sell tires, but only sharing my experience for this may be something you may want to consider.

Best of luck to you and enjoy your new rig!

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f24...ml#post2320547

[ScottP]

Originally Posted by Heatherbend

Hi All, I have also been troubleshooting my brand new 2021 AI GT/TB. We received it 5 days ago Thursday. Spent the weekend driving it around town trying to track down all the clanks and squeaks. Did all the cabinets and doors in the felt feet, took the van to the tire place and they adjusted tire pressure all around to 61. After all that I am still left with the most annoying, loud, persistent clank that starts the moment the van begins rolling. I have troubleshooted it to the back right ottoman and the lower bathroom wall. It is not the cables or water lines in the bathroom wall, I have wrapped those in pipe foam so they wont hit the wall...and they are quiet. Any thoughts on what this could be and how to fix it? Are the bath wall and the ottoman cabinet suppose to touch? They are not visibly moving so I don't think its a rubbing issue. The sound is so loud and bothersome the Van is no fun to drive. I posted a video here to watch it starts out dark for second until I could turn on the lights. Thanks for the help: https://vimeo.com/477245171

Geez!

You’re in my town, and you’ve stolen my dog!

Tires:

If you choose to upgrade your tires, I suggest you reach out to Chris at discount tire (over by Lowe’s)… Let him know that you spoke with Scott, and you’d like to consider the Agilis Michelin tire. We sold or used (2500 miles on them) continental tires for $600 on craigslist in about two hours.

You’ll be happy to know, since you’re in Bend Oregon, that you’ll see three black interstate lounge four-wheel-drive units… All three are units we sold in town to like-minded people.

Good luck with Chris… He is our favorite in Bend for sure… PS Hein is right, and if I did it all over again I would get the 235 size. Understanding it’s not recommended for that rim.

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[mike2016]

Originally Posted by Heatherbend

Hi All, I have also been troubleshooting my brand new 2021 AI GT/TB. We received it 5 days ago Thursday. Spent the weekend driving it around town trying to track down all the clanks and squeaks. Did all the cabinets and doors in the felt feet, took the van to the tire place and they adjusted tire pressure all around to 61. After all that I am still left with the most annoying, loud, persistent clank that starts the moment the van begins rolling. I have troubleshooted it to the back right ottoman and the lower bathroom wall. It is not the cables or water lines in the bathroom wall, I have wrapped those in pipe foam so they wont hit the wall...and they are quiet. Any thoughts on what this could be and how to fix it? Are the bath wall and the ottoman cabinet suppose to touch? They are not visibly moving so I don't think its a rubbing issue. The sound is so loud and bothersome the Van is no fun to drive. I posted a video here to watch it starts out dark for second until I could turn on the lights. Thanks for the help: https://vimeo.com/477245171

try to put pressure on one panel or item(such as TV) at a time, and see if it stops the noise. these things have such tight tolerances, any little misalignment can cause noise

you can slide out the ottoman and see if you find anything in the back side or underneath

[Titus]

I have found a few places where applying pressure helps. Some of the places have screw connections that can be tightened. On others I cannot find a screw to tighten to I jam a wedge into the connection.

[GAAirstreamr]

Our (new to us) 2014.5 came with a few squeaks which my 11 year old son found and diagnosed in our first drive. Here's what we did. We have a Lounge, by the way... Where the rear jack knife seats press against the Bathroom and the Galley cabinet we forced in felt furniture pads (used to save wood floors from chair legs). Three equally spaced on each side has completely gotten rid of that squeak. We also purchased the small self adhesive silicone "dots" that are placed inside every kitchen cabinet in America to soften the close. We placed those in pairs on every door (I don't like the clap of wood on wood). We also used these in the bathroom door piano hinge and where the door closes against its frame. Our last two areas to work on were our microwave and furnace cover. We removed the drawer under the microwave, and braced the microwave unit with a piece of high density foam. We wedged the foam between Airstream's wooden framework and microwave box. With a dishtowel riding inside the microwave thats now silent. We tightend the crimp connection holding the metal grate on the furnace face and that no longer makes any noise. So far everyone who has ridden in our van has commented on how pleasant and quiet it is inside, vs whats going on outside the van!

[billstrong]

I have ridden in the back of my 2021 AI Nineteen 4x4 and have ascertained that 90% or more of the squeeks and screaches come from the TV bracket and the slide-out pantry.

[Rocinante]

After removing the aft TV, I feel like we're getting fewer squeaks and rattles while driving. Time will tell, but so far I think we've made an improvement that way on multiple fronts (space around the lounge area, noise while traveling, etc.)

[Jererae]

That sounds excessive. On my 2017- I found the majority of the sound was coming from the tv. My quick fix was to get a strip of air conditioner insulation material at home depot and wrap it tightly around the back of the tax- wedged it in so it no long squeaks . Not a great solution - but it worked.

[Rocinante]

Whether it's excessive depends on one's perspective. We wanted the aft TV gone because we don't use it and it was taking up valuable space. After I removed it, we noticed a reduction in random noise while driving. So, that was a nice, though unexpected, benefit.[emoji106][emoji322]

[Sawmiller]

2021 Lounge owner here. After driving from AZ to Maine in a few days, we heard our share of squeaks and rattles. I bought a can of WD40 and some rags. There was a high pitch squeak coming from the bracket that the ottoman slides on. I put some WD40 to it, and it seemed to quiet that down. There is still a persistent high pitched squeak that come from above the sliding door. Cant quite figure that one out yet. If the road is smooth, we have no squeaks, but any expansion joints, or rough pavement, and it feels like I need ear plugs.

[billstrong]

The most annoying squeaks and schreeches in my 2021 AI Nineteen come from the TV wall mount. I have not been able to stop the sounds short holding the TV tight against the stops or removing the TV and the wall mount.

[BurntAsphalt]

Originally Posted by Heatherbend

Hi All, I have also been troubleshooting my brand new 2021 AI GT/TB. We received it 5 days ago Thursday. Spent the weekend driving it around town trying to track down all the clanks and squeaks. Did all the cabinets and doors in the felt feet, took the van to the tire place and they adjusted tire pressure all around to 61. After all that I am still left with the most annoying, loud, persistent clank that starts the moment the van begins rolling. I have troubleshooted it to the back right ottoman and the lower bathroom wall. It is not the cables or water lines in the bathroom wall, I have wrapped those in pipe foam so they wont hit the wall...and they are quiet. Any thoughts on what this could be and how to fix it? Are the bath wall and the ottoman cabinet suppose to touch? They are not visibly moving so I don't think its a rubbing issue. The sound is so loud and bothersome the Van is no fun to drive. I posted a video here to watch it starts out dark for second until I could turn on the lights. Thanks for the help: https://vimeo.com/477245171

Heatherbend,
Since you posted about your noise issue several months ago, I hope you’ve found the cause of your rattle by now. I just wanted to mention that I recall an old post about a rattle inside the bathroom wall that was caused by a weight that is attached to the faucet/shower hose. It’s purpose is to keep tension on the hose so the faucet handle stays in the fixture. To fix it, they opened the access panel and wrapped the weight with something to cushion it. Not sure if the newer models have a weight on the shower hose.

[Titus]

I created a channel inside the cavity for the weight to move in. Made it so the weight didn't get hung up on the the pipes and other stuff inside the wall. The channel may have also helped to reduce the noise.

[bill-pgh]

Sorry in advance for the long post

I just took delivery of a 2022 Airstream Interstate 24 GT 9/29/2021. On the way to our home in New Port Richey from Airstream of Tampa, this terrible howling came from the vent fan in the middle of the coach. I also noticed a lot a road noise and told my wife the CONTINENTAL VANCONTACT A/S - SIZE: LT215/85R16 tires were probably the culprit.

Before we left for our primary residence in PGH yesterday I got my ladder and went up on the roof and gorilla taped the vent cover down. Howling noise gone Thank God!!! The trip to PGH presented other problems which annoyed me as this is a 2022 top of the line Class B. It hits bumps like a rock. I am taking it to golf up in Butler, PA Sunday but before that I will reduce the tire pressure by 5LBS in each tire. Right now front is 61LBS and rears are 58LBS. I weighed the rig on the way home and the front axle is 3920LBS and rear axle is 6380LBS and that's with all of our stuff, half tank of fresh water and full of fuel plus 2 cats and one dog, . I found a chart that says 50LBS for this weight front and back. If that doesn't soften the ride, I will get rid of these tires for a new set of Michelins.

Furthermore, when we do hit the bumps, it seems that ALL of the plastic trim on the sliding door makes noise as well as other places. On the way to golf, I will let my son drive as I try to isolate the source. When the road is smooth, all I hear is the tires (which I can fix by replacing), it's a pleasure but the noise when hitting bumps is unacceptable.

Comments and feedback appreciated.

Thanks,

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by bill-pgh

CONTINENTAL VANCONTACT A/S - SIZE: LT215/85R16 tires were probably the culprit.

I found a chart that says 50LBS for this weight front and back. If that doesn't soften the ride, I will get rid of these tires for a new set of Michelins.

When the road is smooth, all I hear is the tires (which I can fix by replacing), it's a pleasure but the noise when hitting bumps is unacceptable.

Comments and feedback appreciated.

Tires have influence on ride and noise. OEM Continentals seem to not be the quietest based on experience of folks here who went to Michelins.

The 61lbs. cold tire pressure is based on its current weight from factory which is obviously gonna be higher once you add your stuff. Going below this would not be my choice. To me that's playing with fire. I am actually 5-6% above on mine. Some here and other rv/Sprinter forums have decided ride comfort (riding slightly under-inflated) is more important than riding properly inflated. But riding under-inflated is always considered more dangerous than a tad over (it's not only my opinion, but every tire experts' opinion). I treat the Cold Tire Inflation posted in the B-pillar as my MINIMUM pressure, not a recommendation or suggestion. Although a lot of the documentation still use the word recommended. But then right next to that section in the AI manual, they give this warning. Your rig, your choice.



Regarding "the noise when hitting bumps is unacceptable" - As ROCINANTE has commented earlier on this thread - "Whether it's excessive depends on one's perspective." I have typed up 4 paragraphs worth of info but deleted it. It may get misinterpreted. I decided it's best to wait if you have a LOT more objective info to provide.

[bill-pgh]

Thanks for your input Alex. I may just opt for new Michelin tires with a less aggressive tread. RE the noise when bumps are hit; I will find the source and fix myself or have the dealer fix. I'm not trying to sound like a perfectionist or being too picky but for $199,500 ++, I expect this vehicle to be a bit better than it currently is. It's only got 1050 miles on it.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by bill-pgh

Thanks for your input Alex. I may just opt for new Michelin tires with a less aggressive tread. RE the noise when bumps are hit; I will find the source and fix myself or have the dealer fix. I'm not trying to sound like a perfectionist or being too picky but for $199,500 ++, I expect this vehicle to be a bit better than it currently is. It's only got 1050 miles on it.

BILLPGH - I don't think for a moment you're expecting perfection or too picky. I know this because you reasoned out the inherent vent noise and the Conti noise. You have legit concerns and just looking to understand where that line is where it's considered normal vs. a problem. So before you go through a lot of trouble, the best way to isolate noises is to start with a TOTALLY EMPTY van. Remove every loose item stored anywhere, even paper towel rolls. And you already said you will have your son drive while you become the chaser. Keep in mind noises coming from inside cabinets or cavities will amplify. Those felt or silicone drawer bumper stops are your friend for all drawers & doors. Same with painters blue tape and velcro in temporarily securing doors or panels or drawers that may make noise.

I will list some of the ones we found & fixed. Hopefully it helps give you a path to chasing them down. These are not neccessarily in order of importance or noise magnitude but listed as I recall them :

Rooftop A/C mounting bolts (because of A/C issue in 1st week of ownership, they were not torqued to spec after dealer work), front & rear TV mounts (big ones), bathroom door (big squeaker but self inflicted because I lined the inside wood panels of our bath walls with acrylic panels to make all 4 walls waterproof in order to get rid of shower curtain, but acrylic against wood causes squeaks), toilet lid, folding faucets against sink aluminum side, bath faucet pullout, fridge door, microwave door edges (we velcro our top 2 edges because they bang on the face frame on bumpy roads), our front overhead acrylic sliding doors (which I think you dont have), rear sofa backrest, jackknife seats, wiring under galley, power rear screen framing interface to its tracks, all the powershade rollers in their tracks, fridge shelving, fridge freezer door, sink & stove top glass covers, utensil tray, bath mirror, bath pullout sprayer counterweight (need to remove wall panel cutout near jack knife seat for access - which in itself caused creaks coz ours had loose screws that won't tighten down).


I am sure I did not list them all. But you get the idea. The AI has so many doors & drawers that there is no way to eliminate every squeak or noise coming from them. Coz the only way to do so is to glue them shut. BUT you can go a long way towards reducing and minimizing. Another tip - you gotta start with the worst & loudest noises coz eliminating those first goes a long ways to reducing the annoyance. Example of that was back to the Fantastic vent opening. Once we put an inside insulator in that 14"x14" cavity for the primary purpose of reducing heat & sun in summer, we also reduced the wind noise coming through at high speeds that I can listen to our radio even at low volume.

So good luck in chasing them. Skip the dealer with these types of issues coz you will do a better job isolating them and save yourself the frustration in the process.

[mike2016]

Going through the same thing here on my 2021 24GL

The fantastic fan is the most annoying, I was thinking if some kind of air spoiler or air divider in front of the fan would help?

[bill-pgh]

Thank you Alex for all of that input. We did not take the RV to golf today my son and I will take it out tomorrow or Tuesday. Before that, I'll take EVERYTHING out of the vehicle and put the felt pads on every drawer and door. I spoke with my tire guy and he is going to order a set of Michelins for me tomorrow. I will post the results of everything I do. Thanks again.

BTW Mike2016, I gorilla taped the plastic vent cover up on my roof and the howling is gone. Now the down side of that is I cannot use the vent as it is taped and the lid will no longer open. But for me, the non-howling is worth it.

[Alex AVI]

BILLPGH , MIKE2016 - Try this vent insulator first. It worked enough for me so I did not have to tape shut my vent lid. I needed it anyway coz it gets terribly hot in Las Vegas and SW during summer that I had to cover that opening when not using the vent fan. It's made by Camco, bought from Amazon.

You can also try weather sealing the edges.

Yes, they do make rain shields for the vent fans. I haven't seen a need for it (yet) but they make some nice ones. Plus they stick up quite a bit and would affect my minimum clearance I need to get the AI under the garage door opening.