bigjimcruising
Orange County, CA
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Joined: 02/22/2007
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Greetings fellow OK 117 owner! Nice to have another around to chat with. I also have that Onan, same as your's. Yep it's loud and does vibrate but remember that you're in a smaller and lighter rig so the noise just starts out closer to you. What I think is a big problem for us that the generator compartment is lined with metal so sound is reflected outward and vibration is transmitted into the camper walls. Big problems! As for quieting it down I've been looking into options and so far the best ideas I've come up with are these: install Dynamat high temp insulation on all the compartment walls, this should help the sound reflection a lot. Then I'm going to find some of the old header wrap tape and wrap the entire exhaust pipe and muffler system. That should help a lot. I've not gotten around to doing it yet as I've just finished researching my options. These look like the best set I've found so far. I might also install a couple cooling fans to help dissipate the heat build up in that small cabinet. Food for thought. On the plus side this unit has been very reliable and will power both my A/C and charger along with the microwave all at the same time. I can usually get by with running it about 45 minutes a day to top off the batteries and I'm good to go.
I also upgraded to 6 volt batteries but I'm wondering where did you put 4 batteries? I've thought about removing that plastic box they come in and it looks like enough room for 4 batteries, is that what you did? Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have about the camper. I've had mine for a year and a half now and love it! I also installed a 26 inch LCD TV since I couldn't see that little one that came with it. Happy camping!
2007 F450 4x4 Extended Cab, 6.0 PSD AT, 9ft Flatbed with 8ft boxes. Okanagan 117DBL, loaded. 13ft tall! Happy Trails!
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cleary
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Joined: 10/02/2005
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I cured the noisy, vibrating Onan Camp Power generator woes in my ULT116 by buying a Honda EU2000i and never running the Onan. When I traded 116 for my new UDB106 I got it without a generator. You have my sympathy.
Chuck
2006 F-350, 4X4, Crew Cab, V-10, Torqshift, Dually. 2008 Okanagan 106UDB. Both 4-wheelers and snowmobiles. KL7AY Our website
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iwon415
Northern California
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Joined: 01/27/2007
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bigjimcruising wrote:Greetings fellow OK 117 owner! Nice to have another around to chat with. I also have that Onan, same as your's. Yep it's loud and does vibrate but remember that you're in a smaller and lighter rig so the noise just starts out closer to you. What I think is a big problem for us that the generator compartment is lined with metal so sound is reflected outward and vibration is transmitted into the camper walls. Big problems! As for quieting it down I've been looking into options and so far the best ideas I've come up with are these: install Dynamat high temp insulation on all the compartment walls, this should help the sound reflection a lot. Then I'm going to find some of the old header wrap tape and wrap the entire exhaust pipe and muffler system. That should help a lot. I've not gotten around to doing it yet as I've just finished researching my options. These look like the best set I've found so far. I might also install a couple cooling fans to help dissipate the heat build up in that small cabinet. Food for thought. On the plus side this unit has been very reliable and will power both my A/C and charger along with the microwave all at the same time. I can usually get by with running it about 45 minutes a day to top off the batteries and I'm good to go.
I also upgraded to 6 volt batteries but I'm wondering where did you put 4 batteries? I've thought about removing that plastic box they come in and it looks like enough room for 4 batteries, is that what you did? Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have about the camper. I've had mine for a year and a half now and love it! I also installed a 26 inch LCD TV since I couldn't see that little one that came with it. Happy camping!
BigJim - I can see trying the dynamat insulation for sound, but what use would the header wrap tape serve? Isn't that used for keeping heat in for horsepower purposes? Wouldn't seem to do anything for sound. Might even be bad for our purposes as most wrap tape absorbs dirt, oil etc and can rot out an exhaust from inside out.
TimH
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bigjimcruising
Orange County, CA
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Joined: 02/22/2007
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Tim H. I never had problems with the tape rotting out the headers but then I never kept them long enough to find out. I do get a lot of noise from the muffler and pipe so my thinking is pretty much anything that will help mute the sound should help. Maybe not much but every little bit will help. I don't see how it could make it any louder since just about anything other then more metal should help deaden the sound. I might even try for several wraps just to experiment. Won't know for sure until I try but with full timing in dense urban areas I need to kill every db I can. As for keeping heat in for power my understanding was always that the idea was to help move the heat downstream and away from the engine. Can't say for sure since that's not my area, that's just the way I learned it way back in the olden days of hot rodding!! lol! Might be why I didn't do so well at it!!! As soon as I get a few bucks I'll try it out let you all know how and if it works. Jim.
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Toy-hauler
NorthWest
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Joined: 12/04/2004
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Jim, I cut the plastic box out, keeping the door. Installed two rv style vents with tubing to the boxes. Installed 4 6-volts in two boxes behind door. All of this was out of the way. I installed a Xantax 2000 inverter clear back in store compartment. I think I could have gotten the inverter behind the wall where the screened hole is but I hauled a trailer so space was not an issue. All this took not much more space then the original battery setup.
In general, as far as the small Onan's go there is nothing that will make one of those run like a 5500 gold or a honda/yamaha 3000 they are nasty for the user and your poor neighbors (if you have any).
08 F-450 Red Lariat 08 KZ Inferno 3912 - 24k Superglide with under bed rails sitting in garage not going to be used, what a shame.
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bigjimcruising
Orange County, CA
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Joined: 02/22/2007
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Thanks for the info. I thought there was enough room by removing that plastic box for 4 batteries and best that I can measure it looks like I could build a small bracket above the batteries to mount an inverter. Nice to know that someone has done it and it works! Good job!
As for the noise, I know I'll never get it all that quiet but since I'm full time in the camper and mostly in the city I need to do all that I can. I don't run it that much but I also don't want the neighbors making complaints about me.
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Toy-hauler
NorthWest
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Joined: 12/04/2004
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With four 6-volts and an inverter you will go days without the need for a gen. If you were to top it off with a solar panel you would only need the gen for a/c if you were not plugged in.
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USMC2010
29 Palms, CA
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Joined: 10/02/2007
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My onan doesn't bother me. After spending a year in Iraq next to a 30KW generator I find it not that loud.
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Steve_in_29
29 Palms (SEMPER FI), CA 92277
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Joined: 01/08/2004
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USMC2010 wrote:My onan doesn't bother me. After spending a year in Iraq next to a 30KW generator I find it not that loud. LOL I know what you mean, in Somalia I learned that even when only 100yards from the runway that it was actually possible for me to sleep through 747s taking off and landing. That being said I still prefer the Honda when I need to run a gen.
2007 F350,SC,LB,4x4,6.0/Auto,35" tires,16.5 Warn,Buckstop bumpers
2007 Outfitter Apex9.5,270W solar,SolarBoost2000e,2 H2K's,2KW inverter,2 20lb LP on slide out tray,4 Lifeline AGM bats,Tundra fridge
95 Bounder 28' ClassA sold
91 Jamboree 21' ClassC sold
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USMC2010
29 Palms, CA
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Joined: 10/02/2007
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OIF 1 I was at Al Jabar airbase in southern Kuwait for a while, isn't it amazing what you can get used too and put up with? Missed Somalia because of a prenatal dr appointment, try to figure that one out.
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