We took our first long trip in our 2007 Nimbus 336 Monday and Tuesday covering over 500 miles. The heat building up the bedroom which covers the Cummings diesel engine was almost unbearable. I turned the generator on to allow me to run the rear A/C unit to try and off set the heat.
What do most of you do to try and off set the heat build up in the rear of the coach? Is there a shield that could be placed under the bed to reflect some of the heat downward and away from the interior of the coach?
I am sure the Nimbus has insulation between the engine and the bedroom. It's possible that it has deteriorated and does not work as well as when it was new. My bedroom will get hot after a long day of driving, although it does not get as hot as it used too since I replaced the insulation. Running the generator and AC unit is about the only way to keep the bedroom cool when it's hot outside.
Mine only seems to warm the area up after I stop driving. When moving, I guess the airflow from moving forward and the radiator fans keeps it cooler.
Your coach is a lot newer than mine and it does get warm. Make sure the bed sits firmly down on its frame. And then examine the insulation in the engine compartment. Some may be missing. There are lots of products to reinsulate if you have to.
We had the same heat problem in our 2003 GV320. Replacing the original muffler with a Magnaflo resonator eliminated the problem.
I don't know if your Nimbus has the same style of muffler, but if it does, that would be a good place to start.
Good luck!
Of course we have a older 1997 U295, owned since 2001, and live in Texas. I have only had one time where I felt the heat from the engine warmed up the bedroom. We were on a trip back home from El Paso, while the generator was broken. We spent part of the night at a truck stop and ended up sleeping in the front because the back bedroom was warmer then the front.
As soon as we park I raise the bed and set a box fan blowing back over the engine, plug into the engine heater receptical.
Either the insulation around the engine compartment or on the bottom of the bed board or the seal around the bed board is most likely faulty. The only other suggestion would be to use a foam mattress on the bed if that is not what's in your coach now. A foam mattress provides a great deal more insulation than does a innerspring mattress.
Our old engine doesn't heat our bedroom even in 100 degree temps. I sometimes sleep on the bed while Peggy is driving and can feel no excessive heat. However I'm pretty sure the dash air units in the old Grand Villas are more effective than in the newer models.
I think that there are APPLES and ORANGES in the 2007 Nimbus question and the pre 2004 FT owner's answers:
There have been three major levels of EPA compliance for Diesel engines.
1. 2004; enhanced electronic controls & many engines added EGR systems.
2. 2007; Particulate systems added; slobber tube eliminated, and ULSD mandated.
3. 2010; Second level of NOX control kicked in which was met primarily by the DEF systems. Navistar medium duty engines used an enhanced EGR.
These dates are when the engine was built. FOT, like other builders, stock piled engines ahead of the dates and built coaches for a considerable period with engines built before the latest level. Most '07 coaches were built with no particulate filters and most '10 coaches with no DEF.
It would help to know what the Nimbus has for emissions control systems, but know that ANY of these iterations represent dramatically increased heat loads in the engine room. Straight through mufflers are not an option. The quality and quantity of insulation had to change dramatically along with the heat loads.
Neal
Great and well researched information Neal as usual. But wouldn't you agree that heat levels as described would indicate a problem with either the seal or the insulation in the engine compartment rather than the standard for a Foretravel?
Kent,
I'm not sure how well FT anticipated and designed around the additional heat burdens. I have heard several post-2004 owners discuss EPA compliance heat related, engine efficiency and engine component heat related failure issues. Those discussions led me to an appreciation of why there is such a robust market for "gliders" (new OTR tractors w/o engines, in which the buyer installs his own rebuilt [pre-2004] engine, to circumvent the EPA emission control systems problems). Not the least of those problems include extreme engine heat, power reduction burdens (robbed by the emissions control sytems) , turbo/exhaust valve/manifold/extreme heat failures, regeneration issues, DEF issues, and so forth.
So Kent, I'm just saying that the 2007 Nimbus may have some heat burdens that we pre-2004 coach owners don't have much experience with. I for one am quite happy to have been able to find what I wanted in a FT and successfully avoid those EPA emission system challenges.
Neal
There are several later model Nimbus and Phenix owners on the Forum. Are any of them experiencing the same issues? Is it a common problem or one just for this coach?
I have a friend that does not have a Foretravel and he is on his third new coach since 2013. All he did on the 2013 & 2014 was bitch about how hot the bathroom was after they made a trip and they had to keep the AC on to cool the room. He also said the title floor was so hot they could not walk on it barefoot. So I guess that problem is not just to this Foretravel.
Looks like FTs from 90s all of a sudden become even more valuable.
It is so sad that all these restrictions added on to these great engines to keep our environment clean are not engineered correctly.
I guess it is not that much of a problem for transportation trucks / front mounted engines but the issue is more for the pushers.
Since my FT and yours have different engines and likely different types of engine compartment insulation, I don't know of how much use this will be to you but on the recommendation of some people on the forum I covered my old disintegrating insulation with a foil faced insulation
Amazon.com: Thermo-Tec 14125 48" X 72" Two Sided Thermo Guard Flame Retardant... (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HIPC3W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s04)
Prior to installing it, the bed would be too warm to sleep in after driving all day. After installation, the bed was fine and there was no excessive heat buildup in the bedroom. Since the insulation is only about 1/4" thick, it would seem that the reflective foil face on it is what does the majority of the work. There should be a few posts on the forum about it if you search.
You could also look into wrapping your exhaust manifold, turbo and downpipe to reduce engine bay heat.
tile floor heated? Usually are with the newer coaches...
My 40' 2008 with 600ISX can get warm after a all day trip. However it is not unbearable. I think a lot has to do with the bed configuration. Ours is East to West. One of our previous Foretravel's had North south. It was hotter in that configuration as more of the bed was over the engine.
Resonator & wrap turbo reduces heat a lot.