Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 13, 2025 ...

Generator Noise

November 16, 2021, 03:33:11 pm

As I've read the forum over the years I recall people saying that the generator engine noise is more offensive than the exhaust noise.  This isn't really the case for my generator.  When I close up the box and the door it's pretty quiet.  The exhaust note however is deep and booming.  Recently I was at a campground and I realized that one of the new super c's had their generator on the entire time.  It was so quiet that it was really hard to hear.  No louder than an ac unit.  Has anyone successfully quieted the exhaust level of their powertech?  It's got a kind of round/pancake style muffler in the side bay under the driver seat.  Not very big.

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #1 – November 16, 2021, 05:54:12 pm

Those newer coaches including Foretravel have enclosed engines. The muffler under the drivers seat is about the best you can do without some major mods.

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #2 – November 16, 2021, 06:31:23 pm

Ours is way over the NP limit. It would have to be enclosed to cut the sound. The noise is part of why it never gets used unless needed for AC. Stick a few panels on the roof and you will never miss it.

Check your engine mounts, not only from the top but bottom too. They can transfer noise to the coach.

Yes, the newer coaches have very quiet generators. When I hear a generator from a couple hundred feet, I look over and it's always an older coach. When we backed in to our campsite several months ago, I told the people around the fire in the next site that we would not be using our generator. They immediately started clapping.

Pierce

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #3 – November 16, 2021, 07:18:15 pm

Mine has a sound enclosure on it, I have seen they started in 2000, but maybe some 99s or earlier have them too??  The noise is not bad IMO, no worse than a Honda eu2200 at full load, I have one of those too.  I cannot address your exhaust outside of putting a muffler on it.

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #4 – November 16, 2021, 07:28:43 pm

So far as I know '99 was the last year of the open generator assembly. Noisier but much easier to service and repair.

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #5 – November 19, 2021, 01:13:46 pm

I just redid the insulation on mine.  I used noico 80mm with DEI boom mat on top.  All 4 engine mounts are new.  Noise and vibration is perceptibly increased.  Vibration I think because the mounts are still new and stiff and the noise I think the old heavy lead stuff Foretravel used was actually better.  Not enough better to bother me but... better nonetheless.  Still, the exhaust noise is truly the annoying thing.  If you walk around to the passenger side of the coach things are quite quiet in my opinion.  Driver side very loud.  Perhaps the inside of my muffler is compromised in some way.

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Re: Generator Noise

Reply #6 – November 19, 2021, 08:48:32 pm

Same as reply 5. Use solar whenever possible. During the Great Texas Freeze Out, mine ran nearly five straight days and I was not worried about the sound level. I do find the more bass sound of the PowerTech less annoying than the tinny sound of many portable generators not named Honda or Yamaha.

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