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Thu Jan 05, 2012 12:42 pm

While pulling off the cabinet doors during a project to re-wire the 110 VAC outlet (added a GFCI), I noticed the remains of foam padding near the catch mechanism. I scraped the nasty remains off of the flanges and used some thin two-sided foam tape instead. Needless to say, I left the protective film on the foam on one side. I then did all of the remaining doors and the drawer. To my amazement, much of the noise I attributed to road and wind noise disappeared. While I would hardly call the Westy "Rolls-Royce quiet", it is surprisingly quieter. And all for a few minutes of scraping off old foam and putting fresh foam in its place.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:58 pm

I used several packs of Dynamat.

I have no doorcards, no flooring, and only a 7 seater, and front seats, a rubber floormat in the front.

Very quiet, can barely hear the engine.

I cant wait to finish the rest of the dynamat, insulate the top, and complete my interior work..

I want to pick up a cheap SPL meter.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:12 pm

Your goal, to borrow from R-R, is "the only sound you hear is the ticking of the clock".

Were I to tear down the interior, I'd add some soundproofing, too. The interior is in no danger of being gutted. :)

Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:18 pm

RBEmerson wrote: I noticed the remains of foam padding near the catch mechanism.

Only remnants were on all the doors and drawer in my van. Replaced them all with something other than foam; only noise that went away was the only noise the cabinetry initially had: drawer squeak.

Some day I'll Dynamat (or similar) the interior, but until then road noise is no biggie to me. The one thing that makes a racket and drives me insane is that damn front table mounting bolt... I thought I had that solved, but driving the van the other day I discovered it's not! ](*,) Added padding to the top (which got squished with table use), so now I need to add padding to the bottom!

Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:32 pm

Quote: The one thing that makes a racket and drives me insane is that damn front table mounting bolt...

Stick a short piece of PVC pipe in there while driving and tighten the knob down. It will stop rattling. I think 1" is the right size.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:36 pm

Its a cheaper option than Dynamat. Its possibly not as good but it has quited the interior of my buses.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:51 pm

can you post a pic of the flange and the foam padding near the catch mechanism?

Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:29 pm

PDXWesty wrote: Quote: The one thing that makes a racket and drives me insane is that damn front table mounting bolt...

Stick a short piece of PVC pipe in there while driving and tighten the knob down. It will stop rattling. I think 1" is the right size.

:idea: Now, why didn't I think of that?! I'll give that a try if/when the rubber stick-on gizmos fail.

randywebb wrote: can you post a pic of the flange and the foam padding near the catch mechanism?

What's left of the original foam on top; my replacement on bottom.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:33 pm

how about a curtain rattle fix (i have the plastic hooks). or is that just me? others find it an issue?

Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:54 pm

I don't think the foam on the cabinet doors was stock. Neither of my vans had it. It must have been put on by a previous owner.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:48 pm

I have the same remnants on the inside of all my doors/drawers as well. Not sure if the PO put it on or if its a factory thing. I removed all the leftovers and installed some moleskin. Now everything is quiet as a church mouse.

Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:21 pm

PDXWesty wrote: I don't think the foam on the cabinet doors was stock. Neither of my vans had it. It must have been put on by a previous owner.

These foam pads, or what's left of them, just look factory... extremely old, flaky foam that's precisely positioned on every single cabinet and drawer. In fact, it looks just like the old, smelly, flaky mattress foam on the upper bed (which I replaced).

I did some perusing through the brochures and found this in the '84:

Maybe some got them and some didn't? I've noticed that not all full-campers have that circuit breaker thing below the interior outlets too. :-k

Thu Jan 05, 2012 7:27 pm

skivan wrote: how about a curtain rattle fix (i have the plastic hooks). or is that just me? others find it an issue?

That drove me nuts trying to figure out what that was while I was driving down the highway.
Now, it drives me nuts knowing what it is. I always seem to forget about it once I stop.

Yes. Need to remedy that.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:53 am

question: can the Dynamat or like be used to prevent hot foot or do you have to use something specific for that area?. I'm now into making notes of materials needed.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:08 am

the roof patch material I purchased at home depot and covered my cab floor with has a layer of aluminum. The aluminum will help to block radiant heat from your floor. You might also consider additional insulation for conductive heat, at least your carpet mat.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:51 pm

DAIZEE wrote: question: can the Dynamat or like be used to prevent hot foot or do you have to use something specific for that area?. I'm now into making notes of materials needed. \

I personally wouldnt use dynamat where there's excessive heat, it is a butyl based product and will get gooey, if there is any traffic against it can get really tacky..

I applied dynamat very heavily to the front nose sections behind the dash, and to the floor sections in the front.

Prior to picking up the OE front rubber front mat, I let my feet touch the dynamat while driving.. it tracked nasty black goo across my carpet in the house..

Dynamat will definitely will deaden the sound... and as long as the surfaces are clean/wax/oil free, aint comin off. Recently I had to scrape some sections of dynamat off under the hood of my gti for paint.. what a job.. that stuff was really stuck on.. and it was only on for 8 mos.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:11 pm

Use an engine liner material in areas that get hot - I usually use Cascade Audio's products as they are the only company I can find that has any knowledge whatsoever of acoustics or heat transfer.

http://www.cascadeaudio.com/car_noise_control/car_thermal_products.htm

DynaMat corp. would be my 2nd choice.

I would never put roof patch material inside my Vanagon -- if you do that, be sure to disclose to any one who buys your vehicle so you can immunize yourself from a liability suit.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:19 pm

re those 'foam' patches, they look like they could be replaced with felt pads that come in different shapes, sizes with a sticky backing and could be easily cut to shape needed. In any hardware or convenience stores.

Thanks for info re sound proofing & hot foot. I don't have a sense of smell so I'll definitely look for something to go on front floor that does not melt or change shape or gets gooey!

Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:31 pm

DAIZEE wrote: re those 'foam' patches, they look like they could be replaced with felt pads that come in different shapes, sizes with a sticky backing and could be easily cut to shape needed. In any hardware or convenience stores.

Thanks for info re sound proofing & hot foot. I don't have a sense of smell so I'll definitely look for something to go on front floor that does not melt or change shape or gets gooey!

You don't want anything that can hold or absorb moisture against metal.

Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:31 pm

[quote="DAIZEE"]

Thanks for info re sound proofing & hot foot.

Hot foot syndrome? Wouldn't it be better to fix the problem instead of mask it with foam? The heat comes from an open heat control right?