[bikestuff]

Gang,

Since I have had my coach, I have been on a quest to stop rattles. I have found and silenced many. Most have been caused by wood-on-wood trim pieces, unsecured cables, and the plastic pieces that were secured with worn-out velcro.

I am down to a hard to diagnose rattle. It seems as if it is inside the side wall right behind the drivers window. I can put my hand on the wall and can feel the rattle through the wall. If I touch the slide wall, I cannot feel the rattle....just in the coach wall.

So my question is...has anyone been into the wall right behind the drivers window? I am making a guess that it is a channel that wires are run in to get to the number 1 slide. Since I have found tons of cables with no tie downs routed in open voids....I am thinking the same thing here.

Suggestions about how to go about figuring this out? I have two ideas...
1) drill a hole in the wall and see if it is filled with foam and if not, spray some expandable foam into the void. 2) drill a larger hole in the wall and drop a video cam and see whats going on.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Cheers,
bill

[folivier]

If you want I'll bring my sawzall to the rally. With a couple new blades we should be able to get that rattle fixed..........

[bikestuff]

Ouch...thanks for the offer, but I think I wanna be a little more delicate. Maybe if I put on some ear-muffs and turn up the radio.

[rheavn]

Bill,
I have a video camera that I'll bring to the rally if you need one.

[qcj]

Bill, since your Newell is a 2003, it I'm not mistaken, the pins that secure the slide are on the side and not the top. Could the rattle be the slide pin? There are times when I hear a rattle behind the drivers seat, which sounds like it is on top of the closed slide and I have come to the conclusion that it is the pin.

[folivier]

Good point Chappell. There is a rubber bushing that fits in the hole to keep the pin from rattling. Maybe it's worn out or missing?

[bikestuff]

Chappell,

I was not aware that these Valid slides had pins. No holes in the vertical surfaces as far as I can tell. But you may be on to something.

I will ask Newell and see what they say.

Thanks!

[lbrachfe]

Bills coach does not have HWH slides as his was about the 6th or 7th built with Valids. Coach 645 was the prototype for the change over from HWH to Valid and my coach 646 was one of the last all HWH equipped coachs made .. I think Bill hit it with drilling a small hole and spraying in a little expending foam to hold the wire bundle in place. Watch out for the foam coming through window seals or drilled out vent or weep holes....

---

BTW, I have a "sawzall" with a blowtorch attachment that Forest can borrow

[bikestuff]

That foam is kinda scary...I would hate for it to expand and create a bulge in the side of the bus! May want to use Steve's camera first. The cool thing is that the gold wallpaper that covers the area is still available. (Newell used a piece to repair a little issue in the back of the bus).

[lbrachfe]

Squirting in a small amount will stop the movement and no worries about "bulging". Put in a little more later if sound is still there next time you run the coach. Don't fill any voids with that stuff more than 20% of what you want to fill and you will be fine. it only takes a small amount to stop movements in the wall