2011 or newer Vista 35B - Noise levels

I looking at going from an 05 Vectra to a 2011 or newer Vista with Bunks. 

Not sure how to quantify this and I have seen the question before but usually with some emotion attached to the responses.

With a 2011 or newer gas will I be able to have a comfortable conversation with my wife (wife jokes aside) overtop of the engine noise.

I am looking for responses from people with one or similar.

Someone said the 2016 change to the 6 speed made a substantial decrease in ambient engine noise.  Is this true?  I wonder if the gearing made the difference or the actual tranny itself.

Thanks all!!!

KandT said:

wonder if the gearing made the difference or the actual tranny itself.

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True because the engine runs at much lower rpm at cruising speed due to the higher trans gear.  When I was a kid cars typically had 3 speed trannys and ran at 3k rpm at 60 mph. With 5 & 6+ speed trannys, now they typically run at 2k rpm or less at 60 mph. The result is considerably less engine noise, better fuel mileage,  & the engine will last much longer. Of course,  how MUCH quieter depends on the specific vehicle.

Take a look at the gear ratios, but I doubt if the 6-speed has a higher final gear ratio.  It most likely just adds a gear in-between.

The problem with the Vista is that it has a front engine, so the noise is right under your feet.  I drove a front engine coach with a 5-speed for 5 years and it was a far cry from any rear engine coach.  The wife & I definitely had to raise our voices for a conversation.

afchap said:

True because the engine runs at much lower rpm at cruising speed due to the higher trans gear.  When I was a kid cars typically had 3 speed trannys and ran at 3k rpm at 60 mph. With 5 & 6+ speed trannys, now they typically run at 2k rpm or less at 60 mph. The result is considerably less engine noise, better fuel mileage,  & the engine will last much longer. Of course,  how MUCH quieter depends on the specific vehicle.

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The heavy duty TorqShift? 6-speed automatic transmission (in later model F53s) features two overdrive ratios (0.67 and 0.85) for improved vehicle performance.  Tow/Haul Mode is included to enhance the driver?s experience, whether towing or not.
With the Ford 6-sp 4th is direct and 5th and 6th are overdrives. In an 18,000 chassis with a 4.30:1 rear gear and 245/70-19.5 tires (33" in diameter), 60 mph is 1,780 rpm in 6th and 3,020 rpm in 4th.


The v10 is a high reving engine and it is right up front between you the DW.  Noisy for sure.  Some folks have removed the doghouse cover and added insulation there and to the under floor area up front with some success.

Ours is a 2014 Vista 35F with 5-speed tranny that we purchased new.  In my opinion, a lot depends on the terrain you will be travelling.  On flat or rolling terrain, noise levels are not an issue and don't interfere with normal conversation.  On hilly terrain, the tranny downshifts to increase the engine rpm (and power) and of course the noise level increases significantly.

When you get some experience driving the coach, you can usually keep the engine below 3500 - 4000 rpm and keep the noise to reasonable levels.  To do this, I don't use cruise control in hilly terrain.  My experience is that the tranny downshifts too early trying to maintain the set speed when using cruise.  In my opinion, it is better to let the speed drop off a little while holding the tranny in a higher (and quieter) gear.  Of course, this may not suit those who want to maintain higher speeds in the hills.

The V10 is a high-revving engine and if you want maximum power in a given situation, you will have to put up with higher noise levels.  As stated by others, the engine is sitting right below you, so significant noise is to be expected when the engine is producing maximum power.

I have no experience with the newer 6-speed tranny, but my thought is while it may be a slightly quieter experience overall, the tranny still has to downshift in the hills to get the engine rpms up in the maximum power zone and noise levels will still be significant in these instances.

Overall we are very pleased with our coach and not concerned about noise levels, recognizing that we have not made any modifications to mitigate them.  Also, at our age, our hearing ain't what it used to be anyway!

Thanks All - That helps us make a decision. )

I have no experience with the newer 6-speed tranny, but my thought is while it may be a slightly quieter experience overall, the tranny still has to downshift in the hills to get the engine rpms up in the maximum power zone and noise levels will still be significant in these instances.

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Exactly. Regardless of the transmission, the engine has to operate at the rpms needed to produce the necessary power to move the rig.  Peak horsepower on the 2012 and later V10 in the F53 chassis occurs at 3900 rpms, so when under load the tranny will select the gear that keeps the engine as near that as possible. Cruising, however, should have less horsepower demand and allow it to back off to lower rpms. In any modern drive train, the tranny& engine are in constant communication to achieve optimal performance and fuel economy.  6 speeds vs 5 or 4 merely enables the tranny to do a better job; the highest and lowest gears will be identical because they have to match the limits of the engine power curve.

Jump to a pusher!  That new Forza 38W diesel bunk model with 2 full baths cures more issues than noise when traveling with kids!

You might also consider adding sound insulation, I added Dynamat (Xtreme and Hood Liner) to the bottom of my dog house cover and it substantially lowered the noise level in the cab of my coach.  The stuff is not cheap, but is worth it.

Isaac-1 said:

You might also consider adding sound insulation, I added Dynamat (Xtreme and Hood Liner) to the bottom of my dog house cover and it substantially lowered the noise level in the cab of my coach.  The stuff is not cheap, but is worth it.

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Makes you wonder why the manufacturers don't do that.  I mean this is hardly a new or subtle problem. 

Mile High said:

Jump to a pusher!  That new Forza 38W diesel bunk model with 2 full baths cures more issues than noise when traveling with kids!

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Heck, I shouldn't even be spending the money on any of them much less a pusher!  We had the Vectra which was great until I needed a waste gate replaced.  Fortunately it happened at home.  I guess it must have froze up sitting.  Well even knowing people in the local area it took me a week to get it fixed.  Now I guess I could have called a truck center on the road and got it fixed quicker but boy I bet I would have paid plenty. 

I am just more comfortable with the relative simplicity of the Ford engine and chassis.  Yes you trade power and noise for that but I'll take that trade.  As my mechanic told me the hardest thing to do with them is let them sit outside.  If you have to let them sit at least get them inside.

KandT said:

Makes you wonder why the manufacturers don't do that.  I mean this is hardly a new or subtle problem.

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Once you price dynamat you will know why

Isaac-1 said:

Once you price dynamat you will know why

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It looks like it would be about $68 on Amazon to cover a dog house?  Is that about right?

I don't know about your doghouse shape, but on my Workhorse P32 chassis coach, the $75 model 11905 3/4 inch thick 32x54 (12 sq ft) dynamat hood liner fit just about perfect on top of a layer of the $62 12 Sq Ft Dynamat Xtreme door kit 10435, with no excess, and only a couple of small slivers of gaps.  Not sure where you are getting the $68 from as dynamat has a wide range of products.

This sort of "why don't they" discussion is always fun. Each person has their list of a few things they think every manufacturer ought to include in every model, even though it would be some modest increase in price. The problem, of course, is that everybody's list is different. Couple that with the already steep price of even a bare-bones RV and it should be no surprise that RV manufacturers cut corners wherever they can.

Winnebago product planning used to hand out surveys at the Grand National Rally in seminars, they were looking for what the ladies (mostly) thought of possible features for future models. I think they went in a different direction for customer feedback, maybe focus groups. Myself and a couple of others had lunch with their technology planner/architect executive at a GNR and he was bouncing ideas off us. He also got an earful about the sorry state of service around the country.

It's called VOICE now.  They have a team listen to you or even come to your rig and look at your mods.

Mile High said:

It's called VOICE now.  They have a team listen to you or even come to your rig and look at your mods.

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YES! I forgot about that, I had a couple of them look at our Horizon at a GNR.