The joke's on me (or, Finally found the loud noise source!)

[Mike & Mike]

I got such a kick out of this, I thought I'd share it:

While in the process of replacing the old TV (picture tube style) with a new flat panel, I finally found the source of the irritating metal-on-metal noise. This noise would happen when we'd go over a particularly sharp bump in the road, generally at highway speeds. I've looked for a year and suspects included a loose screw on one of the windshield window-shades causing the shade to flop around a bit, a loose piece of fiberglass trim near the top of the windshield (causing it to bang about), etc.

I hear you saying "So, what was it?"

The source of all this noise was a HAMMER. It was left behind the TV on that big metal tray that supports the TV set. A big bump would apparently toss it up in the air and it would come crashing down on the metal tray.

So, when you've eliminated all the logical possibilities, don't forget to consider the illogical ones!

Thanks for the free hammer, WRV!

Cheers!

[EngineerMike]

M&M- Wells Fargo wants the hammer back. so they can have another auction!!

[big jimbo]

I hope you at least got a good hammer out of the deal.

[andye]

Mike & Mike
Guy that worked at WRV just called he wants his hammer back. lol Andy

[C&H from NorCal]

The source of all this noise was a HAMMER. It was left behind the TV on that big metal tray that supports the TV set. A big bump would apparently toss it up in the air and it would come crashing down on the metal tray.Hey Mike (the hammer)

In the early eighties I was working for the Dept of Navy as a Quality Assurance representative at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank.

We had an S-3A Viking ASW aircraft main wing arrive from the contractor General Dynamics. As they lifted the wing from the transport trailer a definate "clunk" was heard.

After tilting the wing several times the sound was isolated to a specific area. Upon opening the wing we found a flashlight, rivet bucking bar and foam knealing pad.

The G.D. rep didn't think it funny when someone suggested they might want to open more panels to confirm the employee wasn't still in there...

Had the parts not been discovered any of the parts, especially the pad, could have blocked the aircraft's fuel flow.

Harold

[Marty too]

I have a son that works in the new car department for a local Cadillac dealership. He does all the PDI’s on any Cad’s that comes off the truck. He tells me it’s nothing unusual to find “something” left somewhere in the body that will cause “noise” when he test drives out on the road. Trying to find said “object” can get trying to say the least. So noise makers can be found in even the most expensive American built cars.

Marty

[OldForester]

Let me add a 3/8" drive socket wrench and 3" extension to the list of tools left by WRV. These were left in the generator slide just forward of the generator in our coach. Of course, it's minor compared to all the excess screws, washers, nuts bolt, etc., left in various places on the coach. It's just a bigger item.

I'm sure others have stories of bigger items left in the coach at the factory.

[Rick J Fisher]

It is obvious that coach assemblers often drop fasteners and find it easier to get a new one thwn retrieve the old one. We have all found many screws, bolts, nuts, etc in our coaches. My last coach, a Southwind, Would make a noise like one of those rain logs whenever I rounded mountain curves. The sound came from above the windshield and clearly a bunch of stuff was rattling across the coach from centrifugal force. I never got in there to find what it was.

[two sailors]

Rick,
I had the same noise on a Damon which turned out to be some of the curtain hangers for the windshield had become unattached from the curtain and would roll back and forth. Sounded like a "rain stick"

[rmmpe]

While employed by Chrysler at the Lynch Road assembly plant, there were many such incidents. However, they were deliberate.
A favorite trick was to leave an empty soda can in the door before the panel and trim was installed. Needless to say (but I will) those things rattled around and made more noise than skeletons screwing on a tin roof.

Another was to toss an extra lug nut into a hubcap before installing it to a car (can we say skeletons again?).

There are buckets of stories like that.

I have no idea what those idjits were thinking but, obviously, it wasn't about enhancing the company reputation or preserving their job security.