I Just Went Wacko In My Motor Home

[A Traveler]

Now that I have your attention...

I just installed two Wacko Products AC Silencers in our coach. They made a HUGE difference in the noise level from the AC units!

I will be the first to admit that I am not very handy with tools and DIY projects. I envy you folks who can do so much of the necessary work on your coaches. Even so, it took me only about 30 minutes to install two of these things in our coach. Having an electric screwdriver helped.

I have done a lot of audio work over the years, both for live events and recording studio work. From that experience, I understand sound levels and decibel ratings. I measured the sound level of the original AC installation at 68.5 db. That is considered a "moderate" noise level, bordering on "loud."

I used the same audio level sensing equipment in the exact same location to measure the sound level after the install of the Wacko Silencer. The new noise level was 63.9 db. Just looking at the numbers that may not seem like a big change, but in the audio/sound level world that is a significant drop in the noise level. For example, a drop of only 3 db represents HALF the audio power of the initial level. This drop of 4.6 db is going to make living in the coach much more enjoyable in the summer months.

The drop in the noise level was nice, but there is another, more subtle difference that makes this install even better. The "character" of the sound has changed. I would characterize the sound of the original installation as a rough, roaring sound. The sound emanating from this silencer is more of a muffled "whooshing" sound. It's much less irritating and easier on the ears.

For the record, I am not affiliated with Wacko Products in any way. I bought my units at retail, just like everyone else. However, these things made such a significant change in the noise level inside our coach, I wanted to share that positive experience with you.

[ThomB]

Nice, but damn, are they made of titanium? At $189 each maybe I should say it’s made of unobtanium, at least for me!

[Podivin]

Thanks for the information. I'd been thinking about one of those for the front AC, you may have just pushed me over the edge.

[MoCoTom]

I installed the Wacko silencer on my Dometic a/c with similar results. I am extremely happy with the reduced noise. There is no longer a need to crank the tv volume up when the a/c kicks on. Yes they may be what some consider pricey, but I'm willing to pay an entrepreneur for their ideas. Especially when those ideas are manufactured in the USA and actually work as advertised
Tom

[A Traveler]

Originally Posted by ThomB

Nice, but damn, are they made of titanium? At $189 each maybe I should say it’s made of unobtanium, at least for me!

I guess it all depends on how you value your own comfort. For us, it was WELL worth the expense.

[funmoneypit]

So watching the video, it looks like you lose the ability to open the direct cooling vents on the cover? The only air exiting then would be through the ducted vents. Is this correct?

[jmck1737]

Originally Posted by funmoneypit

So watching the video, it looks like you lose the ability to open the direct cooling vents on the cover? The only air exiting then would be through the ducted vents. Is this correct?

Yes that is correct. Wacko supplies foil to cover the area where the direct cooling vented in the old style cover. We just did this upgrade this spring and so far as said above it is way quieter and we can watch TV without blasting the sound throughout the campground. You also get a new filter with the Wacko covers.

We have used the new covers for 2 weekend outings in weather in high 80's and some humidity so far. We have not noticed any loss of cooling using only the vents and not direct. We leave on our summer trip in 2 weeks and we will see how they fare going daily for 8 weeks but we expect them to work well. We researched before we purchased and all the feedback we found here and other sources were positive.

[A Traveler]

As jmck1737 said, you can no longer use the direct air out of the AC when using these silencers. The air only runs through the ducts.

For us that wasn’t an issue because we never ran the AC that way. It didn’t cool any better and it was even noisier with the direct air open.

[waterman480]

Definitely worth the money for the peace and quiet. My only complaint is that the frame is smaller than the original. What was he thinking? Now the trim is short and the old screw holes exposed. If I still had a wood working shop, I would build a new frame that was the correct size.

[scbwr]

If we still had our Winnebago Minnie travel trailer, I'd be buying one! With Newmar's ducted AC system, we don't need one but if we had a MH with the typical AC mount, I'd consider getting one.

[MoCoTom]

Originally Posted by waterman480

Definitely worth the money for the peace and quiet. My only complaint is that the frame is smaller than the original. What was he thinking? Now the trim is short and the old screw holes exposed. If I still had a wood working shop, I would build a new frame that was the correct size.

Winnebago may use a different cover design than I have because the cover supplied with my Wacko was an exact fit. You can't see any impression of the original cover on the headliner and no screw holes were left unused. Sorry to hear the fit was so poor

[A Traveler]

Originally Posted by waterman480

...My only complaint is that the frame is smaller than the original. What was he thinking? Now the trim is short and the old screw holes exposed...

That's odd. The unit I purchased and installed was a perfect fit on the existing AC frame.

[PbdBlue]

Originally Posted by A Traveler

That's odd. The unit I purchased and installed was a perfect fit on the existing AC frame.

What brand AC units do you have? If Coleman were they equipped with Chill Grills before the upgrade?

[96 Wideglide]

Quieter intake would certainly be nice, but I wouldn't be willing to give up the direct vent feature. If you need to quickly cool a hot coach, the direct vent is the way to go!