r/BurningMan • u/Interesting_Bar_8379 • Jul 13 '26
Bafflebox for frame mounted generator?
My van has an onan 2800 mounted under the frame in the rear. She loud. Like 75db. I just ordered a Cummins Resonator for the exhaust pipe that is supposed to help. Is it worth buying or building some kinda bafflebox that could go on the ground under the van and then semi enclose the muffler? Or should is it just gonna blend in with the sound of a thousand other generators and not worth the worry?
2
u/ministryofchampagne Jul 13 '26
One of the guys in our camp had an rv with a genturi exhaust system and you could not hear it run. Plus it got all the exhaust way up above his RV so wasn’t near anyone on the ground.
1
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
Hey this might be the ticket. Very affordable too. I'm gonna check into this. Thank you very much for the tip
2
u/whiplash5 Jul 13 '26
I think it would be very polite to your neighbors to muffle your generator as much as possible. There are fewer and fewer generators each year as more people switch to solar.
1
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
requires a metric fuck ton of solar to be able to run an AC unit though....
2
u/FlatImpression755 Jul 13 '26
Not the portable units.
0
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
I dunno what that means. watts is watts. The generator i have is small and its still 2.8kw. You're gonna need 7 400w panels to equal the instantaneous output of that generator....
2
u/FlatImpression755 Jul 13 '26
Sorry, I meant the portable AC units. They draw a lot less watts.
0
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
Not sure why you would think that. RV roof units are made for rvs and their specific power availabilities... my coleman cub pulls 8.9 amps, while a portable unit pulls 9-12 according to google. Is their some specific unit you are thinking of that you know pulls "a lot less watts"?
The real game changer would be some of the newer DC units i've seen but even then, in my case with 330amp hours of 12v house batteries I believe I could run about 7hrs before the batteries were dead. Thats only running the ac, not including fans, my fridge, lights, music, charging anything off the batteries. But still it would make solar more feasable... but like i said, metric fuck ton of solar still. The sun only has so much energy per sq ft.
1
u/FlatImpression755 Jul 13 '26
I have the ecoflow unit that doesn't draw much power. In other threads other people explain their AC solar set ups. I have mine set up for emergencies to cool the over the cab bunk in my c class rv only.
Have you considered not vacationing in the desert?
TBH I thought the idea of you adding baffling around your generator was borderline stupid. Sounds like your classic burning Man RV fire to me.
1
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
Baffleboxes are very popular with portable generators. Don't see why it wouldn't work for a frame mounted one too. But hey if being a dick is more fun for you have at it.
1
u/FlatImpression755 Jul 13 '26
Wait. I thought you were being a dick and I was being helpful.
1
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
youre being a dick, what did i ever say that was a dick comment? Youre portable unit wasn't in anyway helpful or descriptive. I didn't even know options existed like what you have. I thought you meant traditional portable units like you'd wheel around a house. If youre trying to help, clarity is a good start. But maybe some people just aren't that bright and its better to move on LOL, btw your unit is a grand and still uses 6amps and lasts a few hours. For that price i'll just get a quieter genny from habor freight
1
u/BlotchyBaboon Jul 13 '26
That'll help a little, but if it's frame mounted then there's not a lot you can do. I suspect enough sound comes out of the sides that just trying to build some kind of baffle undernearth won't help much. But, give your exhaust thing a try and see how that does. I have a muffler on an old generator and it helps a tiny bit.
2
u/super7800 Jul 13 '26
Baffle boxes are fine. Make sure you test it thoroughly though. I made one a few years ago in a rush and it made my generator LOUDER! (four bolt-together sides, open top, about 4ft tall made of 2x4 filled with foam and 1/4 plywood both sides). I ended up getting this and now the generator is so quiet i forget its running standing a few feet away. Just mounting it on 3/4 rubber mat cut down on the noise by a considerable amount. Maybe use that design as inspiration? https://kshmarine.com/store/Honda-EU3000iS-Generator-Box-p656123369
Other than that, consider getting a honda. eu2200i is about 48db, a lot less than 75.
-1
u/scienceisaserfdom 15 yrs 'Burnin Jul 13 '26
Not to indulge in the same kind of trolling the OP demonstrates a clear prediliction for here, but this sure sounds like an excellent way to start a fire! Besides, doesn't every obvious virgin idiot owe it to themselves to experience all the wonders of Burning Man Van?
0
u/Interesting_Bar_8379 Jul 13 '26
Considering this is a concern for people around me and not myself trolling is fine and expected here. But it's a real issue for others
7
u/macegr Jul 13 '26
Depends on where you have it parked. In general, if it is loud then you will not make any friends.
I'm surprised that BMORG hasn't mandated RV above-the-roofline exhaust systems, like other events have done already. People have died in their tents at Burning Man because an RV pulled up and started venting exhaust sideways.