Cab noise?

[johnleaf]

I am looking at buying a Cali (probably beach) in October. What is the road noise level like on motorways? Can you easily listen to the radio, music etc?

 

[Volkywagen]

Similar to a car. If you add wind deflectors noise gets worse.

 

[Legin]

No problem at all but like the above i couldnt get on with wind deflectors.

 

[Jodalo]

Cab noise of Cali quieter than VW van camper conversions that I have previously owned. I believe the Cali has double door seals too. I would say that the wind deflectors that fit into the window channels are not as good as the genuine VW deflectors that adhere to the door. Never had problem hearing any music/media/sat nav at any speeds.

 

[andyinluton]

Stick on wind deflectors didn’t make ours noisier.
Ours is quieter than our new merc on the motorway . Only time it sounds noisy to me is windows open at idle when you can hear the engine sounding like a bag of spanner’s.

Get a bit of wind noise getting past the seals at 95+mph but at 70 on the motorway it is not far off silent.

My mate has a standard T6 van & that is very noisy in comparison. The calis extra sound deafening & seals make a huge difference

 

[2into1]

They have got better with age, so a T6 is quieter than a T5. I think Oceans may be quieter than Beaches as the Comfort dash seems to help sound proofing - although that's just an impression, and the comfort dash can be specced on a Beach.

 

[Sandyvan]

Very quite, double door seals comfort dash, fitted thick carpet and double glazing in the rear of the camper part.
We also Brandrup carpet on top of the original and the carpet mats on that. Well better than storing them at home.

Sorry guys but we have Dubflectors and no wind noise, last big trip was 3k miles across mainland Europe talk to each other and listen to music no probs.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Our T5 Beach is nice & quiet on the motorway, even with surfboards and roofbox on top.

 

[Nick.C]

We haven’t found external noise to be a problem with our Ocean at all, but we do get the odd internal rattle when things are not stowed away properly. We have got the laminated front screen - not sure if that makes a difference and the dynaudio speakers are really good. A decent test drive should allay your fears.

 

[Borris]

Our previous two vans (2015 SE and 2016 Beach) were both very quiet. I had Dublecta retro wind deflectas on both and never noticed any wind noise.

 

[TripleBee]

They have got better with age, so a T6 is quieter than a T5. I think Oceans may be quieter than Beaches as the Comfort dash seems to help sound proofing - although that's just an impression, and the comfort dash can be specced on a Beach.

It is not the dashboard that makes the deafening, it is the (sort of) insulation inside it. If I plug out my gove box, there is a thin white fluffy material, together with isolation to and from the engine bay to the cabin.
Don't know if that isolation will be present in Beaches with the comfort dashboard? I hope so for the extra ££ you pay for it.
Also the fabric carpet dampens the noise more than the Transporter rubber carpet.
And the extra sealings.

The only noise that would bother me (but I learnt to live with it) is when you are driving close to a wall or high concrete sides on motorways. Then the reflected sound penetrates through the doors, it seems.
But then again, get off that motorway, choose the nice landscape roads, and you will be driving slower, making less noise, and forget about it while looking at the wonderful scenery passing by.

 

[Borris]

Having owned a T5 SE and a T6 Beach (with the uncomfortable dash), at the same time, I can't say I ever noticed any difference in noise levels.

 

[TripleBee]

Maybe in the T6, the non comfort (would not say it is uncomfortable with it's cupholders and more storage room) dash might be isolated too. My dad has a T6 Multivan with the standard dashboard, but as it is a petrol engine, it makes less noise to begin with.

 

[flying banana]

Take a test drive? By the way I disagree about the wind deflectors. Dubflecta or heko are nice and slim and are great for night ventilation. I don't notice any more wind noise. Most noise comes from the passenger seat

 

[TripleBee]

Most noise comes from the passenger seat

Hmm, try to isolate that one too?

 

[flying banana]

Hmm, try to isolate that one too?

People go on about comfort seats. Swivel seats. How about an ejector seat?

 

[TripleBee]

Well, the thing causing the noise, can it be removed without damage to the seat? Try that.
Specially if it is no original VW part.

 

[B J G]

Acid test that I've always found on cars etc is, do you turn the radio up as you go faster and stop conversation at high speeds? Decades ago the answer was always yes, the Cali needs no radio volume adjustment and conversation can be continued on or off the motorway without going hoarse.
The Cali is an excellent long distance cruising vehicle that gives very little fatigue or stress to both the Driver and Passengers.

 

[2into1]

Acid test that I've always found on cars etc is, do you turn the radio up as you go faster and stop conversation at high speeds? Decades ago the answer was always yes, the Cali needs no radio volume adjustment and conversation can be continued on or off the motorway without going hoarse.
The Cali is an excellent long distance cruising vehicle that gives very little fatigue or stress to both the Driver and Passengers.

Most modern radios have speed sensing built in and automatically adjust the volume up and down with your speed. So although you find you don't need to do it manually, the unit may be doing it for you.

 

[WelshGas]

Most modern radios have speed sensing built in and automatically adjust the volume up and down with your speed. So although you find you don't need to do it manually, the unit may be doing it for you.

Although our voices don't have to go louder as we go faster, although SWMBO's voice does go quieter when in the mountains on narrow roads.

 

[2into1]

Although our voices don't have to go louder as we go faster, although SWMBO's voice does go quieter when in the mountains on narrow roads.

Can you get that modified to operate at other times?

 

[WelshGas]

Can you get that modified to operate at other times?

Unfortunately No. That's why she lets me go to Norway on my own while she does a Fine Arts Course in Oxford or London.