Caravan noise when cooling or warming up

Devaprem replied on 22/06/2024 14:55

Devaprem

Posted on 22/06/2024 14:55

Hello. We have a Bailey Cabrera 2022 caravan (our first) which my wife and I have been enjoying a lot. We stay on seasonal pitches and it feels like a second home that we can go to as and when we like during March to October months. Early on in the time we’ve had it and in the colder months, we started using the Alde system for the heating but quickly discovered that clonking and creaking noises happened during the night which wake us up. So we have been turning it off at night and rely on a fan heater to warm the caravan up in the morning and turn on the Alde system at the same time to take over from the fan heater for heating during the day if needed.

We’re planning to use the caravan in the winter months this year and are concerned that the caravan may be too cold without heating at night. Even iff we have warm bedding, if the air is very cold we both might find it hard to sleep.

I’ve mentioned this to the dealer we bought it from and he confirmed my suspicions that it is just the fabric of the caravan cooling or warming, perhaps where two materials with different rates of expansion / contraction are touching

Has anyone else had similar problems and been able to find a solution to this problem?

4 replies

MeatHome replied on 22/06/2024 16:32

Member

MeatHome

Posted on 22/06/2024 16:32

I traced the majority of the "cling and clacks" to the points (several of them) where the Alde pipes were passing around, under or over parts of the furniture and also under the door sill.

90% cure by using foam pipe lagging as as insulator/cushion at these points. In some cases it was necessary to squeeze the lagging between the pipe and the adjoining area of the van,

Of course only use the minimum amount of insulation so as not to reduce heating pipes efficiency

Devaprem replied on 23/06/2024 18:18

Member

Devaprem

Caravanner

Posted on 23/06/2024 18:18

Thank you, Meathome. A very helpful suggestion. I will check the diameter of the pipes on my Alde system and get the thinnest lagging.

Simon100 replied on 23/06/2024 22:06

Member

Simon100

Caravanner

Posted on 23/06/2024 22:06

Have a look at the Alde manual.

You are able to set it to go off at night and come on in the morning as you would your heating at home. You are also able to set it to come on, during those hours, at a particular temperature.

So, for instance, my heating goes off at 23.00 and comes on at 05.00 and/or if the inside temperature goes below 15 degrees.

If you like a warm van at night you have that temperature at, say 18 degrees. This may also stop some of the expansion and contraction of the pipes, which will be causing your clicking and banging.

(Apologies if there are formatting errors in the reply but the font in the dialogue box is ridiculously small!)