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Our new life as fulltimers brought me an unexpected challenge–getting a good night’s sleep. Being a very light sleeper, RV life has cost me numerous restless nights and prompted me to seek out a solution. In our former fixed foundation home, disturbances had been less and my sleep more restful. On the other hand, recreational vehicle living discloses the occupants to more disturbances due to the lighter construction and the surroundings. Having lived in our fifth wheel for over a year, I have found solutions for reducing some of the disturbances which have kept me up at night. NOISE By far, the most disruptive are the respective noises surrounding the RV lifestyle. The most mutual noises that RVers have to deal with are: Truck stop & rest stop noises Both are commodious locatings to pull into for the night when other facilities are not necessary. Truck and rest stops are usual with the RV community because they are free and provide quick access to the highway. Unlike campgrounds, these venues have no quiet hours and not one thing separates your RV from semi trucks on both sides. I would think that few persons may sleep through the noise of 600 horsepower diesels pulling in and out for the duration of the night. The best you may hope for is that the trucks on either side of you are staying for the night, supplying a neverending idling noise, which you may get accustomed to. Highway noises Another favored of numerous RVers on the move is the easy on, easy off RV park. Their proximity to the highway is desirable for getting back on the road quickly, but this same proximity brings uninterrupted noise. Because we had to stay within commuting distance of the city, our introductory RV park for six months was next to a busy highway. In a few weeks I became accustomed to the steady murmur of tires, but occasional earsplitting vehicles continued to wake me. RV park noises Living around RV’s means being around big vehicles, galore of them with deafening diesel engines. Even the most courteous RV operator will on occasion have to arrive late or leave very early; RV setup and motion causes noise, no matter how careful one is in regards to minimizing it. An inconsiderate operator compounds the problem by making no effort at being quiet. Inconsiderate neighbors While I find the big majority of RV dwellers to be very considerate of others, one bad camper may destruct the night. Talking near other RV’s, laughing, TV and radio noises, yelling at the game on TV, permitting dogs to bark, are mutual nighttime difficultnesses in closely packed campgrounds. Be conscious that moderate TV and radio noises may be heard next door, peculiarly if doors or windows are open. Chatting quietly next to a neighbor’s bedroom window may be sufficient to wake a light sleeper. Weather noises One of the loudest noises inside an RV is heavy rain or sleet hitting the roof. Fortunately, this is an infrequent occurrence and must only be an occasional bother. On the other hand, a tame shower has a relaxing sound that lulls me to sleep. Nature noises As often times as we can, my wife and I seek out serene settings such as state and national parks. These parks commonly offer extensive campgrounds where artificial noises are seldom heard. As much as I receive pleasure from listening to nature sounds while awake, irregular noises wake me. These noises vary from crickets, hooting owls, howling coyotes, singing frogs, and any number of things that stir in the dark. After being accustomed to noisier environments, even the deep silence among nature sounds may make it difficult to fall asleep. Have you experienced this yet: You pull into a huge slot in a finelooking state park. Enormous trees are shading the lot, supplying a pleasant sitting place with a lake view. The setting is gorgeous in each way–the perfective place to relax for the weekend. At night you fall asleep quickly, surrounded by finish darkness and the sound of trees swaying in the tame breeze. Then, BANG! No, that was not a shotgun, it was the horse apple tree shedding it is fruit on the roof of your motor home, shaken loose by the midnight gusts. As you are woken repeatedly by random bangs, you pray for the wind to die down. Fortunately, a great deal of sounds may be cloaked by ceaseless noise, or “white noise”, to denigrate their disruptive effects on sleep. Here are various ways to reduce disruptive noises in an RV:
Some of the loudest noises may not be masked and ought to be dealt with in other ways. For example, there is not much you may do with regards to truck stop noises or objects falling from a tree above. The solution for these noises is to limit your exposure. It may be worth stopping one night in a noisy rest stop, but plan the next night in a quieter setting so you don’t deprive yourself of restful sleep for too long. LIGHT Bright lights are another source of disturbance for the light sleeper. Common origins of bright lights are from light poles, lights from neighboring RV’s, and vehicle headlights. Sunlight may also be an issue for those who need to sleep for the duration of daylight. The day and night shades found in a heap of RV’s are highly inadequate to sufficiently block out bright lights. If the factory shades or blinds are not adequate to darken the bedroom, invest in one of the respective gimmicks designed to seal windows and roof vents. Thick towels or manila folders attached to the shades will block out a good amount of light and are good temporary solutions. RV MOVEMENT Even the best stabilized RV’s will have a lot of motion or vibration. The lighter the RV, the more motion may be felt. It amazes me what little venture is required to shake a heavy trailer. Our fifteen pound Schnauzer may shake our 17,000 lbs trailer just by jumping down from the sofa. Common origins of RV movement:
The solution to minimizing motion is to level and stabilize the RV as well as possible. In windy conditions, stow all awnings to reduce surface area. In addition to the stabilizer jacks that came with the recreational vehicle, consider add-on choices such as under-the-frame jacks, king pin stabilizers, tire locking chocks, etc. No matter how a great deal of merchandise are used, some motion will subsist in the RV and will take getting applied to. To be clear, the sleep disturbances discussed in this article are not inevitably continuous nor problematic sufficient to cause loss of sleep each night. Much of it depends on the environs and personal habits of the occupants. Is this issue substantial sufficient to cause me to reconsider the RV fulltimer lifestyle? Not even close, but worth giving careful consideration to if you are fascinated in joining the adventure. |
Tag Archives: RV camping - Page 2
Rv Water Pump Noise Wakes Me Up!
Posted by Suresh Sharma
on October 10, 2011
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