Date:         Tue, 11 Jun 1996 17:20:42 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bren Smith <bren@ccnet.com>
Subject:      Re: van noise

>>William R.Kennedy, writes:
>>
>>Whenever I have an interior panel off for any reason, I spray heavily with
>>undercoating on the back surface of the exterior sheet metal.  This has
>>failed to make my front doors sound like Mercedes doors.  On the plus side,
>>it means that there is no excuse for spending $16/sq.ft. for the stick-on
>>noise damping material, since it wouldn't stick on now.  Think of the money
>>I've saved.
>>
>>What are others doing?
>
>Jim Davis, writes:
>
>When I've removed interior panels, I've stuck on some imitation "Dynamat"
>(sp?  I think thius is the name of the genuine stuff)  stuff and also filled
>the cavity with attic style fiberglass insulation.  I first started using the
>insulation when I found out that my noticeably quieter 88 Wolfsburg had
>similar insulation installed at the factory.  The insulation and stuff has
>made a difference, but as Mr. Kennedy points out, it hasn't turned my Vanagon
>into a Mercedes either.

Jim,

I brought up the subject of using Ice Guard (used by roofing contractors)
as a means of limiting van noise, but was told by Bill Devlin to stay away
from this stuff. Bill said:

>Friendly warning!!! These self adhesive roofing underlayments contain skin
>and eye irritants and give off unpleasant and potentially damaging vapors!
>They should not be used without CAREFUILLY READING ALL OF THE MFGR'S
>WARNINGS AND THE PRODUCT TECHNICAL DATA SHEETS, which are available from any
>authorized wholesaler of roofing materials. BTW, the product is heat
>sensitive, and can be thermally bonded to most surfaces (including you) by
>the use of a heat gun or hair dryer.
>
>As a general contractor who has used these products for years, I can testify
>to the fact that they must be handled with care and caution. More than one
>of my workmen received severe skin or eye inflamations from handling these
>products without adequate protection. I also caution you against using them
>in closed, unventilated environments (like the inside of a VW Transporter)
>because of the fumes they give off. Be carefull!! It's a jungle out there!!

So I guess the question remains, does anyone know of a low cost alternative
to Dynamat that doesn't limit your life span?

Bren

==============
Bren Smith
bren@ccnet.com
==============