At Rollx Vans, we get a lot of questions. Some are pretty obvious: What ramp types do you offer? What’s the difference between the different van makes? What financing options are available to me?
One of the less obvious (but still very common) questions we receive is about the engineering of the van itself:
Why are Rollx Vans so quiet?
Before we can give you an answer, you need to understand what makes vehicle noise in the first place. Most of the interior noise you hear in a vehicle comes from the contact between the vehicle and the road. The noise comes through the floor of the vehicle because, well, it’s closest to the road.
The road noise is mostly caused by the tires, loose gravel and rocks, and wind. We engineer our vans to resist and ultimately keep out this noise while also reducing vibration, providing a smooth and silent ride.
So what’s the Secret?
We don’t consider it a secret as much as quality engineering. Here are a few of the ways we cut out the exterior noise, starting from the bottom up:
1. Rubberized Undercoating
Since the majority of noise is coming from underneath the van, we coat the undercarriage with a thick, rubberized material. This decreases vibrations and absorbs quite a bit of noise, making for a smoother ride and eliminating tiny sounds you might hear in other conversions.
2. Double-Layered, Steel In-Floor Ramps
During the van conversion process, we rebuild much of the van floor. Our in-floor ramps are stored between two layers of steel. With the space between the two layers, most of the road noise is diminished by the time it reaches the second layer, which is essentially the floor of the van itself.
3. Foam Carpet Padding
Above the steel floor, we place a thick 9lb layer of cell foam pad. Our padding is extremely dense so wheelchair wheels won’t sink into them. This layer also helps to absorb what little sound manages to make it through the undercoating and steel flooring.
As an added bonus, the foam padding helps better insulate the interior from cold and heat.
4. High-quality Interior Carpet
Finally, we cover everything with new carpet that’s the same quality as the original manufacturer’s. This removes remaining sound while offering a comfortable look and feel to the interior.
And that’s not all….
The flooring is just one part of our engineering process that cuts noise and improves stability. Everything from our ground effects to the exhaust system to the angle of the van is designed to reduce noise, vibrations, and resistance.
Simply put, our handicapped van conversions are second to none.
Have you experienced the quietness of a Rollx Van? Are there any questions you’d like us to answer?