A vacation is one of the most beautiful things you can go on to in order to relax and take a break from the boring, everyday life. Who doesn’t like vacations? I know I do. And you know how to make it even more interesting? You can rent either an RV or a caravan, to live inside nature for a few days without paying for any fancy 5-star hotel facilities. But of course, there is a catch. And a really annoying one.
I am one of those people who can’t stand noises when sleeping. If it rains and you are trying to sleep in one of those vehicles, bad luck. It is a minor problem but very annoying. That’s why in this article I’m going to present to you how to stop or at least decrease rain noises on a caravan or RV roof.
How bad do you need this?
Before you go ahead and start buying or crafting stuff, you must ask yourself some questions. Number one and the most important is: how much does this bother me? Depending on each one of us, some even find the rain hitting the roof very relaxing and a reason they fall asleep easily.
However, a lot of people find this a complete torture, a motive why they can’t sleep for hours and hours.
If you are one of those people in the second group, go ahead and answer the second question: how much money am I willing to spend on this? If you own a caravan or RV and this problem kills your sleep or any other important activity, you are going to have to spend some money or even take some days off in order to craft or install some materials.
You do need to understand that nothing will erase this problem completely. If you are okay with that, we can go the next step in our guide: the options.
What options do you have?
Already sorted by how effective they are, the options would be: earplugs, headphones, installing memory foam 1 inch over the roof, and the Silent Roof.
Earplugs
A good option if you are on a budget is earplugs. Although they are the least effective on this list, they can really make your life a little bit easier. However, that is only if you don’t just rush into the nearest Walmart and buy the cheapest ones. You need to find some quality earplugs.
I would recommend the BetterSleep earplugs, as they offer a lot for very cheap. They have some great features for $13. Each pack has 4 pairs, and they are not only for sleeping. You can use this while swimming, studying, snoring, attending concerts, and more.
They can block up to 22 dB of sound while being super comfortable. They don’t have the usual form; they are round in order to stay in while sleeping on your side. Also, they can mold to your specific ear canal, so you don’t have to find your size. According to most Amazon reviews, it is a very interesting product that is worth trying. I will leave a link to it here.
Noise-canceling headphones
The second option would be headphones. Some people love falling asleep while some calming music is playing. They are a really good investment because you can use them everywhere for recreational purposes, not only for sleeping.
More and more come with a noise-canceling function which makes them perfect in this case. Although they are pretty expensive, keep in mind this is going to be a 1-time investment, headphones like this last for years and years of usage.
Below is the link to the most powerful Bose noise-canceling headphones yet. They also are wireless, so you don’t mess with any wires while sleeping. I will not tell you all the features this set has because it would take me a lot, and this isn’t a headphone guide.
The very least you can do is trust me and over 1,656 reviews on Amazon. The link to it is here.
Foam on the roof
The next option is memory foam. Installing this 1 inch over the roof will definitely make your sleep better. Again, this is not going to fix the problem completely, but you will feel the difference. The drops of rain will be absorbed and decrease the sound of it.
The bad part about this material is the drying time. After a long rain, this is basically going to be completely water-logged. You don’t want anything this wet in your van, so you’re going to have to throw it out and install the next piece from the roll in case another rain is coming.
Fortunately, you can buy one piece of it with 2″ x 24″ x 72″ dimensions for $40. It is thick and multi-functional, can even be used for the bed. The bad news starts when it is a rainy season. You can’t just have 10 pieces of this laying in your RV just because you don’t stand raindrop sounds.
That is going to take a lot of money and space. Consider this a good option when you check the weather and there will be some rain. You can buy this from Amazon as well. Check the current price here.
The last option we’re going to talk about is also the most effective one. If you want a serious and effective choice, it’s the Silent Roof. Why is that? Because it is a product made for this kind of situation, and that makes it the best one. In our opinion, this is the only real and almost perfect solution to the “rain” problem.
How is the Silent Roof made?
The Silent Roof material acts as a barrier to the falling rain, and it is made from 3-dimensional matting produced from polyamide monofilaments welded together where they cross to form a tough open structure. It has a flat back on one side that faces uppermost towards the falling rain.
Another big advantage is its size and weight. It consists of a small section of the material, 6 inches (15 cm) square, and the thickness of the matting is 0.6 inches (17mm). The weight is going to blow your mind. Only 1.75 pounds (800 grams) per square meter.
How it works, how long does it take to install and how do you clean it?
It is a very simple but effective procedure. The Translucent Sound Reducing System is manufactured from a softer open structure durable material that deadens the impact of the rain and does not transmit the sound through the roof. The results will amaze you. The rain falling will sound like whispers. Even more, it acts as a shield for your roof panels and will keep them from falling debris.
The cleaning of it is even easier. You just treat it like any other roof material, usually with liquid detergent and water. Before the Silent Roof is installed, their team is going to clean off your existing roof with a specially formulated biodegradable detergent. This is something that must be done every year just to keep everything safe and cleaned.
Installation shouldn’t take more than a day, depending on the sizes of your RV. However, it must be done by professionals. Once you choose this option, you need to contact the sellers, and they will help you through everything.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as you can see, sometimes a little problem like this can give you a lot of headaches. It is up to you to decide how many hours and dollars you want to spend on fixing it. I’ve presented to you more solutions, from very cheap ones that require a few clicks to order, to much more complicated choices that are more effective as well.
Now that I’ve told and talked about my opinions, it is time for you to tell me yours. How did you deal with rain noise on caravan or RV roofs? How much did it cost and how did you come up with the solution?