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Old 01-18-2004, 09:54 PM   #19
cjc
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Cape Coral, Florida, USA
Posts: 53
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After visiting all the factories that are mentioned in this topic, this is the scoop on their exterior wall structure. Showhauler uses a steel cage and skins it with .063 sheet aluminum that's bonded to the steel with a super sticky double back tape. Renegade uses FRP (a 3/4 inch plywood sandwich with fiberglass cloth that's saturated in resin and a thin layer of gelcoat and covers both sides of the plywood sheet). There is no metal structure except the corner reinforcement. Essentially, it's a plywood box. Scary thought in a rollover situation isn't it? Haulmark uses an aluminum frame that's skinned with 1/4 inch luan plywood that has fiberglass mat saturated with resin and covered in a thin layer of gelcoat bonded to the plywood on one side of the wood. The skin is attached to the aluminum frame with an adhesive. This process is the one that's used on the majority of conventionally built motorhomes because it's pretty and doesn't have any seams as long as it's done correctly. Otherwise, you get a visible oilcanning effect and see all the aluminum framing. Aluminum framing is more expensive and lighter than steel, but obviously weaker and has to be engineered correctly and work in conjuction with the thin luan skin for strength. When choosing a truck converter there are other considerations that must be made in addition to which exterior wall system is the best. Good luck.
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