RV FEATURE
FIBREGLASS SANDWICH PANEL
Often referred to as ‘ full composite construction ’, building caravans with fibreglass sandwich panels is not necessarily a new thing . Sandwich panel construction does not require an internal frame . Instead , the panels are bonded together with special adhesives and sealed with Sikaflex . External mouldings can be used at the joints to improve strength and durability .
European caravans have been built this way for many years but Australian caravanners have considered this method to be unsuitable for our conditions . That has changed with the availability of better materials and construction methods . In fact , caravans made with sandwich panels are much more rigid and stronger overall than traditional internally-framed caravans .
While every manufacturer who uses this type of construction has their own way of doing things , generally these sandwich panel vans are made using four large panels . The floor , the two sides and the roof / front / rear . This minimises the number of joints and almost eliminates the possibility of water ingress .
Sandwich panel vans are built from the inside out in order to make wiring and plumbing connections easier .
The floor section of this Roadstar sandwich panel van is 44mm thick , giving exceptional insulation .
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