Category: RV Living

This article is going to be talking about RV construction. And specifically about conventional construction versus laminated construction in RVs.

Or if you prefer the more popular terms, “stick-and-tin versus aluminum”.

Now there’s a lot of misinformation out there about these two construction methods for RVs.

And which one is better. What you shouldn’t get, and what you should get, and so on.

Table of Contents

• RV Construction With Wood
• The Conventional RV Construction Method
• The Laminated RV Construction Method
• An Important Point About Wood In RVs
• Comparing The Cost Of Each Kind of RV Construction Method
• What About The Outside Appearance of Each Method?
• RV Construction – What About Insulation?
• RV Weight Considerations
• Towing Each Kind Of RV
• RV Construction – What About Repairs?
• Cleaning The Exterior Walls
• How Does Each RV Construction Method Hold Up Out To Sun Damage?
• What About Weather, Like Hail?
• How Does Each Method Conduct Outside Temperatures?
• RV Features Found In Each Building Method
• What Happens When Water Gets Into The Walls?
• RV Maintenance With Either Method Of RV Construction
• Conclusion

RV Construction With Wood

For instance, there’s some out there who think that any wood framing used in an RV equals an inferior RV product.

And there’s also several who think that if you use wood for construction in an RV, that RV is just not going to last very long.

Well, here’s the truth about that. There are many great RVs out there that have been on the road for decades with wood frames.

Yes, they have wood RV building materials and they’re still going strong and doing very well.

In fact, there are still RV manufacturers even now who like to use wood framing and wood construction in some of their RVs.

And I’m going to focus on one manufacturer who does that today. Because they use both conventional and laminated building methods.

So it’s great to be able to compare one to the other that way. And the manufacturer we’re going to use for our discussion is Grand Design.

Now Grand Design makes for instance, the Transcend Xplor. And it’s made with a conventional construction method, using wood RV building materials.

The Conventional RV Construction Method

And here’s their illustration of how that method works.

Now this illustration works for pretty much any wood framed RV that you see out there.

First of all, you’ll notice on the outside of the RV are aluminum panels. And the aluminum panels are attached to the wood frame or the wall studs.

Now in between the wall studs you’re going to see fiberglass bat insulation. And then on the other side of the wall framing is the interior wall.

So that makes up the walls of the RV. And here’s what that RV looks like on the outside.

Of course, this is what you normally see with conventionally constructed RVs.

It’s a kind of nook and cranny surface on the outside. With creases and crevices in the side walls. So it’s not smooth at all.

And when you see that, you know that most likely it’s a conventionally built RV. Using wood framing in the RV wall construction.

The Laminated RV Construction Method

But Grand Design doesn’t just build RVs with conventional building methods.

They also use laminate building materials too. In fact, that’s the construction method used for all the rest of their product line.

So here is their illustration of a cutaway of an RV towable that is made with the laminated construction method instead.

So what you see here is the fiberglass outer skin first. Then it’s attached to a thin but rigid board inside that that goes up against the aluminum frame.

Then in between the aluminum studs is rigid foam insulation. And finally on the inside of the frame is the interior wall board.

So how does this laminated RV wall construction method work? Well, RV builders take all of these components and run them through a pinch roller. Or they vacuum bond them together as one piece.

Afterward the whole wall becomes just one big piece. And then it’s put onto the RV frame and the walls are all connected together.

Now that’s the way that laminated RV wall construction works. And here is a picture of that kind of RV.

As you can see, what we have is a smooth walled RV on the outside. And that’s the ones that you’re more used to seeing going down the road these days.

So from now on, when you see those smooth walls, you’ll know that it’s usually a laminated construction.

And most often it is going to be aluminum construction for the frame inside the RV.

Of course, that’s not always the case though. So let me make one important point here that needs to be understood.

An Important Point About Wood In RVs

And this is for those of you that just do not want any wood in your RV construction. Because you’ve been told that it’s an inferior RV building material.

And that is this. Even if the sidewalls have an aluminum frame, it’s very common that the roof and the floors use still wood framing.

Also, maybe even the interior walls will have some wood in them too.

So if you really don’t want wood in your RV’s construction, you need to ask the manufacturer about it.

Are they using wood in the roof floors, ceilings and interior walls? And that may be kind of eye-opening for you.

OK, now let’s ask two important questions. First, why are two different construction methods used by the same RV builder? And which one is best overall?

Well let’s put it to a head to head comparison between the two methods.

And let’s compare them in various areas or categories. Let’s start with cost.

Comparing The Cost Of Each Kind of RV Construction Method

And when it comes to cost, the conventional method wins hands down. That’s because the conventional method doesn’t require any specialized tools.

It’s technology that’s been used for many years in the RV industry. So it’s very common for RV building personnel to understand how to do it.

In fact, it’s more or less kind of the same sort of construction that you see in some forms of residential housing.

But aluminum costs more to begin with. And the tools to work with aluminum costs is not cheap either.

Also, the specialized methods of training for working on aluminum costs more as well.

So when it comes to cost, the conventional construction method wins the race.

What About The Outside Appearance of Each Method?

OK, the second area we’ll consider is appearance. And this is actually kind of subjective.

You know, it’s hard to say because people like different things. But I would have to say that most often more people will choose one method over the other.

And I think they probably like the smooth skin of the laminated method more than the wavy skin of the conventional method instead.

So we’ll give the edge here in appearance to laminated constructed RVs.

RV Construction – What About Insulation?

Next up let’s talk about the RV’s insulation. And on this particular point I’m going to give the nod to the conventional method instead.

Now some may disagree with that. But the reason why is that fiberglass bat insulation actually has a higher “R” factor than rigid foam insulation.

Or at least the kind of rigid foam that’s most often used in many RVs these days.

Now some people really hate the idea of fiberglass insulation being in an RV. But the reality is that it is a better insulating material overall.

RV Weight Considerations

Now let’s move on to our next comparison. And that’s on the weight of the RV.

In this area, laminated construction winds hands down because of the aluminum frame.

In fact, that’s the whole point of using aluminum in the build of the RV!

So definitely, when it comes to weight, laminated construction is better.

Towing Each Kind Of RV

Now let’s move on to RV towing. And in this situation, I’ve got to give the nod to the laminated method again.

But probably not for the reason you think. It’s not because it’s lighter, although we’re going to talk about that a little bit later on.

But I’m going to give the nod to lamination because of issues with wind resistance on an aluminum skinned RV.

Yes, just take a look at that wavy side of an aluminum skinned RV. All those cracks and crevices on the exterior walls.

Now all of that is more surface area to grab the wind as the RV goes down the road. So it produces drag as you’re towing them down the highway.

In view of that, when it comes to the subject of towing, we’re going to give a slight advantage to the laminated method.

RV Construction – What About Repairs?

OK, next up is the subject of RV repairs. And in this situation I’m going to firmly give the nod to the conventional method. Why?

Well let’s suppose you have a problem with the laminated sidewall of your RV.

And what if it requires a major repair? Maybe someone drove into it. Or it got hit and a hole was put in it by a branch or something.

In that case, you’re probably going to need to replace the entire wall in many cases.

Because remember that the whole wall is either vacuum bonded or pinched rolled together.

So it’s very hard to make a a localized repair on a fiberglass RV wall. Especially if you want to make it look right.

However, on a conventionally constructed RV, it’s actually kind of simple to do.

You just take off the aluminum panels where the damage is first. Then you fix the damage inside, and you put new panels back up again.

So it’s a lot cheaper, quicker and easier to repair a conventionally built RV wall. Therefore the nod goes toward the conventional method for repairs.

Cleaning The Exterior Walls

Next up is cleaning the RV’s exterior. And in this area, laminated wins big time.

That’s because of the smooth skin instead of all those nooks and crevices that you’ve got to get into in the aluminum skin of a conventional method RV.

Anybody who has cleaned the exterior skin made of aluminum knows what I’m saying.

Those crevasses attract dirt and filth and can be a challenge to clean. So laminated construction with its smooth walls wins in this area.

How Does Each RV Construction Method Hold Up Out To Sun Damage?

Next up in our discussion is exterior surface fade. In other words, RVs are usually out in the sun almost all the time.

So how do the exterior walls hold up in the elements? When we compare aluminum panels to fiberglass that has either gel coat or paint on it?

Well interestingly, the aluminum panels seem to handle the sun very well in most cases.

Whereas fiberglass panels often begin to chalk quickly. And need constant polishing to counter the effects of the sun’s UV rays.

So a slight advantage goes toward the conventional method in this case.

What About Weather, Like Hail?

All right, the next discussion is about how weather affects the exterior. And with most kinds of weather, it’s about the same in either case.

Except for hail, that is! Yes, when it comes to hail, you will really like having that laminated fiberglass skin on the outside.

And that’s because smaller hail pretty much just kind of bounces right off it. It doesn’t leave much damage in most cases.

In fact, I’ve been through a few hail storms with my RV. And we have a fiberglass outside or exterior.

Now I thought for sure damage was being done from the sound of things inside the RV. But when I went out outside afterward, sure enough it looked just fine.

However, what happens with a conventionally constructed trailer? Well, when you have hail hitting those aluminum panels, you’re usually going to see some serious denting.

So in this case I’m going to give the advantage to laminated construction.

How Does Each Method Conduct Outside Temperatures?

OK, the next point of discussion will be on temperature conduction. In other words, which method transfers the outside temperature to the inside more easily?

And in this area wood is a much better insulator than aluminum is. Yes, aluminum conducts temperature very easily.

So you may have insulation in between the wall studs. But the studs themselves conduct both heat and cold very easily.

So in this particular area, the conventional construction method actually works better.

RV Features Found In Each Building Method

Now moving on to our next point of discussion. And that’s about RV features.

Remember how I mentioned that the laminated method makes the RV lighter? That’s because of the aluminum frame.

And when you use aluminum, it definitely lightens up the RV. So what do RV manufacturers do with that extra weight saved by the use of aluminum?

Very often they take that weight savings and they put extra features in the RV because of it.

So what does that mean for most laminated RVs out there? Well, you’re usually going to see a lot more features and amenities in laminated RVs.

And this is often due to the weight savings achieved by using aluminum construction. So the nod goes to laminated RVs in this case.

Now we’re going to come to a part of the discussion that is what many people argue about.

What Happens When Water Gets Into The Walls?

And that is corrosion inside the RV. Yes, some feel that if you’re using a conventional build method, the insides are just going to corrode away if you get any water intrusion.

So it all hinges on water intrusion. But in this particular area, I’m going to declare this a tie instead.

And I know there’s going to be some people who aren’t going to agree with me on that. But here is my thinking on the subject.

When you have a laminated wall frame and water gets in, you can have real damage.

That’s because very often water has been known to delaminate those walls. And you see it all the time in laminate constructed RVs.

You can see where the outside fiberglass has pulled away from the board it’s attached to.

And then there’s these big pockets or puffy areas on the side that look awful.

It’s called delamination. And they cannot be repaired easily either. So what do you have to do to try to repair it?

Most likely you’re talking about replacing the entire wall if you want it to be done right. And that a pretty serious and expensive repair!

Now if we look at the conventional build method there’s nothing to delaminate. Because the outside panels are simply attached to the frame.

So what happens if water gets in? Well, you can repair the area that is damaged much easier in many cases.

But as I said before, if water gets into a wood framed RV it can more easily break down the structural integrity of the wall too.

So when you compare these problems, they’re both serious. And therefore, in this particular area I’m going to declare it a tie.

RV Maintenance With Either Method Of RV Construction

But let me make this point that is really important. And that is that either construction method can work just fine for many years.

As long as you as the RV owner will maintain the joints and the seals on the roof. And on the side walls too.

If you do the maintenance that you should in these areas, then you’re going to have an RV that will most likely last for many years.

And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a conventional construction or a laminated construction either!

Conclusion

So what I recommend is for you to go back over the pros and cons that I covered in this article.

Especially if you’re in a quandary. And you’re not sure whether you should buy one that is a conventional method or would it be better to get a laminated type of RV.

Just go back over these points that I’ve covered and maybe write them down.

Then you can make a comparison of the pros and cons. And decide what is best for you and your particular situation, and how you use your RV.

Just keep in mind that there’s really nothing wrong with either of these RV construction methods.

But whatever you choose, be sure that you maintain that RV the way you should.

Then it will last you for many years and many wonderful RVing adventures.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!