apopj Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 It seems that the number one enemy of any RV is water. Manufacturers us water-soluble glues, cheap composite boards for the walls, wood studs and rafters, and paper for wallpaper. It seem like they are doing everything they can to further planned obsolescence. But, what if.... Why not make the wall studs and roof rafters out of recycled plastic? Why not make the entire roof one piece out of molded recycled plastic? Why not make the ceilings out of recycled plastic? And, are you listening auto makers, why not make the sills on the vehicles out of recycled plastic. I mean, they are building entire cars out of plastic, guns out of plastic, boats out of plastic, why not recycle some of those billion water bottles and make our products last longer and save the earth at the same time? I know someone will say it's the wrong plastic, or it would be cost prohibitive, or some such nonsense. But, why do our RV's that have much less materials, much less labor, and much less longevity cost more than it would be to build a house? Use the correct plastic. Make the correct molds. Use the correct adhesives (much of your auto isn't welded, it's glued). Make these things last. But again, why use profits to make them better when we buy the junk they already make? Guess it's up to us to force the change. Just wondering....... Jeff and Diane HouselessNotHomeless I support the "Thin Blue Line" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Camper Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I read somewhere that they already make a gun from plastic. NRA put a stop to it for some reason that escapes me just as they fought the "smart" gun. I'm not much of a gun fan personally but I did hear about the process some time ago. I do like the idea of a one piece plastic roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirakawa Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 My RV came from the factory with a one piece plastic roof, TPO vinyl. I recently replaced it with a one piece plastic roof, PVC. Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie. Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die. Albert King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Schneider Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Before EDPM roofs, RV roofs were made from aluminum. sheets. They had to be divided into several segments to allow for expansion and contraction issues hen the roof was heated by the sun. The joints between the sheets had to be caulked annually to avoid leaks. These were eliminated by the one piece EDPM rubber roofs. Today, leaks happen around penetrations in the roof, for air conditioners, roof vents, TV antennas, etc. The EDPM sheet itself is rugged and flexible. Eliminate these roof penetrations and you'll get rid of 90% of all roof leaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat & Pete Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 I'm just guessing that Monaco didn't use the same design that Lou^ describes , as our's is a two piece aluminum roof . I've never had to caulk the joining seam . Goes around , comes around . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartmouth01 Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Evergreen was making rvs out of environmentally friendly matls but I believe they went belly up. Which is sad, because their stuff seemed pretty good when I looked at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted March 6, 2017 Report Share Posted March 6, 2017 Evergreen was making rvs out of environmentally friendly matls but I believe they went belly up. Which is sad, because their stuff seemed pretty good when I looked at it. EverGreen Official Confirms Company’s ClosingThat just might be the answer to the OP's question. The public just won't pay the price for it. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I'm just guessing that Monaco didn't use the same design that Lou^ describes , as our's is a two piece aluminum roof . I've never had to caulk the joining seam . Our first 5er was a 1982 Dutchmen, it had a one-piece aluminum roof - four seams, one front, one rear, two sides. It withstood a hailstorm hard enough to require re-roofing my house without developing a leak in any of the divots. 2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apopj Posted March 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 I think the problem isn't that the public won't pay for it, look at what we are paying for the junk out there now. I think most companies are playing the "going green" game and charging waaaay too much for an item because it is "green". If you compare the cost of using aluminum, or quality construction traits and then figure the cost of the recycled plastic (which according to industry records cost less than either aluminum or good wood) you can see that a decent RV made with recycled plastic would be very comparable in price. I think the root of the problem is in the "planned obsolescence" that the American public has grown to accept. And that better day in a crappy RV could result in enough stress to put you in that hospital bed, LOL I support the "Thin Blue Line" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richfaa Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Keystone Montana use a Composite for there roof struts. Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 I have been a bridge designer for over 35 years, and one of the initiatives over the past 20 years has been to use "plastic". In reality there are hundreds of different plastic formulations, and if you add in the various composites out there the number gets even larger. The fact is that few of those plastics are useful in a structural sense, and even those that are have challenging properties that must be accounted for. For instance, many plastics change properties dramatically with changes in temperature, and sustained loads on plastics can cause what is called "creep", which is increasing deflection under a constant load. Steel, aluminum, and even wood are easier to design with in most cases. And these were engineering properties of carefully controlled, virgin material. The concept of using recycled plastic (those billions of water bottles) is very attractive but proved impossible in my field because the properties were just too variable. Recycled plastic seems best used in very low-demand applications. Even things like outdoor decking boards have a checkered history as many of the early attempts showed terrible sagging over time and required much tighter joist spacing to perform acceptably. So while it might seem simple to suggest substituting in plastic for various RV components, it really isn't a trivial thing. Mark & Teri 2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350 Mark & Teri's Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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