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Foodsman's avatar
Foodsman
Explorer
Sep 03, 2014

Motorhomes with aluminium outer skin?

Hi guys,

Are there any (still in business) motorhomes other than Newell and Prevost who have aluminium outer skins?
  • Yes both Newell and Prevost are aluminum skinned. Thanks Ernie...
  • my coach is a 97
    the front and rear caps are fiberglass, whereas, the rest is steel
  • Aluminum and fiberglas are about the same when it comes to repairing. There are honeycomb fiberglas parts that are very strong and quite stiff. I worked on Raadomes and they were honeycomb. You took a pair of big pliars and pulled the dead Gooney Bird out, took a router and routed all the damage and then put in honeycomb and coverd it with fiberglas cloth, 3 coats of resin, 3 coats of filler and 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint. Very expensive repair and took a week to do it all.
  • Take a look at Holiday Rambler Admiral, Endeavor and Presidential. I have an all aluminum HR 5'ver and am very impressed. I think those Class A's are what you're looking for.
  • Steel... I didn't know that Ernie! How does that hold up and what year is your coach?
  • my coach has steel
    unfortunately Wanderlodge is not in business
  • Some of the older Monaco coaches had aluminum skin, which included their Holiday Rambler line. Many of the fiberglass coaches have had delamintation problems. I am not sure that a fiberglass sidewall is any cheaper to repair than an aluminum sidewall if you have severe damage.
    Even the Monaco brands with the aluminum sidewalls had a fiberglass front and rear cap. Aluminum/stainless steel front and rear skins might be limited to just the Prevost chassis.
  • Had a MCI and found the cost of maintaining aluminum skin, had a case where a UPS delivery van slid across the frobt of the bus, cost $26,000 to have repaired due to massive labor replavibg the structure in dash, front end, big job, bucking rivets etc.
    Today have the Foretravel, fiberglass easy repair.
    Dave M