All you resto guys

[rooney77]

Why are you going back with wood structures instead of aluminum? Is it ease of working with the material? Cost? I'm not nitpicking, just genuinely curious.

[steve68steve]

Wood is amazing stuff.

Teak and Locust are famously water- and rot- resistant. Ipe and most hardwoods are famously strong. Balsa and many softwoods are famously light. Most species are naturally buoyant. All are compatible with any number of treatments - coatings, preservatives, etc.

It's almost always cheaper to obtain and easier to work (without specialized tooling, welding equipment, etc.) than would be ANY comparable metal.

It's a traditional material for boats, fences, siding, railroad ties, telephone poles, (weather resistance); house framing, furniture, wagons, wheels, (strength); crude machines, bridges, even airplanes (flexibility). I'd love to have a retro-tech 1850's TC!

[Steelhog]

TC's and most other RV's are a compromise between strength, durability and weight. In theory one could build a camper that would last forever but it would be too costly for most buyers (Airstream and Avion). In many cases the shell outlives the interior and sometimes the owners. I would hazard a guess that 75% of RV owners use their RV less than 4 times a year and keep them for less than 5 years. Why build a structure that will last 20 years when the second or third owner is buying used because they are even less expensive?

Several grades of wood used for construction like Spruce and Fir have excellent strength to weight ratios when compared to steel and are much easier to fabricate than aluminum. In an application requiring light weight, flexibility and moderate strength, wood has it all.

[dakonthemountai]

As stated above.... Plus I figure that my HOUSE is built of wood and it's 53 years old and still standing! It's all a matter of maintenance and paying attention.

Dak

[trail-explorer]

Wood is easy to work with.

[kayco53]

Rebuilt my old 1976? camper wood is easy and cheap to work with.
Can complain look how old it got before the new roof due to a leak.
My fault should have acted quicker.Its fairly light as well.

[Possilian]

There is nothing wrong with wood! If you keep your unit from leaking and use good quality materials it makes for a long lasting rig. I just redone some of my af990 and used furniture grade wood with no knots. Resealed everything like the way I found it and checked everything else to my satisfaction. While I had it apart I upgraded my insulation, some fittings, wiring, and added some other things I wanted.