Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS

SoundGuy wrote:

mikakuja wrote:
What impressed me most was that Coachmen is that unlike most other FG walled trailers they use Azdel in their walls. Azdel is not wood based and won't take on water which leads to delamination...

SoundGuy wrote:
An overstatement of fact that I'm sure Coachmen would love to have you believe and to propagate. :R In point of fact only the sidewalls are Azdel, the end panels are luan laminated with fiberglass.

mikakuja wrote:
The OP was looking at a Freedom Express, not an Apex, the two are actually quite different.

SoundGuy wrote:
FWIW, here's that pic I referred to earlier of that Coachmen Apex rear wall that was being replaced by my dealer. The original end panel that had been removed was sitting against the wall and although I didn't bother taking a pic of it I did carefully examine it and can confirm it was indeed luan bonded to fiberglass, no Azdel at all. The original panel was secured to the trailer around the edges with staples, when the tech installed the new replacement panel he applied adhesive to all the frame members and used screws around the edges, later covering those edge corners with trim. When I questioned the tech he confirmed that my Freedom Express is exactly the same.

Flatfoot-Rogue wrote:
Once again you are comparing two different items. Since your trailer and the apex that you have commented on were built Coachman has changed construction practices. The 2016/17 Freadom Express no longer uses wood in the outer frame (sides, Front or back) It is Aluminum Cage construction...check their website.....No one is arguing the fact that the endcaps are not Azdal just that there is no wood...

Just yesterday I was at my local Coachmen dealer on another matter and asked the tech I had spoken to previously about the differences, if any, between the interior construction of the Apex and Freedom Express series of trailers which are manufactured in the same facility. The answer was that other than minor detail differences the construction is essentially the same - Azdel side walls but luan front and back. As it would happen this tech is currently replacing the rear wall on a Freedom Express so he just sent me this pic ... as you can see it's no different than the Apex - lots of wood and luan, filled in with fiberglass bat insulation. FWIW. :W

I quote Coachman's web site about Aluminum framing for the 2016/17 line up and you show a pic and talk about an older model.. Hmmmmmm That like saying that a 2015 F150 is the same as a 2016 F150 because they both are made by FORD and say F150 and will have all the same body issues. We all know that that is not true as the 2015 is steel construction and the 2016 Aluminum so they can't and will not have the same body issues. The OP asked about a NEW 2016 Coachman. Coachman is saying that their NEW trailers starting in 2016 and moving forward have an Aluminum Cage construction so who cares about the problems that their wood cage construction had. If you don't like this explanation take it up with Coachman, They are the ones stating that they are changing their manufacturing process.