Comparing Two Travel Trailers

anw7405 wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:
Grand Designs proven communication and customer support more than offsets Coachmen and Forest River's mediocre hit and miss approach if warranty is your concern.

As far as Azdel its nothing more than Coachmen marketing. If they replaced every piece of wood with it that would be one thing, but simply using it for the outer layer of susbstrate in the sidewalls gains you very little if anything.

I would like to know how a small dent in a wall with Azdel substrate would be worse with a Luan substrate?

Wow. I'm not knocking grand design here I'm just saying my opinion which is what the OP wanted.

Azdel is much more than just marketing.
Its lighter
It will not mold or suck up water like wood
Its a better insulator

these are all good things I would think in any body's opinion. So the dent in my camper peeled back the aluminum strip where the wall and the back came together. It rained quite a bit here before I seen it and sealed it up. If this was wood I would be really worried about mold, swelling etc. I just sealed it up and I will get around to fixing it probably some time this winter. No worries. Be happy. Keep camping.....

Well I was not knocking anyone either. Its factual that Forest Rivers responses are varied regarding issues and Grand Designs are exceptional. That is from a Forest River owner (Rockwood). Although Rockwood has been stellar many of their other divisions are not.

Believe what you want about Azdel. Yes it wont rot, but it can still delaminate from the foam layer or the filon can from the Azdel. The weight savings can be measured in
tens of pounds because Coachmen only uses it for the outer layer behind the filon in the sidewalls. Not the inner layer, the front nor rear, nor the floor or roof. As far as better insulation value.....ok. How would that be measured with a 1/8" piece replacing a 1/8" piece of luan plywood?

Is it better than luan......yes. Enough to sway a purchase? Not IMO. Especially given Forest Rivers lackluster support in more than a few cases. It sure looks good on the website and Brochure. Now if they used Azdel for both layers in the sidewalls, laminated the ends using Azdel. Put in a 3/4" Azdel floor and used it for the roof sheathing and cieling....then they might have something to crow about. As it stands on a 30' coachmen they replaced a total of 7.5 sheets of luan on each side with Azdel, 15 total for a weight savings of about 80 lbs, maybe. An increased R value?......LOL.

I would not be led down the primrose path regarding the miracle of Azdel. Its far from a miracle.