Fiberglass Class Cs?

[Roger H]

Originally Posted by k corbin

Of course they do pre-flight inspections but a pre-flight does not include a detailed inspection of the caulking.
I would know because I used to own a small plane. is easy to assume they don't know what they are talking about just because you are not as familiar with a subject as they are.

I am very fortunate to have many skills in many areas that I find are of considerable use in owning vintage FBRV's.

I think that my point is getting lost in the minutiae.

Of course you're correct on both counts... and I make no assumptions about anyone, nor would I hope, that folks make assumptions about me, but just for the record, I'm intimately familiar with airframe corrosion and its attendant issues as well, but that's not really the issue here.

I'll spell this out as I think we've gotten off-track for what my point was.

Aluminum alloys expand and contract with temperature. Sealants deteriorate and lose their elasticity with exposure to the elements. Eventually they can't keep up with the expansion and contraction of the metal, and the seal fails, requiring maintenance.

Commercial aircraft sit out in the weather, but they're also inspected regularly for issues by maintenance crews, and regular preventative maintenance is performed UNLIKE how most privately owned RVs are maintained. Also, unlike RVs, the joint systems between sheets are much different on aircraft, the fasteners are different, and there are no square joints as you find on an RV roof/sidewall or flat surfaces where water would pond and search for that compromised sealant.

I hope that makes my thoughts on the comparison more clear.

[Beeser]

"...When I get out to one of the rallies I could hold a seminar on caulking and how to make it look pretty as well as being properly sealed..."

That's a skill I'm definitely lacking and would very much like to learn. I wonder, is it possible for you to post a video on the subject?

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Beeser

"...When I get out to one of the rallies I could hold a seminar on caulking and how to make it look pretty as well as being properly sealed..."

That's a skill I'm definitely lacking and would very much like to learn. I wonder, is it possible for you to post a video on the subject?

I won't be doing any videos featuring myself. But maybe I can persuade a friend to be the actor. He is excellent at making beautiful fillets.

I did find that Pro flex sets up very quickly and that makes it difficult to get it smoothly tooled into a nicely shaped fillet. So a critical DIY tip is be sure to do the caulking very early in the morning before the day heats up and be sure to do it in the shade. Do not do it in direct sun or in hot temperatures as you are setting yourself up for a major frustration.

[james kent]

Vixen 21. An all Mildred moterhome


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[james kent]

That's molded, spellchek!


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[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Bster13

My research has been almost exclusively about fiberglass (egg) travel trailers. I'm adamant with my SO that we purchased a fiberglass RV of some sort due to long term longevity of them vs. stick built RVs (Living Stingy: The RV Industry's Dirty Litle Secret: Quality).

But... we've never RVed before and we're not quite sure what we will prefer while fulltiming (truck and trailer vs. class C most likely), and to be honest, the interior space of a class C and price point is appealing.

So since I haven't come across much info on it yet, I'll ask...are there modern, fiberglass class Cs out there? Are they fiberglass all the way through (wood bad! )? Or are they just a fiberglass cap on the entire roof (that could be decent) or partial fiberglass on the overhanging cab (not as enthused)? Seems like if you prevent water intruding from the top, you ~may~ just be fine with the walls being stick built?

https://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/rvs/5610884766.html
A 1998 "Born Free" just showed up on the Seattle craigslist. Just over 100k miles but body and interior look to be in good shape and they say "everything works". The location of the motorhome is on Bainbridge Island (very upscale location) which is a ferry ride across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. You can get to Bainbridge Island by bus or train or shuttle service from the airport into downtown and then walk right onto the ferry. No doubt the sellers would meet you at the boat as that as it is pretty much normal for everyone who lives there to be running folks back and forth to the boat. So the sellers would not consider that a big imposition. There is a motel and plenty of bed and breakfast places on the island. There used to be a big RV dealer and repair center near there, Poulsbo RV, so getting it serviced regularly would not have been difficult for the previous owners.

[glennco]

www.coachhouserv.com

They seem like nice rigs


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[Roger H]

Originally Posted by glennco

Luxury Motorhomes - Fuel Efficient Downsized Class C (Class B-Plus) RVs - Home

They seem like nice rigs

They're gorgeous, but even ten year old used models with 50k miles start at $50k and up.

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Prior to the bankruptcy, Bigfoot made the Born Free class C (all molded). Still some out there on the used market. Don't know if Bigfoot will ever start up production again of this RV.

I didn't realize these were made by Bigfoot. I came across one in Georgia and there is no reference to Bigfoot in the ad but it sure was intriguing. They def made some awesome Class Cs but they weren;t fully molded.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Enyar

I didn't realize these were made by Bigfoot......

They're not, see my post here https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...tml#post587739

[Roger H]

Originally Posted by Enyar

I didn't realize these were made by Bigfoot. I came across one in Georgia and there is no reference to Bigfoot in the ad but it sure was intriguing. They def made some awesome Class Cs but they weren;t fully molded.

Allow me to suggest that you read the entire thread. Bigfoot and Born Free were in competition in the Class C market for many years. Bigfoot went bankrupt in 2008 and Born Free closed in 2018. Bigfoot was resurrected from the ashes in 2012 or so... but has not re-entered the Class C market with their motorhome.

https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...tml#post587741

[mary and bob]

We saw this Bigfoot Class C in Georgia a few years ago. Owners name was Kevin as I recall and may have had a website "Camper Kevin". Not molded of course but still interesting, as was Kevin. He said it was the "garage" model for hauling stuff in. Didn't get in it.

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by Roger H

Allow me to suggest that you read the entire thread. Bigfoot and Born Free were in competition in the Class C market for many years. Bigfoot went bankrupt in 2008 and Born Free closed in 2018. Bigfoot was resurrected from the ashes in 2012 or so... but has not re-entered the Class C market with their motorhome.

https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...tml#post587741

That's what I thought but the earlier posts here said otherwise. Just now getting caught up with the rest of the thread...