How Much More Would You Have Paid?

[Jayhawk 29]

In the old days house trailers were built with cheap materials and they were a fire trap. My company pioneered the use of fire resistant gypsum products, which we designed to only add minimal weight.

As far as the comments above, I can attest to that. Most every plant is a dangerous place to be.

The white pine studs, roof structures that forms the so called trusses and cleats for most of the cabinets that's still in most of the sticks and staples rvs is soft wood and not much better than kindling for a fire place .

Structurally in conjunction with the sorry fasteners and especially the short ones being used, owners needs to be mindful traveling on rough roads or stuff will fall always apart inside.

But gypsum and the intent of weight savings surely does not go hand in hand. But that sounds like an interesting career .

 

[Mesquiterose]

I also went low tech no slide outs and think it is what makes my trips so stress free.

 

[OnTheGo]

I also went low tech no slide outs and think it is what makes my trips so stress free.

Low-tech and stress free in the same sentence doesn't surprise me. I'm right there with you. Although I think there are folks out there who enjoy the experience more because of the tech related features.

 

[gypsmjim]

But gypsum and the intent of weight savings surely does not go hand in hand.

To reiterate, I was referring to Mobile Homes ("House Trailers"), not Recreational Vehicles.

Replacing the highly flammable wood paneling used back in the day with gypsum panels was done to "improve" fire resistance. Reducing weight was not the intent. However, the technology that changed the industry made a fire-resistant panel that had comparable weight to wood.

RVs are an entirely different animal. WEIGHT is the most important factor because they get hauled around all the time. The walls are not designed to be fire proof. Of course, they aren't usually lived in 24/7 like a house trailer. And those that DO need to be extra cautious.

 

[OnTheGo]

I’d gladly pay for a $20 box of screws to be used instead of staples during construction

I agreed with this response back in December. I really agree with it now. On a recent trip home we were on a two-lane road and had to detour around an accident. We were off the paved road for a stretch and the ride was very rough. Probably more than the staples could take.