We like to build the best we can, and this is the reason for moving away from "stick and tin" fabrication toward better methods. One of the constraints, of course, are costs. The better materials are typically priced double, to get double the performance. Why that happens is another subject, we have to deal with the reality of pricing as available. The work around for most is to literally do it ourself - manufacture what others buy complete, such as prefab panels.
Insulation, for one specific material, gets difficult to justify, especially when an RV is used as a three season habitat. Deep winter, as recent users have discovered, isn't the best application for a thin walled mobile domicile with no foundation. If, when constructing it, we choose to use insulation with twice the R value per inch, we'd likely prefer R6 vs R3. if that insulation is also highly water repellant/resistant, has excellent sealing ability, and adds rigidity to the wall while also gluing itself in place filling every nook and cranny, so much the better.
I ran the math and a small squaredrop with about 400 square feet of surface area could cost $1,000 for a DIY application of 2" spray closed cell foam. How many camping days would it take to recover the cost vs the higher heating expense for a cheaper R value? That app isn't out there for us. It takes pencil work. Off the top of our heads, a longer time than we may want. Some would accept a lower R value knowing the few times they needed more heat they could simply turn up the "furnace" and do ok. It then gets into which fuel and it's cost perform sufficiently well. Having gone thru that with propane heaters and gas powered gensets, lessons learned lean toward diesel heaters and propane gensets. Modern life returns results we don't expect when you do the math. We compromise when money is involved.
Same problem for floors. We can build a non wood upper shelter. But putting down a subfloor on the trailer joists and not using a cellulose based sheeting is darn near impossible. Subfloor = structural sheeting that spans the space and which supports the top layer we tread on. It can't sag or cause the upper surface to detach, crack, separate, etc, all while holding things together. Being highly water resistant is another factor, and low weight, too, or we'd just pour concrete and tile it. In this case, it's a matter of the materials industry simply not offering much in the way of an alternative, and the few I've found in marine decking don't have a quick return on the cost. Things like aluminum extruded snap together planks or fiberglass grating get pricey for a DIY, even with the small footprint, much less aluminum step tread.
Strangely enough, synthetic decking at the lower end is now competitive with treated lumber. Who knew? Five years ago treated held a price advantage. I've got a trailer to redeck (over expanded metal) and running the numbers shows synthetic has the advantage resisting rot, etc. Oh, wait . . . Is that my answer to subflooring?
We balance our desires with our budgets. We accept the compromise to accomplish the job - getting out on the road for the weekend. We enjoy the RV while we can, knowing it has a limited life because of its inherent weaknesses - just like the vehicle we tow it with.
Insulation, for one specific material, gets difficult to justify, especially when an RV is used as a three season habitat. Deep winter, as recent users have discovered, isn't the best application for a thin walled mobile domicile with no foundation. If, when constructing it, we choose to use insulation with twice the R value per inch, we'd likely prefer R6 vs R3. if that insulation is also highly water repellant/resistant, has excellent sealing ability, and adds rigidity to the wall while also gluing itself in place filling every nook and cranny, so much the better.
I ran the math and a small squaredrop with about 400 square feet of surface area could cost $1,000 for a DIY application of 2" spray closed cell foam. How many camping days would it take to recover the cost vs the higher heating expense for a cheaper R value? That app isn't out there for us. It takes pencil work. Off the top of our heads, a longer time than we may want. Some would accept a lower R value knowing the few times they needed more heat they could simply turn up the "furnace" and do ok. It then gets into which fuel and it's cost perform sufficiently well. Having gone thru that with propane heaters and gas powered gensets, lessons learned lean toward diesel heaters and propane gensets. Modern life returns results we don't expect when you do the math. We compromise when money is involved.
Same problem for floors. We can build a non wood upper shelter. But putting down a subfloor on the trailer joists and not using a cellulose based sheeting is darn near impossible. Subfloor = structural sheeting that spans the space and which supports the top layer we tread on. It can't sag or cause the upper surface to detach, crack, separate, etc, all while holding things together. Being highly water resistant is another factor, and low weight, too, or we'd just pour concrete and tile it. In this case, it's a matter of the materials industry simply not offering much in the way of an alternative, and the few I've found in marine decking don't have a quick return on the cost. Things like aluminum extruded snap together planks or fiberglass grating get pricey for a DIY, even with the small footprint, much less aluminum step tread.
Strangely enough, synthetic decking at the lower end is now competitive with treated lumber. Who knew? Five years ago treated held a price advantage. I've got a trailer to redeck (over expanded metal) and running the numbers shows synthetic has the advantage resisting rot, etc. Oh, wait . . . Is that my answer to subflooring?
We balance our desires with our budgets. We accept the compromise to accomplish the job - getting out on the road for the weekend. We enjoy the RV while we can, knowing it has a limited life because of its inherent weaknesses - just like the vehicle we tow it with.
