Renegade vs others re construction methods questions.

[BravestDog]

I searched the older posts and could not find an answer so here's the questions.

In regards to the construction methods of Renegade conversions,

1. Does Renegade use the same steel framing methods used by the other manufacturers or are Renegades using FRP only and no steel framing wall studs? Does Renegade use steel construction in their ceilings?

2. What is the framing methods used by the other manufacturers, ie Showhauler, Haulmark, NRc...? Size of tubing, framing spacing, floors walls, ceilings...?

Anyone want to comment?

The reason I ask is I see some Renegades that I might buy and am not sure what I'm getting in so far as construction methods.

[geofkaye]

...I use 1.5"x1.5" square steel tube with a 18 ga. wall....for the walls and a size larger for the roof-wider not thicker.....floor is channel on a trailer. FRP is old school and is obsolete now....it isn't weatherproof and will de-laminate on the inside or outside depending where the moisture is....geofkaye

[Bob E]

I toured the Renegade factory in Elkhart aprox 3 years ago. They use FRP in their walls & the ceilings are made of the same. The only structure inside, (that I remember) was wood bonded to the FRP primarily for mounting cabinets etc,... Also toured Haulmark,... construction is the same.
While there, I visited Showhauler,...the shells they were building at the time used 1" steel sq tubing on 16" centers in their walls. I really don't remember what the ceiling sq tubing was, but it would have had to be at least 1.5".
I liked Hawk Engineering as they used 1.5" sq tube on 16" centers throughout walls & ceiling with 2"X 3" for the floor. This provided for more insulation space in the walls. Insulation (or lack of) is one (of many) deficiencies I found with all of the Elkhart manufacturers.
Others included (IMO) wiring, cheap materials, poor cabinet construction, cheap furniture, etc,...
We also toured Optima in Georgia,...I liked their shell construction & cabinet work alot better than most however, they were more expensive for comparable units. I guess you get what you pay for (sort of).

[geofkaye]

......THE ISSUE IS STRENGTH/LONGEVITY OF THE COMBINATION OF MATERIALS:....FRP AGES AND WITH AGE COMES ROT FROM WATER VAPOR AND LEAKAGE...STEEL TUBING WITH AN ALUMINUM SKIN -SEPERATED FROM THE STEEL FRAME, WITH AN INSULATOR OF SOME SORT,-INSULATED WITH SPRAY FOAM ISOCYNATE-INTERIOR WALL COVERED WITH A 3/8" PLYWOOD SKIN-COATED WITH A MOISTURE/OFF GASING RESISTANT COATING/SEALING MATERIAL SUCH AS KILZ ON BOTH SIDES AND FASTENED PROPERLY WILL, IN THE LONG RUN, LAST THE LONGEST AND WILL HAVE THE LEAST ISSUES WITH MOLD/MILDEW/MOISTURE/INFILTRATION OF AIR/AND INFILTRATION OF WATER VAPOR/FIRE RESISTANCE/LEAK RESISTANCE......THAT IS THE BEST COMBO THAT THE MARKET WILL PRODUCE USING STANDARD MATERIALS....THERE ARE A FEW NEWER METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS COST EFFECTIVENESS OVER LIFE SPAN......geofkaye and the rest of the fools that work 7 day weeks in Cincinnati Ohio

[BravestDog]

Nice summary Geof.

Who is building these conversions in the manner Geof is describing and is there a transitional range of years where this is occurring or hasn't occurred yet?

Is there an "stay away from" construction design or do they all seem to fail in 5-10-20 years...?

Is the Renegade FRP design a "Stay away from"? Or if they are properly maintained, are they a good design?

What are the major problems being seen today with the older conversion models? Is it water intrusion leading to rot in FRP and mold in the insulation where the steel tubing framing is used?

Does anyone here own a Renegade and feel that the construction methods are fine?

[BravestDog]

It was explained to me by a qualified source that the Renegades are manufactured like this. I did my best to pay attention and take notes but I make mistakes occassionally. Something I find interesting is that these construction methods are not listed on their website. I wonder why not? Correct me if I'm wrong.

WALLS:
1. The exterior is FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plywood), ie 5/8" plywood with a fiberglass coating giving it a 3/4" finish width.

2. The interior walls are then lined with 2x2 wood studs. I'm not sure how the studs are attached to the FRP or their spacing width.

3. Insulation is put inside the wood bays. Not sure what type of insulation they use or how it is fastened so it doesn't sag/compress...

4. 1/4 luan plywood then covers the wood studs. Not sure how the luan is fastened to the wood studs.

5. Then some type of interior finish material is used to cover the luan plywood.

6. The exterior FRP walls are one piece of material. There are no seams.

7. Where the FRP has been cut for window openings, they are finished off somehow to prevent water from entering the FRP.

ROOFS/CEILINGS:
1. Ceiling joists are 2x4 lumber on edge. Not sure about the spacing, but one could assume they are stacked on top of the studs?

2. Insulation is lined in these ceiling joist bays. Not sure the type of how it is fastened.

3. 1/4 luan plywood covers the insulation.

4. Some type of covering is then put on the ceiling plywood. Not sure how it is fastened.

5. The ceiling piece along with the walls is from one piece of FRP so there are no seams.

6. One could assume that where there are cuts made in the ceiling piece, that the cut edges are sealed somehow.

I don't know if there is a bottom and top plate used in the walls, similar to typical stud framing methods.