New FWC Fleet Shell exterior options fiberglass/silver spur

[Wallowa]

Fiberglass is quite flexible in bending. Check out the 747 variable camber krueger flaps, where the fiberglass is flat when stowed for high speed flight, and bent for takeoff and landing:

. These things bend for 20 years and 40,000 flights, twice a flight with no fatigue problems. However on a camper it may be a shear situation and perhaps the fiberglass, if stiff, could be worse than strips of aluminum. Interesting thought.

Wow! Cool video...80,000 times they are cycled without replacement, amazing...one other small point, when retracted they are not in direct UV...hopefully !!...and as you say fiberglasses are not all created equal...

 

[rubberlegs]

Well true, the 747 kruegers use a highly and frequently tested fiberglass, with great flex and strength properties. Been working great since the late 1960s, in what at that time was "space age material"!

 

[klahanie]

I think the fibreglass option was introduced solely for esthetics (and perhaps for future colours options). At the time of introduction, RV builders were increasingly using filon exteriors and I presume the idea was to offer a less dated look than the AL siding.

I spoke with a FWC dealer about the fiberglass and he said that over time it will crack since the frame flexes but it does not.

My camper is old, so info is dated. The side and rear walls each have 2 thin and 1 thick colour stripes fixed within the white siding pieces. That makes 7 pieces on the vertical and 6 horizontal joints (or is it seams ?). I've always thought this design was part of the "flex frame" system to allow some relieve to possible stress placed on the external wall. Mind you, the front wall on ours is a single piece.

One downside of this construction, IMO, is that these seams are not air tight. I suspect this contributes to drafts within our camper during cold or blowing weather. - Not saying it happens to anyone else's camper -.

Maybe FWC is using a vapour barrier in the walls now, IDK.

Anyway, fibreglass wouldn't have this multi piece construction if the colour stripe is painted on (?). I think fibreglass would be better for changing the colour after purchase than AL. You really should know what you are doing when re coating AL siding, especially if it cooks in the sun.

EDIT to add quote back in

 

[makalutoo]

Thanks for everybody's input

 

[makalutoo]

I ended up ordering a shell with the standard aluminum cladding. I like the look of the silver spur but did not think it was worth paying 500 dollars for grey. FWC also has a smooth aluminum option that costs around 900 dollars that I also decided wasn't worth it for me. The feedback that that I got from the FWC dealer was that he thought that it would show dents very easily. I just decided to go with the tried and true product that has worked for the last 30 years.

I watched the new troubleshooting videos that Stan at FWC has put out and they had one on siding. I wish i would have seen it before i placed the order, as it would have answered most of my questions, Again, thanks for all the input.

 

[Chadx]

I don't think that there is a real need for aluminum jack brackets, but they would be easy to fab if I decided to go that route.

As others have mentioned, the optional upgrade to aluminum jack brackets refers to the jack brackets permanently attached to the camper; not the removable jacks themselves which are steel. Some replace them for the tiny weight savings but to me, the biggest advantage is to replace the painted steel with the bare aluminum because the painted steel chips with road debris and steel will rust. I can't stand the look of rust or chipped paint so paying for the aluminum upgrade was the right choice for me. They are non-removeable for practical purposes (read: unless you are tearing it apart for damage repair, etc) so they are always there taking wear and tear with every mile logged.