Anyone heard of Topolo RV?

[sprocket3]

Oh, I could! There are quite a few US/Canada-based options (and at least one German manufacturer). But $30k+ for just the box is pretty high for my budget.

I'm planning to do a more traditionally framed build (wood frame + marine ply + structural foam boards for insulation). I'll probably use fiberglass cloth + epoxy (ie. the West System) on the exterior.

It's all tradeoffs, right? I'm sacrificing a fair bit of my time to have something that's 100% what I want at a lower cost.

FRP Composite panels ( US Source)

Does anyone know of a US source for the high quality FRP foam composite habitat panels? Just curious if i can buy the panels and build a basic habitat myself. I'm seeing prices of bare habitats in the $30,000-$45,000 range. Are materials really so high now?

forum.expeditionportal.com

I just posted that as I'm in the same boat. Having a hard time getting my head around a $35,000 box. A box it a pretty simple building design and I'd think someone would be able to make a box for $15,000 with plenty of margin. Not sure how we got to double that in a few years as you could get a kit in the past for $6000. Even a small "professional" should be able to setup templates and jigs to make these reasonably fast.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

FRP Composite panels ( US Source)

Does anyone know of a US source for the high quality FRP foam composite habitat panels? Just curious if i can buy the panels and build a basic habitat myself. I'm seeing prices of bare habitats in the $30,000-$45,000 range. Are materials really so high now?

forum.expeditionportal.com

I just posted that as I'm in the same boat. Having a hard time getting my head around a $35,000 box. A box it a pretty simple building design and I'd think someone would be able to make a box for $15,000 with plenty of margin. Not sure how we got to double that in a few years as you could get a kit in the past for $6000. Even a small "professional" should be able to setup templates and jigs to make these reasonably fast.

I suspect it's a supply/demand thing.

Supply chains are a mess, parts are more expensive, and demand for RV-related stuff is higher than it was a few years ago.

I'm not happy about it, but I get it.

I think the thing that really pushed me to "framing panels" versus "building or buying panels and connecting them into a box" is that it's a much more forgiving process.

You can frame out the shape, then place some stuff in the layout before walling it in. Before you insulate, you do it again, and move stuff around (like window or door placement) if you have to.

I don't feel confident in my ability to have a design 100% to-the-inch locked down enough to buy a prefab box, frankly.

 

[sprocket3]

I suspect it's a supply/demand thing.

Supply chains are a mess, parts are more expensive, and demand for RV-related stuff is higher than it was a few years ago.

I'm not happy about it, but I get it.

I think the thing that really pushed me to "framing panels" versus "building or buying panels and connecting them into a box" is that it's a much more forgiving process.

You can frame out the shape, then place some stuff in the layout before walling it in. Before you insulate, you do it again, and move stuff around (like window or door placement) if you have to.

I don't feel confident in my ability to have a design 100% to-the-inch locked down enough to buy a prefab box, frankly.

I'm toying with the idea of welding up a steel frame from L / square tube and then just using the panels as the walls glued to the metal framing. I think some of the habitats are built that way. I'm also just looking for a complete truck as i don't really need a big project.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

I'm toying with the idea of welding up a steel frame from L / square tube and then just using the panels as the walls glued to the metal framing. I think some of the habitats are built that way. I'm also just looking for a complete truck as i don't really need a big project.

That's not totally dissimilar to what I think @IdaSHO did. He's got a steel base, with wood attached to and mounted on top of it.

 

[rruff]

I'm toying with the idea of welding up a steel frame from L / square tube and then just using the panels as the walls glued to the metal framing. I think some of the habitats are built that way. I'm also just looking for a complete truck as i don't really need a big project.

I can't talk... because I made my life much more complicated by doing curves and facets. But I'm pretty sure it would be easier, lighter, and better to ditch the steel, and join your panels together.

Making it easy is mostly a matter of simple shapes, and flat pieces. Then join them together at the edges. As Dan Grec showed in the video below, you can glue edges of FRP skins using epoxy/fiberglass layup, if you wish to do it that way. Or use aluminum. You can have thin aluminum pressed into custom angles if you want to get fancy.

Unless you are very $ limited, buy the PVC foam from CarbonCore. Get good quality high-glass skins. Practice using different glues and methods of joining the skins and foam to make sure you get it right...

 

[rruff]

That's not totally dissimilar to what I think @IdaSHO did. He's got a steel base, with wood attached to and mounted on top of it.

As I recall his steel was a only on the bottom outside edges, and after the fact he said it wasn't necessary.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

As I recall his steel was a only on the bottom outside edges, and after the fact he said it wasn't necessary.

I recall something similar yes.

 

[sprocket3]

I can't talk... because I made my life much more complicated by doing curves and facets. But I'm pretty sure it would be easier, lighter, and better to ditch the steel, and join your panels together.

Making it easy is mostly a matter of simple shapes, and flat pieces. Then join them together at the edges. As Dan Grec showed in the video below, you can glue edges of FRP skins using epoxy/fiberglass layup, if you wish to do it that way. Or use aluminum. You can have thin aluminum pressed into custom angles if you want to get fancy.

Unless you are very $ limited, buy the PVC foam from CarbonCore. Get good quality high-glass skins. Practice using different glues and methods of joining the skins and foam to make sure you get it right...

Pressing those panels looks like a chore.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Pressing those panels looks like a chore.

This feels very much like a "both have their benefits and drawbacks" kind of thing to me.

Constructing panels and joining them later may make building large panels—and more notably, fiberglassing them—easier. But you've gotta be REALLY accurate with your measurements or you've wasted the whole panel.

 

[rruff]

Pressing those panels looks like a chore.

They just need enough pressure so they touch. Concrete blocks? Bags of sand, dirt, cement, etc? Or you can vacuum press.

Constructing panels and joining them later may make building large panels—and more notably, fiberglassing them—easier. But you've gotta be REALLY accurate with your measurements or you've wasted the whole panel.

The amount of accuracy needed is the same as it is for building anything. A sandwich panel can be easily trimmed for size after it's made if necessary. Joints can be filled if necessary.

You can get a feel for this by buying stuff at the local hardware store and giving it a try.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

They just need enough pressure so they touch. Concrete blocks? Bags of sand, dirt, cement, etc? Or you can vacuum press.


The amount of accuracy needed is the same as it is for building anything. A sandwich panel can be easily trimmed for size after it's made if necessary. Joints can be filled if necessary.

You can get a feel for this by buying stuff at the local hardware store and giving it a try.

I hear you, but I think you're downplaying the forgiveness of traditional framing and the required accuracy of things like lining up windows and doors.

Or maybe (almost certainly) you're a more skilled carpenter than me (I'm not skilled at all) 😂😂😂

 

[sprocket3]

They just need enough pressure so they touch. Concrete blocks? Bags of sand, dirt, cement, etc? Or you can vacuum press.


The amount of accuracy needed is the same as it is for building anything. A sandwich panel can be easily trimmed for size after it's made if necessary. Joints can be filled if necessary.

You can get a feel for this by buying stuff at the local hardware store and giving it a try

True, but i think buying some panels would just be smarter. I think you'd need to press it between between something perfectly flat. I can't believe there isn't a US supplier for this stuff.

 

[rruff]

I think you'd need to press it between between something perfectly flat.

You need one flat surface... like a nice concrete floor. On the other side you use weights. Do some experiments and see how it goes.

I think I'd use epoxy and fumed silica (like Cabosil). PU adhesives need moisture to cure and it will take forever inside closed cell foam and FRP. I used slow cure E-bond epoxy... it was <$30/gal a few years ago, but it's double that now. Still cheap though. Happy to discuss details depending on the materials you use.

 

[rruff]

I hear you, but I think you're downplaying the forgiveness of traditional framing and the required accuracy of things like lining up windows and doors.

Or maybe (almost certainly) you're a more skilled carpenter than me (I'm not skilled at all) 😂😂😂

For windows and exterior doors you just cut the appropriate size hole in the panel.

I'm definitely not a skilled carpenter! Or a skilled composite builder. If you aren't too picky about cosmetics it isn't hard.

 

[Bigzaj]

Based on the videos on the website and the t-channel extrusions I'm like 99% they are making the panels for the Imperial Outdoors 145 and 195.

Composite RV wall panels manufacturer in China

Composite RV Wall Panels with FRP/Aluminum Skin, Foam/Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panel Manufacturer in China.

topolo-rv.com

At 1:13 into the video you get a good side profile of the drivers side panel, everything matches up to the X195.