Building Composite Walls

[dzzz]

What's the current best materials for building thick foam-core type composite camper walls? I've been thinking about building a simple aluminum box with few uprights, and doing the infill with laqminated composites.

 

[David_in_TX]

See the following web page on the wall construction for the Turtle V, which uses Nida Core with an aluminum frame, very similar to what you are describing.

http://www.turtleexpedition.com/vehicles/turtle5.php

Personally, I would use a sandwich panel with an exterior face sheet material of aluminum, with a thickness of .062 inches minimum. This would be more damage resistant than fiberglass. There are many manufacturers of honeycomb core sandwich panels, I have used Hexcel in the past. These panels are used extensively in the Aerospace/Defence industry.

http://www.hexcel.com/

 

[Christian]

Actually I'm not convinced that aluminium is more damage-resistant that fibe-glass.
Just today I talked to a guy who had built campers using both. And he said that alumunium was morew fragile and almost unrepairable at the same time. If you get a dent there's just one option, replace the panel.
Fibre-glass does'nt get dents and if you damage it you can easily repair it, just sand, fibre-glass, sand and the paint again.

This was his opinion...

Look at Nida-core, just do a seach here, that's what we plan on using.

 

[dzzz]

I have been looking at Nida-core. I like the structural properties and insulating ability. I agree about aluminum. With dents there little choice but a major project. The aluminum trailer I owned always seemed to be a temporary thing.

I don't want a gel coat look. Too slick for me, and good repairs are more difficult. I can see a painted nidacore surface. Repairing it would be more like patching and painting a wall.

I was thinking about aluminum "L" brackets defining the outside corners, with Nidacore filling in the rest. I've seen pics of it being done the other way: Building a nidacore box and then adding the aluminum to the outside edges. But this way doesn't give the productivity advantage of framing the space with a rigid material before setting up the panels.

I also like the idea of building some of the interior structure with nidacore.

 

[whatcharterboat]

Actually I'm not convinced that aluminium is more damage-resistant that fibe-glass.
Just today I talked to a guy who had built campers using both. And he said that alumunium was morew fragile and almost unrepairable at the same time. If you get a dent there's just one option, replace the panel.
Fibre-glass does'nt get dents and if you damage it you can easily repair it, just sand, fibre-glass, sand and the paint again.

This was his opinion...

Look at Nida-core, just do a seach here, that's what we plan on using.
__________________

We've used both too. Fibreglass / foam sandwich wins hands down for toughness. You can punch our walls as hard as you like and nothing. Aluminium is possibly quicker and easier and would be fine for something light duty but personally I wouldn't use it in an expedition vehicle if composite was available to you.

 

[whatcharterboat]

If you need/want to use aluminum then DiBond is by far the best and up to date system. Look at Mickldo's sig line and see what they do with it.

 

[Mickldo]

If you need/want to use aluminum then DiBond is by far the best and up to date system. Look at Mickldo's sig line and see what they do with it.

See below VVVVVVV