Shell Cost

[ReluctantTraveler]

Sounds like SF, California, I'm in Springfield, Mo. I've bought, held and sold real estate for 40 years in this area, prices doubled overnight and still lower than the national averages. Your box seems to be about $6,250 a sq. ft.!

Well dang, when you put it that way! 😱

The number I’m getting is $337/square foot though.

157 sq ft for $53k = $337/sq ft

 

[Ozarker]

Well dang, when you put it that way! 😱

The number I’m getting is $337/square foot though.

157 sq ft for $53k = $337/sq ft

OK, I used 65k, but it's $3,375.80 !

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

OK, I used 65k, but it's $3,375.80 !

I'm not following your math at all...

$55,000 / 157 sq ft = $350.32/sq ft.

Put another way, $350 * 157 = ~$55,000

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

According to your math the box costs almost $1m dollars

 

[Ozarker]

Lets chat, Bison Overland Campers quote should come in right around $40k for what you quote in the Cascadia quote.

Also we have both of those beat on material quality and strength. The Tensile strength of our panels are 6 and 10x stronger, and the Compressive strength is 5x stronger. We also believe our extrusions are superior, two piece aluminum extrusion, zero thermal transfer, zero expansion, and takes the abuse better than anything that's fiber based.

How much?

 

[rruff]

Also we have both of those beat on material quality and strength.

^ I see the article here about the 5lb PET foam you use, good stuff! I don't know why anyone would use weak foam. I found that 4lb PVC was so much stronger and easier to work with that 25psi XPS (which is ~1.5lb?). In the grand scheme, the cost just isn't that much. https://bisonoverland.com/articles-1

I didn't see a description of the skins though. What spec are those?

 

[Ozarker]

I'm not following your math at all...

$55,000 / 157 sq ft = $350.32/sq ft.

Put another way, $350 * 157 = ~$55,000

You're right, I messed up.

 

[Victorian]

I find those new types of foam cores fascinating.
Allow me to chip in as I'm not super familiar with PET (recycled coke bottles?) foams. How does the PET foam hold up long term after going through hot and cold cycles? With heat, will the PET get soft? I'm thinking about roof panels with permanent loads like A/C, Solar etc. Are they Chemical resistant to resins/solvents (field repairs with hardware store sourced acetone,polyster resins, bondo body fillers) ?

Over time (years) how will the PET change it's shape? With XPS and EPS we have seen shrinkage and expansion within the same panels during testing .

 

[rruff]

We use a 1.5mm PolyDET High Gloss WR

Good stuff, heavy duty, good penetration and impact resistance...https://www.optiplan.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Produktseiten/Datenblaetter/POLYDET_PowerStar_Plus_Datasheet.pdf

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

I just updated my original post with more info now that I've been able to connect with Drew from Bison Overland!

 

[LEMKER]

I find those new types of foam cores fascinating.
Allow me to chip in as I'm not super familiar with PET (recycled coke bottles?) foams. How does the PET foam hold up long term after going through hot and cold cycles? With heat, will the PET get soft? I'm thinking about roof panels with permanent loads like A/C, Solar etc. Are they Chemical resistant to resins/solvents (field repairs with hardware store sourced acetone,polyster resins, bondo body fillers) ?

Over time (years) how will the PET change it's shape? With XPS and EPS we have seen shrinkage and expansion within the same panels during testing .

We agree. Yes, you’re correct that it is produced with recycled PET plastic, mostly from soda bottles. PET actually has a very high heat resistance compared to other cores, especially EPS/XPS. The primary application for PET core is wind turbine blades, which requires long life spans and high strength and weathering.

As for chemical resistance, it performs well. We require a high chemical resistance because some of the markets we supply carry very harsh chemicals inside our structure. Polyurethane also performs well in this regard. We found the chemical resistance of EPS/XPS to be very low as it dissolves completely in gasoline or acetone.

 

[Victorian]

Good stuff, heavy duty, good penetration and impact resistance...https://www.optiplan.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Produktseiten/Datenblaetter/POLYDET_PowerStar_Plus_Datasheet.pdf

We use the full range of Lamilux from Germany. Every application needs a different Laminate thickness and properties. products.html

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

I didn't realize LEMKUR used recycled PET instead of XPS. Given how rare true soda bottle recycling actually is, that's really cool and *extremely* appealing!

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

@ReluctantTraveler

While price is a important data point, you might want to consider speaking with professional builders who have / are using these products. They have their reputations and company finances on the line so seeing what they use and asking them why is a critical data point IMHO.

For the three options you're considering there are numerous builders with personal experience using all three who would likely take your call and speak frankly about their personal experiences.

Additionally, different products have different price points for a reason; all three of your listed options are quite different in material choices and construction techniques.

It sounds like you potentially have an opinion here. Any interest in sharing?

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

Sorry, no interest in that.

It has come to my attention that you may be part of the Cascadia Composites crew? Seems like an important detail to mention when making a post like this.