Shell Cost

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Re core materials.
I am currently part way through a build similar to my avatar.
It is all polyurethane core (for best insulation) except the floor which is PET. PET is a tad heavier but is chosen because the crush strength is better than the polyurethane so the potential to develop soft spots in the floor is reduced.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[andy_b]

But the +25% might (less the effect of foriegn currency manipulation)

If I remember my American TV influenced boyhood "learnins" correctly, levies on imports haven't gone down too well in the past.

I’m not following. My point is just that if you’re a US-based buyer set on getting a TC kit, have one of their Canadian partners build it, saving on both the labor to build the box and the tariff to buy it.

 

[ReluctantTraveler]

It will be interesting to see if those tariffs actually come to fruition once people realize the American people pay them, NOT the country/seller they're purchasing from.

 

[stever1000]

Anyone purchase any empty shells recently? Looking at options in the PNW

 

[Gravelette]

What progress on this project?

 

[DzlToy]

Seems to me to be outrageously expensive, but then I bought 3 bedroom house for $65k.
You've been studying this for years, so I'd guess you know what this stuff is, but it still seems to be marked up to the stratosphere.
General rule for a cantilevered floor is 1/3 outside over 2/3 or say an 80 inch cabover and 160 inches, so I guess you're on spot.
But that price......WOW!

This ^^.

"Everything" is expensive (read: inflated) these days, but materials cost on a 7' x 7' x 14' box is well under 10 grand. I simply cannot see profit, labour and Chinesium windows resulting in a 600% price increase.

 

[rruff]

"Everything" is expensive (read: inflated) these days, but materials cost on a 7' x 7' x 14' box is well under 10 grand. I simply cannot see profit, labour and Chinesium windows resulting in a 600% price increase.

Sounds like a great opportunity for you to beat the competition and become rich!

 

[Victorian]

This ^^.

"Everything" is expensive (read: inflated) these days, but materials cost on a 7' x 7' x 14' box is well under 10 grand. I simply cannot see profit, labour and Chinesium windows resulting in a 600% price increase.

I will be your first customer if you can sell me a quality box that size for that price.

 

[Gravelette]

Maybe OP will let us know the cost of whichever he chose.

 

[DzlToy]

Sounds like a great opportunity for you to beat the competition and become rich!

Thanks, but I have plenty of projects to keep me busy. Building camper boxes in the brave new over-landing world isn't my cup of tea.

I will be your first customer if you can sell me a quality box that size for that price.

Andreas, you have been in this game a long time and I assume you know materials costs better than I do. I have sent out several quotes over the years to interested members and never had a buyer despite the very reasonable price. People want a name brand, warranty, a fancy web site, RVIA financing, a booth at the OvEx and so on. I don't have any of that and it is for those reasons and others, that I could build a box for 7-8k.

Bulk/Wholesale XPS sheets, bulk/wholesale e-glass, bulk/wholesale epoxy resin (55 gallon drums), a flat surface on which to bag/infuse the panels and some consumables, is the sum total of materials. This does not include labour or profit.

I appreciate the OP sharing pricing; it is very revealing to me that either profit margins, over head and/or labour are massive components or that the process itself is quite inefficient. Building a box isn't all that difficult.

 

[rruff]

I think you must realize that commercial products that require investment in equipment, space, employees, design, engineering, marketing, customer service, warranties, etc... will end up costing *way* more than materials... if you want to make a profit.

I bet I spent over 1,000 hrs building my camper, and it's very simple inside. I could probably sell it for around the $10k material cost... let me see, $10k plus $5/hr slave wages x1000, is...

 

[ponderosa1]

Wow who is paying these insane prices.... can get a used truck camper cheap and fix it up a bit or upgrade suspension on a cargo trailer, can get finished and insulated cargo trailer with a window for way under 10k

 

[DzlToy]

Agreed ^^ (again)

If you MUST HAVE IT, you are going to pay through the nose. Example: 65k for a shell with some interior bits glassed in and Chinese windows... To me, that is absolutely bananas. You can buy a REALLY nice car for 65 grand.

Yes, ruff, I realise all of what you said. This is not and will not ever be my business. I have access to two shops, one is 3k SF and the other is 12k SF. I have zero overhead. So, if I buy materials for 8k, spend a few weeks building the panels and ship them out on a pallet, making 2k in profit, I would say that is a pretty good ROI.

There is no way in )&*$#@ that I would spend 1000 hours building anything. You have much more patience than me.

The discussion started on the cost of commercially-produced shells and I don't imagine the shops making these shells are spending anywhere near that amount of time. It would cost-prohibitive, to do so.

 

[rruff]

Example: 65k for a shell with some interior bits glassed in and Chinese windows... To me, that is absolutely bananas.

I agree. That would be like something fully custom, hand crafted, finest materials, etc. Not just a box glued together from panels.

So, if I buy materials for 8k, spend a few weeks building the panels and ship them out on a pallet, making 2k in profit, I would say that is a pretty good ROI.

I used to have a business where I hand crafted custom products. I spent way more time dealing with customers, vendors, and associated BS, than building anything. And would you really work a few weeks for $2k? That isn't a lot...

There is no way in )&*$#@ that I would spend 1000 hours building anything. You have much more patience than me.

I think maybe you just aren't stupid enough...