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Hi

Looking for replacement van. Now, the one I ahd stolen had GRP side panels. Now I have young kids so was wondering what everyones opinions are on vans with GRP side panels vs say the standard aluminum on a Bailey Pageant?

Thanks

Scott

Scott

My understanding is that GRP gives a more robust surface so you avoid the minor dents you tend to suffer with Aluminum. The possible downside is that as a material it is slightly heavier. Interestingly Swift don't seem to have extended their ranges with GRP.

David

Quote: Originally posted by David Klyne on 03/7/2007

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Scott

My understanding is that GRP gives a more robust surface so you avoid the minor dents you tend to suffer with Aluminum. The possible downside is that as a material it is slightly heavier. Interestingly Swift don't seem to have extended their ranges with GRP.

David

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What is more the current range of Abbey caravans have all reverted to aluminium.

 

We talked to the Swift Group Technical Director about caravan sides at the NEC last year.

He was telling us that the Abbey GRP sides have been discontinued in favour of thicker Aluminium sides throughout the Swift range.  His explanation was something along the lines of the GRP being much more resistant to dents etc, but that if a major repair was necessary to the GRP sides, it was more difficult/expensive to do so.  Added to the fact that the GRP sides are less glossy and attractive.

My own thinking is that the GRP sides were more expensive to produce!

Anyway, we are now hoping that the thicker alu sides that our van has will prove more enduring than the previous - which picked up dents sooooo easily.

Personally, I would like British vans to go down the same route as some of the continentals - such as Adria who use polyester and Hymer etc, whose sides seem almost bullet proof.  (No doubt this accounts for some of the higher weights though).

 G.R.P. sides are virtually bomb proof, no more awning dents great if you have children, but no longer produced. Too expensive.

Regards.

make the most of life, no one gets our alive 

I've just changed my van. It was an Abbey Spectrum with GRP sidewalls.  They are really good with regards to withstanding 'knocks', but as stated by Abbey, they are very expensive to replace if in an accident. A friend of mine had the same van and damaged a sidewall requiring replacement.

It was touch and go as to whether it was going to be written off (1yr old!).  The reason for this is that it is very difficult to seperate the sidewalls from the GRP front and rear panels. Very often they get damaged and have to be replaced also.

This bumps the price up dramatically. In my friends case, the insurance company agreed to let the dealer attempt to remove the sidewall and report back. If the front and rear panel were undamaged it wouldn't be a write off.

The dealer managed to carefully remove it without any further damge. BUT they did say that wasn't always the case. Often it goes the other way.

I suspect its the insurance companies who have put pressure on the manufacturers, resulting in the return to alluminium.

But I could just be cynical.

Mind you I do own a Garage and deal with insurance companies regularly and see what pressure they can apply.