Hi, does anyone have any experience of the Adria Polyester side walls? I have just bought the Adria Altea 542dt 2010.
My wife doesn't like using it in the winter as we have 3 young children and wet and windy camping/children is not out idea of fun. Our van has gone into storage and so I have no idea what the polyester sides are like compared to traditional aluminium. I would have thought that these would be be a better insulation and therefore warmer but can anyone with first hand knowledge comment?
The side look really good and robust. I asked the dealer to let me have the blank that was cut out for the external socket and its quite amazing! It is a skin of polyester bonded to a core of polystyrene bonded to internal wall board. I have whacked it against a door handle and not a single mark or dent! Hopefully no more damage from likes of awning poles and bikes.
The improvement in the thermal "U" value of the side-wall by using polyester rather than aluminium for the other skin I would have thought to be extremely small; beneficial but very minor.
Other advantages as you say and not forgetting the potential to locally repair it could make it an attractive choice.
We had a Cristall van, which had the same construction, in 2003. We had it for 5 yrs. Whatever the theory, in real terms, we found it to be significantly better insulated than the typical alu sandwich, and more to the point, when we first went into the van after a few weeks in store during the winter, we never got the internal condensation we experience on the alu sandwich vans for the first nights use.
Happily we never tested the repair aspect, but we were assured that local damage could be fixed with fibre glass, without having to replace a whole side wall etc. Since then (Cristall went bust with the Tirius group), we 've gone back to Uk alusandwich, and an accidental tap with an awning pole has already put a dent in the side of the van. Still --- the orange reflector looks good.
I think Adria have it right, and others will follow.
Quote: Originally posted by ayjay on 11/11/2009
Still --- the orange reflector looks good.
Careful with using orange reflectors. I don't know the details of this, but remember reading somewhere that there are rules/laws covering where or where not you can stick them.
Quote: Originally posted by Surfer01 on 11/11/2009
The same question has been posted or 3 or 4 other caravan forums. Seems like wizzio does not like the answers given.
That no true! I am a member of three forums and have posted this on each at the same time for as many opinions as possible. I hadn't received any responses before posting the others. I am looking for opinions and views good or bad!
Quote: Originally posted by ayjay on 11/11/2009
Still --- the orange reflector looks good.
Careful with using orange reflectors. I don't know the details of this, but remember reading somewhere that there are rules/laws covering where or where not you can stick them.
There are special dsipensations when covering dents or scratches.
Our pop up has the same construction. The van is super in winter. Last January we had a 500w oil filled radiator on less than half setting to keep it very warm, and never needed the warm air heating.
However, I think the polyester skin is not the main reason the van is warm, It is probably more due to the number of ventilators in the van and the draughts you can get on a windy day.
Quote: Originally posted by Surfer01 on 11/11/2009
The same question has been posted or 3 or 4 other caravan forums. Seems like wizzio does not like the answers given.
I can't see whats wrong with posting the same question on several forums, the more answers you get, the broader the spread of opinions, why should it be annoying? The op seems a fair enough question.
Quote: Originally posted by Laurent on 12/11/2009I can't see whats wrong with posting the same question on several forums, the more answers you get, the broader the spread of opinions, why should it be annoying? The op seems a fair enough question.
Thanks. I just wanted as many views as possible. I can't possibly know if they are members of other forums and if they are and want to post they only need to do it on one thread. I only posted this on two other forums relevant to Caravans. I have seen other posters do the same and I have never commented!
I was not saying that aluminium vans couldn't be warmed up so that it is nice and toastie as I know from experience that they can but whether by the very characteristic's of polyester where warmer.
I remember as a child riding my drop handle racing bike with alloy handlebars in winter. The tape had come of and it was freezing weather and my bare hands on the alloy stuck together because it was that cold. This of course was also repeated on "Dumb and Dumber"
The general opinion across the three forums is that polyester itself may be warmer but an aluminium van can still be warmed up nice and toastie and it also depends on the vents on van and insulation in the sidewall etc
From a practical point a view Polyester is more resistant to minor knocks from bikes,awning poles and the annoying football(even though often banned)
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Topic: Polyester sides warmer than aluminium?
