Kiwi,

What utter rubbish and total lies.

Aluminium corrodes and suffers from metal fatigue. Rivets also work/move and enlogate their holes. Electolysis also accurs where dis-similar metals come into contact.

Metal aircraft are subject to some of the toughest annual inspections in the planet. Those that are not properly maintained generally fail with catastrophic consequences.

The graveyard in Arizona is full of metal aircraft that have reached the end of their life.

Timber aircraft have an unlimited life with proper care and inspections.

My background......pilot for 43 years.....sport aircraft builder, Vans RV4 and Vans RV6.....aircraft restorer, DH82A Tiger Moth.

Another point to consider.....why have Boeing spent years and 100's of millions developing composite materials both major and minor ???? to escape the corrosion and metal fatigue problem that has hounded the aviation industry for years. A lot of people seem to agree with Boeing's direction with 850+ orders for the Dreamliner.

I'm sure Mowog is more than capabile of doing his own reseach, and sussing out the good from the not so good.


Cheers,

rvator2
Ahhhh, I think you'll find old chum that kiwi was ummm...taking the p*** mate. Read the post again, slower this time, and then post your retraction. LOL

Baz
Look before you leap.

Well I have made the bid "D"

First the requirements to explain the "D"

There will no hard core Cape York style trips for the van.
There will be dirt roads and all the issues that can come with dirt roads.
We want a big van with all the comforts.

I looked at all the established players in the "Off Road" market. The budget just didn't meet what they cost. And with the idea of no HARD CORE off road work for the van I just couldn't justify the extra $20-30k this was going to cost.

The wife and I ended up ordering a Lotus Trackvan Extreme 21' internal.

This is a timber frame van. No it isn't a hard core off road van, but in my research it comes up as a capable dirt road van. People for the most part seem to be happy with the quality of Lotus caravans. I have come across the odd exception online where people have had issues.

Delivery is expected to be in Feb 2011.

Yes, Kiwi was definitely posting with tongue firmly in cheek. And I think you have well and truly reinforced his views which I am confident coincide with his opinions completely.

Chris

A lot of current aircraft designs use high tech glues applied under great pressure
This reduces the electroysis effect greatly - also allows lots of flexing
Inside aircraft wings you have gussets and bracing made from a range of high tech alloys etc
some are only 0.025 m/m thick
These type of materials are not easily available to the general public

One must start at the gound and work up. A good strong chasis and great suspension is the first place to look before you worry about the frame material. The best frame in the world put on to a poor chasis and suspension will fail.

But for my money it would always be Aluminium - but yes it too can corrodes and may suffer from metal fatigue, just as a wood frame can get dry or wet rot and fall apart. Not all Aluminium frams are equal. Some are very weak and not worth having. So the next most imporat thing is the sealants used to ensure that the van will not leak and have water ingestation into the frame.

So the question is bigger then just what type of frame should be used. Yes go the factory and if they are not willing to allow you access to the the factory and for you to see all aspects of the van build then walk away.

I also agree if any van manufacture starts to denograte - bag another manufacturer then again walk away. Totaly unprofessional.

better with aluminium much lighter and stronger termites wont eat it[/quote]

Agree that metal is probably a better option.

How do termites eat caravans if they are not stationary.
Termites of concern in Australia are "subterranean".

There are plenty of poor quality timber framed vans on the market. There are plenty of poor quality aluminium framed vans on the market.

The question should not be 'which frame'. the question should be 'which manufacturer'.

Show me a van with electrolysis damage and i'll show you a van with an electrical fault.

Older cars with separate ladder chassis and more often than not wooden framed body all had heaps of flex which in some cases made the doors difficult to open. Then came monocoque construction which has evolved into a very rigid structure that then relies on the suspension to absorb all the shocks and movement. A modern caravan with an aluminium frame encapsulated in a vacuum formed sandwich panel makes a very light, rigid and strong structure when assembled into box on wheels. So long as the suspension is up to the job, the body shell should show absolutely no degradation a there should be no flexing. No wiring or plumbing should be run in the walls as this will weaken the structural integrity of the panel.

The above logic is the basis for my preference for a caravan made from the above construction. No wood to rot or get eaten by the white ants.

Cheers Chris

zzzzz