Quote:
Originally Posted by yaw
Do all the windjammer models use azdel? I've seen some reference about the older years using it, but do the current years use it also? Thanks.
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Although I don't know for sure I would suspect not since the current website and brochure have no mention of it. We have used Azdel products in the construction industry and frankly the added cost more than outweighs the benefits. Its not the perfect material nor is it the cure all to laminated RV delamination. Its more marketing than it is anything.
A laminated wall is made up of an inner layer of luan plywood. This is what you see and has the vinyl wall covering applied to it. behind that is a frame made from square aluminum tubes, and all the cavities between those are filled with sheets of beaded styrofoam. Next comes another sheet of Luan plywood, or in some.........a thin sheet of azdel. Then finally you have the fiberglass or composite sheet seen from the outside.
They lay those all out in a layers one at a time on a platform in order, and apply adhesive between each. Then it is put through a set of pinch rollers or into a vacuum bonding machine, and the layers are pressed and bonded together.
It does not matter if its Azdel or Luan plywood in the layer under the fiberglass. If you get enough H2O in the mix from a leak, something will delaminate. That's because the adhesives have to be low VOC per government regulation, and are nowhere near as strong as they used to be. Either the composite / fiberglass will release from the Azdel or Luan, or the Azdel or Luan will release from the styrofoam, or the inner layer of Luan will release from the styrofoam. You still get delamination no matter what the material is in that one layer.
All you need to do is go on an RV lot and look into the hole that the door latch engages in. Inside that hole you'll see the individual layers and probably be able to tell if that outer layer of substrate is Luan or Azdel.
They are correct in the claims that Azdel will not rot but in the whole scheme of things neither will Luan as longs as it does not get wet. Even if they use Azdel in the sdiewall, the roof contains wood, the floor contains wood, and the wall still contains wood.
The only benefit there may be with Azdel is I noticed you do not seem to see as much telegraphing through it a few years after the RV is made. That is where if you look down the sidewall at a shallow angle you can usually see where every seam is, 4' apart, between the outer 4X8 panels of the substrate.
The method of bonding means more IMO than anything. When we had our Keystone Hybrid you could really pick out the seams in the sidewall. Keystone uses pinch rolling to bond the wall together. On our Rockwood they are vacuum bonded together, which results in a better bond and less visible seams. I have also heard that the adhesives bond much better to Luan than they do to Azdel which makes sense, since the Luan is more pourous. Sure Luan rots, and can delaminate just by itself, but no matter Laun or Azdel, none are going to delaminate without water unless its just a bad lamination job. Some also claim the adhesives can release from the heat of the sun in hot climates.
All of that said if they built the whole trailerl from composites then that would be a true benefit. Not marketing BS on a brochure.
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