UNDERSTANDING COMPOSITE ’ GLASS PANELS
First , what is a fibreglass sandwich panel ? The clue is in the name . Picture three layers comprising two outer skins of fibreglass – the bread – and an inner layer of structural XPS foam – the filling of the sandwich . XPS stands for eXtruded , high strength , closed-cell PolyStyrene .
When done properly , the result is a panel with an impressive ability to withstand tensile , shear and compressive forces . A high strength-to-weight ratio is a key benefit , too , as is the fact that these panels contain no joins , which in turn minimises the amount of joins required for the completed caravan . Fewer joins obviously reduces the potential for water ingress
The fibreglass sandwich panels are cut on a CNC router at Creative Composites before delivery to Crusader .
A closed-cell foam core with two outer skins of fibreglass .
Composite fibreglass panels also offer better thermal efficiency than a ‘ stick and tin ’ van . In fact , according to Crusader Caravans , the CSIRO tested the ‘ CompLite ’ panels supplied by Creative Composites , a nearby company specialising in fibreglass sandwich panels , and found them to be up to 1000 times more thermally efficient than ‘ traditional ’ construction materials .
In off-grid situations , anything you can do to decrease the burden on the gas cylinders or batteries is a good thing .
Composite panels such as these also remove the need for an aluminium or timber frame – they have their own structural properties . The absence of a timber frame means no chance of rot . Finally , they better suppress outside noise . While they ’ re not completely soundproof , any noise from outside will be much quieter – fantastic when staying in crowded areas .
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