EDIT - John: This post and the following posts were split off from Sarge's "I hope the motorhome is put together better than this..." topic in the Winnebago board.
sargew, you point on vehicle weight is well taken and this is perhaps the single most important area that the rv industry should be taken to task for. Horrible workmanship and sub standard materials are bad enough, BUT with the vast majority, some estimates put the number at 95%, of coaches/rv's being overweight is categorically criminal-no one seems to care or even be aware of this.
Certainly the manufacturers have to get creative when they are designing/building coaches and slides are heavy but the answer is NOT going to osb and mdf, these materials are far heavier than plywood, however oddly enough the composites are far cheaper-imagine that....so they outgas tons more voc's, the stuff is cheaper and that is what the name of the game has become.
sargew, you point on vehicle weight is well taken and this is perhaps the single most important area that the rv industry should be taken to task for. Horrible workmanship and sub standard materials are bad enough, BUT with the vast majority, some estimates put the number at 95%, of coaches/rv's being overweight is categorically criminal-no one seems to care or even be aware of this.
Certainly the manufacturers have to get creative when they are designing/building coaches and slides are heavy but the answer is NOT going to osb and mdf, these materials are far heavier than plywood, however oddly enough the composites are far cheaper-imagine that....so they outgas tons more voc's, the stuff is cheaper and that is what the name of the game has become.