Reinforced Fiberglass Convert Camper Van In Simple Steps
The best base for a motorhome is fiberglass. It is manufactured from fiberglass saturated with polyester or epoxy resin, forming a strong composite.
Because of its unique structure, fiberglass unites lightness, strength, durability, and excellent resistance to unfavorable external factors.
Core qualities of fiberglass include:
Exhibits high strength at low thickness.
For example, a fiberglass sheet only 2 mm thick can match or exceed the strength of 6 mm plywood.
Good resistance to moisture and temperature swings.
Fiberglass does not absorb moisture, does not rot, swell or crack at high temperatures.
Possibility to manufacture complex forms and curved components.
Fiberglass is much easier to shape than plywood or MDF, allowing ergonomic shower trays, rounded furniture corners, and custom components.
Light body mass. Thanks to this, the overall weight of the motorhome decreases, positively affecting fuel efficiency and safety.
Long-lasting use. With correct maintenance, the lifespan reaches 50–100 years and more without noticeable damage.
Short durability
Plywood.
In poor conditions (moisture, heat, and no protection), the lifespan is up to 12 months with leaks.
Under normal dampness conditions, lifespan reaches up to 2 years.
If we have waterproof plywood + condensation + heat, up to 5 years.
In ideal conditions with waterproof plywood, varnish, constant ventilation, and no condensation or heat, service life may reach 10 years.
Delamination and mold can develop on lightweight plywood within 12 months due to condensation or leaks.
With waterproof glue and varnish, service life increases up to 5 years if coating remains intact.
Under good varnish, ventilation, and moisture protection, lifespan reaches up to 8 years.
Lightweight plywood is wood prone to moisture absorption, and even waterproof types can gather water, leading to mold after one season.
MDF's shelf life can be just 6 months,
water-resistant MDF up to 2 years,
water-resistant MDF with varnish preserves properties up to 3 years,
Hot weather severely affects MDF, glue at +50 °C loses properties and material delaminates,
Under ideal no-heat conditions, with varnish coating and good ventilation, lifespan is up to 7 years,
Not the best material but popular due to ease of production and processing.
With maximum aggressive application, ABS plastic lasts about 1-2 years,
high temperature is generally the reason,
at around +60 °C, the plastic loses strength and degrades rapidly, especially when frequently heated to such or higher temperatures (common in summer),
if use is not very aggressive but considering the van, the plastic lifespan is 6-7 years.
Fiberglass does not absorb water and retains properties when in contact with moisture,
does not lose strength under vibration,
even in the worst conditions the material lasts up to 30 years.
Minimum lifespans written by me, and maximum if driving rarely will be no more than 50% higher.
An example of fiberglass durability is yachts that have sailed seas for decades.
Capability to form non-standard shapes.
Plywood, lightweight plywood, and MDF have limited flexibility.
Manufacturing non-standard shapes involves high cost and complexity of processing, or is impossible.
ABS plastic by nature is an industrial material requiring factory manufacturing.
Of course, it is possible to buy flat panels and cover surfaces with them, but the cost of such finishing will be very expensive.
Additionally, ABS plastic is valued for its high strength in very thin sheets.
But ordinary tools do not suit joining thin sheets.
Essentially, for self-builders this is one of the worst materials.
Using fiberglass, it’s possible to make any curved shapes by hand,
which is very important for space optimization and arranging functional zones inside the motorhome,
but there are particular features in the production process and its cost,
these can be either very expensive or cheaper than ordinary plywood.
Why fiberglass is considered the optimal material for DIY conversions?
Its main component is fiberglass impregnated with polyester resin, which provides incredible advantages and strength to parts made from it,
providing the material’s indispensability for self-use:
The material is easy to work with: plastic before curing, it forms easily and becomes strong after curing
Space optimization by creating curved and non-standard shapes that eliminate bulky corners and save space.
A fiberglass shower tray allows perfect fitting to the size and shape of the vehicle,
side openings on vans usually closed can be made the same but with more space,
which may allow installing the bed at the highest possible position, which is impossible with plywood or MDF.
High resistance to vibrations and impacts.
While driving, the vehicle experiences vibrations and fiberglass maintains integrity without cracks or chips.
Unlike other materials, vibration has virtually no effect on fiberglass.
Work requires minimal tools and tutorials, no professional machines or complex equipment, just basic tools and video lessons.
A tutorial video with explanation: most fiberglass videos are aimed at mass manufacturing, where a mold for a single part costs as much as the entire motorhome interior.
But there are ways to do it about 20 times cheaper, even cheaper than plywood finishing, though nobody ever talks about these methods.
These methods are cheaper than plywood finishing but almost no one talks about them, though I know these ways.
Below is where to find info on this method,
Read until the end to learn the name of my YouTube channel.
There is no difference between manual and factory execution, you can replicate the factory level.
Summary and recommendations
If your goal is to build a motorhome or convert a cargo van into a bus by yourself, fiberglass is the optimal and rational choice
Why exactly rational, you ask?
Because even if you buy factory products 30-50% more expensive than other materials, you gain durability and in 5-10 years you won’t see it begin to rot
Nevertheless, there is a risk to come across a homemade MDF motorhome, and after vacationing in a hot climate, to see that the interior has deteriorated
This is a real situation — I have personally seen many times how after 3 years people completely replaced the van paneling because of mold and rusty screws
This method is extremely inefficient
Self-builders often assume that plywood can quickly cover a motorhome in a couple of weeks
But in reality, without any knowledge and recommendations, they can be doing it for a couple of years
In several cases, especially with MDF and light plywood, self-building lasted 3+ years, then redone due to moisture.
I didn’t mention construction times with different materials because it mainly depends on knowledge.
Many forget about knowledge buying expensive tools thinking it will be enough.
The truth is knowledge is always paramount.
For example, how to work with ABS plastic you can easily find, but you will be very surprised by the cost of tools for working with it because they are only for large productions.
There are plenty of tutorial videos on other materials, but how helpful will it be?.
A lot of money will go just to buying tools.
Plus, you need to watch hundreds of tutorials on working with them.
Plus, there is a risk of cutting your limbs with a circular saw when working with such material.
As I said before, fiberglass has some subtleties that few people know about,
This information is nowhere online, but I have a video on YouTube,
Watch the video, maybe you’ll want to learn and make a motorhome from the right material,
Find me on YouTube by entering (@) and my channel name (HardRefit), I won’t praise fiberglass anymore, the choice is yours,
I was very precise and indicated the maximum lifespan under various conditions.
If you seek a professional to convert your van into a motorhome, we are ready to help,
You can find the website link in the description of our YouTube channel.
I hope my advice helped you choose the right material for building a motorhome,
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