M380 vs other fiberglass coaches

[martingregg598]

Dick, I have been on these factory tours, Blue Bird, Alpine, Beaver-
Bend Or, Road Master, Monaco, Marathon, and visited Featherlite. I
cannot speak about the Prevost as they come as a unit to the
converter. But here is what I know about the others. They build a
frame and weld on the lower supporting structure to the frame. Many
of the welds that I saw were welded incorrectly and over welded.
Blue Bird builds the frame and builds the sub substructure and then
lower the frame into the substructure and bolts the two together,
this is the way structural steel should be dealt with, the frame and
the substructure metals are not compromised by welding. Then there
are the ribs and the metal skin and roof and the rest of the coach
being constructed after the shell is built. All the others use a
vacuum bonded wall, a wall with a metal frame that has fiberglass on
one side insulation and the interior wood then glued together and
vacuum bonded, ever heard of "De-laminating." What they do is,
build a chassis to include the floor, they load it with all the
plumbing, wiring and cabinets and furniture, and then they bring in
a pre-constructed wall and lower it to the floor and set the wall on
the floor and spot-weld or screw or bolt the wall to the floor. Then
the roof is lowered on and the same process. It's all good on the
factory floor. What happens after the coach is on the road? When you
pull it into a driveway and the frame stressed? The box gives, spot
tack break, screws pull. That's why they fall apart, leak, rattle,
and on and on.
95 BMC Marty