Interesting Comparison of Boards

wildebus

Forum Member
I found this quite interesting ...

This is an offcut of one of the cupboards from my Motorhome ....
Front and Edge on
MH Cupboards by David, on Flickr
MH Cupboards by David, on Flickr

And a section from a Motorhome I was working on yesterday ...
MH Cupboards by David, on Flickr
MH Cupboards by David, on Flickr

Quite a difference there I thought. The second piece is definately lighter.
Top is made up of 5 pieces of 3mm lightweight ply with a front and back 1mm finish veneer
Bottom one is 3 pieces of 1mm ply front and back in a polystyrene sandwich.

I would be interested if the differences are:

1) Country of Origin? The top is British (Autotrail) and the bottom is German (Burstner).
2) Brand? Is it a Burstner thing? (other British Motorhomes are same as the Autotrail)
3) Age? Autotrail is a 2007 model and the Burstner is a 2018 model
4) Weight Saving?
5) Price Saving? I would guess the bottom would would be cheaper per square metre, but maybe not?
 

mb2tv

Forum Member
I am not sure of the plywood as I thought the lighter material has more layers.
As for the second one, when I was looking for light material I came across this ply that has foam inside, very similar to yours. I saw it in an Arnold Laver warehouse, the problem was they stopped retailing it and had only two boards slightly damaged. I will try and look for the brochure I saw it in. It was very lightweight and strong, had they continued to stock it I would have considered it to my build. If I remember the guy said they stopped manufacturing it. Shame, as it is ideal for such builds.

Actually found the material in this link:

Ultra Lightweight Poplar Plywood Panels | Latham Timber

The Ultralight Birch Poplar Panel has exceptional thermal insulation and dimensional stability, perfect for caravans, yachts and more. Order a sample now.
www.lathamtimber.co.uk www.lathamtimber.co.uk
 
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wildebus

Forum Member
That does look very similar. I am sure it is good quality stuff, but something I was a touch wary of is how well it took fastenings? As you might guess from the piece I posted, this was a hole made to take a socket that would have a plug pushing in and pulling out and I was concerned that there was only this initial 3mm of ply to grab the fastening screws (typically you would go at least half-way in to give a good purchase). So decided to use over-length screws that grabbed on both faces, knowing they would stick out the other side :( . In this case it was ok as was in the battery box and under a false shelf. But other occasios might not be able to do that.
 
trevskoda

trevskoda

Forum Member
In the boat industry there is a lookalike wood paneling which is light strong and fireproof, name of it I canny remember but its used in super yachts.
 
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