Elddis adopts Solid Construction
UK caravan builder ditches old-fashioned stick and tin construction for revolutionary new, hi-tech bonding systemUK manufacturer Elddis Caravans has introduced what it calls a revolutionary new caravan construction method that uses industrial-grade adhesives instead of screws and bolts.
Claiming to deliver exceptional levels of strength, lightness and dryness. the Solid Construction method replaces more than 90 per cent of the screws and bolts normally used when building a caravan with a chemical bonding solution.
The 48-year-old caravan builder teamed up with German-based adhesives specialist Henkel, which also produces solutions for the aerospace and marine industries as well as Formula One motor racing.
The construction method uses keyway joints together with the bonding process for connecting the sides, roofs and floors, while the chassis is also bonded to the floor.
Elddis is so confident in the structural integrity of the monocoque-like structure that all of its 2013 caravans and motorhomes will be supplied with a 10 year water ingress warranty.
Despite some similarities to the Alu-Tech system used by British rival Bailey, Elddis claims that Solid Construction is different to any previous construction method used in the UK over the past 60 years.
Traditional timbers are still utilised but have been replaced where possible with composite and aluminium materials to reduce weight.
Elddis says caravans built using the Solid Construction method have been extensively tested at automotive proving grounds, including the Millbrook test centre in the UK. The testing included being towed over twist humps, potholes and cobblestones to simulate 30,000 miles of heavily-loaded testing -- double the industry standard.
Manufactured at the company's County Durham, UK factory, the Elddis range of caravans and motorhomes have not traditionally been available Down Under, although Gold Coast-based Elite RV recently announced it had become the "sole official Australia distributor for the Elddis range of caravans."
Check out the teaser video below, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the hi-tech construction process works:
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