Jigsaw wall first for Regent

Melbourne-based Regent Caravans has introduced what it believes to be Australia's first 'Jigsaw wall' construction caravans.

A new three-bunk Regent Weekender with the new router-cut ply walls and ends made its debut at the 2014 Queensland Caravan Show (June 4-10), alongside the new 21ft 6in Regent Monarch MkII with slide-out lounge that made its debut in Sydney.

Instead of conventional Meranti wall framing with cross members and the polystyrene insulating foam hand-cut to fit in between, the entire walls and ends of the latest Regents are router-cut from single 2400mm x 1200mm sheets of 19mm thick plywood.

Using a mirror-image program, the foam is then cut on the same machine to fit the router-cut holes precisely, resulting in a gap-free, strong and fully-insulated panel.

A key Regent innovation is the interlocking of the wall panels using jigsaw-like cut-out sections that are joined using special fasteners.

AutoCad software is used to calculate how much timber can be routed from the panels to ensure there is no loss of structural integrity.

Another advantage of this wall structure is the creation of a channel running longitudinally across the inner side of the ply panels through which all the van's wiring runs. As this butts up against the inner ply lining, the wiring is safely and neatly contained in its own channel.

What's more, the van's furniture can be firmly attached to the wall from both the inside and outside before the outer ribbed aluminium cladding is applied, further increasing its strength.

However, a major advantage of the new wall construction is that the panels are router-cut using existing machinery, but are 20 per cent lighter and 70 per cent quicker to build than a conventional timber stick wall structure, according to Regent's Theo Geustyn.

"One of the key things is that we can claim accurately that our Regents with this structure are 'fully Insulated', whereas most caravans with hand-built walls have a lot of gaps to allow for the installation of their wiring and foam panels and in reality are only 30-40 per cent insulated,” he said.

"As the front and rear panels also dovetail into the side walls, the entire structure is much stronger and more rigid too.”

The new 'Jigsaw walls' are currently being rolled out into the full Regent range, which by the end of 2014 is expected to number 17 different models – more than three times the five models it started the year with.

These will include five heavily-revised entry-level 'Weekender' models, which have just been given a considerable styling makeover, five new Monarchs, and four new Regent Cruiser models.

"With a lot of customer feedback and the guidance of (ex-Bailey UK) designer Steve Wills and Theo on the production side, we've found a new direction for Regent that will ensure it remains a respected and desirable Australian brand into the future,” Regent boss Adrian van Geelen said.