The panel is the best in overall material selection, construction, and functionality.
PIR foam is insulating, water resistant, structural, rigid and highest rated flame-retardant foam on the market, making it the best choice for composite camper construction. Unlike XPS/EPS (polystyrenes), PIR will not retain moisture due to the closed cell density. PIR will reduce R-value in extreme cold, but will still outperform XPS/EPS. Overall, polystyrenes are not a structural foam and will burn! PIR is slightly heavier than XPS/EPS due to the density of the foam, but the performance of PIR is best commercially available today.
Where most panel manufacturers will glue the thin FRP layer directly onto the foam, Globe Trekker Expedition Camper uses a sub-laminate called AZDEL. This provides a much stronger backer board for the thin FRP layer that not only will take much more abuse without damage, but also provides a transition between the hard FRP layer and the softer foam layer. This helps prevent delamination, becomes impact resistant, and enables you to paint or wrap the camper however you like and not create a warranty void for painting our competitor’s panels anything other than white.
For the Overland Campers, we’ve replaced the AZDEL with honeycomb laminate, for strength, binding agent, and also light-weight. Still retaining PIR, we have excellent balance of performance and insulation.
We will continue to monitor the market and materials, offering the best panel on the market as it is the heart of the camper.