F A Q
Your one-stop shop for Frequently Asked Questions
Which RV brands use Azdel’s composite in their construction?
The easiest way to answer this is to have you visit our Brands Using Azdel page.
Where can I buy your composite sheets?
Please visit our Where to Buy page.
What is the price of your composite material?
All prices are controlled by each distributor or reseller. You may often find that our composite is priced by the square foot. Please visit our Where to Buy page.
What size(s) do the sheets come in?
Sheets typically come in 4×8’ dimensions, but many other sizes are used in RV and other industries. We provide them to the distributors in lengths of 7’, 8′, 9′, 10’, and several variations in between. A manufacturer may ask their distributor to stock specific dimensions and distributors will usually accommodate them. We can produce sheets up to 76″ wide and 144″ long.
What thicknesses are available for your composite material?
Azdel Onboard composite panels are produced in thicknesses (mm) of 2.0, 2.7, 3.6, 4.7 and 5.2. We can produce sheets up to 8.0mm thick. The most common in the RV industry are 2.7, 3.6 and 4.7, and in that order. Our RVXR version is available in 2.7 and 3.6. FRXA comes in 2.9, 3.6, and 5.2. Please visit our Composite Variations page for clarification on these material grades.
How do I wash or wax the outside of my RV when it has Azdel Onboard® composite walls?
What you would actually be washing or waxing is most likely FRP, or Fiber(glass) Reinforced Polymer. It’s the exterior skin that you can see and touch. Some higher-end units have a gel wall instead. In either case, our material is neither visible nor touchable. Please visit our DIY Care & Repair page, including the bottom section, for more detailed information about where our material is and how to maintain the exterior that you can see.
My dealer told me my new RV has Azdel walls. How do I know where your composite is?
A good dealer should know their brands and, if communication with the manufacturer is good, they should also be able to tell you where our composite can be found on a particular brand or unit. By far the most common location is the exterior side of the sidewall, in which case it is sandwiched between the outer skin and the wall frame. This is not always the case, however. Our composite could be in the construction of the interior sidewall, the ceiling, slide walls, cargo areas, Class C cab-over floor, 5th Wheel bunk floor, main floor or any combination of these. It might also be the substrate in a gel wall or hung wall skin, which is a process that differs from typical lamination.
Do you make or sell the FRP skin that gets laminated to your composite?
No we do not. We produce the composite only. Companies who make FRP include Crane Composites, Amerimax, Lamilux and Polser. FRP distributors include County Line Lamination, Foremost Fabricators and Silvercraft.
Does your composite material come in large rolls like FRP does?
No. While our composite sheets are more flexible than plywood, which aids in many applications like tighter radius wraps, the material is still too rigid to be rolled. But on a related note, feel free to read more about the Flexibility Testing we’ve done.
What is the R-Value of your composite?
We’ve been asked this many times over the years, and have estimated an R-value between 2.0 and 3.0. It turns out, it is even better. Our standard 2.7mm RVX material was tested to have an R-value of 4.65 at a material weight of 980gsm. For information, please see our page on Thermal Transmission Resistance and R-value.
Does your composite offer any soundproofing or noise reduction?
Yes it does! In fact, it was tested in direct comparison with a lauan wall of similar construction to be several times better. The average sound absorption of Azdel composite was 41% with a peak of 88%. For a more thorough explanation, and graphed results, see our Sound Absorption page.
I’ve heard there are Azdel floors now. How does that work? Tell me more.
We took our time to develop and test many types of materials and configurations, and ultimately chose a primary configuration to propose. This includes, from top down: a seamless layer of quad-ply fiberglass; our 4.7mm composite; 1.5″ 3lb (density) EPS foam; our 2.7mm with polypropylene film underneath to serve as a waterproof underbelly. This tested to perform better than common plywood and OSB floors and, of course, eliminates the dreaded water-related problems as well. Depending on the needs of your unit, such as height and thickness constraints, there are many configurations that are viable. Let us help you determine a cost-effective solution that works! We recommend visiting both our RV Applications and our Flooring pages for more information.
I would like to become a distributor or reseller of your composite. How does that happen?
We know there are many industries and products in which our composite would work, but many have yet to be discovered. As such, we are always open to exploring new opportunities. For the RV market, we are satisfied with our network of distribution at this time. Those serving other markets are welcome to reach out to us through our Contact Us page. Be sure to include information about the market(s) and/or product(s) you serve.