Another soft bullet floor

[JRTJH]

I'm going to go "way out on a limb" here and make some comments that I can't "prove to be fact" but rather, "are based on previous experience"....

Those who are old enough will remember when "plastic dash panels" first replaced steel dash panels in cars (around the mid 60's). How many of us remember those soft dash tops that cracked "almost as soon as the warranty expired" ???? If you look at any auto parts internet site, you can still buy "fuzzy dash blankets" to cover those dash panels to "prevent the sun from damaging them".... Since, the industry "improved the plastic formula" and cracking is less a problem in today's cars....

Now, let's move to the "mid 70's/early 80's" when "all cars could be ordered with an optional "vinyl top"... It really did nothing for the car's function, it was "just for eye appeal"... GM called it the "Landau package" and all the other manufacturers had their "pet names for that upgrade".... Again, the vinyl lasted "almost as long as the warranty".... Most of us that owned a car with a vinyl top still have a bottle of "some kind of junk" that we applied to try to keep it from cracking and disintegrating.... That's where Armor-All got its start BTW....

Now, apply this "try new stuff, find out it has problems, refine the process, evolve to different techniques and STOP USING THE FIRST EMULATION".....

I think (look back at the first sentence in this post) that the RV industry, in their "zeal to deliver what we want" started using DARCO.

This is the way I remember the evolution:

1. Wheelwells were lined with zinc coated steel sheets (tin)
2. That changed to spray on tar/bed liner
3. That changed to a plastic liner (similar to a truck bed liner)
4. That changed to an aluminum underbelly pan with aluminum wheelwell liners.
5. That changed to plastic sheeting (similar to a thick painter's drop cloth) stapled to the bottom of the trailer
6. That changed to DACOR underliner and is still used on some entry level trailers and in most wheelwells.
7. That changed to COROPLAST underliner and DACOR wheelwell liners...

At the same time, the flooring that used to be 1" marine plywood changed to 7/8" plywood, changed to 5/8" OSB/strand changed to "sandwich" flooring that was first 1/2" top layer of strand, 2"foam and 1/4" bottom strand, that is now either 1/4" top layer (or 2 layers of 1/8" luan), 1.5" foam and a 1/8" bottom layer, wrapped with DARCO to prevent water from rotting the structure....

Tow the "new and improved" floor over a gravel road and it doesn't take long to "fill the DARCO with pin-prick holes that will "wick water" the next time you tow during the rain.....

I see our future having more "evolution" and I'd suspect that as the industry gains "knowledge and experience" with current technology failures, we'll see different materials and different techniques as "trailer manufacturing evolves".... We can see that in the roof material too. First was a "tin roof" followed by a fiberglass or aluminum roof, followed by EPDM and now TPO (lighter than EPDM with the same characteristics)....

We ain't at the end of the line, but just like those plastic dashes and vinyl roofs, you don't see them on today's cars and I'd suspect you won't find DARCO wheelwells on "tomorrow's RV".....

In the meantime, buyers have a choice. Delay purchasing an RV "until they're perfect" or buy one today, deal with the growing pains and make memories (which are going to include costs to repair and replace things that break)...

Again, just my thoughts for what they're worth......