Question's

ArkSlim

Member
I'm looking at the big horn'n but am concerned about the (what looks like ) strand board used in the floors and roof. This material does not stand up to dampness very well and not to water at all. is there something special about this ? Also are the floors and walls in the slides insulated? Thanks for any and all answers!
 

skyguy

Well-known member
Uhm, deja vu department??? Didn't you just ask the same question yesterday?? There were several good replies.


Regards side insulation - I can't give you actual values, but can give you practical answers - we find the coach to be MUCH better insulated than our 8 year old Montana! And that had the "Arctic Insulation" option. Our 3670, although bigger (5 feet), stays warmer longer after the sun sets, the floor feels warm to bare feet, and when we run the heater, it gets right with the program!! (Which is probably using propane by the bucketfull)

Oh, and stays cooler for a while too, in the mornings:D:D
 
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lhetsler

Well-known member
Bighorn Floor

Read the construction book and you will find the floor is one piece and bonded with marine grade glues.
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
This is what I can tell you about OSB "strand board", which is the same thing used for the floors and roofs in the Heartland products...

Several years ago we owned a "better than average" mobile home which used the same flooring. One night, while sleeping, our water heater tank broke and flooded our bedroom and most of the kitchen. This flooding lasted for about five hours, while we slept, before we discovered it. We pulled back the carpet, and the board was very, VERY wet, but NOT buckled or warped in anyway.

When the insurance man came to inspect, he told us to be thankful it was OSB. If it had been "pressed board", which is what lower end mobile homes used...they'd be ripping the entire floor out of the home and replacing the whole thing. He also told us that OSB is just about as water resistant as Marine Plywood, and holds up just as well.

As it was, we dried it, relayed new carpet and padding, and laminate in the kitchen (which was trashed), and it was none the worse for wear! I'm not the least bit worried about what's being used by Heartland!:D
 

ct0218

Well-known member
As previously stated in response to yesterday's and today's thread there are many types of OSB, and Structurwood is one of those types. The quality of the product is at the other end of the spectrum compared to standard OSB sheathing. It was, when my coach was built, one continuous sheet on each floor level so that there are no butt joints. Sheathing OSB is strong (somewhat) only when supported perpendicular to the grain, or orientation. Structurwood is much stronger and has far more resins impregnated in the wood. The alternative is plywood, and that tends to delaminate when subjected to constant moisture, and is generally not available in long sheets like Structurwood. As a builder I stopped using plywood on subfloors when Structurwood, and similar products like Advantech, first appeared on the market. These are not cheap alternatives to plywood, some actually cost more, and they tend to perform better. The really bad wood product used in mobile homes and stick-built homes in the 70's and early 80's was MDF, or similar names, and was sawdust glued with a minimal amout of resins. It normally doubled in thickness when saturated and then crumbled when dried. High humidity was lethal to that junk, but what Heartland is using is a good product.
 
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ArkSlim

Member
Thanks for all the helpful answers. Didn't mean to be repetative but was also interested about slide insulation. Thanks again ArkSlim
 
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