About Molded-Fiberglass Camper Travel Trailers

Fiberglass camper trailers first became popular in counties around the world in the 1960s. Since then several dozen companies and manufacturers of fiberglass trailers have been developed in North America alone. Molded-fiberglass trailers, featuring rounded corners and shiny sides, are aerodynamic, lightweight and built to last.

A molded-fiberglass travel trailer is not just an RV. It represents a lifestyle. Those who dive into researching fiberglass camper trailer RVs will quickly discover that this niche is markedly different than the rest of travel trailer culture.

Many start looking at molded-fiberglass RVs simply as attractive lightweight travel trailer options in the towable camper market. They soon discover the relatively light tow weight isn’t the only feature value that sets these “egg” campers apart from the RV industry. The purchase process, online community, and rally culture are also important distinguishing and endearing features. What began as an ordinary RV purchase research exercise may morph into something more like a journey to a new lifestyle when potential buyers finally choose their own perfect egg camper home away from home.

What makes “the bones” of molded-fiberglass travel trailers distinct from traditional stick-frame with metal-clad or fiberglass-clad skin RVs? They are made from pouring fiberglass into production molds that are expensive to produce. Typically, a molded top and bottom are sealed together by a band around the middle, but some are made with a right and left half. The primary benefit is an extremely strong yet lightweight exterior shell that is virtually impenetrable by water because it has far fewer seams than traditional types of construction. So, the life span of these trailers tends to be much longer, and the resale market is strong. This is evidenced by the fact that many of the early molded-fiberglass camper trailers manufactured in the 1980s, 1970s, and 1960s are still found on the road today.

Because of the cost of managing a variety of fiberglass mold shapes for interiors and exteriors, most manufacturers offer one to three standard lengths of their signature shell shape. Most manufacturers offer an expanded selection of standad floor plans for their shell sizes Most molded-fiberglass trailers will range in length from 13 feet to 17 feet, with some larger options 19 feet up to 25 feet. A wet bath or no bathroom are typical options, in all but the 13’ models.

While most of the RV industry is controlled by a few large manufacturing conglomerates, the molded-fiberglass market continues to be served by smaller independent business owners. It’s made up of more than a dozen small manufacturing companies spread throughout the U.S. and Canada. Most do not sell their trailers through a traditional dealer network, so buyers place custom orders and often travel to the factory to take ownership. Exceptions include the Airstream Nest and Little Guy MyPod, and the Liberty Outdoors ParkLiner.

Potential owners may find their best sources of information are rallies and online forums for fiberglass enthusiasts. Given the dispersed nature of the manufacturing, Internet forums and social media groups can help newbies sort through the far-flung options and hook up with manufacturer-specific groups. And since shoppers won’t find a variety of molded-fiberglass models at a traditional RV show, many folks attend enthusiast rallies before they buy an egg trailer of their own.

In a molded-fiberglass camper trailer the rigid fiberglass body actually serves as the main framing element, as well as the interior and exterior skin. The body of the RV is essentially two pieces that clamshell together, resulting in a durable, corrosion-resistant body that is quite strong and can have several advantages over traditionally built RVs.

The two-piece fiberglass shell has one main seam around the center belt line. Traditional trailers are made of many separate side, floor and roof stick (wood) frame panels, and are then screwed together with many seams and seals. The assembled frame is then covered with corrugated sheet metal or composition material panels affixed with more screws that can loosen with time and road miles. All those panel seams provide a convenient path for rain water to infiltrate into the stick frame structure, with mold and wood rot the result. As RVs are meant to travel down the road, a traditional stick frame trailers will flex over time, and all the extra seams and joints become higher maintenance and risk points for leaking. With a fiberglass trailer, there is only one seam and the windows to worry about for rain water infiltration..

Fiberglass molded trailers are sprayed into a mold with gelcoat and fiberglass. The glass content is like rebar in concrete — it gives you all your strength, as the resin binds it all together as a single “unitized” frame structure and shell wall - internal and external.

Fiberglass construction can also lead to some positive results when it comes to fuel mileage, handling and durability. Fiberglass campers are typical up to 25 percent lighter than similar sized conventionally built campers. Most are very aerodynamically designed for improved fuel efficiency, and they feature a very low center of gravity, which eliminates the sway of a conventionally built camper.

The biggest enemy to fiberglass (molded or otherwise) and its gelcoat surface are the elements — sun, wind, big city air pollution, and dirt. But that’s the case for surface materials on standards stick frame campers - every camper variety. With that in mind, it’s crucial to keep the surface clean by washing your shell regularly, more often if you live in a dirty, dusty climate or in a large metro city area with auto and industrial pollution. Waiting too long to wash the shell exterior allows dirt to accumulate on the surface, increasing the likelihood the gelcoat surface develop black streak which difficult to remove. Left long enough, black streak, dirt and pollutants will begin to etch into the protective gel coat.

Use soap designed specifically for washing RVs, cars or boats, as household detergent products can strip any wax that has already been applied. There are a number of good car-wash soaps out there, both in the automotive, marine and RV segments, and if you can find one that also contains wax, this will help keep a protective layer in place between washes. Wax the RV twice a year, at the beginning and end of each season. Slightly oxidized surfaces can be restored using a fiberglass polish, followed by wax.

Fiberglass is a durable and cost-effective choice in camper trailers that will look great over many years camping pleasures, if you take care of it.