Press Releases
First all-composite RV to debut this month

Pilgrim International Inc. of Middlebury, Indiana, will introduce the RV industry's first all-composite recreational vehicle at the annual Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) show in Louisville, Kentucky, November 27-29. Working closely with TekModo LLC, Pilgrim International will debut a display unit with floors, walls, roof and end caps completely Luan- and plywood-free and comprised entirely of CosmoLite, a thermoplastic fiber-reinforced composite.

The all composite Pilgrim International travel trailer debuting at the 2007 Louisville RVIA show is the first of its kind to utilize all composite construction with absolutely no wood. This new technology enables Pilgrim International to manufacture completely seamless substrate floors, sidewalls, roofs and end-caps resulting in true uni-body strength for long lasting durability. In addition, the all-composite unit is fully water resistant and is impervious to rot, mildew and mold.

"The all-composite prototype features a dramatic weight reduction over conventionally manufactured recreational vehicles," explained Pilgrim International Co-founder and Chairman Dave Hoefer, "We are aspiring to build units weighing 15-to-20 percent less. This will improve fuel efficiency and will enable families to take more equipment. But more significantly, this dramatic weigh reduction will allow almost any vehicle to become a tow vehicle -- from the family sedan to the millions of mini vans on the road today."

The new Pilgrim International all-composite unit will also showcase the new high-impact, extremely lightweight, high-gloss TekModo SpectraLite Enhanced with Dupont Surlyn exterior coating. Surlyn is an extremely high-impact protective coating that overlays golf balls to protect them from marring and scratching.

Utilizing the new CosmoLite thermoplastic fiber-reinforced composite, introduced by the company in October of 2007, the new Pilgrim all-composite travel trailers and fifth wheels will be completely formaldehyde free with no out-gassing of volatile organic compounds. In addition, the new Pilgrim International trailers manufactured with CosmoLite are completely recyclable. CosmoLite can be ground up, and reused like many plastic composites. High-density Styrofoam insulation within the vacuum laminated walls can be pulverized and recycled as blown-in insulation. Aluminum framing can also be re-melted and reused.

The new Pilgrim all-composite trailers engineered with CosmoLite conserve trees by eliminating Luan and plywood products, resulting in more environmentally friendly manufacturing for the entire RV industry.

"Every week, the recreational vehicle industry across North America runs through hundreds of thousands of square feet of Luan and plywood. Much of this is cut from old-growth forest all around the planet. We now have the technology to put an end to the use of these natural resources and become a greener industry as a whole," said Hoefer. "Using CosmoLite in the manufacturing process also results in less waste when compared to wood products as our new material is coil fed for more uniform fits, reducing the amount of scrap, and cutouts are easily recycled."

When used in the floor system alone in a 28-foot trailer, CosmoLite eliminates close to 100 pounds of weight yet is three times stronger than wood products. The CosmoLite used in a Pilgrim engineered floor is .53 pounds per square foot -- about one third less weight than wood products. Lighter weight translates to improved fuel efficiency and the added ability to use smaller tow vehicles.

Pilgrim International, Inc. builds and sells travel trailer and fifth-wheel products. Celebrating its fifth year in business in 2007, Pilgrim has grown to the 15th largest producer in the towable segment of the $14 billion RV market.




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