Driving change - CAPRON leads the way with Euramax’s StrongLite

A strong, long-term partnership where we're on your side truly makes us happy at Euramax. That’s why we are proud of our partnership with CAPRON, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of leisure vehicles. Last year, we introduced StrongLite to CAPRON. While this innovation had been a long time in the making, it was not until last year that it was truly introduced to the market on a large scale. Andreas Fürst (Head of Supply Chain Management at CAPRON) and Roel van den Heuvel (Commercial Director at Euramax) discuss the introduction of StrongLite at CAPRON.

A match made in heaven

Both CAPRON and Euramax have a proud history of craftsmanship spanning decades. Over the years, we have worked closely together. Since its founding in 2005, CAPRON has consistently used our coated aluminium for the sidewalls of its vehicles. “We have a genuinely partnership-based relationship with Euramax. The quality of the products has always been very good, and when operational issues arise, we always resolve them with flexibility from both sides,” says Andreas.

At Euramax, we greatly value these relationships. We have worked alongside the CAPRON team for many years, navigating the ups and downs of the industry together. “A true testament to our on your Side mentality,” says Roel. “Of course, having a shared history is great, but what’s even more important is having a shared future. That’s why we work together to address the latest trends in our industry.”

It’s no surprise that sustainability, reducing the environmental impact of the industry, and the ever-present need for lighter-weight solutions are among these trends. We are both eager to lead the way—together.

About CAPRON‍

CAPRON GmbH was founded in 2005 and is one of the largest and most advanced production sites for leisure vehicles in Europe. CAPRON is part of the Erwin Hymer Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thor Industries, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of leisure vehicles. CAPRON develops and produces various campervans and motorhomes for the Sunlight and Carado brands. Further information can be found at: www.capron.eu

StrongLite combines strength and lightness

The ever-present need for lighter-weight solutions is where StrongLite comes in. Developed as a proprietary alloy, StrongLite incorporates additional magnesium and undergoes three extra rolling steps, resulting in a game-changing material that sets new standards in the industry.

Compared to standard aluminium alloys, StrongLite offers double the yield and tensile strength, allowing manufacturers to create walls that are up to 15% lighter than conventional aluminium alloys and 20% lighter than plastic, all while maintaining the same structural integrity. Alternatively, StrongLite can be used at the same thickness as traditional alloys, resulting in sidewalls that are 50-80% less prone to dents and hail damage.

Proving performance

After presenting StrongLite to CAPRON last year, they were quick to recognise the potential of our new product. “We were looking for ways to reduce weight and use less material, so we saw the benefits StrongLite could bring,” says Andreas. This marked the start of a careful and deliberate process to test the new material: “CAPRON impressed us with their rigorous testing—they really needed to have confidence in this solution before allowing it into the showroom,” adds Roel.
Over several months, the new alloy underwent extensive testing. After a first test production of sidewalls, they were visually tested and subjected to various tests on properties such as adhesion and screwability. When all these tests produced satisfactory results, a number of test vehicles were built and rented out to CAPRON employees to assess performance in real-world conditions.
Throughout the process, the teams of Euramax and CAPRON remained closely aligned. “The tests were completed without any real issues. In fact, the performance of StrongLite was very similar to that of traditional alloys, despite being significantly thinner,” concludes Andreas.

Early adopter, early results

After completing the testing procedure, CAPRON is now using StrongLite for the sidewalls of all its motorhomes. This makes CAPRON the first company in the RV market to introduce StrongLite across its entire model range—something that makes us very proud. “Using StrongLite allows us to save, on average, 10 kg of aluminium per vehicle, which is really significant,” says Andreas.

Combined with the fact that StrongLite contains a high proportion of recycled content, this translates to a saving of approximately 150 kg of CO2 equivalent per vehicle. With CAPRON building thousands of vehicles each year, this means hundreds of tonnes of aluminium and CO2 emissions are saved.

“Saving weight is always beneficial, as we are constrained by the 3.5-tonne weight limit. Next to that, of course, saving material offers both financial and environmental benefits, which are very important to us” adds Andreas.

Roel shared his perspective: “As an RV enthusiast, I love seeing how StrongLite actually enhances holiday fun by freeing up weight for additional luggage, features, or travel companions.”

On your Side: towards a better future—together

Following the introduction of StrongLite at CAPRON, we continue to explore new innovations. “I’m particularly excited about SuperiorCoat, our latest coating system with exceptional scratch resistance,” says Roel.
SuperiorCoat, which we launched in late 2024, offers more than three times the hardness of traditional aluminium coatings and is four times harder than plastics. This makes it significantly more resistant to scratches, providing peace of mind to camping enthusiasts while also reducing waste throughout the production process. Would you like to find out more: read our full article on SuperiorCoat here.

Naturally, we were eager to share this innovative coating system with CAPRON to further strengthen our partnership and help CAPRON further improve its products and processes. “We are currently testing our first coil of SuperiorCoat material, and I’m curious to see what advantages it brings in our process,” says Andreas Fürst.