Great Lakes unibody construction

[fatman]

Would like opinions on Great Lakes unibody construction method.  Is this just Great Lakes way of cutting costs or is it a superior method of building a hot tub?  From the brochure it looks like the molded/contoured base supports the shell so a frame is not needed. Could this possibly be the wave of the future or is it a poor idea?  Are 2x4's so expensive now that it's just better to forsake a frame and rely on other components for support?

[Mendocino101]

lol.....well....I think time will tell if its trend setting or another idea that tries and than fails.....

[hymbaw]

Just to let you know up front, I sell them.

That being said, I think it's a pretty cool concept. They are only able to do it because of the shell material they use,(GELOY) it was developed by GE plastics and it is bonded to ABS. The combo is stronger than the traditional acrylic/fiberglass combo and they reverse mold the ABS bottom pan up to support the shell so they are able to go frame free.
Most Mfg. are seeking alternatives to the wood frames, maybe Great Lakes got ahead of the curve. From what I've seen of them they seem very solid but we won't know how that is in the real world for a little while.

P.S. The colors they offer in GELOY are sharp!!

[Mendocino101]

I like the colors but I have heard that in the field they are not holding up as well you might hope...have you run into any problems with scratching and surface cracks this is what I have heard that is the biggest problems but as you said the colors look great......