a 2 piece is the tub and surround , how is that any easier to manuver into place than a tub alone. I dont follow you.

I see, you cant manuver the one piece tub/shower unit into place without tearing the house down. the units you described are good ones, swanstone makes good stuff. I'm not sure if fiat makes a 2 piece unit or not.

Vikrel is crap. Veritek is Swan's low end line. As it is comparable to vikrel, one can extrapolate.... The local Swan rep is a very good friend of mine and has suggested I keep it off my jobs.

You want a quality unit? Go to Lasco.

what exactly makes it crap, Its certainly not top of the line but properly installed there will be no problems.
Your swan rep should be fired for sedition.

Which one did you pick? I am debating between Sterling and Swanstone also.

Which one did you pick? I am trying to decide between Sterling Vikrell and Aqua Glass gel-coat. Would prefer acrylic for tub/shower replacement but can't find one that will fit in our little 5'X 7.5' bath. Can't be more than 32" wide because of a radiator. Which would be best for quality, long-lasting, and easy maintenance? Or other suggestion?

Plumbguy, it is crap. I could go on and on about my Veritek experiences but it would only upset me. Veritek may be a good product if properly installed AND you never use it.

My veritek tub and surround are now five months old. They are cracked and chipped. Quite literally, my wife can drop a plastic razor and chip the surface. BTW, it's really not white all the way through. Beneath the white shiny surface the product in more "grey" with many small bubbles. Chip it and you will see it. Most recently, I noticed a 3" crack in the floor where it joins the side. The tub was installed properly in quik-crete as per the instructions. We are normal sized people with no kids. It can not stand up to even our use.

While I do not look forward to it, the day I rip that garbage out in the near future will be joyous. Quite simply, it will not last another five months.