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ldmc's avatar
ldmc
Explorer
Jul 22, 2016

Construction Question

I don't want to start any type of brand bashing here.

Just looking for real world experience with two different type of framing performed in the 5th Wheel world that I have questions about.

First type, and I believe the majority of 5th wheels on the road, is the welded aluminum walls and floor.

Second type is what I call screwed and glued walls and flooring.


Please let me know your opinions and experiences with these.

Thanks,

8 Replies

  • They all work. Nobody is going to build a trailer that will purposely fall apart. I don't know if any one is better than another. That being said...If you really look at them closely you wonder how any of them stay together going down the road.
    Buy the one with the most convincing story behind how it was built. At least then you will think you got the best one....

    B.O.
  • Welding leaves brittle heat-affected zones that are subject to fatigue failures and cracking without post-fabrication heat treating/stress relieving. The "screw and glue" construction is designed to overcome this without relying on the pull-out strength of the fasteners to provide structural integrity. In effect, the fasteners are there to provide clamping force until the adhesive sets up.

    If you don't trust mechanical fastener and adhesive construction with aluminum, I'd suggest that you not get onto any modern commercial airplanes. :o

    Rusty
  • Great information. Please keep it coming.

    Cedar Creek is on who states their screw and glue is superior to the welded construction. This is why I'm asking the questions.
  • During the Teton factory tour in 2006 a couple from Minn had their Teton in for repairs. The tour guide was telling the visitors about the great construction and the wood framing and how the windows can't leak so the wood would be the better material for a fifth. The front of one Teton showing the framing of the closet had a cross member butting up to a vertical stud. One of the pieces was split from the staple and was hanging out not really connected. Probably was repaired but not good for a tour to see. Then the couple with their Teton in for repair was in a room we were walking though. He walked over to see what was found. window leaked and the wood was rotten. he got a bang out of the previous talk on this subject. Nice cabinet shop and a nice fifth. So nothing is perfect.

    chevman
  • This from NUWA makers of HH II 5th wheel trailers some years back when the big push for aluminum bonded sidewalls became the rage;

    Why doesn't NuWa use an all aluminum structure like popular Indiana manufacturers?

    NuWa made the decision to begin the use of aluminum structure based on marketing and the fact that many people were concluding that an "aluminum caged" product was superior in construction technology, weight and strength. Our 40+ years of experience as a leader in 5th wheel design suggests that may be "flawed" information. We have proven that wood construction need be no heavier or less strong than aluminum construction, that is built properly. We now build both materials, and are comfortable doing either, however our opinion is still that wood construction provides a superior product, and today we use both in the construction of our trailers. The strength of the NuWa trailer is actually created by the superior and light weight Blue Dow foam lamination concept.

    NuWa uses an aluminum substructure in the sidewalls and ends of the coach only. No aluminum in the floors or attics, where metal promotes conduction of cold and moisture resulting in condensation.

    90% of the walls are Blue Dow Structural Foam, rather than wood or aluminum. This creates a superior insulation and the only product with a guaranteed sidewall R Factor. (Water absorption in standard white foam reduces R Factor over time, and the use of Blue Dow Structural Foam eliminates this problem.)

    NuWa's aluminum substructure sidewall is actually a "hybrid" wall, as we core fill the aluminum with wood in those areas where additional strength is required, because aluminum will not hold a screw. Not so with the lower priced brands. With NuWa's combined use of wood and aluminum substructure, you get a superior product because of NuWa's unique Blue Dow foam vacu-bond process, which makes the sidewalls virtually resistant to water penetration.
  • Arguments for aluminum are no rotting and lighter weight. Argument for wood is more bite for fasteners (screws) holding things to the framing (i.e. full screw length bites into the wood vs the thin wall of an aluminum frame tube). With some brands, they fill the aluminum frame tubes with wood where fasteners are to be applied giving the best of both worlds.
  • The first trailer the wife and I purchased used from a fellow camper.
    Outside looked amazing for a 17 year old camper. The inside looked amazing too.
    Few updates he had done but since his kids had grown no longer needed. He gave us a great deal and we took it.
    Got it home and started to get it ready. Wife went to put some stuff in a floor cabinet and when she got up pushed her hand down on the floor and went right through.

    Wood construction once we peeled it all back to see what needed to be done 1/2 of the 37' trailer needed work. Needless to say no camping for us.

    Our second and third camper are all aluminum welded, have not had any major issues.

    On the fifth wheel we noticed a slight crack in the fiberglass near the over hang while in the middle of one of our trips by the time we got home it was about 3 inches.
    Warranty covered it but was told it was a flaw and the company knew about it.
    Short time after that the front shell faded and the molding began to move.
    Again all warranty work but it was a trailer that was a year old.
  • No matter how it is made no rv has not had issues. Alpenlite as we have did the vacuum bonding walls. On later alpenlite' the glue was bad. On wall hung models the side wall came loose from the studs. On the wood framed models the wood did rot when wet. I have seen all of this my self and happy nothing happened to ours but sad it did for others.

    chevman