trailer siding??Is one better than the other?

jfkmk wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

is a bus made out of the same thickness, etc., of aluminum as a standard RV?
bumpy

Point??????

I would assume a high end bus, prevost, etc. would use thicker aluminum and be less prone to get hail damage.
bumpy

Being the owner of a vehicle that suffered $4000 in hail damage, I can tell you the thickness of the aluminum used on any vehicle probably wouldn't make much of a difference. The hood on my vehicle is aluminum (I'm sure thicker than my trailers skin) and dented about the same as the steel roof. No damage on and vertical surfaces.

this went from durability to storm damage. Can't compare the two. Storms destroy a l ot of different types of material. I personally prefer fiberglass overmetal siding. But hey thats just me.

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

is a bus made out of the same thickness, etc., of aluminum as a standard RV?
bumpy

Point??????

I would assume a high end bus, prevost, etc. would use thicker aluminum and be less prone to get hail damage.
bumpy

Being the owner of a vehicle that suffered $4000 in hail damage, I can tell you the thickness of the aluminum used on any vehicle probably wouldn't make much of a difference. The hood on my vehicle is aluminum (I'm sure thicker than my trailers skin) and dented about the same as the steel roof. No damage on and vertical surfaces.

Terryallan wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

is a bus made out of the same thickness, etc., of aluminum as a standard RV?
bumpy

Point??????

I would assume a high end bus, prevost, etc. would use thicker aluminum and be less prone to get hail damage.
bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

is a bus made out of the same thickness, etc., of aluminum as a standard RV?
bumpy

Point??????

Terryallan wrote:
In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

is a bus made out of the same thickness, etc., of aluminum as a standard RV?
bumpy

Aluminum can be dented by hail, fiberglass gets crazing, sun burnt and delamination.

I think fiberglass looks better. Lol

In truth. Many high end RV have aluminum siding. Don't know where that came from.

However. the only real difference, is that the flat fiberglass siding is easier to clean, and wax

jfkmk wrote:

DrTanTodd wrote:
You will get a better rate on your insurance with Fiberglass siding due aluminum denting in hail. The downside of fiberglass is it is heavier.

As the owner of a vehicle that suffered $4000 worth of hail damage, I can assure you that the hail damage is typically on the horizontal surfaces rather than the vertical surfaces where fiberglass or aluminum would make a difference. I've never heard of corvettes getting an insurance break because they have fiberglass bodies!
The aluminum sided rv's seem to be at the lower end or entry level. I have one and have no issues with it. The cons is they can dent. The pros is they don't delaminate and they are easier to fix. Dents can be repaired easily where the fiberglass requires a more extensive repair.

I get about a 20% discount on my insurance due to Fiberglass siding. The agent states they have more claims on aluminum sided campers. Hail typically does not come straight down there is usually strong winds that cause the sides / front / rear to get hammered. I am not saying that the roof / vents / ac don't get damaged I am just stating the facts that most fiberglass sided campers get a rebate.

In the end the exterior finish is not critical. There are plenty of older aluminum side trailers still going strong.
Fiberglass maybe more appealing but delamination issues are always lurking
Fiberglass sided trailers are much harder to repair vs. aluminum.
Pi8ck your poison neither it totally superior to the other.
Focus on floorplan exterior finish is secondary