Objective here is light discussion.Any thoughts (or better yet experience)on aluminum vs. fiberglass sided trailers?I'd especially love to hear where someone changed from one type to another and what they observed/liked/disliked.And again- light duty discussion...no posts about "the search feature" nor links...Yeah, I know how to search...I also enjoy talking about the subject in more of a live manner with humans.I hear the "light weight" argument- which plays into tow vehicles and the weight police- but still so much of your performance is aerodynamic more than weight.What lasts longer?What is better for modifications (like cutting a hole and installing a shower or door).And finally (and maybe the biggie)- do fiberglass campers do better at receiving Wi-Fi and cell signals.Thanks!

Personally I much prefer the look of fiberglass trailers, in contrast my stick house which has aluminum siding would look just plain dumb with smooth fiberglass siding. :W

Our first three RVs had aluminum siding and our current 5th wheel has Filon siding which is fiberglass like material.The only difference I have seen is dents. The Filon resists dents, aluminum doesn't.Our 5th wheel is 22 years old and has never been stored indoors or covered. I wash it before every trip and wax it once every two years. When freshly waxed it looks brand new.Our previous TT we had for 16 years. It also was never stored indoors or covered and same cleaning and waxing. It also looked brand new when waxed.I've made modifications to all four of our RVs and each had rippled siding. The TT had deeper ripples which required good seal to make sure no leaks when mounting something to the siding or cutting a hole through the sidewall.Can't answer the wifi question because we've only used wifi with the filon siding. But due to windows I'm not sure aluminum would be much different, plus you can always mount an outside or use an inside signal booster/antenna.

Floor plan should be the first consideration.But, our aluminum sided trailer was much harder to keep clean and "nice" looking and much harder to wash and wax. (way more nooks, crannies, and edges and ledges.)Aluminum dented easier....smooth sided looks better (opinion only).

Full body paint... first choice... LOL.But, in reality, I like the aluminum as I just use an automotive wax on it after washing and it stays nice. Just traded a month ago, got another aluminum sided one. The fiberglass ones I had were very nice, but oxidation was a lot quicker and harder to get clean.Aluminum dents and if in a hail situation, not good. My current one, based on floor plan, just happened to be aluminum.

I like the looks of fiberglass better than aluminum. I think aluminum tend to cost less to repair and buy. Cost was important to me.

Fiberglass vs. Aluminum | Good Sam Community

Super_Dave
Explorer
Feb 26, 2018
When talking about fiberglass, there is filon and gel coat. I can't stand the cheap look of filon and its 5 o'clock shadow. My camper is gel coat, like a boat, and looks really nice but tough to keep from oxidizing unless you are uber diligent about keeping it waxed.
TurnThePage
Explorer
Feb 26, 2018
My aluminum sided trailer sits in my back yard very close to the house, and you cannot pickup wifi inside it unless you are right next to the window facing the house despite the nice strong signal.
ctilsie242
Explorer II
Feb 26, 2018
My ideal is aluminum sided. Cheaper to repair, no delamination issues, and if coupled with foam insulation (and not fiberglass), it isn't too bad. A one piece aluminum roof is also nice.
NCC-1701
Explorer
Feb 25, 2018
westend wrote:
NCC-1701 wrote:
jims1 wrote:
Fiberglass doesn't conduct heat or cold like aluminum does. Easier to heat and cool. With full body paint very easy to keep clean.

BINGO! I camp a lot in cold weather...well below freezing. The campers I've had with aluminum siding were very hard to heat...the cold just transferred right on through. The fiberglass siding did not have nearly the same amount of cold transfer. In addition, the smooth sides were much easier to clean.
I'd say that your experience may have been influenced by the type of insulation in the wall cavities. All fiberglass sided trailers use a foam insulation board but some aluminum sided trailers use fiberglass batt insulation. The batts are prone to move and shift causing gaps to the siding. Batt insulation is definitely more convective than foam board.

In my case, the campers I had did not have fiberglass batt insulation. What they did have was aluminum framing. So the cold transfered right from the aluminum siding to the aluminum framing giving it a direct path to the interior walls. I also had fiberglass sided campers with aluminum framing, and it wasn't nearly as bad.
westend
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
NCC-1701 wrote:
jims1 wrote:
Fiberglass doesn't conduct heat or cold like aluminum does. Easier to heat and cool. With full body paint very easy to keep clean.

BINGO! I camp a lot in cold weather...well below freezing. The campers I've had with aluminum siding were very hard to heat...the cold just transferred right on through. The fiberglass siding did not have nearly the same amount of cold transfer. In addition, the smooth sides were much easier to clean.
I'd say that your experience may have been influenced by the type of insulation in the wall cavities. All fiberglass sided trailers use a foam insulation board but some aluminum sided trailers use fiberglass batt insulation. The batts are prone to move and shift causing gaps to the siding. Batt insulation is definitely more convective than foam board.
NCC-1701
Explorer
Feb 24, 2018
jims1 wrote:
Fiberglass doesn't conduct heat or cold like aluminum does. Easier to heat and cool. With full body paint very easy to keep clean.

BINGO! I camp a lot in cold weather...well below freezing. The campers I've had with aluminum siding were very hard to heat...the cold just transferred right on through. The fiberglass siding did not have nearly the same amount of cold transfer. In addition, the smooth sides were much easier to clean.
Gjac
Explorer III
Feb 22, 2018
I think the more important question is how the sidewalls are constructed whether they are bonded panels or hung walls. I would choose the later either FG or Al because they can't delaminate.
Bobbo
Explorer II
Feb 22, 2018
I had a fiberglass sided 2007 Winnebago Outlook Class C motorhome for 10 years. During that 10 years, had it in the shop 3 times for delamination. I was ALWAYS having to recaulk seams. Have an Airstream travel trailer now. I haven't had the Airstream a year yet, so I don't know if it will be better. But it won't delaminate.
MitchF150
Explorer III
Feb 22, 2018
Can't answer your wifi question because I've never used it with an alum sided trailer, but I do know that when I have my MiFi INSIDE my fiberglass trailer, it makes NO difference on bars if I put the MiFi outside...

I'm still on my first TT I've ever bought so I guess I like it.. :) Bought it brand new in 2002.

Good luck!

Mitch
jims1
Explorer
Feb 22, 2018
Fiberglass doesn't conduct heat or cold like aluminum does. Easier to heat and cool. With full body paint very easy to keep clean.