We are wrapping up our first year with our old truck camper. It's been nice having it. It is a 1995 Northland.Of course, looking for a great deal on a camper that might work a little better. Primarily looking for a more insulated camper that might make fall and winter camping more comfortable as ski season approaches.Also, many of the camper miles have been on washboard roads, not overly bumpy side to side, but lots of vibration. Thinking that I might want to explore aluminum framed construction like a fleetwood elkhorn or if wood is going to be better.Speaking in terms of 2005 or older. 1.) What are the benefits/drawbacks of looking for aluminum frame construction vs wood? Does aluminum handle the vibration better than wood?

When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints. Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with. Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

Kayteg1 wrote:When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints. Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with. Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.Good points. The most important might be on how good was the person building it which one will never know until it falls apart.

Rugged Mountain truck campers are built in Idaho and are basically the Old Northland truck camper with the majority of the crew working there...When asked about wood vs aluminum in there TC's,this was the reply..TCM: Why not frame with aluminum?Jesse: Before we started Rugged Mountain production, I built camper walls with aluminum framing. What I found is that the metal on luan separated the adhesive in cold and hot weather. The lamination adhesives holding the fiberglass skin to the quarter-inch luan backing were letting loose on the aluminum side.I could not find an adhesive that didn’t suffer this problem. Here in Idaho, we have cold winters and hot summers. I do not want a de-lamination problem, so we decided to stay with wood framed campers.

There are several techniques to build. My 2002 Fleetwood, even it has "aluminum frame" painted on it, it has basically aluminum skeleton, where wood members are screw to skeleton for gluing sidings to them. I bought it with patched roof from the state with lot of rain, so water penetration made for lot of headaches, but the delamination happen between the inner wood skin and outer fiberglass, when inner skin would still hold to the frame. My conclusion is that without aluminum skeleton, the camper would collapse with rotten wood years ago.

We have owned both. Assuming both are quality construction-there will be no difference to the end user. I would not let alum vs wood be a deciding factor.

Aluminum Frame vs Wood Frame for washboard roads.

kohldad
Explorer III
Oct 20, 2020
One big advantage to wood with aluminum skin, the average handyman can take the skin off, repair the wood to as good as new and then replace the skin. Even if you can get to the aluminum, it takes special skills and tools to do a repair.
jimh406
Explorer III
Oct 20, 2020
There’s plenty of both aluminum and wood frames that break or have broken. I don’t think that’s a good part of the decision either.

I think it’s likely a clamshell design would hold up better which is fine as long you don’t want a slide. On the plus side, they are usually really well insulated.

Other than that, slow down and have good shocks and good suspension. My 14 year old camper is still going strong even with slides. There are many on here that have older models of other brands that have done well also.
ppine
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
Welded aluminum is lighter and stronger.
billtex
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
We have owned both. Assuming both are quality construction-there will be no difference to the end user. I would not let alum vs wood be a deciding factor.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
There are several techniques to build.
My 2002 Fleetwood, even it has "aluminum frame" painted on it, it has basically aluminum skeleton, where wood members are screw to skeleton for gluing sidings to them.
I bought it with patched roof from the state with lot of rain, so water penetration made for lot of headaches, but the delamination happen between the inner wood skin and outer fiberglass, when inner skin would still hold to the frame.
My conclusion is that without aluminum skeleton, the camper would collapse with rotten wood years ago.
jaycocreek
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
Rugged Mountain truck campers are built in Idaho and are basically the Old Northland truck camper with the majority of the crew working there...

When asked about wood vs aluminum in there TC's,this was the reply..

TCM: Why not frame with aluminum?

Jesse: Before we started Rugged Mountain production, I built camper walls with aluminum framing. What I found is that the metal on luan separated the adhesive in cold and hot weather. The lamination adhesives holding the fiberglass skin to the quarter-inch luan backing were letting loose on the aluminum side.

I could not find an adhesive that didn’t suffer this problem. Here in Idaho, we have cold winters and hot summers. I do not want a de-lamination problem, so we decided to stay with wood framed campers.
silverbullet555
Explorer
Oct 20, 2020
Kayteg1 wrote:
When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".
Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints.
Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.
To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with.
Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

Good points. The most important might be on how good was the person building it which one will never know until it falls apart.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".
Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints.
Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.
To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with.
Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

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Aluminum Frame vs Wood Frame for washboard roads.

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