Aluminum or fiberglass trailer

theoldwizard1 wrote:

nmhuntr wrote:
...what you see as the pros and cons of either aluminum sideline or fiberglass.

Aluminum siding is less expensive and tends to use wood for most of the structural parts (studs) of the walls. The aluminum siding is attached directly to the studs. Water damage (from a leaking roof or windows) typically only show up on the inside. Rotten structural wood can be fairly easily repair, except for heavily rotted plywood floors. RVs made this way tend to be less expensive.


Most people believe that the smooth fiberglass siding "looks nicer". It is heavier than aluminum siding, but they make up for it by using aluminum for the studs. Frequently (but not 100% of the time) they uses a lightweight non-organic (no wood fiber) sheathing between the aluminum studs and the outer fiberglass skin for rigidity and to provide a perfectly smooth surface for the fiberglass to adhere too. When there is "delamination" (the glue between the sheathing and the fiberglass skin has failed) it can be difficult to repair. The floors are still plywood so if they rot, it is they same difficulty to repair. RVs made this way tend to be more expensive.

In both cases, the roof is the critical item in the design. You want an RV that does NOT have a perfectly FLAT roof. It need some pitch to help water drain. Typical "rubber" (EPDM) require some care when installing. There are many small things that can go wrong than can cause a leak. Proper maintenance for maximum durability includes wash twice a year and applying a UV protectant. (Of course storing out of the sun and rain is the best.)

Framing and siding are unrelated. You can get wood or aluminum framing with aluminum or fiberglass siding. In fact many manufacturers provide the same unit with either siding option.

Fiberglass looks really good when new but go wander a campground. By the time you get to 5yrs old, it's rare to find a fiberglass unit without some delamination. Also, you often see the framing mirroring thru the fiberglass.

It's not uncommon for aluminum siding to look like new 20-30yrs later. One catch being if you are in an area with a lot of hail. Functionally, it will be fine with hail dents but it can look rough.