Aluminum vs. Fiberglass Siding

I have owned both types of skins and I prefer aluminum now.
I lease my 1500 series trucks nowadays and dedicate the truck as a TV only to make the mileage work. Therefore I need to save weight in my TT choice to not exceed my trucks payload. I use 1500 series trucks because the rebate deals are with 1500 series trucks more than 2500/3500 trucks where there is no other competition other than the big 3 automakers. Toyota and Nissan compete for space in the 1500 market, deals are abound.

Aluminum vs wood in terms of weight only really comes into play with larger units. The Smaller (25 ft and under) it really is a wash.

And strength depends on many factors. For one, Cherokee Grey Wolf, which is a stick built product line, uses 12" on center wall studs. Most stick trailers use 16" on center studs. Aluminum, while initially structurally stronger, it has less flex for rough roads and welds can break. And the number of spot welds per joint is critical. Many have two welds, but occasionally only one.

Doing any mods and such to inside? A stick built will allow one to relocate TV mounts, put in more or different cabinets, etc because there are wood studs to screw in to. Much more difficult proposition with aluminum laminated.

Stick built longevity? If taken well cared of, any trailer will last a long, long time. I see stick built trailers over 20 years old and they are still in good shape. Also some laminated versions, but they take a lot more work to stay looking nice. Water will kill any trailer. Proper seal checking and repairing is critical.

Roofs, they both get basically the same thing, just variations. Typical roofs are no more than the thickness of a 25 cent coin. And the roof is the weak link in all these trailers. Well taken care of, they can last a couple of decades. There are replacement roofs that are killer products. Up to three 25 cent coins in thickness, no need for caulking around the stuff on top, virtually no owner required maintenance, and a lifetime warranty.

Either way, remember.... most trailers are built not on assembly lines where folks are paid by the hour and only do one specific job that they get very good at. They are basically built in warehouse buildings and many of the employees are paid using the "piece count" method. This is why it is easy to get Amish workers. They work fast with generally acceptable quality, but they can come in early in the morning, knock out the cabinets (or whatever) they are scheduled to build that day, and then go back to their farms and work the rest of the day. When you pay folks by piece count, people can tend to knock things out quickly with lower regard to quality so they can get out of the plant quicker.

Old Wiz. By sculpted bodies I am referring to the bubble fronts, tank covers and other doodads the give some TTs that sleek aerodynamic look.

We call all this stuff "fiberglass" because, like Jell-O, it had become a generic term for such large molded products; regardless of the material.

On thing to bear in mind is the manufacturers will change construction methods and materials whenever they judge it to be a improvement. So, the TT you bought last year may not be exactly the same as the current construction. One example is the number of complaints about gel coating deterioration between seemingly identical models.

theoldwizard1 wrote:

djsamuel wrote:
The new floor in the Camplites is NOT plywood, or wood of any kind. It is a non-wood composite floor, still containing aluminum bracing as well as fiberglass and composites.

A large dealer in MI told me they dropped the CampLite line last year strictly because they stopped using aluminum floors in their non-toy haulers.

The last factory tour video I watched did not have any mention of floor construction.

EDIT : I just reviewed the online PDF of the their factory tour. It states that they use a "1½-inch vacuum bonded floors, reinforced in high traffic areas" and "seamless fiberglass floor for added strength"

The KEY to this type of floor construction is adequate "reinforcement" (likely 1½ square aluminum tube). Other manufacturers have tried this floor construction method with poor performance do to inadequate support. Fiberglass will take some flexing. Large deflection or frequent flexing WILL break down the glass fibers !

The result is soft spots. Time will tell if LivinLite got it right !

Exactly! I'm glad I have the aluminum floor in my Camplite, but so far people I know that have the new one really like it. As you stated, time will tell. I'm very curious to see. At least they are still using the aluminum flooring in the toy haulers and can switch back if required.

myredracer wrote:
If you have a TT that has one of the frames (the main I-beams) made from 3 pieces of sheet steel welded together, they flex a lot more. The frame flex can lead to failure in the welds of the superstructure aluminum framing. An aluminum superstructure is a heavy rigid welded "assembly" sitting on a base that moves up/down from towing or using the jacks. In comparison, wood framing has some give in it. The photo is what was found in a previous TT we owned not long after we owned it from new. Substandard welding at the factory could have contributed as well.

Both types of framing have various pros and cons. It's my understanding that wood roof trusses are preferable due to movement and I believe that's what Northwood uses in their units along with aluminum framing for the rest. We've owned both types. Fiberglass is def. easier to clean and wax and looks sexier. Regardless, preventing leaks is paramount along with ensuring moisture is exhausted from the interior if used in cold weather.

Lets split some hairs. If you have that much frame flex, and the vast majority of RV frames used since Lippert cornered the market starting 09/10 for the most part have fabricated, (ie welded) beams as main rails, do you not think that the light gauge wide or narrow crown staples used to attach the wood studs to the bottom plate are going to pull loose in a stick and tin trailer also? The frame on our 17 Rockwood is/was a Lippert joke. I say was because I did a lot to it before it ever hit the campground.

I've pulled a few walls apart for others doing repairs, and seen those tack welds on the aluminum tubes broken on a few. Seems to be when they only tack one side of those studs as opposed to a continuous weld on both sides.

We had a 2013 lam wall Keystone trailer that used stamped steel roof trusses which were flat on the bottom and crowned on top. They stapled the roof plywood into those. I never had a staple pull on top but had a few come out inside where they stapled the ceiling panels into them.

We had a 2011 Aerolite lam wall trailer that had a laminated roof the same as the sidewalls, was strong as can be be but flat on the top which sucked. Looking out and seeing the water lay on it was always on your mind.

Our 17 Rockwood has an arched (top and bottom) vacuum bonded laminated roof, which is one of the things I like about it. Strong too, I go 230 and can dance on it, no movement or flex whatsoever.

Roofs are all over the place as far as how they're constructed.

A Rockwood / Flagstaff roof

Not sure why people are talking about floors when the topic is siding.

Neither option likes a leaky roof or leaky window frames.

Wood vs Aluminimum framing is not dependent on the siding material. Many aluminum sided trailers have aluminum studs. Most all use roof trusses of wood regardless of siding.

Fiberglass MUST be kept buffed and waxed or it becomes chaulky and once it reaches a point, bringing it back to shiny becomes ever harder until it's not practical (most 15yr old units have reached this age if not stored inside).

Aluminum 15-20yrs the paint will still be in good condition and shiny.

If you live in a hail prone area, fiberglass is the way to go. Aluminum will dent. It's typically still fully functional but will look bad.

Aluminum is easier to repair but is less prone to needing repair. Fiberglass by the time it hits 10yrs old almost always has some degree of delamination (go wander a campground some time if you don't believe me).

In the end, both are acceptable options. Fiberglass is marketed as the higher end material but it's mostly marketing. Of course perception is often reality in marketing so fiberglass will get better resale but not enough to make a big difference.

In the end pick the unit that has the floor plan and fits your needs. Siding wouldn't be a big break point either way for me.

We chose aluminum. Nice and shiney!

rbpru wrote:
Fiberglass is newer but also well established. It lends itself to sculpted lines and presents a large surface for artwork and decals.

I am not sure what you mean by "sculpted lines". Boat hulls which do require a lot of curves, especially for the cockpit, are made in a mold, from the outside (gelcoat) in.

Flat RV sides are not made in a mold. The typical(?) fiberglass skin is Filon. I am not sure what type of adhesive they use. They may even have Filon impregnated with a heat and pressure activate adhesive.

I guessing, but those big, rounded, front caps are likely injection molded plastic with no fiber reinforcement.

djsamuel wrote:
The new floor in the Camplites is NOT plywood, or wood of any kind. It is a non-wood composite floor, still containing aluminum bracing as well as fiberglass and composites.

A large dealer in MI told me they dropped the CampLite line last year strictly because they stopped using aluminum floors in their non-toy haulers.

The last factory tour video I watched did not have any mention of floor construction.

EDIT : I just reviewed the online PDF of the their factory tour. It states that they use a "1½-inch vacuum bonded floors, reinforced in high traffic areas" and "seamless fiberglass floor for added strength"

The KEY to this type of floor construction is adequate "reinforcement" (likely 1½ square aluminum tube). Other manufacturers have tried this floor construction method with poor performance do to inadequate support. Fiberglass will take some flexing. Large deflection or frequent flexing WILL break down the glass fibers !

The result is soft spots. Time will tell if LivinLite got it right !

It comes down to personal preference. Aluminum is a well established technology that is not going away any time soon. It is in general easier to repair than fiberglass.

Fiberglass is newer but also well established. It lends itself to sculpted lines and presents a large surface for artwork and decals.

Aluminum can dent, fiberglass can de-laminate. Neither issue has had much impact on the market.


My preference is for aluminum but it would not keep me from a fiberglass TT, if the price and floor plan were correct.