Aluminum vs. Fiberglass Siding
Aside from the obvious aesthetics and cost difference, is there a glaring advantage or disadvantage to one or the other?
Forum Discussion
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.
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.
