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
- Double post --Please remove this one
Jack L - Six of one and a half dozen of the other!
We have based our selection for the three trailers we have owned on layout and price.
Jack L - Added to above fiberglass is quieter on the inside and easier to heat and cool. Windows are easier to seal since it's a flat panel.
Aluminum is lighter in weight and less cost in stick and tin construction .
Smooth all aluminum trailer's such as Airstream, Livinlite and a few others are actually more money and premium quality. Askibum02 wrote:
Aside from the obvious aesthetics and cost difference, is there a glaring advantage or disadvantage to one or the other?
Typical construction is thus, other than a few oddballs such as hung wall.
1 Fiberglass. It's laminated to Luan plywood which in turn is laminated to beaded foam and an aluminum tube structure in the center with another layer of Luan plywood on the inside, that has the wallcoveing applied. It's all glued together in a press then attached to the floor as one piece.
Disadvantages; If not built correctly or you have a bad enough leak, the adhesive or materials can fail resulting in delamination. Also if you damage it it's not easy to fix. The factories tend to replace the entire wall panel when damaged. Costs more to build and purchase.
Advantages; Aesthetics, easy to clean, much stronger than aluminum sided structurally.
2 Aluminum. Individual pieces of siding with locking seams applied to 2x2 wood studs. Built like your house. They build the wood frame wall then apply the siding.
Disadvantages; Dents easily, weaker overall assembly, lock seams have been known to sometimes leak water past while in driving rain/towing. Hard to re caulk due to flutes in the panels. Some manufacturers shoot staples too deep and panels can pop loose.
Advantages. If damaged, pieces can be changed, although if at the top you would need to remove all the panels. Much cheaper to build and purchase.
Pick your poison. Do regular sealant maintenance and will most likely not have issues with either- I use a squeegee to remove the water after washing and a buffer to apply wax. Hence my preference for a smooth, flat side.
