Aluminum vs Fiberglass

Here's my brother-in-law's take on it (and I agree). Aluminum has a slight advantage in the sunny, hot desert southwest where there have been some problems with fiberglass delamination due to the sun and the heat. Aluminum (often over a wood frame) can encounter issues with water incursion and subsequent wood rot (due to the fasteners, overlaps and wood frames) in very wet climates such as the deep south and the Pacific northwest west of the mountains. The wood frames used under aluminum tend to transmit heat and cold less than the aluminum frames typically used under fiberglass... but the insulation used in the fiberglass laminated exterior walls is often better than that used in aluminum construction. Finally, the manufacturers of 1/2-million dollar motor coaches and $150K fifth wheels use laminated fiberglass rather than aluminum - for whatever reasons.

Rob