We are wrapping up our first year with our old truck camper. It's been nice having it. It is a 1995 Northland.Of course, looking for a great deal on a camper that might work a little better. Primarily looking for a more insulated camper that might make fall and winter camping more comfortable as ski season approaches.Also, many of the camper miles have been on washboard roads, not overly bumpy side to side, but lots of vibration. Thinking that I might want to explore aluminum framed construction like a fleetwood elkhorn or if wood is going to be better.Speaking in terms of 2005 or older. 1.) What are the benefits/drawbacks of looking for aluminum frame construction vs wood? Does aluminum handle the vibration better than wood?

When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints. Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with. Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

Kayteg1 wrote:When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints. Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with. Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.Good points. The most important might be on how good was the person building it which one will never know until it falls apart.

Rugged Mountain truck campers are built in Idaho and are basically the Old Northland truck camper with the majority of the crew working there...When asked about wood vs aluminum in there TC's,this was the reply..TCM: Why not frame with aluminum?Jesse: Before we started Rugged Mountain production, I built camper walls with aluminum framing. What I found is that the metal on luan separated the adhesive in cold and hot weather. The lamination adhesives holding the fiberglass skin to the quarter-inch luan backing were letting loose on the aluminum side.I could not find an adhesive that didn’t suffer this problem. Here in Idaho, we have cold winters and hot summers. I do not want a de-lamination problem, so we decided to stay with wood framed campers.

There are several techniques to build. My 2002 Fleetwood, even it has "aluminum frame" painted on it, it has basically aluminum skeleton, where wood members are screw to skeleton for gluing sidings to them. I bought it with patched roof from the state with lot of rain, so water penetration made for lot of headaches, but the delamination happen between the inner wood skin and outer fiberglass, when inner skin would still hold to the frame. My conclusion is that without aluminum skeleton, the camper would collapse with rotten wood years ago.

We have owned both. Assuming both are quality construction-there will be no difference to the end user. I would not let alum vs wood be a deciding factor.

Aluminum Frame vs Wood Frame for washboard roads.

ticki2
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
Kayteg1 wrote:

Here is a picture showing gutted frame.
Floor is definitely welded members, when I can't find close-up how walls frame is connected. Looks welded on this picture, but can't say for sure.

Well folks there's your definitive answer.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2020
I no longer own Airstream, so have to relay on google pictures.
Here is a picture showing gutted frame.
Floor is definitely welded members, when I can't find close-up how walls frame is connected. Looks welded on this picture, but can't say for sure.
Fact is that Airstream made ingenious construction, where both walls and ceiling have single frame member bend to the shape.

Found close up on window frame. You can clearly see weld on it.
ticki2
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
Kayteg1 wrote:
ticki2 wrote:

Another thing you will notice , aircraft , airstream and even my old Avion are riveted construction , not welded . I suspect aluminum welds don't hold up as well to twisting and vibration

How is Avion frame riveted?
I used to own 1965 Airstream and when siding was riveted, the frame was welded.

I own a 76 airstream and a 68 avion TC . Both have been apart , there were no welds . You would have to show me where the welds are in an airstream .
FWC
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
The folks that really use their campers off road (ie washboard roads and much, much worse) seem to prefer aluminum framed campers - Four Wheel Campers, All Terrain Campers, OutFitter. The one exception is Hallmark who use molded fiberglass but they offer an aluminum internal frame option.

Good places to read up on this are Expedition Portal and Wander the West.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 21, 2020
ticki2 wrote:

Another thing you will notice , aircraft , airstream and even my old Avion are riveted construction , not welded . I suspect aluminum welds don't hold up as well to twisting and vibration

How is Avion frame riveted?
I used to own 1965 Airstream and when siding was riveted, the frame was welded.
silversand
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
....this may be an interesting truck camper build; Dynamo TCX advertise they use Alclad 2024 T3 aluminum (rather than the less expensive 3003 product) and 6063 T5 c-channel framing, everything totally riveted. They advertise: built to order; no stock. Palm City, FL. Looks like factory-direct one-offs. Disclosure: I have no experience with this company: here-->

Good luck in your quest.
ticki2
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
free radical wrote:
Kayteg1 wrote:
When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".
Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints.
Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.
To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with.
Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

I suspect that aircraft is built by highly skilled workers and aluminum thats quite a bit better,stronger then any camper.
Airstream may be the only one thats build well.

Another thing you will notice , aircraft , airstream and even my old Avion are riveted construction , not welded . I suspect aluminum welds don't hold up as well to twisting and vibration
free_radical
Explorer
Oct 21, 2020
Kayteg1 wrote:
When aluminum frame is definitely much better not only strength-wise but also for water resistance, I found that my Fleetwood was build by "minimum wage welder".
Not only the welds were very poor quality, but not much of them and they kept on breaking, so I had to add steel reinforcement on joints.
Bottom line, it all comes to person who does final assemble and quality control.
To answer technical dilemma - aircrafts are generally exposed to high vibrations and guess what most of them are build with.
Few accidents in last decades show that it is steel in turbines who gets fatigued faster, than aluminum airplane body.

I suspect that aircraft is built by highly skilled workers and aluminum thats quite a bit better,stronger then any camper.
Airstream may be the only one thats build well.
silverbullet555
Explorer
Oct 20, 2020
kohldad wrote:
One big advantage to wood with aluminum skin, the average handyman can take the skin off, repair the wood to as good as new and then replace the skin. Even if you can get to the aluminum, it takes special skills and tools to do a repair.

I would like to get one of the clamshell versions and will hopefully stumble across one at some point in the price range I want to pay.

I do go slow on the washboard and bumps. Painfully slow. But, its all about balance.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Oct 20, 2020
kohldad wrote:
One big advantage to wood with aluminum skin, the average handyman can take the skin off, repair the wood to as good as new and then replace the skin. Even if you can get to the aluminum, it takes special skills and tools to do a repair.

Not to my experience.
I am wood worker and welder as well, although did not learn aluminum welding .
Main issue with rotten, or split wood is that you have to replace whole member, meaning going to the end of the wall, or do long sister board.
With metal bend or broken, you just weld it in damaged spot.
When weld broke on aluminum frame joint, I removed 6x6" piece of siding and attach Simpson tie with Sheetmetal screws to it. Caulk the siding back and call it a day.
Wood joints on Lance have couple of big staples on frame members and then about A5 size of aluminum thick foil with 100's of small staples holding it over the joint. Once that thing fails, you have huge hole of splinters.