Aluminum vs Fiberglass

[Roadhound_64]

Hello.....I am looking to buy a travel trailer. I have previously own 2 Fiberglass units. I saw a program on TV talking about RV's and the person was saying aluminum trailers were better in a lighting strike than fiberglass.
I would like to know what is the pro & con of the two.Thanks for your wisdom & knowledge.

[Terryallan]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
Find a fiberglass sided aluminum framed trailer that uses Azdel as the backing for the fiberglass. Zero delamination.

Not even close to the truth. Most only use Azdel for the outer substrate layer between the filon skin and center frame and foam layer. The inside is still Luan plywood. Sure the Azdel will not delaminate itself when wet like Luan but the adhesives are low VOC water based. Get water in the panel and the filon can delaminate from the Azdel, or the Azdel from the foam and aluminum tube center, or the inner wall panel can delaminate or fall apart.

Zero chance of delamination is far from a fact. Better yes....Bulletproof? Far from it.

A lot of marketing mumbo jumbo for sure and if it sways your purchase decision so be it.

A thing most people do not consider is the method of lamination. Vacuum bonded panels are far better than panels laminated by pinch rolling. Our 2013 Keystone had no delamination but after 3 years you could see every panel joint in the lamination, because Keystone uses pinch rolling. Were in our 3rd season in our 17 Rockwood and I can not see a seam as Rockwood vacuum bonds the panels.

Looked it up. RV Azdel walls have no wood. they are constructed as follows. Fiberglass exterior, Azdel, insulation, Azdel, décor interior. NONE of the pictures showed any wood period. No wood was mentioned in any of the descriptions. In truth. It was specifically noted that there is no wood, luan or other wise in a Azdel wall. You may know what you are talking about. But the construction cut aways, and specs tell a different story.

It was also NOT promised there could be no delamination, But that the chance is drastically reduced. I tried to download a picture, but it wouldn't. However. you can go to www.azdelonboard.com to see the construction of Azdell. This is the wall construction of the Coachmen RVs.

[Terryallan]

valhalla360 wrote:

ppine wrote:
which is going to rot faster when it gets wet, wood or welded aluminum?

You are still confusing the issue.

Many aluminimum skin units come with aluminum frames. This is not a new thing. I recall my Dad grumbling about the wood frame on the old trailer failing when he got a new aluminum skin/aluminum frame trailer in 1978.

Fiberglass skin units really do poorly if they leak because the substrate for the fiberglass is plywood. Go walk around a park and count the number of units over 5yrs old that you can see delamination from the road. I've done this a couple times and at 5yrs, it seems to be around 50% have delamination visible from the road. If you include up to 10yrs old, it's probably in the 80-90% range. (of course that doesn't mean there isn't hidden issues in the aluminum sided units)

Reality is unless you are special ordering new or going on the smaller side, you won't have a lot of aluminum RV's to choose from.

My fiberglass walls have no wood in them. they are Azdell

[Ralph_Cramden]

goducks10 wrote:
Find a fiberglass sided aluminum framed trailer that uses Azdel as the backing for the fiberglass. Zero delamination.

Not even close to the truth. Most only use Azdel for the outer substrate layer between the filon skin and center frame and foam layer. The inside is still Luan plywood. Sure the Azdel will not delaminate itself when wet like Luan but the adhesives are low VOC water based. Get water in the panel and the filon can delaminate from the Azdel, or the Azdel from the foam and aluminum tube center, or the inner wall panel can delaminate or fall apart.

Zero chance of delamination is far from a fact. Better yes....Bulletproof? Far from it.

A lot of marketing mumbo jumbo for sure and if it sways your purchase decision so be it.

A thing most people do not consider is the method of lamination. Vacuum bonded panels are far better than panels laminated by pinch rolling. Our 2013 Keystone had no delamination but after 3 years you could see every panel joint in the lamination, because Keystone uses pinch rolling. Were in our 3rd season in our 17 Rockwood and I can not see a seam as Rockwood vacuum bonds the panels.

[GrandpaKip]

Roadhound 64 wrote:
What RV manufacturer have wood frame units?

All the major players, Jayco, Forest River, etc. have a line of aluminum sided wood frames.

[goducks10]

Find a fiberglass sided aluminum framed trailer that uses Azdel as the backing for the fiberglass. Zero delamination.

[Ralph_Cramden]

valhalla360 wrote:

ppine wrote:
which is going to rot faster when it gets wet, wood or welded aluminum?

You are still confusing the issue.

Many aluminimum skin units come with aluminum frames. This is not a new thing. I recall my Dad grumbling about the wood frame on the old trailer failing when he got a new aluminum skin/aluminum frame trailer in 1978.

Do you have any specific examples, such as manufacturer and model, of an aluminum sided aluminum framed trailer made today. I'm aware of Airstream, Livin-lite, and AVT along with some off brands like Work and Play. Run of the mill aluminum sided trailers that have S lock panels are always wood framed to my knowledge. Its a little hard to shoot a staple though an RV siding flange into aluminum tube and expect it to hold. The RV manufacturers are notorius for missing studs or blowing staples clean through the flange even with wood framing. I know of none using conventional RV S lock panels on aluminum framing.

I have seen more than a few new trailers with aluminum siding coming loose, especially with the thin gauge garbage used today, and a few on the PA turnpike being hauled to dealers by transporters with panels flapping in the wind. The only thing keeping it on was trim, molding, and windows.

[valhalla360]

ppine wrote:
which is going to rot faster when it gets wet, wood or welded aluminum?

You are still confusing the issue.

Many aluminimum skin units come with aluminum frames. This is not a new thing. I recall my Dad grumbling about the wood frame on the old trailer failing when he got a new aluminum skin/aluminum frame trailer in 1978.

Fiberglass skin units really do poorly if they leak because the substrate for the fiberglass is plywood. Go walk around a park and count the number of units over 5yrs old that you can see delamination from the road. I've done this a couple times and at 5yrs, it seems to be around 50% have delamination visible from the road. If you include up to 10yrs old, it's probably in the 80-90% range. (of course that doesn't mean there isn't hidden issues in the aluminum sided units)

Reality is unless you are special ordering new or going on the smaller side, you won't have a lot of aluminum RV's to choose from.

[Roadhound_64]

What RV manufacturer have wood frame units?

[JIMNLIN]

Wood rots when wet and bonded panel/aluminum frames will delam when wet.

As one wise member says they both have pluses and minuses.

Having had both types if I was buying new it would be a good quiet wood frame unit with either type of siding.

[ppine]

which is going to rot faster when it gets wet, wood or welded aluminum?

[valhalla360]

ppine wrote:
The old stick and tin trailers can be really heavy.
Aluminum framing is stronger and lighter and not subject to rot. Aluminum framed trailers usually have fiberglass siding.
My next trailer will definitely have aluminum framing and probably fiberglass siding. It saves a lot of weight.

You are confusing siding with framing.

Either siding can have either framing.

Fiberglass siding, is typically heavier.

[busterja21]

Fiberglass handles hail much better. Aluminum will look like a golf ball in a minor hail storm.

[Roadhound_64]

When I had my fiberglass it was easy to wash & wax. It seems like both types have good and bad.

[beemerphile1]

I have never seen an aluminum sided RV with delamination but I've seen it on lots of fiberglass sided ones.

[Terryallan]

Having has both. I can state, for me anyway. Because I wax my camper at least once a year. the smooth Glass sides are WAAAAAAAY easier to wax, and keep clean. I can wax the fiberglass in less than 1/2 the time it takes to wax the ribbed sided aluminum.

Having said that. Get what you want. With a little more work. The ribbed aluminum can look as good as the fiberglass. However as mentioned. The fiberglass campers seem to be a good bit lighter.