How do you guys value Fiberglass vs Aluminum ext

[Boogie_]

Having rebuilt dozens of campers, both aluminum and fiberglass, here's my 2¢.

Filon over AZDEL - Good stuff. Very unlikely to have any delamination issues as AZDEL is impervious to water.

Filon over plywood - Don't keep the rig for very long. Will last a little longer if you have a covered storage.

Aluminum siding - Very easy to repair. Not as well insulated as composite rigs.

[runamuck]

our trailer is aluminum framing with foam core walls and floor. I prefer the aluminum framing since it wont rot and the staples wont work loose over time. the metal sided trailers usually have wood framing and my own personal view is that they are more likely to have water and or structural damage than welded aluminum frame trailers. they seem to be a little less expensive to buy tho.

[R1cky]

I'm in the same situation, debating between Aluminum or Fiberglass. Planning to purchase a Jayco SLX 7 184BS Baja soon...

OP, which model did you end up buying?

[vroom_vroom]

So I’m sure I will catch some grief but I think the aluminum sided trailers look cheap, not to say fiberglass ones can’t I have never seen a aluminum one and thought man that looks good……….

You can do body work to fiberglass and azdel. That’s what my new trailer is and someone used too large of a screw for the blinds and cracked the outside. Drilled it out masked it off and packed it with marine Tex and if your not looking for it you can’t tell, something happens to aluminum and there is no fixing it. They total them for hail damage……..

[dsrace]

i would have to say, if there's only a 140 lb difference, then its most likely the thinner filon on luan board or on azdel board. that thinner filon doesn't last as long as the thicker better material. there have been several comments on diff forums of de lamination in 7 to 9 years time on diff makes and models. was that a brand specific or across the board?? who knows. fiberglass is easier to clean, lasts longer , looks better and hands down, resists hail far better. the roofs on the other hand are a diff story. aluminum is cheaper, lighter and most likely wood framed. wood framed usually means batt insulation, far better sound deadening or has been my personal experience. if your skating the tow specs every pound counts. as far as warranty work, if your buying from camping world then any CW dealership "should" take care of it. i say should as it is camping world we are talking about! my current toyhauler is 26' of floor and 30' oal. $3500 diff , fiberlgass vs aluminum siding as well as a 700 lb weight difference! i do not like the corrugated aluminum siding but 700 lbs and $3500 made the decision for me. that's an extra 700 lbs of cargo capacity! at only $1800 diff and 140 lbs, if r value means more then sound deadening and you see hail yearly then i would go fiberglass.


with the fiberglass its most likely aluminum framed walls. in locations of decent temp swings, the non wood filled aluminum can condensate inside itself. plenty of video's on youtube of that. wood rots and aluminum corrodes, they all have a life expectancy. wood framed, studs will most likely be 16" on center. aluminum framed is more likely 20" to 24" on center. the 2x2 wood stud is stronger then the extremely thin walled aluminum stud..... unto itself. wood studded is most likely stapled together in many spots vs hip welded with aluminum. that of course is one way they shave weight which comes at a cost. it all comes down to your application.... weight, cost, length of owner ship and camping style.

[JIMNLIN]

I've owned three truck campers ...the last one was fiberglass composite.
I've also owned three 5th wheel rv trailers....first two were wood...the last one fiberglass composite.
What I've found is hail big enough to do damage to aluminum skin can crack filon or fiberglass also although damage may not show to the untrained eye.

If I had a choice I would go with a good aluminum skin unit. My reasons are their IMO quieter and better insulated.
Look around rv parks/campgrounds on a frosty morning at all the units sidewalls and you can see the difference. Wood frames won't show where the sidewall studs are like aluminum stud framed non metallic skinned units.

HitchHiker II built by NUWA made this statement when they had to make the transition to compete::

*** Why doesn't NuWa use an all aluminum structure like popular Indiana manufacturers?

NuWa made the decision to begin the use of aluminum structure based on marketing and the fact that many people were concluding that an "aluminum caged" product was superior in construction technology, weight and strength. Our 40+ years of experience as a leader in 5th wheel design suggests that may be "flawed" information. We have proven that wood construction need be no heavier or less strong than aluminum construction, that is built properly. We now build both materials, and are comfortable doing either, however our opinion is still that wood construction provides a superior product, and today we use both in the construction of our trailers. The strength of the NuWa trailer is actually created by the superior and light weight Blue Dow foam lamination concept.

NuWa uses an aluminum substructure in the sidewalls and ends of the coach only. No aluminum in the floors or attics, where metal promotes conduction of cold and moisture resulting in condensation.

90% of the walls are Blue Dow Structural Foam, rather than wood or aluminum. This creates a superior insulation and the only product with a guaranteed sidewall R Factor. (Water absorption in standard white foam reduces R Factor over time, and the use of Blue Dow Structural Foam eliminates this problem.)

NuWa's aluminum substructure sidewall is actually a "hybrid" wall, as we core fill the aluminum with wood in those areas where additional strength is required, because aluminum will not hold a screw. Not so with the lower priced brands. With NuWa's combined use of wood and aluminum substructure, you get a superior product because of NuWa's unique Blue Dow foam vacu-bond process, which makes the sidewalls virtually resistant to water penetration. ***

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

I've owned three truck campers ...the last one was fiberglass composite.
I've also owned three 5th wheel rv trailers....first two were wood...the last one fiberglass composite.
What I've found is hail big enough to do damage to aluminum skin can crack filon or fiberglass also although damage may not show to the untrained eye.

If I had a choice I would go with a good aluminum skin unit. My reasons are their IMO quieter and better insulated.
Look around rv parks/campgrounds on a frosty morning at all the units sidewalls and you can see the difference. Wood frames won't show where the sidewall studs are like aluminum stud framed non metallic skinned units.

HitchHiker II built by NUWA made this statement when they had to make the transition to compete::

*** Why doesn't NuWa use an all aluminum structure like popular Indiana manufacturers?

NuWa made the decision to begin the use of aluminum structure based on marketing and the fact that many people were concluding that an "aluminum caged" product was superior in construction technology, weight and strength. Our 40+ years of experience as a leader in 5th wheel design suggests that may be "flawed" information. We have proven that wood construction need be no heavier or less strong than aluminum construction, that is built properly. We now build both materials, and are comfortable doing either, however our opinion is still that wood construction provides a superior product, and today we use both in the construction of our trailers. The strength of the NuWa trailer is actually created by the superior and light weight Blue Dow foam lamination concept.

NuWa uses an aluminum substructure in the sidewalls and ends of the coach only. No aluminum in the floors or attics, where metal promotes conduction of cold and moisture resulting in condensation.

90% of the walls are Blue Dow Structural Foam, rather than wood or aluminum. This creates a superior insulation and the only product with a guaranteed sidewall R Factor. (Water absorption in standard white foam reduces R Factor over time, and the use of Blue Dow Structural Foam eliminates this problem.)

NuWa's aluminum substructure sidewall is actually a "hybrid" wall, as we core fill the aluminum with wood in those areas where additional strength is required, because aluminum will not hold a screw. Not so with the lower priced brands. With NuWa's combined use of wood and aluminum substructure, you get a superior product because of NuWa's unique Blue Dow foam vacu-bond process, which makes the sidewalls virtually resistant to water penetration. ***

good information for sure!

i can see wood filled aluminum studs that are hip welded as a stronger structure but heavier unless they space them farther apart. the fiver i owned was fg sided and still used wood studs in the wall. it was by far the better on sound deadening then the next toyhauler which was aluminum studs, foam insulated and fg sided. sound just went right through those walls compared to the batt insulated wood studded fg sided fiver. i can see the shape of the aluminum siding baffling sound a bit better as well. i read a post or two, claiming the corrugated like siding creating more drag due to a larger surface area for wind to grab. i cannot say as i have experienced this personally, but i suppose it is possible. 90% of our trips are to the sand dunes so there are loud toys running 24/7. i thought that fg sided, wall studded fiver could've used thermal windows and better insulation for sound deadening. we sold it and bought a brand new genesis supreme that was fg sided with aluminum studs with foam insulation and there was very little sound deadening!! you could hear a conversation though the walls it was so poor compared to the previous fiver. that means more to myself then over all r value as i don't camp in the winter months.

[Cumminsfan]

Only wood/aluminum sided trailer I'd buy would be a Grand Design Transcend. I've looked at them in the past at RV shows. They use a different type of aluminum siding that looks nicer than that deeper corrugated stuff from the past. It's also a little thicker material.

[dsrace]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

Only wood/aluminum sided trailer I'd buy would be a Grand Design Transcend. I've looked at them in the past at RV shows. They use a different type of aluminum siding that looks nicer than that deeper corrugated stuff from the past. It's also a little thicker material.

i saw that as well and yes, it looks a lot better!

[CamperLifer]

Fiberglass with gelcoat looks better and that's why it costs more. 6 of 1 and half a dozen of another.

[ysidive]

Definitely fiberglass vs aluminum. Aluminum Frame versus wood frame....
Run as fast as you can from Camping World....

[bneukam]

Sound transmission into the trailer will have more to do with construction methods, and not materials used.