What’s the difference between Fiberglass and Aluminum in an RV?
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Let’s talk about how your trailer is built! Is fiberglass better to have for the exterior? What are the differences between that and aluminum? What are the pros and cons of fiberglass vs aluminum? Curious about how your trailer is built? Curious about how your trailer is insulated? There’s a myth that fiberglass is better. Aluminum and fiberglass BOTH have Pros AND Cons. Let’s take an honest look at the differences. We answer all your RV and travel trailer questions!
The more I research trailers the more I am leaning towards starting with a cargo trailer and building it out myself.
Blue bird bus will last you a lifetime. 😊
@@tinkertrek , what does it cost to maintain and how long can you let it sit between uses? How will I get my motorcycles into it? What is insurance? Registration? I have a permanent plate on my current enclosed trailer and it is $17 a year to insure.
Cargo trailers work great without a lot of expense .
Thanks! That was educational and informative!
Glad you enjoyed it! Let us know what else you would love to learn about!
Good job Kimberly!
Thank you, Don!
how about Azdel and it's many forms ?
When I talk about the “gel coat fiberglass” that is the same thing. The great thing about Azdel is that it doesn’t bubble. You won’t have long term effects if it does leak. However, the same concept is true of any other fiberglass when it comes to maintenance. If a stick or limb goes through it, that fiberglass repair is a challenge for sure! Azdel is a great product for sure though- one of our brands uses Azdel for the exterior walls, floor and roof! It’s coming in more and more forms these days!
So I have had 3 Rv's that was aluminum and fiberglass. The aluminum one felt like it was colder inside in the winter and hotter in the summer. So I am going to ne buying another one so what is your subjection on this?
Hi! I have several thoughts on this… in fact, it’s inspired me to make another video just on this subject! Often fiberglass trailers tend to be a bit of an upgrade (not always, but often). I would be curious if your fiberglass trailers had a heated/enclosed underbelly? That makes a big difference! The aluminum sided trailers can also have heated/enclosed underbelly’s but it is just as prevalent to see them without… whereas fiberglass trailers are more likely to have that enclosed, heated underbelly with heated tanks, if that makes sense. The underbelly of the trailer (which I failed to talk about in this video) can make a difference on keeping the outside air temperature from coming in. I think I’ll do a video on this next! Next time you buy, whether it’s a fiberglass sided or aluminum sided, just make sure you find one with a heated and enclosed underbelly. That would be my first guess on that one, but I’ll think about it further as well!
Ok! You inspired me to make a video, thanks to your question! Here’s a video just for you that *might* help your answer… czcams.com/video/N2jzLK_GMF0/video.html
How's your tin trailers after a hail storm ? Vs fiberglass
Collect the insurance money and keep using it!😂
your house doesn’t go bouncing down the road.
🤣 well you’re correct on that point, lol!
what about the azdel, it shouldn’t delaminate
Yes! I briefly mentioned “gel coat fiberglass”… same thing. That’s a whole other video on it’s own!! You’re correct, Azdel won’t delam. A couple years ago when this video was made, we weren’t seeing the big move like we are now. Almost all of our fiberglass trailers have moved to Azdel now!!
Sprayed foam insulation has a greater R Value than fiberglass batt insulation.
Fiberglass sided trailers dont always have aluminum framing. Fiberglass siding is heavier than aluminum. Fiberglass can delaminate.
They don’t always have aluminum framing but THE majority do! Just covering the typical trailer the average shopper will find on the average dealers lot. :) Also, yep… definitely talked about that delaminating! HOWEVER, I need to update this video because MOST fiberglass trailers have moved to Azdel/Gel Coat fiberglass at this point- which I only briefly covered. Azdel/Gel Coat wont delaminate because there’s no wood backing. The old style of fiberglass is pressed to a wood backer and when it leaks, it causes it to separate leading to the delamination. All of our fiberglass trailers have moved to Azdel now. Most of them are moving in that direction.
I wonder if she’s ever seen the insulation in a stick built aluminum clad trailer it’s basically no insulation when you compare to a 3 1/2 inch bat that’s in the house it’s maybe a half inch thick maybe! There are fiberglass trailers with no wood at all to rot, and they are insulated very well. They’re Fourseason trailers, but you will pay the cost of having that ability. I’ve done some research, and I know exactly what trailer I would buy when the time comes. And it certainly is not any stick built, trailer or aluminum clad stick built anything with wood is a no fly zone for me! Just my two. Cents.
Thank you sir for your comment. I’ve been in the RV business for four decades - so my whole life. I own an Rv dealership and my husband has been a service manager his whole career. I’ve been to the factories where they are built, I’ve helped out in the shop I own and I’ve seen LOTS of trailers torn apart. I would love to invite you to our shop when a trailer is torn apart to go over exactly how the standard trailer is built. Yes, these are the standard trailers- the majority of our customers will encounter these two types of trailers- which make up more than 80% of the inventory. I also sell a line of trailers that are all fiberglass- they are fiberglass interior and exterior and have no wood at all in them. That’s a speciality brand- just like Airstream and others. You’re correct that “all season” trailers have some slightly different insulation, but MANY of them consider themselves “all seasons” just if they have an enclosed underbelly. I intend to do a whole video just on that topic alone as it does get confusing. High end trailers will have varying layers of insulation, but you pay for that and it does tend to come in more luxury end trailers. I sell a line of those as well, but even those have varying degrees of differences in their build based on price point. Happy to discuss this further! I always enjoy talking about trailers- as you can see. It’s my life! And it’s been the livelihood of my family for three generations. Happy camping!
So I have had 3 Rv's that was aluminum and fiberglass. The aluminum one felt like it was colder inside in the winter and hotter in the summer. So I am going to be purchasing another one so what is your subjection on this?
@@campoaksrvoutdoors8722 So, are fiberglass trailers generally better insulated or not?
I would like to know if by any chance you have a list of all the aluminum camper trailers that are from 1998- 2023? I am trying to find a list to see which ones are better to buy thank you.
Fiberglass at some time will de-laminate from sun exposure , aluminum doesn't, get a molded front nose as well , just been my personal experience.
We did a second video just talking about fiberglass! Azdel/Gel Coat fiberglass won’t delam (no wood backer!), and many factories are moving toward that direction!
Lots of info, but nothing substantial to sway one way or the other. I guess, Im going to buy on looks.
That’s the point! There’s pros and cons to both! Don’t let a sales person sway you one way or another. The right trailer isn’t the same for everybody! There’s a second video just diving in to fiberglass and there ARE some major differences there… check it out!
Do not buy stick and tin unless it will be kept in a garage. I have been extreme when it comes to maintenance and three years later I am dealing with rotten wood on the backside of my camper.
Hmm… I’ve always had stick and tin and always will. My last camper was two decades old. If you maintain those seals, you shouldn’t have any leak. Not sure how water could come in if it’s sealed tight! We’ve had a few maintenance issues with an older camper, but the wood structure has always been easy to replace and easy to repair. We see customers with fiberglass campers who complain about the same thing, just as a side note. But if their fiberglass trailers get wet, as we often see, their whole fiberglass gets bubbly and wavy… The gel coat, or Azdel fiberglass, won’t do that. Neither will aluminum sided… again, my personal choice! Sorry you’re having those troubles though!
@@campoaksrvoutdoors8722 So how come Corvettes don't get bubbly/wavy? They're also fiberglass? So are many boats.
@@user-dk9or8sk1x Those are molded fiberglass with no wood to swell. The trailers she’s talking about are thin panels of fiberglass that are glued to really cheap Luan plywood. When the Luan gets wet, it swells which then swells out the thin fiberglass.
I repair RV'S fiberglass RV'S come in wood framing also, and aluminum sided come in metal framing, not sure where you've got your info but it not completely accurate
Hi Terry! Thanks for replying. I’ve “gotten my info” from first hand experience. I’ve been in the industry my whole life as a third generation RV dealer. My husband has been a service manager his entire career and torn apart hundreds of trailers himself. I’ve also been to many of the factories where they are built and seen them firsthand. While you make the point that not every trailer is built exactly the same, if you’ve torn apart enough trailers, even you can admit, it would be VERY RARE to see an aluminum sided trailer with aluminum framing! In fact, surely you know all dealers, and even the industry in Indiana, refers to aluminum sided trailers as “stick and tin.” All dealers have a stick (wood) and tin (aluminum sided) trailer line. I had to pause to be sure I fully understood your comment considering how rare it would be to see a deviation from this aluminum vs fiberglass build and I concluded that maybe I wasn’t clear in my presentation. This video is only talking about exterior siding and interior framing. I am NOT discussing interior walls here. Fiberglass sided trailers come with various amounts of wood on the INTERIOR. Maybe that’s the point you’re making. Yes, if that’s what you’re trying to say, then you would be correct that not all fiberglass sided trailers have the same amounts of wood. I have one trailer line that has NO interior wood at all. It is truly all aluminum. The walls are a fiberglass composite as well. And I have other fiberglass sided trailers with aluminum framing but the interior walls do have layers of wood in them. This is where the fiberglass sided trailers do differ in build and construction.
While I am aware I’m human and can be flawed (I’m reminded daily of this as I care for our business and our family!) in this information in this video, I’m very confident the info is correct. Most consumers will only encounter these two types of trailers. It would be very rare and unique to find a trailer built outside of this factory-standard pattern… besides like an Airstream or another similar brand. Those are not your typical market trailers and lean toward specialty customers. Perhaps I should have mentioned those, but folks who are looking for those kinds of trailers typically know their brands. So yes, while you’re correct, those “off” brands do exist, it’s not going to affect the buying process for the majority of those who are looking for and researching trailers. This is the standard we all know who have been doing this for decades. Though by all means, feel free to continue to provide further details if you have them! I would be interested in the names of the trailer lines you’re encountering in the everyday market that are built differently, but again, I’m thinking you must be thinking of the interior structure and I hope I cleared that up here. Blessings!
Haha. WOMAN, you are KNOWLEDGEABLE.
Not everyone has to get it or believe you. People will see value in your work and word if they are open to it. You don’t owe this guy a comment this thorough.
LOVE YOUR INFORMATION and it’s so easier to understand from your perspective.
MUCH APPRECIATION.
*Subscribed*
@@freebird5309 you don't even need to be in the conversation, I completely understand what she is saying obviously you don't
She gets her feelings hurt pretty easily lol.
Fiberglass is lighter then aluminum 😅😂😅😂
Makes sense that a wood frame would be heavier than an aluminum frame, doesn’t it? And corrugated aluminum sided trailers almost *always* use wood framing! :)
@campoaksrvoutdoors8722
The little wood they use wouldn't weigh much pine 2x2 isn't very heavy .
Also alot of the aluminum frames are filled with wood .
That aluminum sides weigh almost nothing.
@@bobconner422 you’re right. It’s not MUCH difference. I can have two similar sized trailers side by side- one fiberglass and one aluminum. The aluminum sided is only typically 3-400 pounds heavier, but that often means the difference in my customers ability to tow it or not, once you consider dry weight. These “super lite” campers- like the Flagstaffs and the Travel Lites that I carry- use wood ONLY for the cabinetry. Depending on the brand, the premium brands that use real wood cabinets do eat up a small amount of that difference compared to the lighter composite cabinets in our price-point trailers. Especially if the premium brands are adding more options in the construction, as they typically do. So there’s a lot of variables in the weight, but I’m just comparing base models to base models.
Absolutely nonsense.
😂 Thanks, sir for taking time to make such a nice comment. I’ve been in the RV business my entire life - third generation. I’ve been to the factories and now own our own shop at our dealership. If you’ve ever seen them torn apart as often as I have, or seen them built on the factory line, you’ll know the information stands true. There’s an entire other video going into fiberglass alone if that’s where you want to get into the nitty gritty of gel coat (Azdel), hung glass or regular fiberglass options. Just trying to get the information out there as best as I can! Blessings!