Selecting the most appropriate aluminum travel trailer siding can make or even break the look and longevity of your camper, specifically if you're thinking about hitting the road for long exercises. I've spent the lot of period taking a look at different rigs, and there's some thing about this classic "stick and tin" look that just feels right. While fiberglass has become incredibly popular during the last few years, aluminum remains a staple for the lot of reasons—mostly because it's difficult, relatively easy to fix, and has a certain retro charm that never really goes out of fashion.
If you're presently staring at a dented panel or even considering buying a trailer with this particular type of exterior, you probably have a few queries. It's not only about how it appears; it's about exactly how it holds upward against hail, how much weight it adds to your own tow vehicle, plus what you're heading to do every time a low-hanging branch decides to leave a souvenir across the particular side of your rig.
Why Aluminum Still Guidelines the Road
You'll often listen to people talk about "stick and tin" construction. This generally means the trailer includes a wood framework with aluminum travel trailer siding stapled or screwed onto the outside. One of the particular biggest perks of this setup is it "breathes. " In contrast to fiberglass or gel-coat finishes that are bonded to a substrate, aluminum panels are usually installed in a method that allows regarding a bit of movement. This particular is a huge deal when you're dragging a weighty box down the bumpy highway at 65 miles for each hour.
An additional thing I love about aluminum is that it doesn't delaminate. If you've ever seen an older fiberglass trailer along with those weird bubbles or peeling levels, you're looking from delamination. It's a nightmare to repair and often indicates the structural sincerity of the wall structure is compromised. Along with aluminum, you simply don't have that will problem. If drinking water gets behind the panel, you may have several wood rot to deal with (which is its very own headache), but the siding itself isn't heading to bubble or even peel apart.
Keeping It Clean and Shiny
If you would like your aluminum travel trailer siding to last, you've have got to stay on best of the cleansing. Aluminum is prone to something called oxidation. Over time, the air and sun break down the finish, leaving a chalky white residue at first glance. If you've actually leaned against a classic camper and come away with a white smudge on your shirt, you know exactly exactly what I'm talking about.
To avoid this particular, I usually suggest a good clean at least a several times a season. Don't go crazy with a pressure washer, though. When you spray as well close to the particular seams or the particular vents, you're just asking for the leak. A basic bucket of soapy water and the soft-bristle brush upon a long deal with usually do the particular trick.
After it's clean, a coat of wax—specifically one designed for RVs—can work as a sunscreen for your trailer. It keeps that oxidation away and makes this easier to wash off bugs and street grime later in. Plus, there's nothing at all quite like the particular shine of a freshly waxed aluminum rig sitting in a campsite during sunset.
Coping with the Inevitable Dents
Let's be real: in case you tow a trailer long enough, you're going to get the dent. Maybe it's a stray rock and roll on the interstate or a shock hail storm within the Midwest. Mainly because aluminum travel trailer siding is usually relatively soft, it shows impact more easily than fiberglass.
The good news? You can usually replace just the damaged section. Due to the fact the siding is definitely usually installed within horizontal strips that will interlock, you can "unzip" an area and swap within a new screen. It's not exactly a five-minute job, but it's much more manageable than trying to patch a pit in a solid fiberglass wall.
For small dings, some individuals try the "suction cup" method or even even the dried out ice trick to pop them away. This works, occasionally it doesn't. If the metal will be creased, you're most likely looking at the permanent mark. Individually, I think several small beauty scars give a trailer character—it shows you've actually been somewhere! But if it bothers you, replacing the particular individual panel is usually the way in order to go.
The Weight and Insulating material Factor
Something people often issue is the pounds difference. Generally speaking, aluminum siding is lighter than a lot of the heavy-duty fiberglass laminates. This is often a lifesaver if you're cutting it near on your own truck's towing capacity. Every lb counts when you're packing up the particular gear, the water reservoirs, and the household.
When it comes to insulation, aluminum doesn't do much on its own. It's the conductor, so it gets hot in the sun and cold during winter. However, because of just how these trailers are built, there's usually plenty of room for fiber-glass batts or polyurethane foam board insulation between your interior wall and the exterior siding. If your trailer feels blustering, it's usually read more about the windows as well as the seals than the particular siding itself.
Can You Paint Your own Siding?
We get asked this a lot. Maybe you bought an utilized trailer and the prior owner's selection of 1990s teal and mauve stripes isn't quite your vibe. A person can absolutely color aluminum travel trailer siding , but a person can't just slap some house color onto it and contact it per day.
The key may be the prep work. You need to get rid associated with all that chalky oxidation I pointed out earlier. A great scrub with a good abrasive pad and some TSP (trisodium phosphate) usually gets the surface ready. Then, you need a high-quality primer specifically made for metal. If you neglect the primer, the paint will start flaking off inside a year, plus it'll look worse than when you started.
Most people try some fine squirt finish for the professional look, but I've seen some remarkably good "roll and tip" jobs performed by patient DIYers. Just remember to check on the weather—you don't want an unexpected rainstorm or a swarm of gnats ruining your new paint job while it's drying.
Comparing It in order to Fiberglass
When you're still on the fence between aluminum and fiberglass, think about how you program to utilize the trailer. Fiberglass is sleek and arguably more "modern" looking. It's also a bit easier to wash since the surface is usually smooth.
However, aluminum travel trailer siding is much easier to repair if you're a DIY kind of person. It's also generally cheaper. When you buy a brand-new trailer, the "tin" edition is almost always the entry-level price, while the fiber-glass version is the "upgrade. " But don't allow the price fool you—aluminum is incredibly durable. Generally there are trailers through the 1960s and 70s still on the particular road today along with their original aluminum siding intact. May we say the same for every fiber-glass rig built ten years ago? Most likely not.
Conclusions on Maintenance
At the finish of the day, the best factor you can do for your own siding would be to keep an eye on the seals. The siding itself won't fail you, but the places where the siding meets the roof, the windows, and the doors are the particular faults.
Every spring, I actually go for a walk around our rig and poke at the caulking. If it looks cracked or is pulling away, I scrape it out plus put down some fresh sealant. Water is the mortal enemy of any kind of RV, and the siding's job is usually to keep that water out. For care of the seams, the aluminum travel trailer siding will get care of the remaining.
It's a classic material for a reason. It's durable, it's fixable, plus it has a glance that reminds all of us of the golden regarding camping. Whether you're restoring the vintage gem or just trying in order to keep the modern recreational camper in tip-top form, finding out how to work with aluminum could save you the lot of cash and frustration within the long work. Just keep it clear, keep it waxed, and try to avoid those low-hanging branches!