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 Veteran
Posts: 226
 
Location: Middle Tennessee | Looking at getting a bigger LQ. Found a trailer I love, but it's steel frame aluminum skin. Should I stick with all aluminum or are steel frames ok? Are they much heavier? |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
 
Location: North Dakota | Steel is much stronger, so I'd actually prefer a steel frame. It's heavier but if you get in a crash it isn't as likely to crumple. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Dealing with steel you are going to have to deal with rust. If it was me, I would be looking for an all aluminum. |
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  Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | I'd only buy Aluminum.... less weight for better mph. If I could find one all aluminum with no paint thats what I would do. What I'm referring to is the clear coat wears off then if you slide your hand over the paint it rubs off on you. If I ever have a trailer custom made there will be no paint! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| When I was trailer shopping years ago, I learned the trailers that claim to be all aluminum, are not all aluminum.
I crawled under so many trailers and I cannot remember which ones are false advertising, as most all aluminum have a steel frame (the major stress points.
It all depends on where you live, yes steel rusts, but aluminum cracks, rots, and oxidizes, sadly it is hard to see |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I have a 2015 lq trailer and I purposely chose the steel frame and all aluminum everywhere else simply for safety...aluminum is a strong metal but not like steel and it really didn't add much weight compared...i think maybe 500 lbs...but if I ever get rear ended or tboned it's gotta little extra ooppmh lol |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | Aluminum and steel together causes electrolosis (sp) unless there is a special coating between. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 312
Location: KS | I went with steel because of the strength. Like a few mentioned above if you get into an accident steel is more likely to keep your livestock safe. Both steel and aluminum will have their pros and cons. Rust and rotting can be helped just by keeping a trailer clean after each haul.
Edited by Peewee212 2015-07-19 4:51 PM
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | Aluminum hands down. Depending on what brand you're looking for will tell a lot about the construction of a trailer. I would NEVER do a steel frame with aluminum skin. Steel is not necessarily stronger than aluminum either. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 372
| TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:33 AM
. Steel is not necessarily stronger than aluminum either.
this is interesting.
Can you explain?
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | arion - 2015-07-20 7:47 AM
TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:33 AM
. Steel is not necessarily stronger than aluminum either.
this is interesting.
Can you explain?
http://www.4startrailers.com/the-science-of-4-star/
Here is a LOT of good information here. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 372
| I was hoping you could explain it.
I'm trying to learn as much as I can.
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:51 AM
arion - 2015-07-20 7:47 AM
TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:33 AM
. Steel is not necessarily stronger than aluminum either.
this is interesting.
Can you explain?
Here is a LOT of good information here.
Do you sell 4-Star trailers? |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:51 AM arion - 2015-07-20 7:47 AM TwistedK - 2015-07-20 7:33 AM . Steel is not necessarily stronger than aluminum either. this is interesting. Can you explain? Here is a LOT of good information here.
Edited by NJJ 2015-07-20 11:18 AM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | steel frame for me...................
m |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 372
| mruggles - 2015-07-20 1:13 PM
steel frame for me...................
m
how come?
define frame?
this is all foreign to me and I am wanting to learn.
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
Location: MD | I've seen 2 trailers rub against eachother in a parking lot. One was steel the other alluminum. The alluminum didn't have a scratch and the steels fender crushed in and scraped the whole side. I wouldn't say steel is stronger. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| CE's wrapn3 - 2015-07-20 3:42 PM
I've seen 2 trailers rub against eachother in a parking lot. One was steel the other alluminum. The alluminum didn't have a scratch and the steels fender crushed in and scraped the whole side. I wouldn't say steel is stronger.
Way too many variables in the situation you are describing to make a decision that aluminum is stronger then steel.
If aluminum was stronger then steel, then why wouldn't the frame of cars, big trucks, heavy equipment be aluminum instead of steel.
I have never seen a D8 cat made of aluminum.
As for what is better there is no right answer all have their pros and cons.
As for the people say the aluminum are lighter, not necessarily, the bulk of the weight is the interior. If you go with solid cabinets this will add a substantial weight to the trailer, as if you go with the cheap cabinets.
Counter tops, and flooring also weighs the trailer down.
I have seen some aluminum trailer LQ that weigh more then steel LQ, same footage |
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Trailer Question. Aluminum vs. Steel Frame