Fiberglass Laminate vs Stick and Tin Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheel RVs!

50 thoughts on “Fiberglass Laminate vs Stick and Tin Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheel RVs!”

• I was told that a fiberglass trailer is much heavier than an aluminum trailer. True or false?

• We own a grand design transcend xplor its stick and tin it is our 3rd trailer we have had tow be hind and our LST one was a carriage 5th wheel. We live the smaller tow behind works well for our needs at this time, nothing wrong with stick and tin.

• Parents had the laminate sides. After it was 3 years old, it had bubbling from the laminate lifting.

• How would an azdel unit stack up against these?

• Personally I like the way a stick and tin looks better

• I was one of those people that believed fiberglass was superior than "Stick and Tin" (or as my partner called it "Staples, sticks and structural paint".) We do own a large motorhome with fiberglass. Thanks for educating me on the differences.

• Maybe it’s cuz I lived in a trailer park growing up but I like the look of stick and tin.

• 🥤🥤🥤❤️

• I own a stick and tin. I think a good quality fiberglass is better. BUT there are makers who are making SUPER crappy fiberglass units, as cheap as possible. People think the fiberglass is automatically better, so they pay more for an inferior product.

• Somehow I thought the fiberglass would be less likely to leak/water damage?

• Cheap fiberglass siding delaminates from glue separation. Go out west where i've noticed what the hot dry heat does. Not always water from behind. But, notice very expensive rv/motor homes don't have that problem

• Review a 23qbck

• what a great informative presentation, but it's up to my wife! lol

• Just did a major repair on my stick and tin unit. Far simplified repair.

• This was super informative thank you for the video

• Any weight difference between the two exteriors?

• I would love to see you do a video on different maintenance free life time RV roof options.

• What many people don't know is that with BATT insulation there are going to be many voids. Fiberglass doesn't always creep into every gap. Also, batts are cut to a specific size so if the FRAMING of the studs isn't perfect the insulation won't pit properly. I would always choose a one piece foam filled wall over batts any day.

• If you like keeping your RV clean, you'll appreciate the smooth sides.

• Stick and tin looks better if you ask me! Love the look of my Cherokee 274wk stick and tin trailer. The fiberglass may weigh less but just looks cheap to me. Old school I guess 🤷‍♂️

• God help you if you own a FG over luan camper. Th e luan core is he cheapest of cheap. If you get any water on the luan any where it will disintegrate. The FG will de laminate from the luan which in turn is de laminating between layers inside. The glue holding the layers of the luan is not waterproof. Once this starts the process is both irreparable and unstoppable. The camper will come apart and there is nothing you can do about it. I had this experience first hand and would not buy a FG over luan camper at any price .

• People seem to gravitate towards brands and construction types. I have recently traded a Toyota that drove me crazy with repairs for a Ram and have had zero issues. I own a stick and tin model from 2006 and recently had to repair it at a cost of $4k but I love that thing and wouldn't trade it today for 90% of the trailers out there because I know its got great bones.

• It should be mentioned that fiberglass units do not have the life of a tin side. De-lamination is a huge issue that Fiberglass owners find out about the time their warranty wears out.

• How about a hail storm?

• I want an all aluminum frame with aluminum siding! I'd rather build out a schoolie… Unless you have a barn trailers are cheaply made and will fall apart, $45k wasted!!! Terrible investment…

• I like the frameless windows you get in a fiberglass,much cleaner look and doesn't look like something from the 1970s.

• I will never own another tin rv. All they are is hail magnets, had 3 totaled by hail.

• This comparison is pointless. That's because they're just two versions of the same animal. Some slab-sided framed wall crimped or stapled to another flat wall or roof along a jiggly seam, which needs 10 pounds of re-caulking compound twice a year.
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  For a commercial product, you want to have a mold-cast, dry-layup, vacuum-infusion structural foam-core fiberglass cabin shell, surrounded by gelcoat. One-piece construction all around like a yacht hull, totally waterproof and stiff, where the primary structural strength comes from the light multi-layer fiberglass cloth layers fused both sides to a dense foam core. No seams, no frame, no caulking, no rubber roof, no sloppy flexing, no ultra-thin cheap laminates or EPS coffee-cup foam; no reflective plastic bubbles on the inside as a poor substitute for insulation.
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  For a self-made trailer, a similar structural foam sandwich concept but using plywood and fiberglass over the foam works better. That's because you need good plywood (such as quarter-inch marine fir) and a light frame to give the foam and fiberglass materials form and strength during construction, because a mold is way too expensive for a one-off. But it will still be totally sealed, stable and structurally stiff after those 2 layers of 10-ounce and 1 layer of 4-ounce wet-layup s-glass go on, wrapped around all rounded corners and rounded edges.

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  (You could set up bunch of disposable stringers to screw the foam onto, glass the outside, then strip the stringers and glass the inside. But why throw away your forming instead of keeping it integrated as a permanent source of strength?)

• The biggest question I have is how well each one handles aging issues like mildew staining and discolorization. I see some of the laminates offer a painting option. What about this Azdel improved laminate I hear of? I’m always curious about the wall R value too. Thanks.

• I would like to see a comparison of something like your fiberglass model in this video and an Apex Ultra Light assembled with the Azdel composite that doesn't use the wood backing.

  Is the Azdel composite build really worth the added cost, will it be a better buy over the long term? Or… Is it a sales gimmick? Is Azdel really more insulated and will you have better results with your heat and AC on an Azdel build?

  There isn't a lot of Azdel choices in the lower price range that I'm aware of, but the Apex Nano and Apex Ultra Lite are one option that do stand out to me as being potentially the best buy for a value shopper being that if the hype is true… It will Outlast both of these that you show and have less age related issues as your trailer gets older.

• Omg I bought my camper there lol. Kudos to jason. Really good guy

• You forgot one thing to mention. Rigidity in an aluminum frame is must stronger and more durable than a stick and tin rig. I didn’t buy a wood framed rig because they generally have more sway and tend to separate at the joints more often. Meaning my rig will last a lot longer than a stick and tin rig.

• Thank you for your content and real world unbiased information.

• Good advice except one part. You can’t find all floor plans in both styles. The higher end units , higher end 5th wheels in particular, will only come in fiberglass. The lower end units will come in both.

• biggest problem with stick and tin is sealing around the windows and corners.

• My concern with Stick/Tin vs Aluminum frame, is the frame. There is no way i can see a stick frame not becoming loose while bouncing down the hwy.

• It would’ve been nice to mention, all things considered, the fiberglass unit can weigh over 1000 pounds less than stick and tin

• You are incorrect in the repairing of the fiberglass reinforced panels… You can repair them to point where it is factory… The trick is using boat repair techniques, not auto body techniques. Using automotive bondo to repair a panel will fail… You need to use epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth and chop strand with marine grade fairing. How do I know? Bought one with a repair made using automotive repairs… And I saw a small failure… However, once I got into it it the actual repair looked like a car drove through it… Without tapering the joints and reinforcing the edges, it cracks along that edge and bondo will suck water in. Used boat techniques and it hasn't failed or cracked on the seams.. You have to use a 12 to 1 ratio on the taper. And penetrating resin to seal the plywood before laying up the fiberglass… Been 10 years now… Still looks factory…
  If you are talking about aluminum skinned plywood then you can't unless you replace the whole side panel… I would stay away from aluminum skinned… Just like the ribbed type… Once you damage it it is painful to repair…

• I think rv sales would go back up if they went back to mono body fiberglass rvs. There just better, they don’t leak, have molding issues

• One thing that was not mentioned is the weight factor. The aluminum rig is going to be lighter. That was the key decision in my purchase.

• Our RV body guy does amazing fiberglass work, and can make any damaged unit look factory again.

• Had both types…..hardwall is way easier to wash and keep clean. Tin wall may be more budget friendly, but if you try to hose, or pressure wash (even at a mild pressure) from below, you can get water in behind the siding…..

• I am a DIYer and that is a large reason, along with price I went with a stick and tin trailer. It's good to know that I could repair/rebuild if need be.

• Hi I do enjoy watching your videos and thank you for your time you’re putting in to them.
  I agree with what you said here, I was just wondering if you noticed the weight difference in between fiberglass and tin, I noticed that the fiberglass is heavier than tin.

• Which one would be better if you live in an area where temperatures rise between 110-115? My husband thinks the fiberglass keeps you cooler in the summer.

• The two happiest days of an RV years life. The day you bring it home and the day you watch it leave after you sold. They’re all built like junk nowadays.

• I'm that guy…. "You know if you buy an Airstream"….😄
  (In the meantime I'm still saving up for that truck. Toyota 2021. Grrrr. Want to make memories.)
  Excellent video.

• Did he discuss weight differences? Or did I miss it? Kind of s big deal.

• Thanks for the videos man
  I appreciate all the intel you gather and share
  I recently just bought a brand new truck and trailer and yes it was a little scary to deliberately put myself in debt
  But we love nature and the outdoors and were just held back with three dogs but with the new toy hauler we can go anywhere and we can't wait to start exploring

• The type of wall system has NOTHING to do with the underbelly (enclosed). Also, I've seen so many trailers with de-lamination. Yeah, fiberglass looks great, but what a pain to repair and it will fail eventually.

  And what does the wall system have to do with options and accessories??? He said that if you have fiberglass, it will be more expensive and have more options. YEAH! It's more expensive because of the options. What in the world is the point of the video????

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