RV Sidings: Aluminium vs. Fiberglass
Modern RVs have a lot of important components that have become crucial to its functioning. One of them is the siding of an RV, a siding is meant to protect the RV from certain weather conditions, let’s say it keeps it at a more neutral temperature, as well as from certain elements.
It’s important to mention that older Recreational Vehicles didn’t have many options to choose from except the default steel frame that was attached to them. Steel even though it’s very resistant it’s not always the best option because it makes the RV really heavy and ideally you want to make the RV as light as possible. Steel is also a bad choice considering you are traveling to places with a lot of weather exposure, like heat and cold and all those outdoor conditions damage the steel and make it rusty which will not only look ugly but it will deteriorate and be useless after some years. Currently, the most popular materials are either aluminum and fiberglass and we will go through some differences and compare them.
Price
If your budget is not that big or are just new to the RV world, aluminum might be the best option for you since it’s more affordable. The difference can be so big even as +$1000 of dollars compared to fiberglass. Although fiberglass is much lighter than aluminum and it gives the RV a more aerodynamic feeling to make it mover smoother. So, it has a positive impact on your mileage cost.
Malleability
When it comes to managing the materials, aluminum is easier to handle in case it gets damaged. You would only have to change a small area of aluminum instead of the whole part if it was fiberglass because of how it’s built.
Cleanliness
Since aluminum is part metal it attracts more dirt to its surface and it can give an ugly impression due to its matte finish, while fiberglass has a shinier surface and it’s easier to maintain a cleaner look.
Temperature
When you are traveling to cold places it’s important to have a lot of layers not just in your clothes but as well in your RV. Most RVs with aluminum sidings have several layers of aluminum so they work really well when it comes to keeping a warm temperature inside. So, travelers don’t have to worry about being too cold.
Value
Sadly, most aluminum models tend to drop in value if you are thinking of reselling them in the future, while on the other hand fiberglass siding RVs tend to keep almost their same value so it’s something to have into consideration if you are looking for an upgrade in the coming years.
After going through all these differences it can be said that fiberglass is considered a better material but that is if you have enough money to invest in it, although most users have said they are happy with their choices because it’s easier to maintain and looks nicer.
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