Enclosed cargo trailers... steel vs aluminum?

[jdom84]

I have been looking at purchasing an enclosed car hauler/cargo trailers and have several options, but was wondering if its worth the extra for an all aluminum instead of steel/alum? Do they hold up better or worse? I have only ever owned steel trailers which the paint falls off and they get rusty but because there isn't much moisture here the rust doesn't destroy them for many many years. We are moving 1000 miles away to build a new shop/home and will be using the trailer to haul all our stuff and then tool storage and materials hauler when we are building. I usually go for the best bang for the buck type deals but because we are moving from a frozen desert to wetter and rainier place, I am thinking I might want the all aluminum? I looked at a used 24' steel/alum trailer and the undercarriage was completely rusted out, not sure where it came from though...

here are a few of the trailers I have in my area and in my budget, but every dollar we save on the trailer is another we can spend on the house. These are all new trailers because I cannot find anything used worth purchasing in my area.

8.5x20 10k steel/alum v-nose
price: $8700
weight: #3200
capacity: #6700
15" 10ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof

8.5x24 10k steel/alum v-nose
price: $9200
weight: #3740
capacity: #6160
15" 10ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof

8.5x24 12k steel/alum v-nose
price: $10k
weight: #4000? not listed and it was custom ordered so I couldn't find actual numbers
capacity: #8000?
16" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor

8.5x20 7k all aluminum v-nose
price: $9400
weight: #2280
capacity: #4780
15" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof
screw-less bonded sides

8.5x20 10k all aluminum v-nose
price: $11300
weight: #2840
capacity: #7150
15" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof
screw-less bonded sides


Thoughts or experiences?

 

[Redlands Okie]

Steel bound to last a shorter time. Guess it depends on the prices and your budget. I will say this though. Unless your pulling the trailor a lot and you need the aerodynamics the V nose is sure a lot of wasted space inside.

 

[fried1765]

I have been looking at purchasing an enclosed car hauler/cargo trailers and have several options, but was wondering if its worth the extra for an all aluminum instead of steel/alum? Do they hold up better or worse? I have only ever owned steel trailers which the paint falls off and they get rusty but because there isn't much moisture here the rust doesn't destroy them for many many years. We are moving 1000 miles away to build a new shop/home and will be using the trailer to haul all our stuff and then tool storage and materials hauler when we are building. I usually go for the best bang for the buck type deals but because we are moving from a frozen desert to wetter and rainier place, I am thinking I might want the all aluminum? I looked at a used 24' steel/alum trailer and the undercarriage was completely rusted out, not sure where it came from though...

here are a few of the trailers I have in my area and in my budget, but every dollar we save on the trailer is another we can spend on the house. These are all new trailers because I cannot find anything used worth purchasing in my area.

8.5x20 10k steel/alum v-nose
price: $8700
weight: #3200
capacity: #6700
15" 10ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof

8.5x24 10k steel/alum v-nose
price: $9200
weight: #3740
capacity: #6160
15" 10ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof

8.5x24 12k steel/alum v-nose
price: $10k
weight: #4000? not listed and it was custom ordered so I couldn't find actual numbers
capacity: #8000?
16" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor

8.5x20 7k all aluminum v-nose
price: $9400
weight: #2280
capacity: #4780
15" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof
screw-less bonded sides

8.5x20 10k all aluminum v-nose
price: $11300
weight: #2840
capacity: #7150
15" 10 ply tires
16" centers wall/roof/floor
1 piece alum roof
screw-less bonded sides


Thoughts or experiences?

Wow!
I am shocked at those prices!
I have an 8.5 x16 capacity 5000# Haulmark that I bought in 2013.
New then, it was $4200.

I think the issue for you is how long you plan to keep the trailer.
From your use description, it would seem like you might not keep it for more than 4 or 5 years.
That said; I would buy the least expensive (steel) trailer, and sell it when you no longer need it.

My steel trailer lives near the salt water, but it is most often stored safely inside a steel building.

 

[jdom84]

Steel bound to last a shorter time. Guess it depends on the prices and your budget. I will say this though. Unless your pulling the trailor a lot and you need the aerodynamics the V nose is sure a lot of wasted space inside.

the flat nose and bubble nose trailers are actually more expensive around here... and we have at-least 3000 miles to put on it just moving all our crap we plan to keep...

Wow!
I am shocked at those prices!
I have an 8.5 x16 capacity 5000# Haulmark that I bought in 2013.
New then, it was $4200.

I think the issue for you is how long you plan to keep the trailer.
From your use description, it would seem like you might not keep it for more than 4 or 5 years.
That said; I would buy the least expensive (steel) trailer, and sell it when you no longer need it.

My steel trailer lives near the salt water, but it is most often stored safely inside a steel building.

8.5x16 7k steel/alum is $6500... not sure why but trailers are expensive up here in the frozen north! If trailers come up for sale as used they usually need work/tires and go for slightly less than new prices. last week saw a 1998 8x18 7k for $5k. I dont think it was $5k new... I usually buy something with the thought to keep it long term but resale is always in the back of my mind if there was an emergency and I needed the cash. I have also checked many dealers on the moving route and in several different states for prices.. cant seem to find anything better, also no sales tax here.

So, keep long term = aluminum. Short term = steel. No concerns with aluminum frame trailers eventually cracking and falling apart with heavy use?

I assume resale on aluminum trailers is higher also? like the boats and RV's? those things don't seem to depreciate much...

 

[fried1765]

the flat nose and bubble nose trailers are actually more expensive around here... and we have at-least 3000 miles to put on it just moving all our crap we plan to keep...




8.5x16 7k steel/alum is $6500... not sure why but trailers are expensive up here in the frozen north! If trailers come up for sale as used they usually need work/tires and go for slightly less than new prices. last week saw a 1998 8x18 7k for $5k. I dont think it was $5k new... I usually buy something with the thought to keep it long term but resale is always in the back of my mind if there was an emergency and I needed the cash. I have also checked many dealers on the moving route and in several different states for prices.. cant seem to find anything better, also no sales tax here.

So, keep long term = aluminum. Short term = steel. No concerns with aluminum frame trailers eventually cracking and falling apart with heavy use?

I assume resale on aluminum trailers is higher also? like the boats and RV's? those things don't seem to depreciate much...

I think the reason that trailers are so expensive up there is that most are built far away.
Seems like some around the Elkhart IN. area, but most all across the South.

 

[bullbreaker]

Besides pro's and cons of materials mentioned you should be looking at torsion axles vs leaf springs . I have both and like torsion axle system better for larger cargo's and horse trailers .

 

[Redlands Okie]

Torsions axels can give a smoother ride for sure. But need to stay on relative smooth roads. They have less ability to move up and down enough to support a load when going over something like a curb.

 

[Fallon]

Torsions axels can give a smoother ride for sure. But need to stay on relative smooth roads. They have less ability to move up and down enough to support a load when going over something like a curb.

It's more an issue of being able to equalize. Leaf springs are connected & will transfer load between them when 1 hits a speed bump. A torsion axle will end up taking the weight that's suppose to spread across 2 axles. I prefer torsion for single axle trailers though.

 

[fried1765]

Besides pro's and cons of materials mentioned you should be looking at torsion axles vs leaf springs . I have both and like torsion axle system better for larger cargo's and horse trailers .

Yup!
Torsion!

 

[zing]

I think the reason that trailers are so expensive up there is that most are built far away.
Seems like some around the Elkhart IN. area, but most all across the South.

Part of the increased price of late is the tariffs on steel and aluminum. I'm not making a political comment on right or wrong/good or bad, just a statement of reality. If you were watching trailer prices over the last year and a half, they jumped by 100-200 dollars at a time, multiple times as the manufacturers tried to settle on the new cost of materials. Across the board there will be a few hundred dollars added to the cost of every aluminum trailer to cover the increased cost of the aluminum.