Hey Gard,

I know you generally favor aluminum trailers over steel but how does an aluminum trailer hold up in an accident vs steel.  Typical accidents can range from fender benders to rear end collisions to rollovers.  Please share you thoughts or experiences on each type of accident.  I am sure there may be instances where aluminum trailers have held up ok in accidents, but as a general rule, would you say that steel trailers hold up better in accidents?

I recently saw an accident (angled side collision) where the automobile suffered total damage while the steel trailer suffered dents and scratches in the sheet metal but no damage to the frame. 

Disclosure:  Double D Trailers manufacturers both all aluminum and all galvanized steel trailers

Bartley Heath
bartley@DoubleDTrailers.com
Buy Factory Direct at DoubleDTrailers.com

That's quite a question Bartley. Unfortunately without the resources and expertise of organizations such as NHTSA, any answers I would provide would be without veracity. I am not an engineer, I have no access to each accident's  particulars, and it would take a very large amount of research by many people to provide an accurate assessment.

In addition, your question is vague. What kind of accident? A roll over, head on, side, back etc? Better than what? Crushing, occupant protection, salvageability ? Again there are a multitude of variables in an accident, including static and kinetic energy absorption and distribution. I would say that there are too many variables to predict that one material is better than another. And unless you can state the factual results of studies, it would be improper to make any assumptions.

I have owned three steel trailers and now two aluminum. All three steel trailers rusted and looked badly while aging in our PA environment. With the additional maintenance, I had to rebuild each one to maintain its integrity and appearance. In exactly the same environmental circumstances, our two aluminum trailers have received a minimal amount of maintenance, and look like new with only a washing. There is no need for repairing rusted panels, repainting, replacing rusted fasteners and hinges or enduring a lower value as they deteriorate.

With our two aluminum trailers, the only non routine maintenance has been the one time corrosion control of the inside flooring and installation of a floor coating. This action has eliminated any surface flooring corrosion, and the necessity of constantly  removing the mats for inspection and cleaning. Our trailers are now 8 and 9 years old, both bought used;  upon our purchase, one previously had a singular acid washed flooring, the other was untreated. Neither was damaged by corrosion.

So yes, under these circumstances, I much prefer aluminum construction over steel. While doing so, I have also often been a proponent of steel trailer ownership in other parts of the country, where my environmental issues are not present.

What I strongly object to is the derogatory misinformation constantly being presented about aluminum construction. We are being constantly confronted by misleading and out right mistruths of this material.

While I am not an engineer, I am a certified and government licensed aircraft mechanic with 34 years in the commercial aircraft field. I started and ran a boat building business for 19 years. This time has given me a working knowledge of aluminum. I have built, repaired and lived with the stuff long enough, to know how impressive a material it is. I have been to crash sites and seen the affects of horrific accidents where everyone perished. I have been to "non-survivable" sites where everyone survived. I have seen the metal in raw new sheets, ready to be manufactured into working parts. I have seen it completely unrecognizable as any component, completely shredded after a crash.

One person complains "Aluminum bends". By omission is he saying that steel doesn't? A skyscraper doesn't sway in a high wind? A bridge doesn't move under its load? A steel trailer doesn't flex as it travels the roads?

Then another states "Aluminum doesn't bend as well as steel". Even after explaining the stresses that aluminum can endure and its many present applications, the author of this statement is still in denial.

"Aluminum welds fail" is another common complaint. As I've previously stated, a proper weld is as strong as or stronger than the base metal. In aluminum welding, the surrounding area will be somewhat weakened. If the welds are breaking, a better welder should be hired. An engineer can determine what additional materials are needed, to maintain enough strength for the product's usage.

"Aluminum is brittle" and roofs explode. Bloomer has an excellent reputation for trailer construction. Exiss is constantly criticised. Yet both use a one piece .040" sheeting for the roofs. As I recently posted, there are many types of aluminum, and not each one is suitable for all applications. This is also true of steel.

"Because aluminum is weaker than steel; it takes three times as much to be as strong." As an engineer, you know that in such cases, the aluminum part dimensions can redesigned to suit its characteristics. In this way, rigidity can be sustained and even improved without increasing the over all weight. Again, I refer to aircraft construction, which involves the greatest strength, flexation, stresses and yet has to be constructed with a minimal amount of weight.

"Aluminum corrodes" "You have to acid wash the aluminum every six months". Yes aluminum corrodes, but because of its inherent naturally occurring oxidation, this is much less of a problem than with steel construction. Again, a 9 year old trailer needed no acid treatments, an 8 year old needed one.

Again, I'm not anti steel. I'm anti hype, anti untruth and will debate misinformation wherein the veracity of many statements are questioned.

Gard

Exiss

Hey Gard,
You make some good points.  Unfortunately, the only testing available are real world accidents.  Not all aluminum or steel trailers are made equal, and that makes a huge difference in strength and durability.  Most aluminum manufacturers do use a .040 or .050 thickness sheetmetal on the roof (and sidewalls).  Needless to say, most aluminum roofs are not constructed to walk on.  In my opinion, the sheet metal strength is a bigger concern, thicker sheet metal can be upgraded but is a costly option.  As far was weight, when all is said and done, there is a small weight savings (10%) between our steel and aluminum trailers.  Most of that weight difference is from the sheet metal.

Gard, I know you aren't anti steel.  I have read many of your posts that debate mis-information and listing advantages and disadvantages of each type of trailer.  I enjoy poking you for fun.  haha.   

Bartley Heath
bartley@DoubleDTrailers.com
Buy Factory Direct at DoubleDTrailers.com

Do some research on steel trailers!  Their is some (1 I know for sure) with 1 piece alum roof).  So your damage could have happened in a (this brand of) steel trailer as well!

How about you make up a dozen or so trailers of the most common materials, and slam them into a stationary object at say 30 MPH? High speed cameras can record all the visual damage, a million dollars of sensors and computers can track the scientific data.

Grab yourself a new sport truck and try the same lessons while "T" boning a few more trailers. After a while, you could get a sense of which material is the most forgiving, and crash worthy.

Just a thought.....   gard

You know where I could find a good driver??  haha

Sure some of them was junk, but fixable.  Some of the 7.3's was junk as well, but fixable. I have a 2001 F-350 that I just bought today with a 109-k miles 1-owner truck, with a head or head gasket problem. (getting fuel into the radiator) 

Same with Dodge/Cummins and Chevy/Duramax. 

What it come down to is most people that makes stabs at them really know absolutely nothing about them, much less now anything about how to fixing them without being shafted by the dealerships.

What's funny about it is all of the International 4000 SERIES trucks that they used the 6.0 engine in was pretty much trouble FREE!  Yes, it was a MAJOR Ford mistake with a lack of cooling ability.  That is why when a owner installs a egr and egr cooler delete kit the problem is solved.  Until they add power adders, then the next step is to upgrade headbolts (on anything more than 100hp)

Years ago, my horse and I were with a friend with her horse in her 2 horse, bumper pull steel trailer. We were involved in an accident, trailer came to rest on it's side. Full partition (yes, I know the negatives on a FP). My horse was on top, and walked away with a bloody nose. Her horse had to be pulled out, but walked away with cuts/scrapes.  With another bp steel trailer, I forgot to latch the hitch. On a stop, then turn downhill about 15 miles into the trip, the trailer disengaged, emergency brakes did not hold (for whatever reason....this was in the late 60's, and I forget!) The trailer hit a porch, which got the worst of the damage. Trailer had a dent in roof. Horse had a few scrapes, but O.K. Many years ago on this forum, the same question was raised. As I recall, it was mentioned that steel bends, aluminium shreds under severe impact. I am not an engineer, just mentioning past comments. Yes, I am a die hard steel trailer fan, had them since '68. Shed kept, waxed yearly, cleaned out religiously.

Brenda

Were you in an accident?  It would be some distance from her head to a 7' or so ceiling, just wondered how it happened....

Have hauled race horses as well as performance horses for 30 years and have been really lucky, I guess, none have put a dent in the roof or their head!  Have been called into the vet clinic to work on horses that have kicked through trailer back doors, (all steel as it just so happens ) and that really is a bad scenario...

Not to jump ship on the OP topic, but we have a 2006 F350 6.0 and have had a lot of problems with it. Seems like you have some experience with them. :) It's been in the shop over and over again for multiple issues and it barely has 50,000 on it, just mostly used to pull our Exiss SS414 bunkhouse. When we hook the trailer on it seems like it has no power and the check engine light will come on after two or three hours of continous running. Any experience with something like this or should we add something to the truck? Would the EGR cooler delete kit correct this problem?

Have you had the codes pulled when the CEL is on?  Does is do anything other than no power?

The no power issues could be an intercooler boot cracked.  Let me know so more details and I will try and help you.  You can also go to dieselpowermag.com click on tech on the top bar then scroll down to the info on the 6.0's, then further down the page is info on just the erg itself.

My opinion the egr grap is the worst thing the epa ever done period!  The way I make mine run so good with or without doing the egr delete is to install a 4" exaust with no converter, up graded air intake.

Your trailer is no light weight by any means, the SS413 we had in 2001 weight almost 11-k llbs empty and was pulling it with a 2001 F-350 with the 7.3L and it was a load for it.....