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Elite Veteran
Posts: 781
  
Location: La Cygne, KS | I'm helping a friend look for her first LQ trailer. Can someone help me determine what years of Sundowner had the issues with the aluminum skin over the steel frame. Was that on the value-lite or sun-lite? I'm confused with the lite trailers! |
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Veteran
Posts: 119
Location: 99320 | I don't know about problem years, but I'm interested in knowing how to tell which Sundowner trailers are all aluminum and which are aluminum over steel frame. Thanks. |
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Veteran
Posts: 127
Location: rapid city sd | The way to know for sure-------------in the last 6 of the vin it needs to start with LA or AA all others are steel frame |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350 | The steel framed/alum.skin trailers were called Valuelites from late 97 until sometime in 2003, when all of Sundowner horse trailer models were named Sunlite with a model number following the word SUNLITE. ALL steel framed trailers went out of Sundowners lineup in Dec. of 2007. All Sundowner models have been aluminum framed since Jan. 2008. The Sunlite models that were steel framed were 707, 727, 728, 737, 777, 777SR, Stampede's, 747, or 767. In other words, any model number that ends in a "7" was a steel framed trailer from 2003 thru 2007. I might ad that, the main source of problems resulted in trailers in the midwest and northeast; in which trailers used in winter months with salt and chloride used on roads in this part of the country resulted in accelerated deterioration of the steel frames. However, the majority of these trailers haven't been affected, and are still giving excellent service for their owners. In the earlier post; the VIN number is a very simple way to tell; ALUMINUM is LA or AA followed by four numbers (last six of the VIN); and the STEEL framed models will be VA, VB, VC, VE, or HA and ZA in the case of steel framed living quarters. Hope this clears up the confusion. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 720
| Originally written by jim bob on 2010-03-10 10:15 AM I might ad that, the main source of problems resulted in trailers in the midwest and northeast; in which trailers used in winter months with salt and chloride used on roads in this part of the country resulted in accelerated deterioration of the steel frames. However, the majority of these trailers haven't been affected, and are still giving excellent service for their owners. Please be aware that this is an opinion from Jim Bob. Trailer repair shops located in other parts of the country that do not have salt are reporting the same types of issues. You should look carefully at each and every unit you are considering. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 781
Location: La Cygne, KS | Thank you for the replies. This helps clear up the naming conventions used by Sundowner. |
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Veteran
Posts: 119
Location: 99320 | Have there been any problems with the newer Sundowner's (aluminum frame/aluminum skin ones)? |
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Member
Posts: 16
Location: Chuluota, FL | If I understand correctly, a 1997 Sundowner Sunlite Aztec would be steel frame, aluminum skin? Kim |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 610
Location: Northern CA | Kim, do you have the Vin# ? |
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Veteran
Posts: 147
Location: Cornfield in Iowa | Thank you!!
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Veteran
Posts: 108
Location: Lawrence KS | Take a magnet with you when you go to look at it. A magent will stick to steel and not aluminum. You can check the structure under the trailer and under the nose to see what metal is used where. |
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Sundowner Lite Trailers
