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Trailer Design Considerations: Things To Consider When Designing Your Trailer

Trailer Design Considerations

Enclosed cargo trailers are build worlds apart in quality yet all look very similar.

The standard siding and roof aluminum skin used in the industry is .025-.035".
This aluminum is designed to be an enclosure and weight constrictive. (supposedly the best for lightest trailer)

Unfortunately, this also makes it prone to damage including bad weather and is easily defeated as a deterrent for access (break in's). You can gain entry in a 0.030" aluminum skin trailer with a pocket knife.

Higher quality trailers will sacrifice weight for a .040" aluminum that gives structure is more secure (requires tools to break in) and resists damage and weather much better.

Skin attachment is usually done with rivets and screws in the lighter aluminum. Panels are laid over each other like fish scales and seams are caulked to try and make them weatherproof. Heavier aluminum like the 0.040" use 3M seam/panel sealer. This is the same process used on most newer cars to hold on body panels. You will still have the fish scaling overlay. No screws or rivets needed. This makes for a clean exterior than won't have screws or rivets coming out.

Most manufacturers make trailers on 16" centers for floors, some do walls and a few do the same on the roof bows. Some use square/rectangular tubing for all structures, others use angle and pressed steel panel supports. Tubing is the preferred metal. Pressed panel structure is also prevalent because it can be made from very thin sheeting reducing weight but hurting structural integrity.

Interior paneling is also a place where manufacturers cut costs. but can also hurt structural integrity. 3/4" ply floor is pretty standard.
Some bottom end trailers will not even have interior walls or made from very thin veneer.

Lower quality trailers with sub-quality frames and week interior paneling are usually pretty easy to spot on the road as you can watch the rear door (doors) sway in the door opening as the trailer travels down the road. The thin veneer also does very little to protect the trailer from objects falling in the trailer that can easily break through the exterior.

If you notice I am not naming brand "X or Y". Most manufacturers' are also making different quality levels of trailers. These mean high-end trailers are built well but entry-level trailers are poor in comparison. This makes it very difficult to buy a used trailer as you might think "Brand X" makes a good trailer and you end up buying an entry-level trailer with "Brand X" on it.

Suspension is almost always springs with higher-end manufacturers having torsion axles. LED lighting is pretty standard these days. Radial tires should also be a quick way to see if the manufacturer is cutting corners. Bias tires are usually another cost-cutting measure.

Long story short, you get what you pay for.

There has been a long history of manufacturers trying to cut corners and getting caught in economic decision issues. 
Many of these lead to them going out of business. Unfortunately many great trailer manufacturers' have also gone out of business from the poor economy and the recent history of material sky-rocketing slowing sales even more.

In fact over 60% of trailer manufacturers have gone out of business in the last 6 years... most because they couldn't weather out the poor sales due to rising material costs.

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