Which is Better - Aluminum or Steel Horse Trailers?

Are you in the market for a new horse trailer? If so,Bison to switch to aluminum. The aluminum trend also
would you know a quality horse trailer from ancaught on with later manufacturing companies, such
inferior one? Would you know what materials areas Exiss and Eby, who wanted to reap the benefits
preferable for strength, durability, and safety? Whichof the industry.
would you choose...aluminum or steel?Aluminum Isn't So Perfect, After All!
In today's market, consumers have become curiousThe quality of all-aluminum trailers is going to vary
about the products they buy. With so muchfrom manufacturer to manufacturer. This is to be
information readily available via the Internet, books,expected, since not all manufacturers construct their
publications, and so forth, people are more likely tohorse trailers in the exact same manner. But the
research an item (especially a more expensive item,biggest problem with all-aluminum trailers has to do
such as a horse trailer) prior to purchasing it.with the aluminum, itself!
Through research, horse owners can become moreOne pound of steel is three times as strong as one
knowledgeable about the products they wish to buy.pound of aluminum. In other words, it takes more
They can learn about advancements and newaluminum to equal the strength of steel. When
technologies used in creating today's horse trailers.aluminum is used in the frame, this fact has to be
And, before investing in a new trailer, the individualtaken into consideration. Manufacturers have to
may be better informed on how manufacturers canincrease the amount of aluminum used in the floor
use today's new materials to build better horseand frame to make these as strong as a floor and
trailers.frame made of steel. Because of this, some of your
Should You Choose Today's Steel Over Aluminum?better aluminum trailers, such as 4 Star, will often
Once upon a time, steel rusted! Rusted steel becameweigh as much as a steel-built trailer. Sometimes, the
weak and fragile. Aluminum didn't rust. Therefore,aluminum trailer will even be heavier than one made
aluminum was predominantly the material chosen forof steel.
use in building horse trailers.Often, the interior dividers in aluminum horse trailers
Over the years, however, consumers have becomeare not "beefed up," making the dividers about 1/3
aware of the inherent problems found in trailersthe strength of a steel divider that is equal in size. As
made of all aluminum. Some of the problems thata result, the weaker aluminum divider is doomed to
have occurred with aluminum trailers include brokenfail more quickly. Unfortunately, when aluminum fails,
welds, corroded floors, and the shearing/tearingit shears and tears and becomes a danger to horses.
problems that can happen in minor accidents,The torn edges can potentially result in minor to
especially on the lesser quality trailers. With problemsmajor lacerations from a relatively minor mishap.
such as these added to the high cost of aluminumNot only is aluminum somewhat weak in nature, it is
today, it's needless to say that the aluminum traileralso difficult to repair. Unlike steel, aluminum does not
industry is suffering a bit.weld easily, and original welds can never be re-welded
Some manufacturers continue to build their horseto their original strength. Add to these issues the fact
trailers with all-aluminum frames, roofs, walls, andthat aluminum is a good conductor of heat. This is a
interior dividers. Among those manufacturers aregreat fact, if you're making aluminum cookware!
Sooner, Featherlite, Four Star, and Exxiss. OtherHowever, this is not so great when it comes to
manufacturers, such as Trail-et, Hawk, EquiSpirit, andkeeping your horses cool on a hot day!
Bee, however, use mostly steel and/or a combinationHaving realized throughout the years the inherent
of both steel and aluminum.problems with all-aluminum trailers, the major
Why do some manufacturers stick with all aluminum,"all-aluminum" manufacturers, such as Featherlite,
when others have moved on to newer and betterSooner, Sundowner, Exiss, and Eby, have vastly
materials? Perhaps the answer lies in the history andimproved their manufacturing processes, and thus,
development of the trailer industry, itself...rather thantheir trailers. Consumers have also become aware of
in the quality and benefits of one material overthe problems associated with all-aluminum trailers.
another.Owners of aluminum trailers have experienced these
From Steel to Aluminumproblems first-hand. They've seen aluminum floors
Several decades ago, horse trailers were made ofdeteriorate from lack of cleaning. They have seen
steel that would rust. Because the steel would rust,broken welds and tears in the aluminum. They have
the trailers would quickly deteriorate and becomefought to keep their horses comfortable when the
unsightly and unsafe for hauling horses.temperatures outside were soaring!
By the late seventies and early eighties, severalWill Consumer Demands Lead to Safer Horse
horse trailer manufacturers, such as Sooner,Trailers?
Featherlite, and Four Star, began building horse trailersSafety has become a major goal in the automobile
made from aluminum to replace the old,industry. Consumer demands and government
rust-deteriorating steel trailers. After all, everyoneregulations have resulted in higher safety features in
knew that aluminum didn't rust! Soon, horse ownerstoday's cars and trucks. As a result, the steel
were convinced that the new, all-aluminum trailersindustry was greatly influenced, and necessity
were the way to go.required that something be done about the rust
In years to come, it would become apparent thatproblem. This led to the development of galvaneeled
using all aluminum in horse trailers had some negativesteel, galvanized steel, and powder coated
consequences. But, back in the late seventies andsteel...materials which are tough, easy to use and
early eighties, those consequences had not yetrepair, and relatively inexpensive.
become known. The high cost of aluminum seemedMany consumers who are horse owners are
to be the only negative aspect to building all-aluminumbeginning to realize that, if their tow vehicles are
trailers. However, consumers were willing to pay therequired to meet certain safety regulations, then their
extra cost to avoid buying a trailer that couldhorse trailers should also be required to meet certain
potentially deteriorate from rust.safety regulations for the protection of their horses.
Eventually, the "all-aluminum" trailers hit the marketUnfortunately, in spite of the development of newer
full-force and became THE trailers to own...in spite ofsteel materials, which can provide safer horse trailers,
the higher cost! Besides, if something cost more, italuminum trailers are still being built. One reason may
must be a superior product. Right?be that companies such as Featherlite, Sooner, Exiss,
Sooner, Featherlite, and Four Star horse trailers wereand Four Star, have become so large that they
consequently perceived as being top of the line.would suffer economic hardship, if they switched at
Consumers failed to realize that the higher trailerthis point in time. Another reason may be that many
prices charged by these manufacturers were merelycustomers continue to believe that all-aluminum horse
the result of the higher cost of aluminum versustrailers are better. So, there continues to be a
steel. This consumer perception led othermarket for all-aluminum trailers; and, as long as there
manufacturers, such as Sundowner, Cherokee, andis a market for them, manufacturers will build them.