Re: Aluminum vs wood
We just worked on a Kodiak. I will never sell them! The one we worked on was a piece of junk. Fiberglass delamination, trim coming off, cabinet drawers broken, lights not working......but what we had to work on was the water lines. They had used CVPC pipe and the owner had just come from Arizona. He had not winterized it and all the pipe had split. If they had used pex, it probably would not have had to be replaced. The water heater and pump were OK, so it had not frozen solid. I have never seen CVPC in a camper before, but that one had it. In my opinion, not flexible enough.
To answer your question, we probably sell more wood framed trailers in a year than aluminum. Big factor is the cost, but Sunset Creek by Sunnybrook is aluminum framed at a wood framed price. At the end of this year I may have a different answer for you.
If you stay on top of maintenance, a wood framed trailer will last you many years. If you let the caulking break down and a leak starts, then you have troubles. I advise customers to walk the roof twice a year and check your sealed areas. I don't care if it wood or aluminum.