Ed, the local dealer has a couple 25 footers he was trying sell. Says it's only $1000 more than the 20'. We want a 20' for easier maneuverability off road. That and 25' has the same 7k axles.
You could just about overload the 25' but it sure would be nice to have the extra room.
A few questions;
Who made the trailers they are trying to sell you?
How much off-road do you have to deal with? Here, it's pretty smooth and a negligible amount of "rough" terrain.
Second, how critical is the weight difference between the aluminum and steel?
The torquing and twisting of an aluminum trailer, causing failure, is a real problem.
How about a steel trailer and Rhino-Line (Line-X, etc) the lower part of the inside and the wheel wells. (This is what we did to our horse trailers in Anchorage where snow, ice, salt, etc. were a big problem)
In 2002, in Anchorage, our second WW trailer was purchased for a song because the floor needed replacing and the wheel wells were rotting. I replaced the floor boards with treated lumber, had the inside Rhino-lined, and replaced the steel wheel well liners with aluminum and Rhino-lined them. That trailer is still going strong, now in Alabama.
The price difference between aluminum and steel would pay for the extra treatment.
Ed
