Steel vs Aluminum frame for wheel house

I know there are a lot of threads out about wheel houses. But I couldn’t find an answer to this. I’m looking to get a wheel house in the 20 to 24ft range that sleeps 4 to 5. I have been told that houses over 17ft with Aluminum frames won’t hold up due to the wieght and flexing and that I should go with tubed steel. Is this accurate or does the aluminum hold up just fine? I k ow team lodge or firebrand for Aluminum are both excellent. Who makes a quality tubed steel frame house. Thanks

Depends how it’s built. There’s aluminum horse trailers that hold up great and there’s more weight in there than a wheel house. Just a thought to ponder

If you aren’t going 40mph across big bumps and cracks in the ice, an aluminum framed house will be just fine. A reputable manufacturer wouldn’t make an unsafe house. I have an aluminum framed Yetti, but it’s only 12′.

It’s not that you CAN’T use aluminum for a frame of a trailer of any size. You can buy an AL framed semi trailer. As mentioned, horse trailers and heavy equipment trailer frames can/are made of aluminum.

The problem is cost. There is an enormous cost difference between a steel frame and an AL frame. I strongly suspect that the break point is not what can be done, it’s that over 17 feet most buyers aren’t willing to pay the price.

For commercial use the added cost can be justified in terms of added payload and keeping under the legal weight limits. For recreational use it gets hard to justify the huge added cost on a bigger trailer, for most guys at least. If cost is no object then a custom fab job should be no problem.

Grouse

I decided on galvanized steel frame for my fish house, aluminum will crack at some point if flexed enough, they have to be very over built to make up for it. You can do aluminum, just have to make sure the benefits outweigh the cons for you and how you use it. I designed my house to sleep 5 in a 17′ house plus v. It’s all about what you want.

Like OP I’ve been shopping for wheel houses lately and have been pondering the same questions.

Wife likes the Yetti’s (can’t say I blame her). But definitely doing a lot of research on all the options.

Just learned about Legend Ice Houses out of Ellsworth, WI. They too use aluminum and specialize in custom builds/layouts it seems. Haven’t seen one in person yet, but plan to go check them out at least.

Too many options…this would be a lot easier if I didn’t have a wife that wanted a year around RV style and I could just get one with some sofas, holes, and an oven for frozen pizzas.

I have no experience with wheel houses and most likely never will. That said my boss and his kids race snow cross and have a 28″ enclosed trailer they are always steel frame because its cheaper BUT he replaces them about every 4 to 5 years due to the frames rotting out and the lower part of the side skin corroding due to moisture and dissimilar metals. The skins rot out after about 3 years and he ‘re skins the bottom 2″ in stainless steel to get them to go another couple years and then they don’t look like crap when he sells them. New they are around 17k when new and have insulated walls a furnace and a work bench in the front. He says an aluminum one would run about 30k for the same set up but you will wear out axles before anything starts to rot away. They go to about 50 races and practices combined a season. What im getting at is if you plan to have your wheel houses for a long time then get the one that will hold up to the condissions that it will be used in. Those things are not cheap!

I bought a 18 footer that is 15yrs old and gutted it down to the frame and aluminum tube frame walls. I found one cracked wall stud. That I rewelded and I added a electric side mount toungue jack. Then 2” of spray foam all around and 3/4” knotty pine car siding and 12v and 120v wiring. Then 3 bunks weighting in at 3750. But is nice knowing that the frame will never rust or have to paint. Don’t treat it like poop and it will last forever.

I WENT WITH STEEL. BOUGHT THE FRAME 6.5′ X 10′ WITH 3′ V. I REALLY ONLY WANT TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE MAX IN IT. I MODELED IT AFTER THE ICE CASTLE GRANDPA’S HIDEOUT? I KNOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT RUST, BUT I COATED MY FRAME WITH THREE COATS OF HURCULINER (SP) BEDLINER FOR TRUCKS. BEEN 3 YEARS AND NO RUST YET. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CHANGE IS I WOULD HAVE WENT 2′ LONGER. THEY SAY YOU BUILD YOUR FIRST HOUSE TO SELL AND YOUR SECOND ONE TO KEEP.

Steel Rusts, Aluminum doesn’t. Cost is a factor also as aluminum is more expensive.

Aluminum – You can now close thread.

Just keep in mind that aluminum corrodes too, also more prone to stress fractures and cracking.