Model Railroading > Trailer siding

Can anyone shed light on the siding used for trailer homes, travel trailers, campers and so on? Did this traffic move by rail, and in what form and what sort of cars. Does it arrive painted and ready to go?

Not sure what you are referring to? Are you talking about new trailer homes and campers delivered to a team track dock. A camper trailer on a flatcar used by traveling MOW gangs. Or what the Alaska RR was doing between Portage and Whitter hauling campers and RV's through the railroad tunnels between those two points before the multi-use road was laid in the tunnel?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

I’m going to guess that you’re asking about the metal sheeting on the side of a trailer or motor home. If you don’t like guessing, stop reading. I looked for a while. I got sidetracked. I got a midnight snack. I found various replacement pieces as large as 48 x 96 for cargo and semi trailers.

Motor home outer walls are corrugated for strengthening. This made me think of aluminum rain gutters for a house. I found on the web that you can get an aluminum 900’ long 5” wide roll that weighs 350 lbs for a thousand. A motor home manufacturer would just have to order a coiled roll of aluminum which they or a contractor could shape, punch, or stamp, cut, drill, and surface prep manageable sized sheets for the assembly line.

Coiled aluminum travels by rail in a “coiled steel” car. If the industry doesn’t have a spur, it’s transferred to a flatbed trailer.

⅂ɐɹɹʎ

I wasn't too clear. There are several companies in our area which manufacture travel trailers, double-wides, and motor homes. I'm interested in the external sheathing they use. Shipped flat or in coils? By truck or rail?