What is Galvaneal?

For all new 2010 Double D Trailers, everything changed from Galvaneal to the new Z-Frame technology. Click to Learn more.

From 2000 until 2010, Double D Trailers used high quality, electro-galvanized steel, which is far superior to aluminum in overall structural integrity. Galvaneal® is simply galvanized steel made for painting.

All metals have stress limits called yield strength and ultimate strength. When metal is stressed at a level below the yield strength, it returns to its normal shape after the stress is released. If the metal is stressed above its yield strength but below its ultimate strength, it will deform or bend but not break. When stresses are applied that exceed a metal’s ultimate strength, the metal will break.

When metals are repeatedly stressed or flexed, even at levels well below their yield limits, they often fail. This is known as fatigue failure. Steel, a ferrous metal, possesses another stress limit known as fatigue strength. When the stresses from repeated flexing are kept below fatigue strength, steel will not fail regardless of the number of times it’s flexed. Aluminum, a non-ferrous metal, does not have fatigue strength; therefore, when aluminum is repeatedly flexed and stressed, even at very low limits, it eventually breaks. This is one reason why aluminum trailers are reinforced with steel in critical areas such as axle hangers, rear corners where gates hang, and hitch attachment points!

Engineered properly, steel horse trailers are much stronger and resilient to the flex and stress of the road. However, even with the most advanced paint systems, steel trailers will rust from the inside of the tubes. In areas where you can't see, due to water condensation from temperature change, rust begins to occur on the inside of the frame. For this reason, all 2010 Double D Trailers and higher year models are now built with Z-Frame technology.

Independence Sale!
Click for Details