What is Causing the Spider Webs Around Every Fastener on My Enclosed Landscape Cargo Trailer?  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Hello Philip,

I am sorry to hear that you are getting the webbing around every fastener oh the holding panel, sounds like you take great care of your trailer so that would be very frustrating.

There is a couple of things that could have caused this:

- Fasteners/Screws too tight/too loose: If they were over-tightened, they could have weakened the aluminum. If too loose, the panel may have shaken too much.

- Corrosion from different metals – If steel screws were used on aluminum, they could react and cause the aluminum to weaken and crack. White powdery buildup (aluminum oxide) suggests galvanic corrosion.

-The panel is flexing too much – This part of the trailer might be under more stress from road vibrations, causing tiny cracks to form over time.

- The metal might be weaker in this spot – Maybe this panel was made from a lower-quality piece of aluminum compared to the rest.

- Sun and weather wear – If this panel gets more sun or temperature changes than others, it may expand and contract more, leading to cracks.

One last thing, is there something on the inside of the trailer that is causing more stress against that particular panel? Sometimes the issue is from the inside and not the outside.

If the cracks are really bad you are going to want to secure it with a support plate, if they are small enough you could cover them with strong aluminum tape or a metal patch. If you need to replace any screws of rivets make sure you use stainless steel or aluminum ones. You could also seal up the cracks using a waterproof silicone like # FAS59FR. If you do see that it is from the vibrations in the road, it might not be a bad idea to upgrade your equalizers, something like the # MR27ZR (the ones you were looking at) would be a great option to absorb some of the road shock. If you want to send me over how many axles you have and the capacity, I am happy to send over some recommendations.

I hope you are able to get it fixed before it gets worst. Please let me know how things work out.

expert reply by: Kate F

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Kate F.

11/3/2025

Hey Philip, how did things turn out with that cracked panel on your enclosed trailer? Did the support plate or aluminum tape help stop the webbing from spreading? Your update could make it easier for others dealing with the same kind of damage.

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Philip

11/3/2025

@KateF I replaced the cracked side panel with a thicker gauge material. Also, what ever caused the wall panel to fail had also caused the roof to crack. The roof cracked at the front corner (where the cracked wall panel was). While driving down the road the roof flew off and just missed a car. I think the trailer was driven down a lot of dirt roads. New roof, edges rolled over rather than cut and screwed down. Much thicker roof (track-trailer roof material). Added 1 inch foam insulation to ceiling and walls. 1/4" paneling to ceiling. 3/8" plywood walls. Painted inside of trailer. Turning in to a great tool trailer. This is all for your entertainment. We are good for now. Look forward to ordering from y'all again soon.

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Kate F.

11/3/2025

@Philip Sounds like you have that trailer built to last now Philip! With all that work, I might even request to be buried in it one day. Wowzers, I am glad that the roof missed that car on the road! I wonder what their thoughts were as it was flying through the air. Thanks for the response =)

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