Coastal living requires a few special considerations. Do local ordinances dictate your building plans? Can you fit a full width driveway and enough parking on that slice of ocean view? Do you need special building materials to resist ocean winds, waves, and the wear-and-tear of coastal living?

For trailer buyers near the ocean, salt and moisture are major factors when thinking about what type of trailer materials to choose – and they’re a perfect reason to choose an ALCOM all-aluminum trailer!

How Do Salt Air & Water Affect Trailers?

Think about coming home after a day at the beach: your hair feels a little stiff and your skin is coated in a film of salt. You want a shower. You have sand between your toes and a little bit in your ear.

Now think about your trailer in a similar situation. Maybe a little sand got tracked around on the ramp and the trailer decking. The salt air clings to the trailer’s frame and side panels the same way it does to your hair and skin. If your trailer is built from raw steel and doesn’t use water-resistant coatings or materials, you’re in for a mess of rust and moisture damage sooner than later. Salt particles and humid air create an electrolyte film that accelerates the corrosion of materials like raw steel, leading to rust – a trailer’s worst enemy.

If you live in an area with salty ocean air and winter road salt applications, like ALCOM's home state of Maine, your trailer is getting hit from all angles by a corrosive agent, and there isn't much you can do about it. You need a trailer that is built to withstand exposure to salt. So let’s get real and look at the best option when you’re buying a trailer near the ocean: ALCOM all-aluminum cargo, car, power sports, utility, landscape, dump, and even livestock trailers.

The Aluminum Trailer Advantage

Built-in rust resistance is one of aluminum’s best advantages when it comes to choosing a trailer construction material. Few factors are as destructive to a trailer as rust. Once it starts, it’s nearly impossible to stop, and it can quickly turn into a situation beyond repair. 

Just ask skijor champ Josie McAllister: she became an ALCOM customer when her old steel trailer's floor rusted through, leaving her standing in a hole in the trailer floor one winter. Year-round exposure to the salt air of the Maine coast does a real number on steel, and that's why ALCOM builds our trailers out of aluminum instead. We skip the rust entirely by using a construction material that's lighter than steel, has a better strength-to-weight ratio, and naturally resists rust and corrosion. 

We also put sealed LED lights on many trailer models. We offer side panel and flooring options with water-resistance, including the ultimate trailer decking material: extruded aluminum. Talk with your local ALCOM dealer about your trailer's expected workload.

Are you hauling snowmobiles every winter and using the trailer for summer landscaping and errands? An enclosed Crossover model might do the trick. A water-tight, weather-resistant enclosed model that's lightweight and versatile, our Crossover series includes an array of sizes and box shapes with a long menu of interior and exterior upgrades available.

Are you starting a gardening or landscaping business near the ocean? Check out our open aluminum utility trailers, including models with extruded aluminum decking for a fully weather-resistant unit. Upgrade your ramp, add tie-downs and railings to customize your aluminum landscape or utility trailer. 

Moving junk, equipment, or aggregates? Check out commercial dump trailers made from fully welded aluminum with available side walls and mesh to keep your cargo under containment. Hauling lobster traps? Check out our heavy duty deckover style open aluminum utility haulers.

Gotta get to the car show or the race track? Pinnacle Series car haulers or standard models will look new and shiny longer, making them worthy of your prized automobiles. Spending the summer on the water? Move rafts, kayaks, and personal watercraft with all-aluminum ALCOM trailers. 

Finding an ALCOM Dealer Near the Ocean

Whatever state you call home, and whichever coast you’re hauling along, ALCOM has aluminum trailer dealers near you. From sea to shining sea – that’s where your friendly local ALCOM dealers will be!

Use our Dealer Locator tool on every ALCOM trailers brand site to find the nearest dealerships in your area and get started finding the perfect rust-resistant trailer for your coastal home or business. Talk through the options you need, like trailer type and size. Review upgrades and options and get the right features for your hauling plans and your budget. Your ALCOM dealer is waiting and ready to help you get the right aluminum trailer -- we'll see you on the road!