I am welding angle iron sides onto a small utility trailer I am building. Looking at commercially available trailers, I noticed some have the angle iron vertical side supports (that support the upper side rails) welded so that it forms an "L" shape against the main body of the trailer, and others have the angle iron side supports welded so they form a "V" against the main body of the trailer.

I realize that a V would give me a place to put tie down hooks where it meets the lower frame rails, but wouldn’t welding them to form an L maximize the surface area where it was to be welded to the lower frame rails and upper sides?