Aluminum skin gauge

[saican]

Hello All,
What is the good gauge for trailer aluminum skin,i am getting very good deal on 24 gauge aluminum 4x8 sheet please advice if i can use it on my trailer.
Thanks

[tony.latham]

Hello All,
What is the good gauge for trailer aluminum skin,i am getting very good deal on 24 gauge aluminum 4x8 sheet please advice if i can use it on my trailer.
Thanks

The standard is .040" (or 18 ga I believe). That stuff 24 ga will be hard to bend.





Tony

[MickinOz]

I'm not really up with gauge v inches v millimetres but, if you had asked me to bet, I would have put down money that 24g is thinner than 18g, and therefore easier to bend?

[mountainminded]

I also use .040” (18 gauge). It takes the curves nicely and holds up well to those nasty stone chips . The 24 gauge aluminum looks to be exactly half as thick. I think Tony was up too late!

[saican]

I also use .040” (18 gauge). It takes the curves nicely and holds up well to those nasty stone chips . The 24 gauge aluminum looks to be exactly half as thick. I think Tony was up too late!

So you think it is good idea not to use 24 gauge sheet.

[tony.latham]

Okay... I confess. I'm becoming addled. Muddled. Or perhaps I am addled/muddled? Maybe about 22 gauge muddled (a state of confusion). But it's another day and I'm one-cup into the morning. My coffee is made from 3/16" mild steel so I can do basic math skills using a calculator--at least for the moment. We'll see how my muddling goes as the day heats up and the smoke from the Moose Fire drifts in.

Who came up with gauges, anywho? Is my coffee cup half full or about 4 gauge?

My concern with aluminum thinner than .040 is hail damage. I live in Idaho and we are not prone to large hail--and have not had hail damage to a teardrop. And that's owning aluminum-clad teardrops from 2004 thru 2019.

muddled,

Tony

[MickinOz]

I don't think I'd use the 24 gauge "foil".
I mean, it would doubtless still perform the primary function of excluding the water, but it would be very easily damaged I'd expect.
Perhaps roof, front curve, hatch, but then on the very front of the trailer you'd want that thicker propellor/treadplate plate stuff that would be more ding resistant and also hide the dings well.
I dunno, I'd want to see it, hold it in my hands, smell it, taste it, and if it was dogsh!t walk away without stepping in it. (sorry Tommy. )