Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Does anyone have a good source for 5' x 10" sheets of aluminum?

I called around local shops. I ended up going 5x12 which was harder to locate. The first metal supply shop had it, but it was going to be about $190 for what I needed. I then called three more and came up with nothing. My fourth call was to a Sheeting and HVAC shop who could order it for me with a 3 day turn around for $130. they were also convienintly located two blocks from my house. It came naked as a flat sheet, which I found out when I showed up with a 5x8 utility trailer. after talking to the guy up front and explaining what I was doing, he told me he would drop it off at my house some time the next day for free! point being that sometimes these local guys are willing to go the extra mile for you if you build a relationship with them. also, lots of phone calls to find it was more fruitful than internet searches.

This is a little off-topic, and I don't mean to hijack the thread ... but all the 5x10 aluminum I found was 2x the cost per square foot when compared to 4x8 aluminum, and it's had to source it in all grades (3003, 5052, 6061, etc.) If you're looking to skin your roof, I think it might be much easier to purchase 4x10 sheets, cut them into 4x5 halves, and either rivet, weld or tape them together. Just food for thought!

Andrew Herrick wrote:This is a little off-topic, and I don't mean to hijack the thread ... but all the 5x10 aluminum I found was 2x the cost per square foot when compared to 4x8 aluminum, and it's had to source it in all grades (3003, 5052, 6061, etc.) If you're looking to skin your roof, I think it might be much easier to purchase 4x10 sheets, cut them into 4x5 halves, and either rivet, weld or tape them together. Just food for thought!

Worth considering that. Although you would also need to consider the cost of additional tape, rivets, time, potential for leaks, ext. To me it was worth paying a little extra and not having to worry abiut building a good seam, sourcing the tape, and then potentially having a leak. I should note that my price of $130 was for a 5x12 and a 5x4.5(size of hatch) so all my aluminum was $150 after taxes.

yrock87 wrote:I called around local shops. I ended up going 5x12 which was harder to locate. The first metal supply shop had it, but it was going to be about $190 for what I needed. I then called three more and came up with nothing. My fourth call was to a Sheeting and HVAC shop who could order it for me with a 3 day turn around for $130. they were also convienintly located two blocks from my house. It came naked as a flat sheet, which I found out when I showed up with a 5x8 utility trailer. after talking to the guy up front and explaining what I was doing, he told me he would drop it off at my house some time the next day for free! point being that sometimes these local guys are willing to go the extra mile for you if you build a relationship with them. also, lots of phone calls to find it was more fruitful than internet searches.

Dagnam. $130 (shipping and all) is a great price for a 5x12. If you don't mind me asking, what grade of aluminum was it? And do you have extra? :p

It was actually a 60x144 and a 60x51 (trailer and hatch). It was exactly what I needed so no leftovers. I don't know if it was a decent price because of where I am in the Northwest (cheap electric power means a history of aluminum plants in the area). I would call around though. Some of the smaller guys are willing to sell at a better price than the wholesalers when it comes to these small orders. The grade was 5005 and it was .040 thick.

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Thanks for the replies. I will let you know what i find in my search!

I was talking to a friend of mine about my build and he asked about the skin too. He then told me he could order it cheaper than I could buy it locally. He said he uses it all the time in his business. He owns a sign shop. I never thought about checking at a sign shop and thought that is something we (the forum) should know about. He can get me 5x10 sheets delivered to his business for about $65 a sheet. He didn't say if I had to pay tax on that too, but that still beats my best per sheet price from a local supplier by $20 before tax.

I will be moving to goldendale was anyone have a lead on aluminum near the Dalles? Or possibly Portland