Steel instead of aluminum for sides and top

[Airspeed]

I used to manage a lumber yard and we sold a lot of steel roofing, Is there a reason no one uses steel for their TD's?
I was thinking 29 or 30 gage steel,it can be had for a lot less than
aluminum and comes in lots of colors,I'm sure I could get a piece 5 feet wide and any length needed to cover the front,top and rear without seams.
I know it would be heavier but is there another reason not to use it?
Thanks again! Aaron

[Jiminsav]

no reason at all Aaron, in fact, a lovely young lady on a previous Board had her Tear clad in rolled steel, said it was the best thing since sliced bread.

[Erik-the-red]

Here is mine. All steel and solid as an M1 A1 tank.

[Airspeed]

Looks great! Did you use steel to sheet it? Thanks Aaron

[Erik-the-red]

It is all steel. The frame, including a steel plate on the bottom to keep the water from coming in underneath, the skeleton, and the skin are all steel. The inside is lined with oak, though. It is so solid (and heavy) it tows like a dream.

[Airspeed]

How did you trim the corners? is there a trim piece on the edges? Thanks!

[Erik-the-red]

I haven't installed the trim pieces yet on the sides, but plan to soon. The pieces are welded together. The way we attached the large pieces of steel to the skeletal frame was rather interesting. We drilled small holes in the sheet metal where it met the skeletal frame cross-members. We then plug welded the sheet metal in place. The teardrop is very solid and has no screws, except where the diamond plate is attached to the body.

[doug hodder]

Erik...what gauge material did you use on your sides? And was it a Paint-Lok type material that is commonly used in the sign industry or mill finish sheet goods? Frame tube thickness/dimensions? Inquiring minds want to know...I might have missed that info previously... Looks great, nice job!!! Doug

[Erik-the-red]

I used 18 gauge steel sheeting. I had a local body shop paint the trailer using a white paint used for commercial vehicles. It is good stuff. The cost to paint was about $1,000, which doesn't include about $350 I spent on primer, bondo, sanding discs, etc.

The trailer frame is 2 by 3-inch rectangular-shaped steel. I used a thicker material than I really needed. The dimensions are 5 x 9 feet. The teardrop is also taller than normal -- about 6 feet from ground to top. It's an off-road monster with 17.5 inches of clearance, using a 3,500-pound axle and 14-inch wheels.

[critter]

Hey Eric
dats beautimus!

[funomenal]

Eric the Red,

You are the KING of the Overbuild!!! Looks Great!

[PaulC]

What does it weigh?

Cheers
Paul