Aluminum question from a newbie

[saladgirl]

I live in Ohio, and I noticed a number of trailers are made of shiny aluminum. I was wondering if it pits if exposed to road salt/acid rain? Does it have to be coated with something, or is that not a problem?
Just curious...thanks, Sally

[eamarquardt]

Virtually anything will pit and corrode if exposed to road salt and acid rain and the corrosives are not washed off.

If you keep the al as clean and dry as practical the al will look good for a long time. You can always polish it with various compounds to clean it up. A coat of wax will also help. But if you ignore it, don't keep it clean, and let the corrosion gain a foothold, it will deteriorate.

Hope this answers your question.

Cheers,

Gus

[Shadow Catcher]

While I like the idea of aluminum the care and feeding is a bit more than I wanted. I like Filon, an FRP (fiber reinforced polyester) used on among other things truck bodies and many/most RV's.

[Endo]

Hi Sally,

My first teardrop was "raw" aluminum or also know as mill finish aluminum. That teardrop showed every scratch, fingerprint, dirt or dust particle.
My current teardrop is anodized aluminum with a brushed finish.
It is much easier to keep clean or at least it appears clean even when it is not.
The brushed finish hides a lot.
It doesn't show finger prints, scratches or dust nearly as much.
I don't think I will ever use mill finish again.
I feel the additional cost of anodized is worth it.


I still like to wash the camper after each trip.
I also store it indoors which helps as well.