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Steel instead of aluminum for sides and top
Posted:
Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:43 pmby 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
Posted:
Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:51 pmby 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.
Posted:
Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:52 pmby Erik-the-red
Here is mine. All steel and solid as an M1 A1 tank.
Posted:
Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:53 pmby Airspeed
Looks great! Did you use steel to sheet it? Thanks Aaron
Posted:
Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:24 pmby 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.
Posted:
Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:19 pmby Airspeed
How did you trim the corners? is there a trim piece on the edges? Thanks!
Posted:
Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:21 pmby 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.
Posted:
Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:25 pmby 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
Posted:
Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:22 pmby 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.
Posted:
Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:41 amby critter
Hey Eric
dats beautimus!
Posted:
Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:43 pmby funomenal
Eric the Red,
You are the KING of the Overbuild!!! Looks Great!
Posted:
Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:04 amby PaulC
What does it weigh?
Cheers
Paul