Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **TD4FREEW/CTD** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:42 pm

what kind of ally do people generally use to skin a TD? what have people paid? is it a cost effective material vs others? i would imagine something in the 3000 series of about .050" thickness? what kind of finishes to people have? polished? grain? what method are people using to secure the skin?

by **madjack** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:45 pm

....we use .032...don't know what series...mill finish...just float it and let the trim, fenders, outer accesories capture it in place....
madjack

by **TD4FREEW/CTD** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:01 am

i dont have much experience with sheet metal, i just know 3003 is nice and flexible and does not fatigue easily. takes shape well too.

by **Sonetpro** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:30 am

I used 5005 clear anodized. .040 on the sides, .063 on the roof. The .063 was a bear to bend around the radius.
I used anodized because I built it for a beach camper and didn't want the salt spray creating a maintenance nightmare.

I compared the costs and it was about the same as if I would have used Filon.

http://www.saf.com

by **james tillitt** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:42 am

What is the cost of different thicknesses and finishes? Is there any reginal differences in prices?

by **Nobody** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:55 am

james tillitt wrote:What is the cost of different thicknesses and finishes? Is there any reginal differences in prices?

Aluminum prices have been & continue to be pretty volatile, & location definitely makes a difference in price/availability. .040" is generally accepted as a good thickness tho madjack's Aligator Tear did well with .032. I used .063 diamond plate as trim on front & lower sides & as Sonetpro said, it's a bear to bend. Finish ranges from standard mill finish thru brushed, anodized, painted, & a few even have highly polished; your choice. Whatever you feel comfortable working with should do OK :thumbsup:

by **james tillitt** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:41 pm

I don't mean to highjack this thread. But, I am considering changing my Lil Bear from the white skin to a raw or anodized aluminum finish. I would like to know approximately what this would cost. I have also kicked around the idea of different paint schemes (to include a mock woody theme) and would like to know what's involved $$$ in a re-skin (either mill finished or anodized) in a .040 thickness. :thinking:

by **Canuck** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:20 pm

james tillitt wrote:I don't mean to highjack this thread. But, I am considering changing my Lil Bear from the white skin to a raw or anodized aluminum finish. I would like to know approximately what this would cost. I have also kicked around the idea of different paint schemes (to include a mock woody theme) and would like to know what's involved $$$ in a re-skin (either mill finished or anodized) in a .040 thickness.

I just bought 2 sheets of .040
1 sheet was 5x8
the other was 5x10
total cost was just over $200

by **jeepr** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:52 am

Canuck wrote:
I just bought 2 sheets of .040
1 sheet was 5x8
the other was 5x10
total cost was just over $200

Local place or online? I am not having much luck finding 5' widths.

by **sdtripper2** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:55 am

Mike C:

Here is a couple of sources in Michigan

Sourcing examples:

Factory Steel & Metal Supply
http://www.factorysteel.com/
Chart to scope out and select your 3003-H14 stock from Factory Steel
http://tinyurl.com/yxgsrg
Note: (For Roof - They have .050" 60" x 120"
Location: Detroit, Michigan:

Metal Supermarkets:
Store finder clicky
3003-H14 .040" 60" x144" *The sweet spot*
http://tinyurl.com/yk8xrw Click on the #2 row ALUMINUM SHEET 6061 - T6 to get details
5052-H32 .050 60" x144"
http://tinyurl.com/yk8xrw Click on the #2 row ALUMINUM SHEET 6061 - T6 to get details
You drill down here and you will find
stores located in Livonia & Troy MI.

by **Sonetpro** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:42 am

If you order over 200lbs from http://www.saf.com they will ship it free. I had to use .063 for the top because that is all they had that was 5' wide. My order was a tad over $700 but I ordered all of my extrusions from them also. Great service.

by **jeepr** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:33 pm

Thanks sdtripper2, I need to call or stop by one of those places. I was hoping for some around .32-.35 or so.

That 3003-H14 might be the ticket.. :thumbsup:

I need to do some reading on the different grades of aluminum.

by **Canuck** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:11 pm

jeepr wrote:
Canuck wrote:
I just bought 2 sheets of .040
1 sheet was 5x8
the other was 5x10
total cost was just over $200

Local place or online? I am not having much luck finding 5' widths.

It was local.. kinda... about an hour from me in London Ontario
Unlimited Metals
519-457-4151
they told me they have more outlets.. but i didnt ask where

by **rbonner** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:57 pm

You might try your local A/C supply houses. One of my local ones I use carries it for $65. a sheet in mill or white finish.

by **3hansens** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:09 am

A question for those of you who have polished their trailers: Alclad or not? Alclad verses un-clad -- each comes with its own advantages and drawbacks (cost, relative difficulty of polishing and keeping polished, level of shine, susceptibility to damage, corrosion resistance, etc.). If you were skinning a trailer that you intend to keep polished, which way would you go? Thanks...

Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

aluminum skin

aluminum skin

Alclad verses un-clad

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