Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Anyone ever used thin galvanized tin for their skin? Would be heavier for sure, as well as cheaper. The old trailers were built with surplus materals that could be bought for next to nothing. Looking for durablity vs. beauty, Galvanized is impossible to paint I am told. Paint adds weight as well. Ask the commercial airlines. Any thoughts, comments from all the pros? Bill

Hey, Bill!

There are several folks who have used galvanized sheet metal to skin their 'drops with, all with decent results. Cathy & Leo Frost of Chico, CA come to mind right away, and they have successfully painted their's as well.

Yes, it's a little heavier ... but on a trailer as small as a teardrop, I doubt that the little bit of extra weight will amount to much in the long-run/end-of-things. It is especially viable when you can't find aluminum in widths over 4'. I considered it, recently, but then found a more-or-less local supplier of wider aluminum ... still am keeping it in the back of my mind for potential future use, though.

What ever works is what ever works, eh what ... ... ...!

CHEERS!

Grant

I skinned mine in the aluminum flashing sold at Lowes. It came in 20"x 25' rolls, and it took 6 rolls to cover the camper. Turned out pretty good. Aluminum flashing is light, but also thin, so in the front where it is likely to get hit by rocks, I am adding a piece of diamond plate aluminum.

My camper is more for utilitarian use, than looks, so if I have to replace it in a few years, no biggie. Look at my album, I think it turned out ok.

Galvanized would work, and yes you can paint it, and yes you can repair the ganvanizing using zinc rich paint. If it is new you have to get the oil off first and best to use an oil based paint.

Vinegar works good to prep the galv. before paint.If you use 26 ga. over
3/4 ply your going to just about double the weight of your tear.26 ga. is
about .020 thick depending on who made it and weights .9 lbs a sq foot.
What about fabbing a galv. cabin and covering with epoxy and fiberglass inside and out,maybe not fiberglass but something similar.A thinner gauge metal would be less weight and over ply would probably work but 28 ga. and smaller [larger number] is hard to work.

Opps...double the weight of the parts that are skinned.

grant whipp wrote:

... I considered it, recently, but then found a more-or-less local supplier of wider aluminum ... still am keeping it in the back of my mind for potential future use, though.

Grant

Grant,

will you be selling that aluminum through your business? if so, how wide is it and what's the pricing? I live close enough (couple hundred miles) that I would even consider driving out to get it if shipping is cost prohibitive.

Tahoe Kid...try any of the larger truck/trailer parts/repair shops up in Reno...you should be able to buy 103" .032 on a coil, may or may not have it in white, but should have mill finish. I've bought it in Sac. a couple of times from Fruehauf/ Trailmobile. Doug

thanks doug. I will do that

If galvanized is used and don't want to paint it, why not go with vynle graphics that are available just about everywhere? The entire body could be covered in a single color of choice, get tired of it, pull it off and go again.

Whitney

Why not just leave it the color of galvanized steel and cover it with refrigerator magnets.............

Actually, you can degrease (vinegar works) prime and paint galvanized with acceptable results.

Reminds me of a day at Renfest when all the manly knights in plate armor were strutting around, not knowing that a bunch of the wenches had brought a basket full of Barbie magnets and were sneaking around sticking them to their back plates.

Here's one I really like not sure who built it. But I do like the outside the box thinking of the fenders. Half of a oval galvanized wash tub.




Scott

got a real rustic look to it!

My favorite galvanized tear:



There's an A/C behind that old radiator.

Bruce