Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

One source for aluminum in the south east is SAF in atlanta. https://www.saf.com/ . The mill run or the anodized? And was looking at the shades of anodized....clear, light bronze, med bronze, dark bronze, gold...any ideas?

When I was toying with the idea of anodized, I asked SAF to send me a sample of each, the painted and the anodized.

Once I had the samples in my hand it was a no brainer... painted for me!!!

Mike...

We toyed with the idea of anodized on our all aluminum tear but then started thinking about the Arizona sun. I had an anodized piece sitting out side my shop for some months and all the color is gone. May be a UV protected anodized?

Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

Appreciate your input from all of you. I will probably be buying from SAF in Atlanta.

We just got back from Dillon Beach Ca....lots of wind and sand and salty moisture....many of the tears got discoloration on the mill finish....somthing to think about....anodized won't do that...at least I don't think it will....I've got auto clear coat....no problem...looks just like I sprayed it...complete with dust..... Doug

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

Good points. Thanks for the info.

Sparksalot wrote:

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

Good points. Thanks for the info.

I got the clear anodized from SAF. It looks as good as the day I put it on 2 years ago. My tear spends alot of time on the beach.

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

I have mill finish and as stated it scratches easily and it stains even easier. I built mine in a garage that was about 100 degrees most days and just getting sweat on it has left stains that are really hard to get out and make look nice again. If you go with the mill finish, you really need to get it with the plastic covering on it that can be pealed off when the tear is done...

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

This is not a 100% true statement. There are other factors in how "soft" aluminum is when you buy it.

There is a 3rd finish availible, Clad. Clad has a 3-4% (of the thickness) layer of almost pure aluminum. This is the finish that will scratch with even you fingernail. Mill finish should not scratch as easy. If you want to polish your trailer tis would be the easiest but it would be harder to maintain.

The orher thing you have to consider in bare/mill finish is the alloy and temper. Some alloys are harder. A 6061-T3 will scratch easier than 7075-T6.

You also need to consider that some anodize finishes are designed not to be painted or finished over.

Ask to what alloy, temper, specification the material is manufactured & anodized & I should be able to provide you with more info on the products. I have books of aluminum & anodizing specification on my desk at work.

Jeremy

Sonetpro wrote:

Sparksalot wrote:

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

Good points. Thanks for the info.

I got the clear anodized from SAF. It looks as good as the day I put it on 2 years ago. My tear spends alot of time on the beach.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm still heavily leaning woodie sides, but do like the aluminum roof look.

toypusher wrote:

mbader wrote:Mill finish aluminum is very soft. Anodizing is very hard.
Even the slightest thing will scratch mill finish aluminum while the anodized surface will resist scratching very well.

I have mill finish and as stated it scratches easily and it stains even easier. I built mine in a garage that was about 100 degrees most days and just getting sweat on it has left stains that are really hard to get out and make look nice again. If you go with the mill finish, you really need to get it with the plastic covering on it that can be pealed off when the tear is done...

So, sweating on the mill finish will allow for real "poured your heart and soul" into the final product results.

I assume that the mill finish is intended to have something applied to it (such as paint) in its final application, while the anodized finishes are intended to be the final surface - I may be mistaken, but that's what makes sense to me.

By coincidence, as this old thread was being resurrected I was watching a science show with an item about the Vegreville egg. This is one of those huge monuments that little towns use to get noticed by visitors, and this one is an egg, the size of a travel trailer, decorated in colours sort of like a traditional Ukrainian easter egg (or pysanka), and made of anodized aluminum segments. The designer explained that while the town wanted the bright colours which they used on the easter eggs, he had to use more muted colours of anodized aluminum because the bright ones fade away in a few years. The Vegreville pysanka has been there for a couple of decades, and the last time I drove by I think it still looked good.

I bought from SAF and got the .040- 3003 aluminum in mill and I wish I would have gone with anodized, I haven't had problems with scratches yet but there are some stains, I am going to try some polish when the weather warms. SAF is a great source for aluminum, their prices were the best I could find and the shipping was free. My aluminum came taped (protective film) and was delivered on a pallet. When it arrived one of the trucking companies damaged the edge on two sheets, it was a minor ding but SAF shipped me two replacement sheets free of charge and let me keep the two sheets with the little dings in them. I would highly recommend buying from SAF. Aaron

Airspeed wrote:I bought from SAF and got the .040- 3003 aluminum in mill and I wish I would have gone with anodized, I haven't had problems with scratches yet but there are some stains, I am going to try some polish when the weather warms. SAF is a great source for aluminum, their prices were the best I could find and the shipping was free. My aluminum came taped (protective film) and was delivered on a pallet. When it arrived one of the trucking companies damaged the edge on two sheets, it was a minor ding but SAF shipped me two replacement sheets free of charge and let me keep the two sheets with the little dings in them. I would highly recommend buying from SAF. Aaron

Will they ship to a residence Aaron, or does it have to go to a business?