alum skin thickness - how important?

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

alum skin thickness - how important?

Postby dpjeansonne » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:25 am

The CT I am looking at purchasing comes with 0.024" alum skin but offers an optional upgrade to 0.030". The upgrade cost is not that much but the impact on delivery time maybe.
I know thicker is better but how important is the heavier gauge side wall aluminum?

Any comments?
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Re: alum skin thickness - how important?

Postby Tinbasher » Mon Oct 14, 2013 11:54 am

From my sheet metalworking experience if its too thin and not well supported it will dent very easily even with a carelessly placed hand or a light ding. If it is well supported by ply then the thickness (within reason) shouldn't be an issue.

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Re: alum skin thickness - how important?

Postby asianflava » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:03 pm

For the most part it doesn't matter, but it does (as mentioned above) leave you more prone to any damage. The side walls (especially the front) would be susceptible to rocks thrown up by the tow vehicle. For myself it would depend on the price, if the price difference was small, then I'd go with the thicker skin.
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Re: alum skin thickness - how important?

Postby hankaye » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:32 pm

dpjeansonne, Howdy;

dpjeansonne wrote:The CT I am looking at purchasing comes with 0.024" alum skin but offers an optional upgrade to 0.030". The upgrade cost is not that much but the impact on delivery time maybe.
I know thicker is better but how important is the heavier gauge side wall aluminum?

Any comments?


The difference you are talking about is about twice the
thickness of a human hair or 0.006". What is important is the temper
of the aluminum. If it is T-0 it is very soft and pliable, to soft for our
needs. At T-6 it is to brittle. A better number for our needs would be
either T-3 or T-4. See what your salesperson has to say. Personally,
I'd go with the 0.032".

hank
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