Looking for Aluminum Skinning Ideas

[Vernacular]

I hope to skin my planned TD with aluminum, but many of the build threads and guides seem to either dispense with aluminum altogether or pass right over the part about how to attach it.

I am fine with all types of woodworking, including bending, but unsure about metal work. Is it glued on or just floating with trim holding it? (I'm not doing the sides.) Do you apply it oversize and trim it with a router? How do you bend the curve without folding/creasing it?

I searched under "aluminum skinning" and such with little success. If someone could point me to an existing thread on this topic (with pictures) I'd appreciate it.

[backstrap bandit]

Just let it float trim and accessories will hold it on this is best for expansion and contraction issues and yes you can either cut to fit or trim with router witch ever you prefer and last of all use ratchet straps with wood under them to hold in place and to make bend around radius have fun and enjoy

[Nobody]

My TD is completely covered with 0.040" 'mill finish' aluminum, top, front, hatch, & sides. When I was building in 2006 there was quite a lot of discussion on adhesive vs floating. I kinda used a combination of both. I used enough adhesive (PL600 I think??) in just a few 'beads' for each panel to help hold it in place 'til I added enough trim to secure it more permanently, Pretty sure all the adhesive I used has 'released' its hold. I forgot to put a trim strip at the front side of the doors where the hinge is, & a year later while on a trip to Wyoming I noticed in my truck mirror that the skin at that location was sort of 'billowing' a little. I stopped at the next 'big box' home supply store (think it was Lowes?) & bought a strip of 1/8" X 3/4" aluminum, some stainless screws, & a tube of construction adhesive sealer. When we reached our campsite that day I cut & drilled the aluminum strip, & skin at that location, installed the strip & it's been holding well ever since. I've towed the TD more'n 25K miles from south Texas to Pacific NW, including a trip across the Mojave desert in August. It shows no evidence of skin deformation/distortion or any other problem. Sometimes if the TD is sitting in direct sunlight on a really hot day, I can see what may be small areas of 'oil canning' but it returns to normal as soon as the temperature changes.

My TD is 5' wide & I couldn't find any aluminum that wide so I cut & installed it 'crosswise' on the roof, front, & hatch. I cut it for exact fit with a handheld electric shear. On the sides I cut the profile curves maybe a quarter inch larger & after installation I used a trim router to remove the excess. Didn't do a 'build journal' in those days but you can see pix of my build (& since) in my gallery (click on the small camera icon below my user name). If I were doing another I probably wouldn't change a thing about the method of skin attachment...

This pic was made looking toward the Wind River Range in Wyoming, a few days after I'd added the trim strip at front of doors


I took this pic this morning. 8yrs old & still no sign of skin problems (other than needs a wash )It does show a few dings/dents along the top edge but that's been there since new & is probably a result of staples used as temporary hold during the build...

[KCStudly]

Aggie79/Tom does a very good job of explaining with great pictures how to skin and trim in aluminum in his Silver Beatle build. Diligence in the application of sealer under the edges, under the trim, and in the screw holes seems to be key. In fact, his whole build approach is worth a read. It is one of the icon TD's on this site, IMO.

Another good tip is to pre-bend your profile trim around the cabin before you put the skin on. That way you can rubber mallet/dead blow hammer it at will with less concern about dinging the skin. Later, after the skin is on, fitting the trim goes much easier, according to those that have used this method.

[tony.latham]

I hope to skin my planned TD with aluminum, but many of the build threads and guides seem to either dispense with aluminum altogether or pass right over the part about how to attach it.

I am fine with all types of woodworking, including bending, but unsure about metal work. Is it glued on or just floating with trim holding it? (I'm not doing the sides.) Do you apply it oversize and trim it with a router? How do you bend the curve without folding/creasing it?

I searched under "aluminum skinning" and such with little success. If someone could point me to an existing thread on this topic (with pictures) I'd appreciate it.

Vern:

I'm in the float camp. I've done it twice and about ready to cover #3.

I strap it to the roof and attache it to the bottom front with countersunk stainless screws. While still strapped, I'll mark it to within a 1/4" overlap on the hatch spar, remove it and cut it with a jigsaw with a metal cutting blade.

I then re-attache it with a few (4?) countersunk flathead stainless wood screws on the bottom front. I'll then strap it down and screw it to the hatch spar with a few countersunk ss screws. Remove the straps and trim the excess hanging off hatch spar with a router. You can probably avoid that last step by cutting it correctly the first time. I don't trust myself with that...

There will be trim that goes over the front edge and the hurrican hinge will fit over the rear. Make sure there aren't any in-the-way flathead screws before installing trim/hinge.



Once it's down, you still might have to run the router here and there along the sides.

How do you bend the curve without folding/creasing it?

I use .04 aluminum and it follows the curves of a traditional teardop just fine.

The whole process Is rather easy. Just be prepared for a mess with using your router to trim the aluminum and make damn sure you wear eye protection.

Tony

[DMcCam]

Howdy Verne,

We used vinyl contact cement on ours as per Grant Whipp's recommendation. It moves with the aluminum so we have zero 'oil canning'. We trimmed the whole trailer with edge trim too. We went this direction because the adhesive adds one more moisture barrier and made it easy to install. You just trim the sheet with a router with a following bit. You can check out our build thread to see if the idea is something you'd be interested in. Here's a link to the aluminum installation; starts at the bottom of the page: http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=35081&start=360

You just roll the stuff on the back of the aluminum sheet and on the roof. Let it set up, make sure it's square and where you want it, then starting with the leading edge, you press it on. It held our .063 aluminum on the roof with no problems.

Either way will work just fine, it's really just your preference.

All the Best,

Dave

[Vernacular]

Thanks folks! Now to begin acquiring parts! I just need to maybe add a couple router bits and maybe a cheap metal shear to the tool kit. I think I'm gonna get the trailer first once I get a coupon or catch it on sale...

[brettstoon]

Have you had any dents in your aluminum as a result of rocks? I am worried that as soon as I pull it down the highway or gravel road, rocks will dent up the front and sides. (I will be putting a diamond plate rock guard). I see all the chips on my car and it makes me wonder about what the aluminum will look like..... Also how do you like the mill finish? My local aluminum supplier said it would be only a matter of weeks before it would corrode and start to look nasty

I took this pic this morning. 8yrs old & still no sign of skin problems (other than needs a wash )It does show a few dings/dents along the top edge but that's been there since new & is probably a result of staples used as temporary hold during the build...

[tony.latham]

My mill finish is fine after two years. I live in a dry climate, at least in the summers. Yes on the rock damage on the front, none on the sides. The rock problem quit when I put on real mud flaps on my Tacoma.


I made my own. They slip on and off when the stinger is in.

T

[Nobody]

IMO the damage (if any) from rocks/gravel may be overstated. I've towed my TD more'n 25K miles since 2006 & I don't recall seeing a single dent or ding on the front or sides of the TD that I can attribute to rocks/gravel thrown from the TV. Even the underside of the TD is still nice & clean, & the exposed 'blueboard' foam insulation underneath the floor shows little evidence of damage. I'd say probably a quarter (perhaps some less) of our travels have been on dirt or gravel roads in National Forests all over the country, & BLM land out west, so it ain't like we're staying on pavement all the time. We enjoy 'back country' camping/exploration, & I've used the TD as my hunting camp in some pretty remote locations. My TVs have all had 'mud flaps' but in most cases they've been minimal & may not afford that much protection. If I was towing with a genuine OFF ROAD rig with monster, aggressive tread tires I might be more concerned but unless that's your situation I wouldn't be very worried about damage from thrown rocks/gravel.

As for the mill finish, you can see in the pic that I've had NO problem with oxidation or finish dulling to any major degree. It doesn't still look new but it's acceptable, easily maintained (I wash it whenever it appears to need it; not usually very frequently), & still generates lotsa looks & favorable comments most everywhere we go, even after more'n 8 years. There are lots of prettier, nicer finished TDs on the forum but this one suits our needs when we take it out, & its appearance is good enough that we don't feel any need to apologize or 'explain' its looks...

[tony.latham]

damage (if any) from rocks/gravel may be overstated

Here's my tongue box that was pounded by gravel prior to my mud flaps. For every little blue arrow, there's twenty other dings. (All the little white spots are rock-impacts.) The exposed portion of the front of my drop has the same issue –it still has it's winter cover on or I would have photographed it too. (None on the side and it's 5' wide.)



After these areas started to get dinged, I toyed with the idea of covering these areas with 3M's clear plastic adhesive sheet made to protect the fronts of cars but my mud flaps seemed to have cured the problem. Diamond plate would have been thee fix.

Why Harvey and I have different experiences I don't know. It sounds like we drive on similar gravel roads. (I do run over the hill on a gravel road that's two hours long?) I run a moderately agressive M/S tread on my tires and I know they throw gravel. My fenders are protected by bedliner and that stuff seems to work fine.

On my old Hunter, I added diamond plate. Which begs the question; why didn't I do this to my homebuilt? I started off with a Harbor Freight steel tongbox that I was going to cover with bedliner. It was too small for my solar panels so I built a bigger one and sheathed it with my left-over .040 mill finish.

Tony

p.s. Hey, Harvey: we both used to carry pairs of bracelets that were connected by hinges/chains on our belts. Those were good days and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Nobody]

Another one of those mysteries Tony. Perhaps the small amount (18" high) of diamond tread, & the diamond tread tongue box on the front of my trailer helps more than I think?? The tongue box does shield a goodly portion of the front & I suppose it's possible that few rocks are thrown high enough to hit above the diamond tread on the front. Otherwise, maybe I've just been extremely fortunate, or maybe if I looked closer I'd find a few dings that I'm maybe unconsciously overlooking . Anyway I'm well pleased with the 'performance' of my aluminum skin & I'd do it again...

Yeah Tony, I'd do it again too if I were just starting out. At my age I wouldn't even think of 'going out there' now, & knowing a great deal of the 'public attitude' I'd probably hafta think long & hard nytime. I admire the young guys 'on the line' now & catch myself often saying a little prayer for 'em. Amazing how different folks have different outlooks on the same thing ain't it?

[brettstoon]

Thanks for your great input Tony and Harvey!

I love the look of the mill finish aluminum - I think I am going to give it a try. Maybe look into a clear coat of some sort. I also think I will try and find some sort of diamond plate for the front to avoid any mishaps. I do have good mud flaps on my TV, hopefully that also helps me out!

Thanks again
Brett

[tony.latham]

Yeah Tony, I'd do it again too if I were just starting out. At my age I wouldn't even think of 'going out there' now, & knowing a great deal of the 'public attitude' I'd probably hafta think long & hard nytime. I admire the young guys 'on the line' now & catch myself often saying a little prayer for 'em. Amazing how different folks have different outlooks on the same thing ain't it?

T