aluminium VS wood

[droid_ca]

so I have this ide of using aluminum instead of 1x4s or 2x6s and was wondering if there was some sort of chart that would tell me how thick I'd have to go to be equivalent in the structural and load bearing capacities...
Please need your help everything is bgoing on hold cause of this
Thanks for any help that I may recive

[GuitarPhotog]

Any materials engineering text will give you the data, but will it be meaningful to you?

If you are considering framing your trailer with aluminum, you need to decide what shape, i.e., square tube, angle bracket, or U-bracket.

And you need to consider how you're going to join it, and how you will attach the skin.

I think these decisions are bigger show-stoppers than what size material to use.

Structural engineering (which is what you're asking about) is much more complex than just the strength of the material itself. For example, a 1" X 1" X 1/8" square tube will support more weight per unit weight, than a fir 1X3, but that advantage can be completely lost if you don't know how to preserve the strength through the joints.

<Chas>

[Shadow Catcher]

One thing to realize is that you are building an aircraft, not a tank, (I have said that more than a few times). Compass Rose has a all aluminum frame, the wall tubes are 1X1.5X.060 inch and I have walked on the roof. The frame was MIG welded.
However there was a problem the tongue which was not designed properly and there was a great deal of flexing while towing. I understand that MM #1 failed catastrophically and the tongue was not as long as ours, so I had ours reinforced.
What is the advantage of an aluminum frame, no rust, and much lighter weight. Our 6X10 with a very large tongue box and all of the goodies weighs less than a smaller CampInn with much less.

[rowerwet]

find an aircraft mechanic and go for an all riveted construction, the strongest (but most labor intensive) fastening system in the world. When I was planning my build I flirted with an all Al build using rivets and built much like an aircraft, but finding someone to run the rivet gun or buck would have been a hassle. I know how and do it as part of my job, but construction adhesive and ply is the fastest (and cheap) and about the same for weight. Not to mention insulation and heating. Most aircraft use a heater muffler to heat the cabin, twin engine aircraft use combustion heaters, and in the real cold they don't quite cut it. (of course your TD won't be doing 150 kts at -40 F, or have big plastic windows)
Aluminum isn't cheap like plywood either.