Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I want aluminum top and sides for my teardrop. What thickness should I use? Does it matter what grade I use?

I am looking at a metal supplier website

http://www.factorysteel.com/aluminum-angles-bars-channels-pipe.htm#d

I see
3003-H14
5052-H32
5052-O
6061-T651
6061-T4
6061-O
2024-T3/351
2024-O
7075-T6
7075-O

Will any of these work? Should I just go with whatever grade is cheapest?

I won't bore you with a lecture on metallurgy, but here's a good site: http://www.ez.org/aluminum.htm. I'm using 5052 H32 and definitely would avoid the 6000 and 7000 series. They are much harder alloys and are more difficult to work with. In fact, our robots use 6061 T6 for the chassis and 7075 for the track frames - and they are built to crawl the walls inside power plant boilers.

Sean,

I'll second Corey on the 5052-H32. It will give you good corrosion resistance on those nasty Michigan winter roads!

.032" or .040" if you are backing it up with plywood on the roof. Thicker, if you're not.

Sean , I also use alot of5052 H32 and 3003 H14 . I like the first better . 6061 T6 they shove iron in it so it don't really bent , more of a braker Kerry

Hey Sean , I just looked in my book , 6061 is kind of a special order type thing , at less with suppliers I know . The 3003 and the 5052 comes in 48 or 60 wide ,and 96 , 120 , or 144 long

I used whatever was alailable. When you start talking about 5ft wide rolls, you have to take what you can get.

Thanks for the quick reply. That's really useful to know. I am going to build a 5' wide and might have to take what I can get, but that gives me a good starting point.

good link Coreyjhen. I knew there had to be a method to all those numbers.