Interior & Exterior Skin Material Confirmation

[ts8501]

Looking for confirmation of the exterior and interior skin materials. Reference point is for my '64, but curious for other Vintage years as as well.

Exterior Skins: 2024T3 .032
Belly Pan 5052 H32 .025
Interior Skins 2024T3 .025

Do I have these right? What Airstream years would the exterior 2024T3 skin be the correct material?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by ts8501

Looking for confirmation of the exterior and interior skin materials. Reference point is for my '64, but curious for other Vintage years as as well.

Exterior Skins: 2024T3 .032
Belly Pan 5052 H32 .025
Interior Skins 2024T3 .025

Do I have these right? What Airstream years would the exterior 2024T3 skin be the correct material?

From 1982 1/2 and older.

The old material was .032.

Later on, some of it was changed to .040.

Andy

[ZoomZoom]

History of Aluminum at Airstream

1947 Heat-treatable copper-alloyed 24ST. Side and end panel sheets were 0.032 inches think supplied by
Kaiser Aluminum. Metal could be heat-treated to be as strong as mild steel. Material had high-purity
aluminum cladding rolled on one side that made it brighter and more corrosion-resistant.
1960s Alcoa became the supplier of choice. Same grade of aluminum now called Alclad 2024-T3.
1970s (early) Experimented using 6061-T6 aluminum, a less expensive heat-treatable grade.
1970s (late) Alcoa supplied 3004-H18 Brite panels, 0.032“ thick.
1983-1993 Alcoa supplied a “Controlled Mill Finish” in a 3003-H18 and 3005-H18 grade – lower cost material in
place of heat-treated aluminum.
1993-1994 Airstream widened the body, requiring stronger aluminum for the weight. Side and end panels remained
3003 or 3004-H18 but thickness increased to 0.040 “.
12-22-1992
to 7-31-95
Alumax coating: Serial Numbers 509137 through 510640; 7-31-95 1996 Model
7-31-95
to 1/1997
Alumax ends with trailer #510640 and we switched to Yenkin-Majestic as Plasticoat supplier. Used and
sold to dealers until it was pulled on 1-1997
1-1997 We switched to Akzo as Plasticoat supplier.
1998 We started using Alcoa pre-coated metal:
Partial start in 1998; currently still use.
Exceptions:

512502 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax 8-7-1998


512503 all out of Alumax


512504 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512505 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512506 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512507 all out of Alumax


512508 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512509 all out of Alumax


512510 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512511 all out of Alumax


512512 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512514 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512516 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512518 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512520 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512521 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512522 all Alcoa except seg#25 out of Alumax


512524 start 27FT tralers and longer all out of Alcoa 8-19-1998


512613 begin all units are Alcoa 9-8-1998.
5-1999 We started using llow voc plastic by Akzo –still currently in use.

Note
: 6063-T5 grade aluminum –corrosion-resistant. With simple heat treatment, 6063-T5 is as strong as mild steel.

Currently used for extrusion and ribs.