'Retro Rocket' - knockoff Airstreams in the UK

[rob5301]

If you look at their website photographs, a view in the workshop shows Aluminium sheet with a white protective plastic covering.....suggests to me it's not Alclad.
When I've used pure sheet it's covered in white plastic.

Alclad is covered in transparent blue.......over this side of the pond anyway

I'll phone them in the morning and ask......then I'll let you know.

Over here, 8x4 pure is £20 per sheet----12x4 Alclad is £70

As I said before.....cheap copy.

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by rob5301

If you look at their website photographs, a view in the workshop shows Aluminium sheet with a white protective plastic covering.....suggests to me it's not Alclad.
When I've used pure sheet it's covered in white plastic.

Alclad is covered in transparent blue.......over this side of the pond anyway

I'll phone them in the morning and ask......then I'll let you know.

Over here, 8x4 pure is £20 per sheet----12x4 Alclad is £70

As I said before.....cheap copy.

Thanks Rob. I've had Alclad delivered to my shop covered with clear plastic film typically, however lately it came with blue. Your aluminum prices are somewhat lower than what we get here, hmmmm..............
I'm curious to hear your findings.
Thanks again,
Colin
PS Perhaps you could ask the thickness as well

[truckasaurus]

70 quid is very good, the last quote I had was $3.03 a square foot for 4' x 12' 040" T3 Alclad from TW. (12 sheets 576 sft weighs in at 331.776 lbs but can do the nearly the whole exterior giant trailer).

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by truckasaurus

70 quid is very good, the last quote I had was $3.03 a square foot for 4' x 12' 040" T3 Alclad from TW. (12 sheets 576 sft weighs in at 331.776 lbs but can do the nearly the whole exterior giant trailer).

Your trailers are built from .032 2024 T3 Alclad. Current Airstream's (81 & newer ) are built mostly of .040 3003 & 3004 alloy, a much cheaper alloy
Colin

[SuperTrouper]

Originally Posted by rob5301

Looks like something went wrong in sarcasm over the pond........I was being sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek with my reply (i.e. can't understand why you should think I'm not passionate)

I got your meaning and laughed at it.........unfortunately my response didn't end with a wink so you missed my meaning

No offence taken whatsoever...............

Yeah, I used to use humor and mild sarcasm in presentations and business conversation in Japan. It never went over well. Even with body language and explanations (explanations usually made things worse). That being said, having colleagues in the UK I saw and appreciated both of your attempts at humor and found the whole of the discourse very entertaining. The only foul in my opinion is the misspelling of the word offense. ;-) brad

[rob5301]

you shouldn't take offence for the fact that after over 200 years you lot still can't spell ENGLISH words correctly.........after all, who is English in this conversation

Just phoned Retro Rocket..........

they use pre-polished, pure Aluminium sheet.....(correctly spelt)
1mm (.040") or 1.2mm (.048") thick, depending on the area it's used
for a 12ft touring caravan (trailer) without internal fittings i.e. empty, the prices start at £13,000+tax at 20%

at that price I could make 12ft 1950's empty Bambi replicas all day long out of 2024 T3, with fully galvanised steel chassis, correct rivet spacings, rolled edges, replica opening windows etc, etc.....think I'll go into business again

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by rob5301

you shouldn't take offence for the fact that after over 200 years you lot still can't spell ENGLISH words correctly.........after all, who is English in this conversation

Just phoned Retro Rocket..........

they use pre-polished, pure Aluminium sheet.....(correctly spelt)
1mm (.040") or 1.2mm (.048") thick, depending on the area it's used
for a 12ft touring caravan (trailer) without internal fittings i.e. empty, the prices start at £13,000+tax at 20%

at that price I could make 12ft 1950's empty Bambi replicas all day long out of 2024 T3, with fully galvanised steel chassis, correct rivet spacings, rolled edges, replica opening windows etc, etc.....think I'll go into business again

Sounds like they went with thicker "pure" aluminum sheet in order to maintain some degree of structural integrity & get the cheaper material cost.......................just like Airstream does today
Colin

[SuperTrouper]

Originally Posted by rob5301

As for terminology.......your frames are our chassis....because a chassis carries the axle, just like cars do. Our frames are the frames of the structure just like an aircraft is comprised of frames-ribs-stringers then the trailer body comprises frames and stringers......simple....I don't know why you've mixed it up

)

AIrstream actually calls the chassis a chassis. See the TOC:

http://www.airstream.com/files/libra...a5ce453338.pdf

[rob5301]

that's as maybe............everybody I've spoken to in the U.S. calls them frames.....???..strange!!

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by rob5301

Looks like something went wrong in sarcasm over the pond........I was being sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek with my reply (i.e. can't understand why you should think I'm not passionate)

I got your meaning and laughed at it.........unfortunately my response didn't end with a wink so you missed my meaning

No offence taken whatsoever...............

It's been said before that Americans and British are one people, divided by a common language.