.040 for new interior skin??

[tinbender]

I want to replace some interior panels on my trailer and have found a good deal on 4' X 10' aluminum sheets at a local metal fab shop who will also cut the new panels from my templates. The only drawback is that this stuff is .040 thick instead of the usual .032. It is bound to be harder to work with in the top end sections since the hardest curves are there.

Anybody out there use .040 for replacement and would you recommend it?

Thanks,
TB

[goransons]

I would be inclined to make the copies myself and make sure to drill every rivet hole too. It will save you tons of time if every hole lines up as well. I would imagine it would be harder to bend, granted most bends aren't that tight, you might be ok.

[Aerowood]

I plan to. I already have it in my interior kit. .040 is no harder to work with then .032.

[Wabbiteer]

Aren't most interior panels greater widths than 48-inches?

Also - planning overlaps or doubler-plates at seams will require some forethought, I know lengths go to 14+ feet on my 27'...

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by tinbender

I want to replace some interior panels on my trailer and have found a good deal on 4' X 10' aluminum sheets at a local metal fab shop who will also cut the new panels from my templates. The only drawback is that this stuff is .040 thick instead of the usual .032. It is bound to be harder to work with in the top end sections since the hardest curves are there.

Anybody out there use .040 for replacement and would you recommend it?

Thanks,
TB

It will depend on the temper of the new material. As the bends are large, I suspect it won't be a problem.
Colin

[tinbender]

Thanks to one and all!!

From the comments seems it won't be too much of a concern after all so I'm gonna go forward with it while I have the opportunity. I need to give an answer to the shop on Monday to order or not.

Wabbiteer -- I haven't removed them yet but initial measurements of the interior panels show that all of them can be made these size sheets, it's a shortie, 16'. The center one of the 3 in front is the largest and it's 48" at it's widest point so I'm good there. Also no really long ones like in your "regular sized" trailer.

Goransons -- I plan to do all the rivet holes myself. The new sheets will be overlayed with the old, marked and cut to the same size. I'll bring it all back home and drill 'em up overlayed the same way.

Thanks again.
TB

[Wabbiteer]

and it's 48" at it's widest point

Including the seam overlaps? The lowest inner panels on my two older trailers have four or even six or more inch-wide lap areas extending behind the sidewall-to-ceiling-curve sheets joints...

Just concerned - not suggesting its not do-able, its just the 60" widths required in my case is out of my league financially, and there are hidden rivets on the touches-floor panel behind the wall-curve section that might be considered structural for stiffness/integrity of the inner shell.

Laying it out and allowing a goodly overlap (whatever that may be) it can be done with three or four strips versus the two original, just prior proper planning to pre-drill and have everything squared in relation with each other

[tinbender]

Valid point but....

The center front panel is on top of the 2 side pieces, so the overlap comes into play from them. The end that joins at the ceiling light is 48" and it tapers down to the top of the window at 39".

[goransons]

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

Including the seam overlaps? The lowest inner panels on my two older trailers have four or even six or more inch-wide lap areas extending behind the sidewall-to-ceiling-curve sheets joints...

Just concerned - not suggesting its not do-able, its just the 60" widths required in my case is out of my league financially, and there are hidden rivets on the touches-floor panel behind the wall-curve section that might be considered structural for stiffness/integrity of the inner shell.

Laying it out and allowing a goodly overlap (whatever that may be) it can be done with three or four strips versus the two original, just prior proper planning to pre-drill and have everything squared in relation with each other

That really stinks if the early 70's units used some wider stock. Everything I've run into so far in the 60's are 48" tall or less, generally with a filler strip between the top and bottom of the windows, with 4'ers at the floor level and 4'ers from the top of the windows to the ceiling center line.