Home / Part 2
Part 2 — Aluminum exterior
How to Build a DIY Travel Trailer - Aluminum Exterior and more (Part 2)
Source: How to Build a DIY Travel Trailer - Aluminum Exterior and more (Part 2) · 2018-06-04 · 15:10
What Joe did
- Built wheel-well supports and smoothed the outside welds.
- Reinforced the tongue with thicker steel using stick welding.
- Added wall, roof, and floor mounting tabs.
- Bolted coated two-by-four floor supports and plywood to the frame.
- Added wood infill and window frames.
- Bonded painted aluminum panels with VHB (very high bond) tape, then cut openings.
Numbers
| What | Value | Where in the video |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel-well steel | 16 gauge | “cut some 16 gauge sheet steel” |
| Rear-panel bend length | 7 feet | “two bends in it over the seven-foot lip” |
| VHB tape typical price | upwards of $100 per roll | “upwards of $100 per roll” |
| VHB tape price paid | about $50 per roll | “about $50/per roll” |
Materials and parts
| Item | Detail as Joe says it |
|---|---|
| VHB tape | CV62F and CV45F; bought from SRI-Supplies.com. |
| Steel | 16-gauge sheet for wheel-well supports; 7018 rods for tongue work. |
| Floor | Two-by-fours, spar urethane, plywood, foam, bolts, and aluminum diamond plate at doorway sill. |
| Skin | White painted aluminum from Industrial Metal Supply. |
Tools Joe used
- Plasma cutter.
- Forney multi-process welder; MIG and stick modes.
- Grinder, router with flush-trim bit, jigsaw, mallet, and clamps.
Tips and mistakes
- VHB needs abraded, primed surfaces and planning because it is hard to remove after bonding.
- He placed foam between plywood and steel to leave drainage space.
- He rolled seams and edges after applying the panels.
For my build
- Nathan’s note: tape-only skinning avoids many holes, but its cost belongs in the budget.
- Nathan’s note: plan every opening before exterior panels go on.
- Nathan’s note: choose a simpler skin method if the required prep or tool list is too much for a first build.