Greetings all.  I am sick and tired of RUST on the old steel trailer.  Has anyone tried covering a steel trailer with Aluminum skin? There are several manufacturers that make baked-on color aluminum panels, mostly for cargo trailers.   WOuld they work on horse trailers?  Any thoughts?? Thanks in advance!

R

Logan and others basically do that with their trailers,  Steel frame, Aluminum skin.  They place some sort of layering materal between the two metals.

Pretty much anything on the outside and exposed to the elements is aluminum,  hinges, etc. So it's more than just the skin.

My trailer is 7 years old and I drag it around Utah all winter, So it gets plenty of salted roads and it's not showing any rust.

Thanks.  Painted: Is your trailer a steel with aluminum skin?  I would be covering the existing steel skin with aluminum... what is used to insulate between the steel and alum,.?  The steel is painted...can I attach the alum directly to that?  never seen a galvanic reaction.... sounds like something from Gerynoble.

Thanks

R

Thanks, Justgun!

R

I seriously doubt it would be cost effective to try and cover an existing steel trailer with aluminum sheets. But I also have not crunched any numbers on that subject. I'm sure you would have to kill any current rust so the cancer didn't continue after you covered it up.

You can read the review on the Logan trailers and how they are built at this link

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=12737&posts=1

You will have to have a physical barrier between the dissimilar metals; they cannot be allowed any contact. This can be done with barrier coatings, foam tape etc. The problem then begins with any fasteners that penetrate both metals.

Have you considered fiberglass panels, or the various plastic panels such as being used in industrial areas like milking parlors?

If you were to cover your trailer in aluminum, you still have a steel frame that is prone to rust, much labour and material costs, and possible future corrosion problems. I doubt that your efforts would substantially increase its value. You might be better off selling it, and purchasing a good used all aluminum trailer, that will need little major maintenance for several decades. It will easily maintain a better value and will be less expensive during your ownership.