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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: crappsy on January 16, 2015, 09:44:26 AM

Title: Aluminium campers fatigue questions
Post by: crappsy on January 16, 2015, 09:44:26 AM

Hi all got a question for the brains trust.
Have spotted the following camper on gumtree, and am curious as to how well an aluminum camper would hold up on lots of corrugations, would it fatigue faster than a steel camper?


http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/charlestown/camper-trailers/fully-enclosed-off-raod-camper-trailer-/1067428967 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/charlestown/camper-trailers/fully-enclosed-off-raod-camper-trailer-/1067428967)

Title: Re: Aluminium campers fatigue questions
Post by: cyberess on January 16, 2015, 10:34:22 AM

Very similar trailer to my setup except mine uses a roof top tent.

(http://gallery.myswag.org/gallery/d/27561-1/SAM_0445.JPG)

you can read about that http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=12356.msg198816#msg198816 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=12356.msg198816#msg198816)

My trailer sits on a Gal steel frame, I think draw bar is a little long on my trailer, keeps clipping trees on the tighter tracks, but the guards 3mm aluminium, all that happens is that the bark is removed from the trees.

How has my trailer faired -- in 4 years  -- heaps and heaps of corrugated roads and tracks in the NT.. ,

• there is plenty of sand/rock blasting on front of the trailer
• Red Iron ore dust seems to have impregnated and stained the alloy
• Nothing to do with the alloy but I ruptured the water tank (sort of caused by the sand blasting of the  corrugated tracks)  -- have made up better guards for the plastic water tank
• Smashed the plastic handles on the stablizer on the back of the trailer (Replaced the plastic handles) (The stabilizers  are now removed when I do my really rough 4WD stuff, and bolted back on when the tent is set up)

I reckon my alloy trailer has faired really well, certainly has had the rough track treatment, if it was a steel trailer I would certainly have had to repaint trailer by now -- The comstar white rims on my trailer are showing surface rust mainly from the sand and rock pitting, so if that trailer your looking at is a similar setup, I think that you would end up with many good years of service out of it, and really good points of alloy, it's way lighter then steel and does not rust.

 :cheers: 
 

Title: Re: Aluminium campers fatigue questions
Post by: crappsy on January 16, 2015, 10:54:51 AM

Thanks cyberess,
All good comments and info. I still have to go over and 'kick the tyers ' on it yet but I will look at the areas you were discussing rims ect.