Ally or Steel?

Carbon steel is the fabrication material of choice for a huge majority of engineering projects and is the recommended material to be used for all our trailer plans and trays,

Aluminium trailers and trays are also fairly common and can be the first choice for many users depending on their needs. The Pros and cons of building your trailer out of Carbon steel or Aluminium can be determined by the mechanical properties of each of these materials.

Aluminium Advantages:

• Corrosion/rust resistant
• Lightweight
• Does not require surface treatment

Aluminium Disadvantages:

• Requires AC TIG welder to weld properly
• Approximately half the strength of steel
• 60-80% More expensive
• Prone to stress cracking

Mild Steel is the most common construction and fabrication material due to it's high strength, low cost and easy work-ability. It can be welded easily with much more affordable equipment and is much less prone to stress cracking that occurs in aluminium.

Carbon Steel Advantages:

• High strength
• Easy to weld
• Up to 3x cheaper than Aluminium
• Will not work harden or produce stress cracks as easily.

Carbon Steel Disadvantages:

• Requires surface treatment to prevent rust (Painting or Galvanising)
• Higher density

All our Trailer plans and Ute Tray plans utilise the advantages of carbon steel to ensure your car trailer, hydraulic tipper trailer or Dual cab tray outlast any mass produced equivalent with having to worry about repair or replacement costs.