Any tips on installing side sheeting?

Love your support blocks for the metal!

Smooth sheet metal is very difficult to mount and keep it absolutely smooth. Older Kits are well known for ripples here and there.

One solution is tasteful screws into the wall. Of course, they will be short because of the ply wall. Our Corvette came with siding screws. I would go ahead and install the skin and see how it looks with the windows and door in place.

There also might be places that a light would anchor the skin.

Keep us in the loop.

Attaching skin is not the same in trailers. Some skins attach the bottom first, others from the top down. Skins with Pittsburg seams always start at the top. The bottom lip is stapled and the next sheet is slid up into the seam groove, then stapled lower down.

I'm assuming yours starts at the bottom and goes up from the photos. I usually start at one end after clamping and viewing the skin. Don't think the starting point is necessarily important, but the skin fit is. In other words, be sure the fit insures no leaks before final attachment; tight to the next seam at the back, middle and front.

Mobiltec has videos.

I'm a little late but warming is always helpful in chilly weather. Also, use thin butyl (sold as Tacky Tape by Schnee Morehead in roofing stores) at the seam. I use 1/16 x 1/2 inch for skin seams.

The roofing Co sold me some caulk used for metal roofing for my 66 Kit. I used it behind the butyl on vertical seams, but really wasn't impressed with it. It is Goop, after all. Extra insurance, maybe, and invisible. Can't hurt. From the factory, the Kit came with some sort of caulk at the skin seams, but no butyl. It leaked there.

If you're going to pre-drill, do it before the butyl is installed. I seem to get a better screw seal with intact putty. If you forget, a sharp tap with a nail set will start the hole pretty well and do less damage to the butyl than a drill bit.

Aluminum doesn't really like high speed anything. I'd use a heat gun. I think it was Soup who mentioned blasting aluminum could warp it beyond repair... not saying buffing would do that, but it may get hotter than wanted. A little more control with the gun.

I guess time will tell with your skin. I'm certainly no expert with flat panels. I would think older aluminum is tougher/less likely to warp than on a newer trailer.

Do you think this is basically the same stuff?

www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Butyl-Glazing-Tape-p/vts-137.htm

If not do you happen to have a link to the right stuff.

Thanks