About Me

Finding the Right Auto Accessories

Hello, my name is Francis and this is my auto accessories blog. Last year, I purchased a vintage camper van. I had always dreamt of owning a camper van so I could drive around Australia, exploring the towns, cities and the countryside. However, when I finally took ownership of the van, I quickly realised why it had been for sale at such a low price. The van was missing a lot of accessories such as the original gear stick, the wing mirrors and the seat covers. Thankfully, my friend who is an auto expert, taught me how to find the perfect accessories for the van.

Search

Categories

Latest Posts

Finding the Right Auto Accessories

Why Aluminium Trumps Steel When It Comes to Your Ute Tray

by Roger Jackson

Although many people choose to buy a ute these days simply as an alternative set of wheels, you may have bought your version for practical purposes and intend to get as much value out of it as possible. However, it may not be equipped to your liking as yet and you need to start by adding a proper ute tray. While there are many different versions available and you can add an almost innumerable range of upgrades, you have a basic question to consider before you proceed. Should you choose steel or aluminium?

Legal Capacity

As you've already decided that you will use this vehicle for commercial purposes, you need to capitalise on performance and capacity. However, you will also need to ensure that the vehicle is fully road-legal, especially when it comes to its laden weight. This will have a bearing when it comes to choosing the material, as aluminium is a lot lighter than the steel counterpart. With alloy ute trays, you will be able to add a lot more equipment, tools or products to the bed and still fall within the maximum permitted weight when you take to the road. You need to do some careful calculations before you make your decision, as this can be a game changer once the tray is fitted.

Corrosion

Next, consider long-term viability. Like a majority of Australians, you may live in close proximity to the coastline and the effect of salt in the ocean air can really "do a number" on a steel ute tray.

In this case, you should choose aluminium once again as it will not corrode. Not only will the truck perform better and be more durable, but it will look good after several seasons by the beach.

Excess Weight

Aluminium is very clearly the material of choice when it comes to longevity and capacity, but if you will be carrying some very heavy materials, then aluminium may not be your top choice. In this case, you're going to be quite limited and may need to choose steel but remember that you will have to cut down on the weight of your load in order to come within legal limits. In this case, you may even be better off getting a much larger vehicle with more capacity.

Configuration

In the majority of cases aluminium is the winner but talk with your component supplier to see how you can best configure this choice for your set of wheels.

Share