How Aluminum Truck Beds Protect Against Acid Rain
Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that can cause damage to trucks and other types of vehicles. However, it is possible to install aluminum beds in the back of a truck to protect it from the dangers of this problem.
Plastic Is Affected By Acid Rain
The factory-installed bed in most trucks is made of a hardy plastic material that is designed to resist many weathering elements. Unfortunately for people who live in areas with acid rain, this bed may be in danger of corrosion. Acid rain affects many types of plastic and will cause it to wear down slowly, particularly over extended periods.
As the plastic wears away, the metal underneath of the bed will be exposed. When this material is exposed, it will also be affected by acid rain. Even worse, it can also get exposed to rust and other weathering elements that can compromise its strength.
Aluminum Can Resist Acid Rain
While the plastic bed of a truck is likely to wear down due to acid rain, an aluminum bed is much less likely to suffer from this kind of damage. In one experiment, various metals were tested against the corrosive properties of acid rain. The most heavily affected was mild steel and then galvanized steel. The least affected was aluminum, which the experiment said was "hardly affected" by the acid rain.
That isn't to say that it wasn't at all affected, but compared to other metals and the plastics of most truck beds, it was very effective against acid rain. As a result, it is probably a good idea to get an aluminum bed installed on a truck for people who live in areas heavily affected by acid rain.
The Other Benefits Of Aluminum Beds
Beyond the fact that aluminum truck beds better resist acid rain is their resistance to other types of wear. For example, aluminum is galvanized to increase its resistance to rust and other weathering elements. In this way, it is possible to also avoid the kind of rust damage that can spread from a bed to the other parts of a truck.
This benefit is a bigger deal than it may seem because rust can make a truck more susceptible to damage by acid rain and even dust and sand storms. So installing an aluminum bed in a truck helps keep it from developing the kind of damage that can be so problematic for many truck owners.
Talk to an aluminum bed installation professional, such as those at Martin Truck Bodies, Inc, to get an idea of how much this procedure will cost. It will typically take place over a single afternoon and will help protect a truck for the dangers of acid rain for years to come.
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