ALL-ALUMINUM TUB FOR YOUR VEHICLE

ALL-ALUMINUM TUB FOR YOUR VEHICLE

Today I’m talking to you about a fairly unknown company that offers a service that is quite unusual. I’m presenting the Canadian company Aqualu Industries Inc.

The company, which has been in business for over 20 years, is in Kelowna, British Columbia. They specialize in manufacturing, welding, and fabricating aluminum parts; from the simple custom part for your vehicle such as a dash panel to the complete manufacturing of an all-aluminum tub for your Jeep TJ.

I spoke with Mr. Doucet at Aqualu Industries Inc. to find out more about the company and the different products and services offered.

4X4SETUP: Let’s start with a fairly simple question, for people who are not very familiar with aluminum, what do you think are the advantages of using this material for our vehicle?

AQUALU: The primary reason, of course, is that aluminum does not rust. Secondly, it is a much lighter material, so for competition vehicles, it is a considerable advantage. It is also stronger than steel if we compare lb to lb.

4X4SETUP: For which vehicle makes/models do you offer an all-aluminum tub?

AQUALU: The list is very long. Over the years we have completed several different projects, often Jeeps, Land Cruisers, Samurais, but also completely custom vehicles.

4X4SETUP: So, if I want to make a buggy and I can provide you with the 3D computer drawings of my project, can you make it?

AQUALU: Yes, we manufacture Jeep-style parts that are made to fit in buggies. Customization and assembly are done by the client.

4X4SETUP: Can you be more specific about the specs of the materials you use?

AQUALU: All our bodies are made of 5052 aluminum 5/32 (.156) thick. This is about 4 times thicker than the steel used in the original bodies. For accessories such as grills, fenders or tailgates, we use 5052 aluminum 1/8 (.125) thick.

4X4SETUP: Can we order the tub in parts and assemble it ourselves?

AQUALU: We only offer the assembled body as seen on our website. Only a few modifications are left to the customer.

4X4SETUP: Do you have an example of the difference in weight between an aluminum tub and an original tub for a vehicle like a Jeep for instance.

AQUALU: For example, our CJ7 body weighs 246lbs compared to 472lbs for the original body, and it is 60% to 80% stronger.

4X4SETUP: The famous question is, how much does a complete tub cost, approximately?

AQUALU: On our website, items are listed with their price, but we also have packages. Our most popular package is the FJ40 which is also the most comprehensive one we offer. For 1978 and older FJ40, it is about CAN$4,044 and it can go up to $15,000 depending on what the client wants. Here is a link where you can find examples of prices:

http://www.hardbody4x4.com/uploads/6/4/2/2/6422733/_4005_package_options_-_cdn.pdf

4X4SETUP: Does aluminum require a different painting process?

AQUALU: Yes, there are three options. In general, the first and the most popular is powder coating. The second requires two coats of different primer and finishes with automotive paint. Finally, we also have some customers who left the aluminum product as is and only buffed out the vehicle.

4X4SETUP: A favorite project in all these years?

AQUALU: After all these years several beautiful projects have seen the light here, but my favorite is probably our most recent project. The owner designed and built himself a completely custom vehicle with a 4-wheel independent and directional suspension, totally crazy.

Here is a short video of one of the company’s projects, a super FJ80

And for Samurai lovers, if you’ve never seen the aluminum-tubbed Samu project… Click on the following link. Aluminum Samurai Part 2 : Xtreme 4×4 (powernationtv.com)

For any other questions or to learn more, you can find all the information directly on their Facebook page or their website at the following links.